Spirit's Journey

CHAPTER 45- Spirit: Empty Bellies

"Good one!" Midnight said, her fur fluffed out in excitement as she backed away from Aspen, who had just landed a few sheathed blows on her head.

"You are a quick learner," Storm meowed, much to Aspen's embarrassment because he cast us all a shy glance, a small smile on his face as if he were glad for the praise but didn't want anyone to know.

"Sucks about the twine around your neck, though," we all heard someone else speak up and turned to see Blaze padding past, a branch in his jaws as he walked. It looked quite silly, but of course the branch would be a treat for Diamond since she hadn't seen any in so long.

Why not come back with prey?

Briefly, I wondered where he could have found it, until the tom turned his head to mumble around the stick again.

"It makes so much noise that prey gets scared away, and predators will be warned if we all were trying to hide in the night."

I wondered what he would think we might be hiding from, then realized. Of course Hannah would have told him about the wolves.

Aspen and Storm looked on, Aspen clearly trying not to be bothered by it and Storm looking as if he were slightly on edge but hiding the fact of it. There was nothing we could say, so Blaze padded past and over to Hannah and Diamond to set the branch down beside them.

Me and Midnight exchanged glances, and I opened my mouth to re-assure the young cat first.

"It really doesn't jingle a lot until you're running," was all I could muster, and felt bad because the tabby-and-white tom ducked his head as if trying to hide from the embarrassment.

"Plus he has no right to say anything," Midnight said. I detected slight anger in her voice, and moved back as she stepped forward to give Aspen a re-assuring lick on the ear.

Weird, I thought, because I'd been seeing so many cats acting intimate around me. Everyone seemed to start getting all over each other.

But, it wasn't my place to worry about Midnight and her re-found friend. Or about Hannah and her relationship with Blaze.

"Okay, can we try that one move again?" Aspen said, crouching low and concentrating. Midnight started circling him slowly, stalking him around and around as if circling in on her prey.

When Midnight jumped for him, the kitten leaped out of the way, swiping a paw across her cheek before flipping around quickly to be met head-on, ears flat and head low. This was the end of the move, before another one would've had to be used in a real battle.

"I did it!" Aspen said, clearly pleased with himself. The yellow-eyed cat licked his chest fur and looked away as Midnight praised him.

"I bet you could advance that move even more to be able to use two sets of claws as a single head-blow," Storm said in his deep, rumbling voice. Everyone turned to look at him except me, knowing he'd return my gaze as soon as I did, even if just for a second.

"Yes, but for now he's learning simple moves," Midnight said, but went on trying to cover the fact that her words had just come out rude.

"B-but I could try it," she said, getting into her stance.

I rolled my shoulders and stretched, letting the weak sunlight warm my pelt a bit, sniffing the air because I knew rain would be coming soon.

"After you practice that move a few times we're leaving," I said to make it official. Hannah and Blaze didn't look up from dancing their twig above Diamond, acting like they hadn't heard. I sighed, not letting exasperation get to me, and turned away from everyone.