Impregnable

Chapter 6

"What makes you think we can find Magnolia and Leopard in a single day?" Serval demanded, kicking a branch into the forest. "If you ask me, the best place we'd have to go is to the Training Den but you claim they'll be around here. Mouse-brain," she muttered, hopping over a branch, claws scraping against the bark.

     "Because I'm one of the best spies in this tribe," Arrow claimed, jumping to another tree, balancing himself as the branch swayed. He clung on tightly, keeping his breath held and grip tight to prevent his fall. The leaves settled down and he scanned the clearing. "Even if Eagle doesn't realize it."

     "If you're the best, then why aren't you the top spy?" Serval growled, checking the ground for scents. Arrow tried to let the insult fly past him. "I'm surprised he let me postpone my mission for tomorrow. I guess while we're out I can try and examine Imperfect territory." She jumped over another branch and took to the sky, grabbing onto the trunk. Using her back legs, she sprung up and jumped for his branch.

     Arrow jumped off and just as the branch swung backwards, Serval caught it with her front paws and brought the rest of her body up while he landed on another tree. The two siblings spider-monkeyed their way through the dense forest, getting closer and closer to the Training Den and further from the tribe's scent. He slipped through a mess of trees and checked the area just as his sister came through, frowning.

     So far, the two had made their way through territory and were planning to enter unstable parts of it, hoping that would get them closer to their target. Bringing Dandelion would've been easier, as he hoped she could use her instincts to bring them closer to Magnolia and Leopard without the two crawling like blind bats. She refused and claimed she had to stay behind while Maple had another panic attack, treating the older she-cat like a newborn kit.

     The fact disgusted Arrow, questioning how Maple got into the tribe in the first place if she was quick to panic under stress. At least he was smart enough to avoid other desperate she-cats. Serval acted like every other cat that wasn't her family was an Imperfect and Blaze only pushed the problem down the road.

     Serval jumped on a branch nearby and locked eyes with him. He froze and sucked his breath in, eyeing the forest. Light as a feather, he sprung off and grabbed another branch, ears pricked.

     The forest was silent except for a shuffle in the bushes. Serval adjusted her position and flickered her tail to the ground and back to him. He understood and aimed for a lower branch, his weight causing it to sink a little lower, giving him a better view. Arrow made sure he was still sheltered by the trees so possible incomers couldn't sneak on them.

     Then there was a snap and out came a strikingly familiar cat. He kept himself under control and eyed the she-cat, trying to compare the cat in front of him to the one in his mind. Her shoulders were broader now and she looked starved - a perfect description of an Imperfect.

     Serval's branch moaned at the sight of a certain cat slithering out too. Arrow's heart stopped and his gaze wrapped around the dirty-golden pelt. The one cat they needed to catch walked straight into their paws, perfect for attacking. With one cat with her to fight against the two of them, he couldn't wait for the moment he could sink his claws into his sister.

     Arrow snapped himself forward when another cat came out of the forest, imperfection hovering the three cats like a thick cloud. He definitely remembered seeing this tom moons ago when he tried to attack Origanum, ultimately leading to his defeat but for some reason, not death. A part of him questioned if that tom was the same one that he met moons ago in the Training Den, but he wasn't wasting any time on a cat like him.