Warriors: FlightClan's Beginning

Chapter Seven

A tan tabby she-cat watched her two friends go. She felt guilty about lying to Fly and Holly about where she was going, but she couldn't have told them. They would want to go with her, and another time, Fresh would've welcomed them. But something in her told her to go by herself.

As soon as the black she-cat and the tortoiseshell were out of sight, Fresh turned and headed back the way Flame had originally brought her. Back to the Thunderpath. Back to the wilderness.

The tan tabby she-cat could not deny that she was excited. Going out into the grassy plains had always excited her, but once she had been once, she couldn't stop thinking about it. She wanted to go out and see it in the day.

Fresh was wary about the Thunderpath. She had heard of cats who died at the paws of a monster. But thankfully, Fresh couldn't find a trace of any monsters, so she ran across.

The tan tabby headed for the cypress tree, even though she knew no one would be there. Flame had headed back to the rogue group, and Fall and Maple had gone home as well. Far and the mystery cat had decided to go back to the mystery cat's den, which Far had politely invited Fresh to stop by any time, which had made Fresh happy.

The she-cat was not expecting a mysterious gray tabby tom to be sniffing around the base of the cypress tree.

The gray tabby tom did not look very healthy. He looked well fed, but he had scars covering his pelt, and one of his ears was shredded almost completely. The tom had brown tabby stripes, as well as gray, and copper eyes that were narrowed in suspicion. He was tall and quite muscular, but Fresh wasn't afraid. She padded right up to the tom.

"What are you doing here?" the she-cat meowed. The gray tabby jumped up, immediately alert. His eyes first glanced down at her pink collar and sneered.

"None of your business, kittypet," he hissed. "You shouldn't be here. Don't worry, I'd be happy to teach you your place."

Fresh was startled. This cat was not at all like Flame. I suppose I should have assumed that not all the rogues would be as nice as him. This certainly wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done. The tan tabby did not back down, however. She had to prove she was not afraid.

Before either side could move for an attack, Fresh's bright green eyes glazed over, and she couldn't see the gray tabby anymore.

Before her, a tall and muscular orange tabby was standing before a gray tom and a cream tabby she-cat, who were protecting several small kits. The orange tabby's claws were unsheathed, and it appeared they were stained with blood.

The orange tabby leaped forward, faster than a snake. The gray tom was now underneath him, and the orange tabby quickly clawed his stomach and throat. Blood was gushing everywhere. Fresh felt sick, and she wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She needed to know what happened next, but she felt like she already knew.

The orange tabby looked to the cream tabby she-cat, who still stood before what Fresh assumed were her kits.

"Fish, Rye, Wild, I need you to run," the cream tabby hissed to her kits. I guess they can't see me, Fresh thought. Otherwise I might be dead.

The she-cat leaped for the orange tabby tom, who Fresh turned away from. She knew the she-cat's fate.

Despite their mother's words, the kits did not run. Fresh didn't know how they could get very far anyway. They looked like they were just under a moon old.

After the orange tabby had let the cream tabby drop to the ground, he turned to the kits. Fresh was horrified. What kind of cat would hurt kits?