World of Rats

Chapter 1

"Hurryup!" Tarana called from ahead, "If we don't hurry, therewon't be any of the good food left by the time we getback!"
"Well then, why don't you carry this if youthink you could go faster?" Feah replied, tripping over thebread crust she had found on the sidewalk.
"Because I'malready carrying the bedding." Tarana snorted. "Or wouldyou prefer to sleep on stone?" Despite her rough tone, she hadalready stopped to wait for her friend, and bit the bread crust inhalf once Feah had caught up with her. Then she picked up the otherhalf and carried it herself, while somehow still managing to carrythe piece of cloth at the same time.

With that, both of themwere occupied and conversation ceased until they reached the hole inthe rotting old door that led into the abandoned house the Colony wasusing as their Base. There, they were met by one of the Guards.
"HeyZabex! Good to see you. We brought back some bread. We were in ahurry and didn't have any time to go hunting." Tarana said in ahurry, while Feah was standing next to her, trying to catch herbreath after such a long run.
"Okay, that's fine. I'll takethe bread to the storage, you guys go ahead and get to your Nest.They've already distributed the food, and if you don't hurry, theremight not be anything good left for you two." Zabex toldthem.
Tarana brushed past him into the Base. Feah managed tobreath a thank you before following after Tarana.
When they gotthere, it turned out that they had been right to worry. There wereonly a few measly crumbs and a single meager beetle left. Obviously,Tarana took the beetle for herself, playfully explaining to Feah thatit was her fault they were late in the first place. When Feah didn'tdeny it, Tarana had a short and rare moment of guilt, and decided toleave at least a tiny piece for her. After that, they joined theothers in the Nest, Tarana teasing the others by showing them thesoft, comfortable piece of cloth she had found. The only ones who gotexcited over it where Avery and Tilia, the two youngest members whohad only recently joined the Nest, and didn't yet know Tarana wellenough to realize she wasn't planning on sharing.
Just before theyall went to sleep, Nana came over to Feah and Tarana, who wherehuddled together with their precious cloth, and told them to get upbefore dawn the next day, because there was something important sheneeded to tell them. She had already discussed it with the othermembers of the Nest while they were still out.

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Feahwoke up early the next day, remembering what Nana had told them theprevious night and feeling a twinge of worry. Whatcould be wrong with Nana? Would they have to look for a differentTrainer? But who would want to take on two rats of their age? Afterall they were almost ready to become recognized Hunters already!
WhenFeah saw that Tarana was still happily snoring away, she gentlynudged her to wake up. Tarana gave a little twitch of her hind paw,but otherwise there was no reaction. After a few more attempts, Feahnipped Tarana's tail in frustration. Thatgot her to wake up. The bad part was that everyone else woke up too,due to Tarana's startled shriek. Feah waited for Nana's exasperatedvoice to tell them off, but it never came. Then she sniffed the air.She's not here!Feah realized with a start.
"What's wrong?" Taranagrumbled.
"Nana isn't here..."
"What!"Tarana spat. "First she tells us to get up early and talk toher, and then she's not even here!?"
They all fell silent asthey heard paw steps coming towards them. Feah sniffed the air in anattempt to identify who it might be. There was the scent of severalrats coming towards their Nest, but while they all seemed familiar,she couldn't remember who they belonged to. All except forone.
"Okay, see you then." Nana's voice could clearly beheard through the silence in the Nest. "What's going on here?"She asked as she entered,

lookingrather confused. When nobody responded, Nana sniffed the air, butcouldn't detect anything that would have made her companions thistense. "What's going on." She repeated, this time demandingan answer.
Hadara, the leader of the Nest, got up, walked over toFeah and Tarana, then forcefully pushed them out of their bed, inNana's direction.
"These two over here had to go and wake upthe entire Nest. Now go and take care of your students." Shetold Nana. She no longer looked all that elegant and threatening withher fur sticking up in all directions, but not even Tarana had thecourage to say so. Instead, they slunk out of the Nest, makingthemselves as small as possible. Then they waited while Nana andHadara had a short conversation, but they didn't dare eavesdrop whenHadara was in such a bad mood.
When they were done talking, Hadarawent back into the Nest, while Nana turned around and looked at thetwo young rats. Then she told them to follow her and walked offwithout even looking back to see if they actually were.
Feahjumped forward to walk beside Tarana, who was keeping a smalldistance between Nana and herself so that they could talk withouthaving her overhear every word they were saying.
"Why is shetrying to be so mysterious?" Tarana grumbled.
Feah dislikedTarana's tone.
"Don't say that. There might really besomething wrong!" she squeaked. The more she thought about it,the more anxious she got. Whowere those other rats that Nana had talked to? Could they havesomething to do with it?Feah stopped when she noticed Tarana looking at her with a strangeexpression in her eyes.
"What?" she asked.
"Sothat's what's bothering you." Tarana said. "Don't worry.Do you really think Nana looks like she's in trouble? I think shelooks even happier than normal!"
Feah glanced ahead to lookat Nana, then realized she wasn't there anymore.She tensed when she saw a large, reeking group of rats flowing intothe room instead. Luckily they were still on the window sill, or theymight even have been run over. Butwhere is Nana? she askedherself. Then she spotted her coming out of one of the drawers wherethe food was kept, carrying two dead baby geckos in her mouth. Hereyes widened when she saw the mass of rats.
Feah got ready to jumpdown and join her, but a touch from Tarana stopped her in her tracks.She glanced over her shoulder at Tarana, and realized her friend wasabnormally nervous. Taranadoesn't get nervous! She's always composed! This just isn't right!Feah thought, now getting nervous too.
"They're Warriors."Tarana whispered in a shaky voice.
Feah looked back at the mass ofrats, there were about thirty, maybe even forty! She gulped when sherealized her friend was right. Almost all of them had threehorizontal scars running down their face, starting between the eyesand ending where the whiskers started. Themark of the Warrior!