Spirit's Journey

CHAPTER 35- Hannah: New Friend

"Groups of two, stay close and split off into the trees. Don't backtrack!" Spirit yelled as me and Blaze headed off into the trees at a fast trot, exited to be hunting again.

You'd think we would have memorized to stay close and not backtrack by now, I thought in my head as me and Blaze picked up our pace to a run, mouths open and smelling for prey. His pelt brushed mine as our paws slapped through countless puddles left from the rain the day before, and I felt a small burst of happiness at simply being in this plentiful forest. It was pretty, and had lots of prey and felt safe.

I had no real worry about the wolves, because we'd managed to escape them last time, right? The Skycat would watch over and protect us through whatever dangers we were faced with- look at how much me, Spirit and Fallan had been through already.

I felt a tinge of sadness run through me, and slowed down to turn right in pursuit of the smell of squirrel.

How disappointing it was that we used to be so close when we were kits, and even back to before we'd met Midnight and Diamond... And what had happened?

I couldn't even decide because I didn't know. Maybe it was all these new members of the pride that were making us drift apart- and Spirit acted like she didn't even care. Which was probably true. I'd bet my tail it didn't matter to her at all.

I jumped as something sped past me in a blur of tan-and-black, and realized I'd completely forgotten that we were hunting.

Blaze was pursuing a squirrel when it jumped onto the side of a tree and leaped into the safety of the branches. He clawed his way up the tree a bit, but was far too slow for the nimble squirrel, and hissed as he turned.

Oh no. He's going to be mad, I thought, but as he neared me his angry expression disappeared.

"You alright?" He meowed, and I felt my pelt heating up.

"You kind of just walked right up to it," he said, and sat down in front of me, washing a paw and drawing it over his ear.

"I'm fine," I said to my friend and turned away to continue looking for prey.

"Just had something on my mind, that's all," I finally added when he'd come up to my shoulder.

"Can I ask what?" He said, and looked at me with one eye, a small smile consuming the side of his face. I felt my moods lift a bit at seeing that smile

"My sister's," I sighed and looked away, knowing he couldn't understand. I recalled him telling me about his past, and how he'd had a sister and a brother, but had left them to set off on his own once he was big enough to hunt small prey.

"I'm sorry," he meowed, and the smile dissapeared. His amber eyes returned back to the forest scenery in front of us. I found myself yearning for that smile and his eyes on me again.

"Can I cheer you up somehow?" He meowed, and I had no time to answer because he ran off to the side and delicately picked a small white flower from the ground, hidden under some undergrowth.

I stared in wonder as he trotted over to me, that smile on his face again. He stood in front of me, causing me to halt and look up at him in question.

What was he going to do with that?

"For you," he mewed between his teeth, and flicked his ears as if he wanted to give me the delicate white flower. I didn't know what to do, so I stood there, staring at his wide, amber eyes, and after a minute I got so embarrassed my ears went flat on their own. Well, this was great.

He finally set it down on the ground in front of my paws.

"See? It is pretty and dainty, like you," he said with confidence, and I was taken aback.