High Speed Winds

Chapter 15

Mistletoepaw grasped a colorful bird between her jaws, and dragged her fresh-kill to her den.

Commotion arose from the FogClan camp nearby. "We saw Vineclaw on our territory!" Some cat exclaimed.

Mistletoepaw crept to the edge of the cliff that her den was on and gazed down at the FogClan camp. A patrol was gathered around a brown she-cat with an orange tail, and a speckled gray tom.

"Parrotfang. Is Vineclaw out of our territory?" The tom asked, his whiskers twitching with annoyance.

The orange she-cat meowed, "Curlstar escorted him away, Frogclaw."

The brown she-cat with a ginger tail dipped her head. "Good."

Mistletoepaw crept away as the report ended. Vineclaw must be wanting to go home. A sudden thought struck her, making shivers creep along her back.

Do I want to go home?

Vivid memories from her dream blurred her vision. 

The apprentice remembered how her father, Flurryheart, had delivered a message. In the jungle you must wait, for there will be the answer.

Still puzzled, Mistletoepaw shook away the memories. The she-cat curled up in her nest, and shoved away her prey.

"Good night, Leechbite, wherever you are." She sighed before drifting away into sleep.

*************

Mist wreathed around Eightball's paws, and musty air drifted around him. The tom glanced around, surprised at the endless loom of tree trunks.

Eightball flexed his claws in and out, seething with fury. That murderer killed me! He yowled inwardly.

Eightball padded forward, unable to see his paws through the thick mist. The mist seemed to be rising higher, choking the tom.

Eightball let out a feeble cough, and the mist swirled back down. As soon as it had moved, it rose back up, higher than before.

Unable to see, Eightball let out a yelp of surprise as he tripped over his own paws. Falling deeper into the thick fog, the black tom let out a screech, "Help!"

The sharp tang of blood floated into the air as Eightball felt his head hit something sharp.

His vision flashed, drifting from black to reality.

Eightball touched his paw to the top of his head, and warm, sticky blood stained his paw when he looked at it. Eightball could barely see his paw through the choking fog, so he set it down on the ground.

The black cat glanced around.

Eightball scrunched his face up with confusion as a flash of black and gray fur ran past him.

"Hello?" He called out, mystified by the appearance.

The fog was blocking out all of his senses as he padded forward, deeper into the forest.

"Hello?" As Eightball repeated his question, a branch snapped nearby. The small tom let out a yowl of cold fear, as he heard claws unsheathe.

Every hair on his pelt prickled with terror as he turned around another towering tree trunk. Eightball let out a shriek as something brushed his pelt.

Something brushed his pelt, and he felt it fall to the forest floor. He turned around. His vision blurred for a moment before he focused on a dried leaf. Crackly brown edges snapped as they reached the ground.