Spirit

(PART THREE: DEATH OF A ROGUE) CHAPTER ELEVEN

Ivory woke up in Moon's den. "What are you doing?" Her tongue felt numb and her whole body was shivering uncontrollably.

"Some cats checking the damage outside the forest found you in the snow." The Spirit-Wanderer's voice was deep with concern. "Why were you there?"

"Robin joined the Rogues," Ivory informed. When the pale blue-gray she-cat's green eyes filled with surprise, she added hastily, "But it wasn't on purpose. I think it was to protect me."

"Whether it was to protect or not, that's not good," Moon replied.

"But he's not fully a Rogue!" Ivory protested. "Haven't you listened?"

"I saw none of what you are saying." The Spirit-Wanderer sighed and brushed her tail across the beige tabby's flank. "You seem better." She paused. "But I'm not letting you go anytime soon."

Ivory rolled her eyes and rested her head on her paws. I'm going to find out what's happening, whether I let myself go early or not.

~~~

Ivory couldn't sleep that night. The moon was just as bright as it had been the first snowfall. She lay her head down to at least convey the feeling. She had heard the same pawsteps, the same murmurs, and the same sighs for as long as she had been awake.

"Psst." A soft hiss caught her attention. At first she shrugged it off until it became more urgent.

"What do you want?" she hissed crossly.

"Come on," the voice replied. He sounded just as angry as she was. "I need to talk to you." The voice sounded more and more familiar every time he spoke.

Ivory stepped out to find the new Rogue. "You're a Rogue now, you can't be here!" she growled.

"We're not staying here," Robin replied, "we're going to the lake."

Again? The beige and ginger she-cat followed far behind the golden tom, hoping she'd just look like she's sneaking off alone. She heard the meeting Hawthorn called, saying Robin had joined the Rogues.

"Everyone's ought to be afraid of me now, are they?" Robin asked, not making eye contact with her. "They're terrified of Rogues."

"Don't forget you were one too," Ivory muttered under her breath. "Don't act all big and scary, I know you're a coward."

"What was that?"

"Good for you."

Robin growled softly and pressed one of his paws against the glass-like ice of the lake. Ivory walked up to Spirit Lake as well. The ice was quite weak, and what she had stepped on cracked almost immediately, soaking her paw lightly.

Then she whiffed a slight scent in her nose. It was familiar, no doubt. She found that it smelled like Singe, but somehow more docile. Possibly the dream she had was messing with her head, since it had started in a similar place. But her mind couldn't trick her into hearing pawsteps getting closer.

She whipped herself around, one of her back paws crashing through the ice and into the water. She didn't care. All she wanted is to know the danger that may or may not come.

Catching a glimpse of a fluffy white she-cat, she darted towards her.

"Stop!" The cat's voice came out in a shrill squeak. She flinched, then added, "What are you doing?" in the same squeaky voice.

"Might I ask the same for you?" Ivory retorted, catching the she-cat's scent again. Definitely familiar. "Hey. . . where's your mark?"

"Mark?" the white she-cat echoed, her bright gray-blue eyes filled with worry and fear.

"Where's your mark?" the beige and ginger tabby hissed. She hinted at the deep blue feathers on her ear. "Like these?"

The cat already seemed truthful, and what she said next proved that. "I can't have those or else the Rogues would think I'm a group cat now."

"Rogues?" Ivory squawked. "You did smell—"

"Weird?" the new cat suggested. "Suspicious?"

". . . Familiar."

The cat tilted her head at her. "I've never seen you."

"And I have," the beige and ginger she-cat added. "And just to make sure we don't know each other, I'm Ivory." She paused. "Do you recognise that name?"

The pure white she-cat shook her head. "No. . ." They stared in silence at each other until she spoke again. "My name is Cloudburst."

"That's a nice name," Ivory observed grudgingly. She would like to make friends rather than enemies with this new cat. But I'm not going to forget that she's a Rogue.