Spirit's Journey

CHAPTER 48: Storm- Watching

I wonder what she's thinking, I thought as I made my way through the valley of this mountain with all the other cold and wet bodies around me.

Spirit walked stiffly in front of me, setting all of her paws down as if she was walking on a rock-ledge. Without her speaking it, I knew the cheetah's paws were rubbed sore from all of the walking on stone- she now carried Midnight's curled up form on her back as we trekked through the light drizzle of the afternoon.

With a flick of her tail, Spirit instructed all of us to head right on the up-coming blockage of stone. To the way she was leading us, there was a small expanse of flat ground and a few shards of grass to let our paws walk easy for a bit.

I noticed Spirit's shoulder's sag, and her belly swaying as she moved. The she-cat had ears that shaped her head and muzzle in a kind of pretty way; though the cat had a grim expression on her face.

I'd always thought that cheetah's were a weird species of cat, and I'd never really associated or been around them until the wolves. The same was true with house-cats, who I had never met or seen up close before until traveling with this pride.

What made her want to take all these cats in?

Spirit's associations made my brain whirl.

Like, how she would talk privately with Midnight, even leaving Aspen out of their enclosed conversations. Or how she had went off on her own that one night, and I'd woken up and seen both her and Blaze missing.

Of course the question had arose. Had they been together, or did Spirit even know that Blaze had left during the night after her?

Why did I even care so much? Why do I want to know more about her?

I shook my head, trying to dispel all the pestering thoughts. Me and Spirit seemed the most alike out of everyone else, though I hadn't gotten close to Hannah because she'd drifted away from me to Blaze.

It didn't bother me, but I couldn't tell if I exactly liked Blaze or not; I'd seen him trying to sit closer or lean into Spirit's personal space, or even just bothering her by his presence. The blotted cheetah watched her, just like I admittedly did sometimes.

For the reason, I didn't know on my side or his. My pelt would prick when Spirit was obviously uncomfortable and the cheetah pretended not to notice.

Fallan talked to me occasionally, but of course we weren't eagerly friendly with each other. Fallan just used me as a way to get her bordem out, while Midnight was a lot more open and comfortable with me.

Aspen was friendly and thought I knew a few good moves with both hunting and fighting- he had wanted me to cut him in immediately- and of course I'd shown him the simpler things about fighting first.

Sometimes, when Aspen and Midnight and Spirit were sharing a conversation, so would Hannah and Blaze as they walked. That left Diamond meowing for attention and Fallan the only one who I had to talk to, unless I forced myself into a conversation with the three cats I was most comfortable with.

It made me feel lonely sometimes, but the only thing I could feel of it was a hollowness in my heart. It didn't ache or hurt; it was just a temporary empty feeling.

Often, just like right now, I'd simply push the feeling out of my thoughts.

Ahead of me, Midnight and Spirit exchanged a few words before turning around to face the rest of the pride.

"I've decided this is the best place to stop and hunt," Spirit said, her voice rising above the rain.

"What's the point? All the prey will be in their holes!" Hannah said loudly from somewhere behind me. I simply twitched an ear, because interfering did nothing to help the sister's tension.