Waging War Book 2: Gray Skies {COMPLETE}

Chapter 4

Rain felt lazily from the sky, tiny drops of water splashing against the stone. Sheer Mountain looked out into the cavern while Wren, Finch and Sparrow happily behind her. The clouds overhead were gray, but they weren't bunched together. Hopefully it doesn't storm. Sheer Mountain watched the rain fall slowly. Finch, Wren and Sparrow hated storms, she didn't want them to have to suffer through that.

Sheer Mountain looked towards the fresh-kill pile, it was getting low. We need to hunt. She thought with a twitch of her tail. She knew that some of the Clan cats were out hunting, but Sheer Mountain wanted to get out and do some hunting herself. She stepped out into the slow rainfall and noticed Owlpaw talking with Nettle. It appeared that Nettle was testing her leg by putting pressure on it.

She walked around, her limp hardly noticeable as she moved. Feeling curious, Sheer Mountain approached the two cats. "How's it going?" Sheer Mountain questioned.

"Good." Owlpaw replied, watching Nettle. "Her leg is starting to return to normal."

"I want to put it to the test." Nettle mewed urgently. "I want to get out of the cave, I feel like I'm going crazy."

"You could come hunting with me." Sheer Mountain offered. Her relationship was Nettle wasn't the best, her animosity towards the rouge upon first meeting her hadn't quite died off yet. I want to show her that I don't hold anything against her.

"I'm not sure." Owlpaw shuffled her paws. "Your wound is still healing."

"We'll take it slow." Sheer Mountain promised. "She needs to get out and stretch her leg, right?"

"I suppose." Owlpaw dropped her head. "Just, be careful okay?"

"We will be, Owlpaw." Sheer Mountain assured the young cat, then turned to Nettle. "You ready?"

"Absolutely!" Nettle beamed, her eyes shimmering with excitement. "Feels like forever since I've been hunting."

"Then let's head out." Sheer Mountain turned towards the cavern entrance and Nettle followed quickly behind, only with a small limp. "We don't want to get caught in a storm." She looked up at the sky. "Though it doesn't seem like it will."

"It could always change though." Nettle replied as they walked down the sloped stone path. "And Owlpaw probably won't want me out that long."

"Right." Sheer Mountain nodded and they stepped out into the open air. The rain continued to fall steadily as the two she-cats ventured out into the field. Sheer Mountain wasn't quite sure what kind of conversation to hold with Nettle. I don't really know anything about her. Sheer Mountain honestly felt a little awkward in this situation.

"So," Nettle mewed, she also seemed uncomfortable. "Where should we hunt? You live around here, where's the best place to hunt?"

"I like hunting in the forest." Sheer Mountain mewed. "It's always full of prey."

"Lead the way." Nettle gave her a small nod and Sheer Mountain began padding towards the forest, Nettle followed close behind.

"If your leg starts hurting, let me know." Sheer Mountain urged

"Will do."

The two she-cats reached the forest and Sheer Mountain was glad to have some shelter from the rain. She raised her muzzle and breathed in the forest air, catching the scent of squirrel on the air. "You smell that?" Sheer Mountain asked Nettle.

Nettle sniffed the air and nodded. "I do. It smells close."

Sheer Mountain lowered her body to the ground and began tracking the squirrel, she focused intently on tracking her prey, drowning out everything else. She kept a keen eye on everything in front of her. She carefully avoided a stray branch on the ground, and as she crept through the trees spotted the gray squirrel att he base of the tree.