Star Leopard (Paused)

~Chapter 1~

“Stars, help us!” Nightfall cried, gazing at the night sky for anything that the stars might be telling her.

    Everything had happened so wrongly! Her mother, Crystalfur, died of an infection a quarter moon-cycle ago, and now her sister Shadowbreeze got kicked on the jaw by a elk while hunting.

    “How can the stars help us? You said they haven’t said anything for ages, so maybe they are angry at us.” A whisper sounded at the back of the cave.

    Nightfall whisked around to face Shadowbreeze, inspecting her wounds. She padded towards her sister, whose eyes were clouded with pain.

    “Why would they give me the gift of star reading, only to not say anything?,” Nightfall replied, looking outside. She still remembered how she thought life was easy when Crystalfur said snow leopards are at the top of the food chain. She was only two Rounds old, but she suffered so much already!

    Then Nightfall felt like the stars was changing. She stiffened, waiting for the stars to stop. Please tell me what to do!

    Wait, they said at last, it's nearly time.

    Nightfall was puzzled. Nearly time for what? But she knew there was no point in asking. The stars rarely answered her questions anyway.

    She shook her head, thinking to back Shadowbreeze. She can’t just stand here thinking about what the stars meant. Her sister needs her help.

    Choosing not to tell Shadowbreeze about what the stars had said, she headed into the cave. The cold stone floor was lined with leaves and moss.

    “Do you wan’t more herbs for the wounds?” She asked Shadowbreeze. Her sister laid her head on her paws, moaning in reply.

    Nightfall sighed, padding to the herb store at the back of the cave. They are running low on herbs.

    Picking up a bundle in her jaws, she groaned at the bitter taste. Settling down beside Shadowbreeze, she chewed the herbs into a poultice, ignoring the urge to spit it out. Then, as gentle as she could, she spread it out on her sister’s pelt. Shadowbreeze winced in pain.

   The darker snow leopard got kicked straight on the muzzle, making it slightly crooked, and other light scratches scattered all over her body.

    After spreading the poultice, Nightfall got herself in a more comfortable spot, putting moss around Shadowbreeze to keep her warm, and closed her eyes.

    It doesn't matter what the stars meant. I can figure that out later. Right now I have to focus on keeping me and my sister healthy.

    Questions still flooding her mind, Nightfall drifted off to sleep.

                   *     *     *

    Animals are everywhere, flying, running, jumping, arguing. Thousands of stags stabbed wolves with their sharpened horns, chasing the packs away. Hawks swooped down to grab hares and other creatures with outstretched talons, only to result in getting outnumbered by the hares instead, and fell limp.

All around Nightfall animals fell down to the snowy ground, never to rise again. The winner was obvious– the Herbivores. Carnivorous limped away, wincing in pain.

    I am dreaming, Nightfall realised. But this doesn't feel like a dream. It feels like this is really happening.

    Blood splattered the ground at her feet, and sprayed her face. She leaped back to get away from the sticky liquid, only to get covered in more, until everything in front of her was a mass of red and scarlet.

   The stags bellowed in triumph. Then one of them spotted her. He came, charging at Nightfall full speed. Nightfall tried to escape, only to find out that there was a wall of snow behind her.

    She shivered in her sleep, not because of the cold, but because of what she just saw.

    It must be a dream. It can’t be happening in real life. But then… Why does it feel so realistic?

    That's because it is, a voice ringed at the back of her head. Find the other two, winged and hoofed, to keep the balance.

(*Rounds=years)

OK, I know it is a short Chapter, but I'm a really bad,writer, so whatever.