A Clan's Tragedy #1

Chapter 13 (COMPLETED)

   Chapter 13

The cold melt-ground wind blasted in Hazelfur's face as she stalked a dove quietly. Pawstep by pawstep, she was a fox-length from her prey. Suddenly the wind changed course, blowing her scent towards the dove. At once it shot up in the air, but she caught it only by a whisker. She brought it down with a hard thump, and killed it with a single bite. Hazelfur picked up her dove and buried it by roots of a birch tree next to her mouse. She would try to catch one more, bececause all the prey would be coming out of their hiding by now. A flash of white caught Hazelfur's eye.

   "What are you doing out here?" demanded Frostail. "You should be resting in the nursery! Come on now!" He started shoving her gently towards the camp.

   "But my prey!" Hazelfur swung around her mate and started digging her prey up. Frostail raised his eyebrows.

   "You caught prey too?" he exclaimed. "What am I going to do with you, Hazelfur?" He sighed and carried her dove in his jaws. By the time they got to the camp, it started snowing slightly. Hazelfur shivered and walked closer to Frostail as she dropped the mouse. Inside the nursery was warm and comfortable. Hazelfur didn't feel like hunting anymore, so she buried deep in her nest. Pebblepelt was sitting in hers with her newborn kit, Icekit. The new queen bore her yesterday morning. She only had the one- it was a small white she-kit with gray paws. She mewled and snuggled closer to Pebblepelt's belly.

   "Don't worry, Hazelfur." soothed the tortoishell she-cat. "You will only be stuck in her a little while longer. Then your beautiful kits will be here."

   "Great!" mewed Hazelfur. "I feel huge! I think there is... three by the heartbeats. But I may not be sure." She shifted deeper into the warmness of her nest. "I just wish I could run and hunt for my clan while I have the kits here."

   "You did that this morning!" purred her denmate. "And Frostail is so happy about them. He is going to be a great father." Hazelfur thought of her long furred white mate, purring nonstop all day. He is a great mate...we are suppost to be forbidden from being together. At least we aren't from different clans. Mate...forbidden... different clans... together. Words flashed from behind her closed eyelids. Feathersong might be those. But she still wasn't sure. Tiredness sparked from the small she-cat lately. But she has been wonderful with herbs, being surer what was what then when Hazelfur was her mentor. As if she had been training...

   Hazelfur let her tiredness take control from her. She drifted off to sleep, and when she woke a dark forest surrounded her. No light seeped from the top of the branches, only an eerie unnatual light. Hazelfur sneaked forward to the sound of screeching cats. She peered over a large bush and on the other side was a bunch of cats, surrounding a boulder in the middle. On top was a very large shouldered cream furred tom with half his tail missing. He lashed it and hissed to the cats below.

   "... and together we will rule all the puny clan cats! We will attack Starclan, killing off all of those weak mewling little kittypets! They will never expect it. After we have done that, we will make the clans worship us, and killing those who refuse!"

   The Dark Forest warrior, Maggotfur, fadded out of Hazelfur's hearing when claws suddenly jumped on her and pinned her to the slimy grass.

   "Heard enough?" snarled Ravenscar. "Go tell your little Starclan now, but they won't hear you now that you aren't a medicine cat! And you will be dead if you tell any of your clanmates!" He leaned close to her fur, and she shrank back of the smell of crow-food.

   "I will tell Starclan, and you can't stop me!" Hazelfur snarled back. "Watch out!"

   "Me? Watch out?" Ravenscar pulled his head back in fake shock. "No. It's you who better watch out, kittypet." His claws dug deeper into her shoulders. She went limp, making the dark gray tom believe she was beaten. His pressure eased a little. He opened his jaws to speak but Hazelfur shot up, clashing his jaws together with a clank. She rolled over and Ravenscar leaped for her, but she leaped to the side and raked her claws against his flank. While he was distracted, she bolted away, fearing she might hurt her kits with the fighting. She ran and ran until she reached a large oak and in it was a cat-sized hole. She jumped into in and ducked. Ravenscar raced past, looking for the bolting she-cat. Hazelfur's breathing slowed down and she forced her eyes closed.