Of Dust and Dawn

Generation One: Chapter Two

We are going to have to try. Melissa waddled into the water first followed by Lady. One by one each cat reluctantly entered the water. This was our only choice. Melissa thought, looking back at the others to make sure they were okay.

The spring time sun had not yet been given the chance to warm up the water. The chilliness stung at the cats threatening to pull them down under if they so much as even stopped to catch their breath.

Nami; the pregnant American longhaired she-cat began to drift further and further away from the others. Melissa and Lady slowed their pace to join her by her side, letting Nami lean on them. "I don't know how much longer I can go for."

"You have to, for your kits." Melissa watched the others getting further and further away. The smaller island was still closer than the bigger one was. She could hear the she-cat panting hard, the weight of her long fur and swollen belly becoming more and more like troublesome by the minute.

The Siberian tom soon joined the she-cats. "Help the others, I got her." He swam under Nami and let her climb onto his back.

"Thank you." Nami purred weakly.

"Something touched my leg!" Gracie's cry pierced the air and then she was gone.

Down, down, down. The jaws of a great white shark held Gracie in its mouth. She tried to scream but water rushed into her mouth and into her lungs.

Above the surface, the rest of the groups were scattered about, some swimming in a panic faster towards the island, others looking around for other threats. "Toby, no! She's a goner!" The Siberian tom yelled, watching the Maine coon dive under the water after the pretty Laperm.

Luckily a Maine coon's fur was water-resistant,making them good swimmers. Toby glided down, barring towards the shark. His unsheathed claws aimed at the shark's eye, leaving a trail of red in its wake. Gracie's body flew from the shark's mouth and landed on the reef's sandy ground below.

Back above the water the panic had set in full scale and the hungry cats were growing weak. Even Blake who had been carrying Nami with little effort this whole time was growing wary.

"There's others!" From the shore of the large island stood three small shapes; a brown Korat she-cat, a female Ocicat, and a Japanese bobtail tom. With a splash the three entered the water and swam to meet the tired group. Toby resurfaced and holding Gracie by the ruff of her neck.

The warm sands of the beach were a welcomed relief. Melissa walked along the group, with Lady to make sure everyone was accounted for. "Are there any other survivors?" The Japanese bobtail asked the group.

"This is everyone." Melissa replied, looking down at Gracie. The Laperm's pale orange coat was stained with blood. Her bite on her leg had stopped bleeding but the more serious one on her side was still oozing out a thick blanket of red. Toby sat by her side, licking her fresh wounds trying to get them to stop bleeding with little luck. Lady joined his side to help. "Is this everyone for you?" The tom nodded and she continued, "Have you had any luck with finding food? We are hungry and tired. The small island was lacking in prey or shelter."

Just like Whitestar had promised, prey ran plentiful along the island. Kirito, the Japanese bobtail and the two she-cats Sasha the spotted Ocicat and Sybil the light brown Korat had managed to catch some fresh kill. The now group of eleven split the prey along each other. Although they were not full, the small amount in their bellies gave them some much needed strength.

Gracie was still weak but Lady and Toby had finally stopped the bleeding. Toby sat next to Gracie, giving her half of his portion of a young bluebird.

Nami sat with Lady, sharing a delicious and plump mouse. Lady pushed over half of her share of the mouse. "You need this more than I do." The expecting she-cat purred and devoured the mouse.

"How far into the island have you gone?" Melissa sat down next to Kirito.

"Just along the shore and those surrounded trees," He pointed his tail towards the tall pines nearby, "that is where we found the food."

"I know where you could find more food. And shelter." Melissa began to rely her ghostly encounter with Whitestar and the Warrior Code.

Kirito listened, his ears flicked and his tail twitched, "Have you been to this place? This camp?"

"Only in a dream," Melissa expected him to scoff her off, "but I know that it is our only hope."

"You don't think that the humans will return for us?"

She shook her head and sighed, thinking of her human; Melody who was no doubt at the bottom of the sea with the plane. Their old life of pamper and luxury was over. From now on if they wanted to survive their only hope was to find Whitestar's old camp and follow the Warrior Code. It was the only way.