CHASE

Chapter 17

Chase bounded through the forest gleefully. Her paws carried her across the ground quickly and over the stepping stones across the river. She nearly slipped due to her excitement but recovered herself quickly. 

Now close to Yew's den, Chase picked up her speed, excited to tell him the news. She let out a screech, however, as she collided into the fox on the other side of a thick tree trunk.

"Ouch!" she shouted, hitting her head against the fox's chest.

"Chase? What are you doing?" Yew asked, staring down at her concernedly. "I was just coming to look for you."

"Me too!"

"Is everything all right?" Yew asked. "You didn't come practice yesterday, not that I think you should come every day, but...it seemed odd."

"Sorry. My mother made us all go on a walk through the forest. I was going to tell you later in the day but I got...distracted," Chase stated.

"Distracted?"

"I met some cats and talked to them, Yew!" she said excitedly, bouncing up and down. "All that training with Claw and you worked. I can talk fluently, hold conversations. This is one step closer to my goal of uniting both species."

"Slow down," Yew warned, taking a seat. "What happened?"

"I saved two kittens from a badger the other day," Chase said. "They were about to be slaughtered, and I saved them!"

"And you spoke to them?" Yew asked.

"A little bit. I ran into them again today, and had a longer conversation with one of the kits."

"You snuck into the cats' territory?" Yew asked, his face no longer lighting up with the same curiosity.

"Just for a little bit. I know the borders well," Chase explained. "And I know when's a good time to get out. The kit's mother found us, so I took off."

Yew's eyes widened. "The kit's mother?!"

"Yes, but as soon as I saw her I took off. What's wrong?" Chase asked, tilting her head as she noticed Yew's mood grow more and more sour.

"I'm happy you were able to communicate with them. Claw would be proud, but...I don't think you should be running recklessly into the cats' territory like that. Isn't that how your sister died?" Yew asked.

Anger flared through Chase.

"My sister was younger and foolish and shouldn't have been going out into the woods without knowledge of the clans in the first place. I'm not like her. I'm almost fully grown. I respect and understand the cats," Chase argued.

"You haven't even lived through a winter yet," Yew pointed out.

"So you're saying I shouldn't be talking to them?"

"No, but...you should be careful. A mother cat is especially a cat you don't want to cross. That little kit might not say a word about your friendship, but you can bet the mother cat will tell the clan. Then they'll send more patrols around, and if they catch you in the territory again, they'll definitely harm you, perhaps even kill you," Yew warned.

"Th-that won't happen!" Chase argued, slashing her tail.

"You're telling me that if a cat came in here and started killing foxes or harming their young, the foxes wouldn't fight back?"

 "I'm not harming any of the kits! I saved them!"

"But not every adult cat believes a kitten all the time, Chase," Yew warned.

"You're sounding more and more like my father," Chase growled. "I thought you were on my side! I thought you, more than anyone, would understand me." Betrayal coursed through her veins. She thought Yew had been a friend, an ally, but he seemed to have the same ideologies as her own father.

She turned her body, about to head back to the meadow, when Yew's tail came to rest on her shoulder.

"Hey, hold up! I didn't mean it that way," Yew stated. 

"It sure sounds like you did," Chase grumbled, digging her claws into the dirt. She was still refusing to look at Yew, despite how his tail on her shoulder made her shiver.

Slowly, Yew removed his tail. "I just want to keep you safe. Claw would have wanted that, too. I won't pretend you get along well with your family. Otherwise, you wouldn't be coming here every day. They know nothing about this, do they?"

"No," Chase said quietly.

"That's what I thought. But they let you go off anyway."

"Yes," Chase replied, slowly turning to face him. "That's how it's always been, really. They cared at one point, but slowly, they just stopped. I don't need them though, really. They clearly don't need me."

"I'm sorry your family is in shambles. But either way, someone still needs to care for you, right? Your family may not care where you go off and what you do in the woods, but I do. I'm willing to bet your family would be upset if you got hurt, though they might not show it. I'm not trying to act like a parent, Chase, but I just want to make sure you're safe," Yew explained.

Chase suddenly felt guilty for lashing out early. She twisted her paws around in the dirt, still unable to make eye contact with him even though she'd been touched by his words.

"I've never had someone actually care about my well-being before," she muttered. 

"Your family does."

"But I've never believed someone actually cares for my safety until now," Chase stated, slowly looking up at him. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I didn't mean to come off the same way as your father. I apologize for that," Yew stated.

"Yew, I still want to see the cats though. I felt like I was being listened to when I spoke to them. The kit I met, Moonkit, seems troubled too. I think I could help her," Chase said.

"I don't know how much of that you could do, but I know speaking to cats is exciting to you. I probably won't do much in swaying you from that, will I?" Yew asked, chuckling a bit.

"No, sorry," Chase said, laughing slightly too. "But I'll be careful! I won't go every day, just once in a while. If I find Moonkit again, we can figure out when to meet."

"Why is a kit wandering around in the woods like that anyway?" Yew wondered.

"I have a feeling she doesn't have very good parents either," Chase teased. "It was exciting finally speaking to a cat though. I feel like...do you think I made up for that kit's death by saving Moonkit and Owlkit?"

"Yes, but I don't think you had to make up for that kit's death in the first place when you had nothing to do with it," Yew told her.

"I could've saved that kit," Chase muttered quietly.

"Those days are over. You can speak to cats now, save them from badgers apparently, and one day, I'm sure you'll unite all of them together. But for now, how about we practice some more since you'll be speaking to cats pretty frequently from here on out?"

"Sure!" Chase said, following him back to his familiar den.