Come back to me

Chapter 8- "I hate being wet."

         Ring ran through the trees, looking wildly around to spot anything that seemed familiar. Suddenly his claw got hooked on a root as he scrambled over a tree trunk. He flipped over onto his back but scrambled to  his paws and ran blindly ahead. He looked up and winced as rain dripped into his eyes. He blinked them away as he saw the ravine up ahead. He perched over it and gazed down. Iris wasn't anywhere to be seen. Ring felt his pelt being weighted down by the rain. He leaned over the ravine and gazed down. It almost seemed like a cliff, complete with jagged rocks at the bottom. 

"Iris!" He yowled over the wind.  A shadow hovered over his shoulder. He whipped around, almost slipping over the edge but something sharp latched onto his shoulder and dragged him backward. Ring thrashed around, spitting angrily. Finally it let go and he scrambled around. Ring felt his legs weaken in relief. Iris sat gasping and shaking beside Cedar.

"You should watch were your going." Cedar rumbled. Ring's gaze hardened. 

"We should go back to the hollow." Cedar said. He stood up to lead the way but Ring stood in front of him.

"We should go to my place, it's closer." Ring said. Cedar glared down at him.

"The hollow is safer." He growled and led the way. Ring watched him stalk away, anger burned his pelt. Iris came over to his side, her wet pelt brushing against his.

"Lets just go." She meowed tiredly and followed Cedar. Ring felt hurt as he saw how tired and worn Iris was. She was only barley above being a kitten. Ring scrambled down the slope and came to her side, helping her every time she stumbled or tripped. 

"I'm sorry for how I acted." Iris meowed suddenly. Ring stopped in his tracks, mud gushed around his paws but he paid no mind. Iris stopped when she realized he wasn't following. Iris looked behind and saw Ring was gazing at the ground. He looked so skinny with his pelt plastered to him and the mud drenched his paws and underbelly. 'I can see his ribs!'  

"Ring, are you okay?" She asked. Ring looked up at her. 

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." He meowed. He pushed past her softly. He licked her shoulder as he passed. Iris watched him go, baffled. The rain overhead started to lighten up. Cedar and Ring made it to the entrance of the hollow, Iris watched them go in but waited. She breathed in the rain, the smell of mud, rock, and wood felt welcoming along her tongue.  She sighed as the sun came out and warmed her back. Almost with dread she jumped down the last slope and stepped through the entrance to the hollow. Immediately she regretted it, Cedar, Ring, and Violet were in a heated argument.

"You shouldn't have taken her that far, you were suppose to teach her how to hunt." Cedar hissed. Ring lashed his tail.

"I did but she's not quit ready for that yet! She needs to learn the basics first!" 

"Basics of what? To get herself lost in a ravine!" Violet snarled. Ring glared at her.

"No ofcourse not, just to realize were the borders are then hunting." Cedar stretched out his claws.

"Hunting is more important now more than ever, even if it's spring prey is still scarce." 

"But Ring's right about that, she could get hurt!" Violet meowed. Ring felt his claws slid out.

"She can't just jump into it! Like Violet said she could get hurt without proper training." Ring said. Cedar rounded on him.

"She should be learning how to fight and hunt not doing border patrols!" Cedar hissed.

"It's so no one will get lost or hurt! If she doesn't know were the borders are she won't know what to expect but she does need to learn how to fight." Ring said. Violet stared at him in shock.

"Why would she need to learn how to fight? She's going to stay with us!" Ring looked at her dead in the face, his eyes blazing.

"Because I won't let Iris get hurt again!" Ring yowled. Violet's eyes widened. Ring leaned in close to Violet and Cedar.

"She needs to learn how to protect and feed herself, if that doesn't happen she'll be gone by dawn." He meowed sharply, he turned away from them and headed to his den. Iris stood to the side, dazed. Ring passed by her and sat on one of the rocks, the fur on his shoulders were sticking up in unease. Iris glanced over at Cedar and Violet, they were whispering urgently to one another. 'Fine, if they don't want to be open then I don't have to be with them.'  Iris padded over to the base of the rock and looked up at Ring.

"Come on lets wash that mud off." Iris whispered. Ring nodded to her and smiled softly. He jumped down to her side and walked beside her over to the pool. Iris leaned down to take a lap at it. Ring gazed down, the pool was twice as big now, slowly a smirk crossed his face. he reached out with his front paws and placed them on her haunches. With one hard shove she fell in, splashing and yowling.

"Ring! I'm gonna stuff your nest with thistles!" Iris yowled before she went back under again. Ring gave a mrrow of laughter as he watched iris scrambled to the bank.

"Ring, your gonna pay." She sputtered, coughing water. Ring paid no mind as he started grooming himself. 'Just like old times.' he thought absent mindlessly. Iris flopped down beside him, panting. He looked up, his whiskers twitching.

"You want some help?" 

"Shut up." 

Cedar and Violet stopped in there conversation when there was a loud splash. Violet's eyes softened as she saw Ring laughing at Iris as she stomped onto the bank. Cedar narrowed his eyes. Violet turned to Cedar.

"What . . . what do you think Ring meant by dawn?" Violet asked quietly. Cedar brushed his pelt against hers.

"He thinks he'll loose her like how he lost Dew." Cedar murmured.