Alleycats book 1: thunderstorm

chapter 4

 "Nooooooo!"

Thunder couldn't control himself as he yowled."Nooooooo!" He crumpled to the ground, numb with shock, trembling.

Fluffy couldn't be dead. He couldn't!

What would they do without the elderly male... What would Thunder do, without his wise, old friend...?

It wasn't fair! He didn't do anything wrong, but he was still being punished!

Thunder bolted through the crowd. He was going to find Clawface, and kill him!

Thunder knew he was going mad, he didn't care. Weak with grief, only vengeance fueled his strength.

Thunder threw his head side to side, looking for Clawface. Where was he...?

There! Thunder stopped dead. Clawface was sitting at the edge. Thunder barely recognized his enemy, black fur turned scarlet, eye swollen, torn claw. Wounds covering him like stripes. But that wasn't what had made Thunder hesitate.

Kitts were sheltering in the curve of Clawface's belly, including Rose, Blossom and Blue ( the kitts of Thunder's own gang) and Branch, Swiftgang's oldest kit, under Thunder's leadership.

Branch started forward, but, the kits were held back by Clawface's tail, wrapped protectively around them.

The brown kit looked up at Clawface, with his round, blue eyes.

"Clawface...sir... Can't I join the battle?"

Clawface nudged Branch back, gently, with his scarred nose. Clawface flinched, rings of white around each eye. A horrified expression on his face, and he flattened his ears."Noooo!" Clawface's voice rose to a screech. The kits flattened their ears. "No." Clawface repeated, this time he controlled his voice. He stared at his paws, dark with Fluffy's blood, shaking, as he continued.

"Battle can make you do things that you don't mean or want to do."

Clawface wiped his paw on the grass. He licked every kit on the top of their head. "Sorry, battles are scary things, if you don't need to go to battle, you should welcome the chance."

Eyes wide , the kits nodded seriously.

"good." Clawface looked at them, with love."Now kitts, you don't want to catch a cold." He said gently, as he pushed them closer under his stooped head. For, it had started to rain.

Clawface purred, to drone the kitts to sleep. Though he still looked distraught

Thunder backed away. He couldn't kill Clawface after seeing that. He turned around and ran blindly. Tripping over terror's trailing tail, Thunder Bit down hard on Terror's tail, just for fun.

Terror squealed like a kit, so C- shade was able to pin the twisted leader down.

Thunder could barely breath. He stopped. To come face to face with Terror's hairless father, Scar.

Scar looked at him, with a nightmarish grin.

"Hello Thunder."

Thunder cringed.

What could he do now?