Warriors: Moon Signs #4 (ABANDONED)

Chapter 1

"Thanks for letting us stay here, Alane," Coalstep meowed, dipping his head in gratitude. He glanced at Aspenbreeze, who was blinking warmly at her.

"Yeah, thanks," she agreed. Her eyes flashing playfully, she added, "Now we can catch fish! I can't wait to tell everyone when we get home."

Alane purred. "Surely you aren't already longing your home? You haven't even found your sister!" She joked.

Aspenbreeze's whiskers twitched. "Maybe!"

"We should really get going," Coalstep interrupted. "We're losing daylight."

"Alright, alright," Aspenbreeze agreed, still purring. "Let's go, then, boss!" She nudged him lightly. Once they said their goodbyes to Alane, they starting trekking along the lake. Fortunately the lake ended here and they padded around it.

By the time it was evening, Aspenbreeze felt as if her paws were dropping off, but she hated to complain. Instead, she lifted her chin and padded on.

She tried thinking of how exciting it would be when she found her sister. She would probably be alone, sleeping in a warm den, not aware that her younger sister was tracking her down.

She froze when she heard a wheeze from Coalstep. He couldn't be sick! Not when they still had to find her sister and take her home.

"I'm okay," Coalstep meowed, answering her unasked question. "Just swallowed some dust. Your paws were dragging. Want to call it a day?"

Aspenbreeze let out a small sigh of relief before nodding her head and looking around. The lake was long gone, though she could barely see the shore. A forest started not long up ahead and they were in a grassy clearing made up of dust.

"Great. Where should we make a nest?" Coalstep asked, quite cheerfully, as though relishing the fact they were about to rest.

Aspenbreeze gazed around for moss or bracken, but it was just dry. "The forest isn't far up ahead," she told him observantly. "We could make it."

The color drained from Coalstep's face. Disappointment burned in his blue eyes, but he shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine. Okay. That's fine- let's go. Now."

Without waiting for Aspenbreeze, he got to his paws and started sprinting to the forest. Obviously he wanted a good rest.

Aspenbreeze let out an angry and playful yowl and pelted after him. She didn't catch up to him beyond he disappeared behind the ferns.

She tripped over a tree root as she followed his scent. She straightened, feeling embarrassed, though no one saw her. She stood up, looking for Coalstep. "Coalstep?" She called, feeling half-angry and half-cheerful.

When he did not answer, her face fell. "Coalstep?" She asked again, trekking along the trees.

No answer.

"Coalstep!" Aspenbreeze began running but, she found no sign of him. She started to panic. "Coal-" Suddenly, she felt herself falling to the ground. She rolled over and raked her claws on some cat's pelt.

"What are you doing here?" A tom hissed in her ear. He sunk his teeth in her shoulder and flung her headfirst into a tree.

She quickly recovered, and then heard scrabbling and a yowl of defense. That's Coalstep! He came to save me!

Aspenbreeze raced over to the fighting toms and clung into the light grey tabby, who already had blood clinging to his sides. Coalstep's fighting hard! So will I!

She raked her thorn-sharp claws down the tom's head and he growled with pain. When he tried to knock her off, she sunk her claws, making sure they broke the skin.