Riversplash's Defeat (plan on finishing soon)

Chapter seven

The Horseplace was bigger than Riverpaw and Wildpaw expected.

The twolegs sure know how to make a cat feel small, and yet feel at home! Riverpaw pondered as his feet hit harder land.

He had been holding his breath, and finally was able to release it.

I don't see any cat guarding the Horseplace. All I see is some weird stuff trying to keep us out. Silly Twolegs, if you want to keep us out you're going to have to try harder than with some silly mesh.

Riverpaw easily sprang onto the weird mess. It wasn't dangerous.

Wildpaw and Pearl followed him, Pearl alert with fear scent trailing off him.

Riverpaw wanted to ask if he was okay, but he stiffened up after that, pretending to be braver than he actually was.

The three cats leapt down the weird mesh thing, the wood piercing Riverpaw's pads. It dug deep into his left hind paw.

Riverpaw flinched and could smell a small tang of blood beginning to flow out of the pierced pad. It would need a helping pull to get wormed out of his paw.

He would be limping back to camp if he wasn't going to by the time they were done exploring this Horseplace.

Speaking of which, why are we still exploring this place anyways? Curiosity? A deep longing to know about those weird spotted animals with black spots?

Riverpaw did not know.

All he knew was it was too late to back down now.

They were padding through the lush grass of the Horseplace.

It was nice for being a part of Twoleg settlement.

The smell of twoleg was faint, as if they had been scared away by something or some cat.

The smell of musky-and-rank cat surrounded them.

Growls could be heard but between the harsh growls and pelts bristling, a pair of young yellow eyes peered from a bush nearby.

A red-orange striped tail raised high, stopping the approaching black, brown, and white cats from attacking the three trespassers.

The three cats paused, confused.

A purr rumbled within the bushes, and a beautiful she-cat padded out from within the small shrubbery.

She was orange-and-red. She was a tabby. And her golden eyes flashed with curiosity at the strangers.

Her head tipped at Pearl.

Pearl shrunk himself to the ground.

"Pearl!" She squealed, running over to the cream tom, running her tail around his head.

"You're back!"

She sounded happy to see him.

Was Pearl wrong about these cats?

They seem nice, Riverpaw notes. Nothing as how Pearl described them.

Or...perhaps it was only the brown tabby who was mean?

Pearl seemed disgusted at the Orange-red tabby she-cat. His face was contorted of many different emotions. From anger to love.

Did he use to love her?

Riverpaw didn't know. This mysterious she-cat seemed to be excited to see him though.

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I'm back. Two curious kittens just had to explore this place, and put us all in danger." Pearl huffed.