Flame

Chapter Ten

Flame woke and looked around him. Dove slept, curled up beside the soft, warm print where he had laid. He marveled at how his life had changed over the month he had been banished. His mother who cared for him so much had been ripped away. His friends he grew up with were turned against him. Sighing, he turned to Dove. “But I thank The Tribe of Endless Hunting for sending me off, otherwise, I would have never met Dove,” he mewed softly. He crept off slowly to hunt for the both of them. 

Coming back, Flame saw Dove sit up and stretch luxuriously. He trotted gaily toward her and set his catch before them both. “Thanks, Flame,” she yawned. “Sorry it is so scant, but the forest is not exactly brimming with prey,” Flame said. Dove sighed as she remembered the problem with the twolegs. “We forgot about that twoleg nest, but we might not get harmed if we just walked through the front, but then again, we might.” she continued, “We could also go around, but that might take us away from the river and get lost or take us a couple of days out of our way.”  Flame shuffled his paws anxiously and said, “I guess…I guess I would feel more comfortable cutting straight through the back,” Dove looked trustingly into his eyes and nodded. 

They crawled stealthily behind the nest, on the guard for anything suspicious. “This is a big nest!” exclaimed Flame. “Very,” agreed Dove. They continued, side-by-side, when a mass of yellow and orange fur hurtled toward them. Flame yowled, “Look out!” but the cat was upon them. Screeching, it pummeled the duo with unmatched skill. Flame and Dove managed a few scratches. Panting, they backed away from the yellow cat. Dove’s eyes lit up with recognition, “Adderpelt!” He stopped his powerful advance in puzzled remembrance. “Dovepaw? Is it really you?” he raced toward her, “Dovepaw!” the two embraced each other with warmth. While this reunion was going on, Flame stood quietly off to the side of the pair, inspecting the area around them. Dove stood back from her friend and introduced him to Flame. “Flame, this is-” “Cheese,” interrupted Adder pelt. “What?” “My name is Cheese. I do not doubt that you have a new name as well,” Dove took a pace back, “Yes, I do. My new name is Dove,” she continued the introduction. “Flame, this is Cheese, he was a warrior in my old clan. Cheese, this is Flame, he has been traveling with me every since, well you know what,” Cheese dipped his head, and Flame said, “It’s an honor,” Flame’s head was spinning, Cheese? What true warrior would leave his clan to walk the kittypet trail? He wondered. Meanwhile, Dove and Cheese, continued reliving past events. “Remember when Heatherbounce told me off for shirking duties?” Dove probed. “Yes! You forgot to check her pelt for lice, right?” Cheese would reply. Flame wanted to pick up the conversation, but didn’t dare interrupt them with his inadequate knowledge of clan ways. A soft mew cut them short, “Cheese, who are these cats?”