Warriors- Dawn of An Era: Shadows of Terror {Book 2} (COMPLETED)

Chapter Thirteen

"Hey, Viperpaw!" Called Thunderpaw, trotting up to her with a doofy grin on his face. It was sunhigh, and Cursedblood had given her a day off and relax.

"Good afternoon, Thunderpaw." She purred, sitting up and looking at the tom. "What do you need?"

"Spottedshine wants you to go on a solo hunt," he meowed and twitched his whiskers. "With leafbare on the way, he says he wants the apprentices to have as much practice with hunting in the forest alone as possible."

Viperpaw rose to her paws and nodded. "Thanks for the message, Thunderpaw. I'll head out right now." She meowed and brushed against the tom before heading for the thorn tunnel.

Once she was outside the camp, Rushstar's words rang out in her ears. There are some cats, a family, that are in your territory. The tom had said. I have not met them before, but they are starving and they have two kits. Viperpaw let out a sigh and began to sniff the air, catching the scent of a mouse.

Crouching down, she followed the tantalizing smell around a holly bush and in a clump of ferns. There, nibbling on a seed, was a small mouse. Her mouth began to water as she tensed her muscles and sprang, taking the puny creature by surprise before delivering a killing bite to the neck.

She licked her lips, tasting the warm blood of her catch before picking it up and carrying it to the base of an oak tree. It was a small catch, not nearly enough to feed some of her Clanmates, but it was a good start. After burying her mouse, she set off once more and tasted the air. Almost instantly, she smelled a vole and she dropped into a hunting crouch once more.

As she tracked the rodent's scent, she caught a whiff of a cat. She stiffened but focused on catching her prey before she investigating. Spotting the vole, she quickly pounced and killed it. Raising her head, she tasted the air and quickly caught the scent of loner mixed with the smell of milk.

They're here, just like Rushstar said. Viperpaw buried her prey where she killed it and leaped out of the ferns. She scanned the forest, searching for the cats Rushstar talked about. I don't even know what these cats look like. She thought, snorting as she relaxed and tried to continue with her hunt.

"Where are we going, Amari?" Viperpaw froze, her heart stopping as the voice of a tom echoed off the trees. "We've been walking for moons."

Viperpaw dove into a clump of bracken, not making a sound even as a thorn nearly poked her eye. She spotted five figures, differing in size and pelt colors, padding toward her. The two toms seemed to be kin, brothers at least. The she-cat most likely was a mate or friend and the other she-cat was probably the first's daughter. There was a squeak and Viperpaw realized the tiny cry was a kit.

"Be patient, Amra," meowed Amari, his voice strained and dry from lack of water. "I told you, I had a dream of a cat that would lead us to food and shelter."

"Allie needs food or she won't last the cold season," Amra argued, standing in front of Amari. Viperpaw saw his ribs jutting out of his thin pelt and she winced. "Our paw pads are cracked and bleeding, just like yours. We should have never left the cave."

The older she-cat stepped in between the two toms, her face twisted in pain. She appeared to be limping and Viperpaw smelled a tang of blood. "We would've died if we didn't leave, Amra." She rasped. Her eyes were bloodshot and her claws were dull and some were broken. "We need to find the cat Amari dreamed about if we are to survive."

"How long will that be, Mother?" Asked the younger brown she-cat. She too was only skin and bone but she held a spark in her eyes, unlike the others.

"I do not know, Armani." The older she-cat admitted. "But I trust that your father will find them soon."

Amra sighed and twitched his tail tip. "Xena, Allie cannot walk any farther." He raised his head and sniffed the air. "If we are to survive, we must find the cat soon."