The Aftermath of Dawn to Dusk

Chapter 5

Ashpaw grumbled, the sun was shining down onto the lake and the light was reflecting off of it. There was a single distant cloud in the sky but it did not restrict the bright light beating down from the sun, and the lake amplified the effect. The only salvation from the brightness was the many reeds spread out. That was where the gray, mangy she-cat was currently laying prone. 

 Her face showed displeasure about her surroundings, she could handle the heat, it was the brightness she didn't like. Even worse she would either have to exit the reeds -into the bright sunlight, she might add- to get back to the barn, or at least a more shaded area, or wait an unbearable amount of time for the brightness to tone down before she did anything, she wasn't too fond of either option. She wasn't fond of her surroundings either, it was too wet. Even among the reeds the ground was littered with water, which along with the lake, amplified the brightness of the sun.

 Ashpaw stood up begrudgingly, she was getting impatient and could not bear to stay in the reeds. She padded her way out of the clump of reeds, her paws stomping on the ground. As soon as she took a few steps, she halted as her eyes were of course assaulted by the bright lights. Ashpaw felt a hiss escape from her jaws at the intense light. How could any cat live like this?

 Ashpaw was walking further away from the lake, to a place with less sun. Even with her back to the sun, it was quite sunny, so she had to search for some shadows. Her eyes quickly landed on a nearby bush. That'll do, she thought to herself. Ashpaw quickly moved to sit under said bush and then drifted in her own thoughts, Lately I haven't seen the clans at all near my barn but a lot of graves... , if I am correct then there should be less cats around these moons... Now I finally get what had to be mine all this time, their territory!

Ashpaw felt as if she was sitting there for hours, time seemed to pass quickly to her, while realistically hardly anytime passed at all. Under that bush had the best of both worlds, she felt warm and it was dark, especially with her eyes closed. She could get used to this.

 "...No Cranberrypaw, it's more like this." Ashpaw's eyes flew open, there were cats here. She crouched down low underneath the bush, pushing her torso close to the ground. Her eyes shot around the outside of the bush, looking for the cats. Her eyes narrowed as she saw them, they were clan cats of course. 

 There were two cats, a large one and a smaller one, probably depicting their age as well. She couldn't see their faces at all because their backs were turned to her. The mere presence of these cats angered Ashpaw, the clan cats were supposed to be long gone by now. This territory was supposed to be only hers.

 Luckily for Ashpaw she was downwind of them, they didn't know she was there. A menacing smile found its way onto Ashpaw's muzzle. I'm going to show them just whose territory this is, she thought to herself.

Ashpaw was low to the ground as she crept forward, her paws quiet. The two cat's conversation got more clear as she got closer. She didn't pay any mind to it, she didn't care what they were saying. The only thing she cared about was either killing them or scaring them away.

She was so close now, only a few tail lengths closer and she could strike. Ashpaw could barely hold her excitement it has been way too long since her last fight. Her smile widened, she was a foxlength away now, way within her range. Ashpaw formulated a quick plan, she would take out the large cat first then move to smaller one.

 Ashpaw tensed her hindlegs and with a loud battle cry she sprung at the large cat. The cat turned to her with surprise across his face. The look of surprise soon turned to panic as Ashpaw's body hit his, he didn't even have time to react. This was ultimately his downfall. Ashpaw had him pinned already.

 "Hm," Ashpaw looked down at him while speaking aloud, both her expression and her tone showing disappointment, "Thought you'd give more of a fight," her grin soon returned. "Too late now I guess."

The cat looked up to her with confusion in his eyes, "What do you me-" he was cut off as Ashpaw wrapped her jaws around his neck and bit down with the jaw force of a badger. She felt her mouth flood with the iron taste of blood. The cat's face contorted in agony. Ashpaw felt him go limp as well. No doubt about it, he was dead. 

 Ashpaw got off of the dead cat, looking over her work. His dead corpse was bleeding profusely from the fatal wound on his neck, the blood starting to mat the fur. Ashpaw's grin deepened, the taste of blood still in her mouth. 

 The smaller cat shouted out "C-creekstar!" Ashpaw froze for a moment, I got their leader? It was that easy to kill their leader? Ashpaw looked at the smaller cat and took a step towards her. The cat was frozen in fear, she was trembling as well.

 Ashpaw jumped at the cat who gave a shriek of terror and closed her eyes as Ashpaw pinned her, "You are not going to give a decent fight either?" Ashpaw asked the small she-cat, "Fine by me," Ashpaw went to bite her neck to finish her off quickly.

 She didn't get to though, as she felt a figure grab her by the scruff and flung her off of the smaller she-cat quickly. Ashpaw wasn't thrown far, only landing about two taillengths away. Her eyes widened as she saw who flung her, it was the cat she just killed. "I thought I killed you!" she exclaimed, she was confused.

 The large cat, Creekstar as she knows now, looked at her with narrowed eyes. He crouched down into a battle ready position. Ashpaw's confused look sharpened. He was finally going to give her a fight, and she was going to give it her al