Claws drawn, gazes fixed on the other. I could feel my blood slide down my legs. Hope and Wish trembling at the expression of frozen fury that came from the muddy. To my relief, none seemed to be hurt, but I couldn't say the same for myself. Fate can be complicated, my situation can tell, I am in the middle of a battle for the fate of two unknown kits. Where I don't know what she wants from them, but eitherway I wasn't going to give them up so easily. Even so, my injuries were worse than hers, I could feel the blood starting to run down my legs ... I have to end this fight as soon as possible and find something to treat my injuries.
"What do you want loner? You defend, at the cost of your health, kits that you do not even know. I don't want to hurt them. Give them up and I promise that my shadow will escort you to where you can treat your wounds." the bicolour she-cat bristled her back, took a step forward and smiled. Hope and Wish took a step back, clinging to my tail like their life depended on it "
"You say you don't want to hurt them, but you're taking them away from their mother." I hissed.
"Listen to me, loner. Bad times are coming. I only want the best for them, they won't be safe here."
"The best for them, how? Threatening them if they don't follow your orders?" I replied. "Forgive me if I don't believe you. You better go. Now!"
Although the muddy was who took another step, she didn’t go beyond that. As a cream-colored she-cat jumped on her and, together with two other toms that came in front of us, they covered her with scratches.
Her back bristling with anger, she gave me one last look. “You'll remember the day you messed with the shadow tribe, loner". With those words, she crossed the thunderpath and disappeared among the trees.
"Mom, mom!" The kits ran to the cream she-cat, she licked them with sweet purrs. "My babies, what a relief that you are ok ... wait, where's Lightkit ?!"
"Blacksmoke take her back to camp, and it is time for us to go back as well." As the cats gathered around the kits, I stepped back and started licking my wounds.
"Well, my work is done." I thought and use the tail to apply pressure to the wounds to stop the bleeding. "I must go back to the barn"
"Hey, are you okay?" asked a huge bicolour tom. "What are you doing in our territories?"
"My apologies" I asked, lowering my ears.
"Shadow, fight!" a shadow loomed over me "get out of our territory!" he hissed "Lynxshine, take Hope and Wish back to camp." I sneakily slid my tail through the bushes to the back legs of the bicolor tom, tied his legs and pulled it. "Take off!"
"Whiteblaze, wait!" Wishkit yelled, pulling on his tail.
"That's what I was going to do when you got on top of me!" I stood up when I noticed sharp fangs biting and tugging at my tail. "Wish, my tail."
"Stay away from her Wishkit, she's an intruder!" the white growled.
"No, she's not!" Wish replied, still with my tail between his jaws, he pulled me towards the huge tom. "We can keep her, please!"
"No Wishkit, she' s a loner. They're not trustworthy cats." I bristle my fur.
"Repeat that if you have the guts!" I protested.
"Don't hurt her!" Wish shout. Whiteblaze bristle his back and raised its claws when the other tom intervened.
"Whiteblaze wait, let's hear what the kits have to say"
"Mum, over here!" Hopekit shout.
“For StarClans, poor thing!"
"The loner lady's the one who saved us from the shadows boss" Hope explain. "Don't hurt her"
"Is that true?" asked the cream she-cat. Hopekit nodded and shortly after a dark tabby kit join. "Mom, can we bring HollyFur to help her, please?"
Lynxshine stepped forward and sniffed my wounds. "What's your name?"
"Tigress ma’am"
“Nice to meet you Tigress, I’m Lynxshine.”
“Excuse me for entering your territories, I was leaving already”
"Wise decision" said Whiteblaze "come on, let's go back to camp"
"With that wounds? I don’t think so. Come with us, Tigress" Lynxshine offered.
"I think I have sand in my ear, take her where?! No way! A loner should know how to take care of herself."
"Isn’t this tom a bit bossy? I have heard stones complain less. But now that I notice they don't smell like Volekit's mother, have I been confused about territories?" I thought. "Thanks, but -"
"No buts. Right Blackcloud?" reproached Lynxshine. Whiteblaze looked at the huge bicolored cat in disbelief.
The whiteblaze came up, sticking his nose on my face as it backed me onto the thunderpath. "Look loner, in the name of our clan we thank you for your help, but now I must kindly ask you to leave our territory"
I stopped in front of the thunderpath with a shock of pain. "WhiteBlaze! This will only make his injuries worse. ” LynxShine stood by my side. "Easy, HollyFur is our medicine cat, she’ll heal your wounds, you can lean on me."
"Am I talking to the trees? We can't just bring a loner to the clan!” Whiteblaze shout. “What did you think CrystalStar will say?"
"If you're afraid of what she might say, then don't say anything, I'll talk to her about it."
"No way!" Whiteblaze protested.
"Whether you like it or not, she saved my kits. We have to return the favour"
Whiteblaze, carrying Wishkit, led the way back to the supposed camp. While the huge bicolour tom carried Hopekit, at times helped me not to fall.
Along the way, more cats joined us with other smaller ones by their side who said nothing., looking at me like an enemy with a mix of confusion and anger in their gaze. We go around a rocky mountain until we reach a tunnel hidden between those tall walls, when the smell of cats, prey, among other things, filled the place.
I kept myself in silence by what seemed to be a fairy tale in real life. The famous clan camps that I've fantasized about as a kit. The relaxing smell of herbs and prey attracted my senses of joy, if it were not for the wounds that didn't let me breathe without twisting like a worm in pain.
"You came back! Are the kits okay?" Asked a dark reddish tabby she-cat. "All good, Sunnysky. Is Hollyfur here? " The white tom wagged his whiskers as he released the kit "In her den, Blacksmoke came shortly before you with Lightkit"
"Ok, would you mind taking Wish and Hope? In a moment, I meet them." SunnySky affirmed, and the kits followed her to a cave at the bottom of the camp, from which came the smell of herbs "
"And Tigress? She come?" Hopekit wagged her whiskers as she turned to me, but before I could respond, another blast of pain made mytself felt. "I'll go talk to Crystalstar, Tigress should better see Hollyfur as soon as possible." The big bicolour tom wandered off to meet a high muscle blue-gray she-cat. We went further into the cave where I could see several dens built out of branches, brambles, leaves and rocks, while a bright ray of light dazzled me from above. The rocky roof had several wide cracks and holes through which light entered.
"Hollyfur, how's Lightkit?" Lynxshine ask as we came further into the den.
"Hello dear, your kits will be fine, you don't have to worry, nothing serious." she turned her amber eyes towards me. A beautiful gold, black and orange spotted she-cat approached "Although I can't seem to say the same for your... guest" Her voice was very soft and calm, as she looked my injuries.
"You can heal her, right?" Wishkit asked.
"Don't be afraid, sweetie, the day I can't heal a wound, will be the day I join star clan" Hollyfur give a gentle look to Lynxshine. "I take care of her Lynxshine, go get some rest." I stepped back a bit.
"Easy, you're on good paws Tigress, if you need anything I'll be at the bottom." I nodded as Lynxshine gathered her kits on a bed to clean them.
"By the great star clan, it has been moons since I saw wounds like that" she turned around and disappear in the shadows.
I settled myself, while I let those nostalgic smells surround me. My eyes begin to close, allowing me to relax for a few minutes.
"It shows that you gave a great battle against ToxicRain" Hollyfur said as she came with some herbs between her teeth. " But first things first, dear. I'm Hollyfur, clan medicine cat, you're Tigress, right?" I nodded. As soon as I open my mouth, Hollyfur went to get more herbs. I close my eyes again, it was too much fight for me in one day. Until the sensation of claws and paws touching my tail. Hopekit with another light tabby she-kit with the same cream fur as Lynxshine trying to hunt my tail. While their mother and brother slept.
"You woke up! Thanks for save us. " Hopekit said. I smiled. "I'm glad I was able to help you, little one"
"She's my sister, Lightkit. Nice to meet you." Lightkit hide behind Hope, while both went back to hunting my tail. They seem to have a lot of fun, so I joined the game, moving my tail from one place to another like a snake.
"How can you have a tail this long?"
"And not only that, you know what Lightkit? I think her tail has superpowers because when ToxicRain released Wishkit she used it to catch him in the air. "
"Can you really do that?" Lightkit ask in a shy voice.
"Lift me up, lift me up!" shout Hopekit.
I wrapped my tail around Lightkit's belly gently as I lifted her off the ground and swing her from side to side. "M-me now, please" The kits took turns doing what they ended up called "The Flying Cat game."
"It seems that you are having a great time, but let her rest, little ones" she looked at me again with a large group of leaves, seeds and spiderwebs on her mouth. "Don't worry, these plants will help you ... they're good for the" I couldn't keep myself quiet when I saw those herbs.
"Wild garlic and calendula for infections, tormentil for wounds and poison, horsetail to stop bleeding, poppy seeds as pain relievers and spider webs for bandages." Hollyfur mouth almost touch de ground in surprise. I quickly shut my mouth with my tail. "Incredible... dear, you have nailed everything. In that case, I'd better get to work. "
"But we want to play more! Please Hollyfur "protested the kits. "Now no little ones, Tigress needs to heal"
"Oh come on Hollyfur, please, we want to fly again" Hopekit stood between Hollyfur and me "Fly? Since when does a cat fly? " A laughing purr came from the medicine cat's throat.
"Tigress, do it again! Please! " I sighed and repeated the game from before with the two kits.
"You can play with her again later now, let the air run."
"Okay Hollyfur ....." they said and ran to her mother.
"You really have an unusual tail, dear."
"You think so?". My whiskers moved as she applied the herbs, my fur stood up and scratched the nest moss with my claws. "It stings ..." I protested between my teeth. "Well, in general, cats don't use our tails like that, dear" a rebellious current that entered the den sent the ball of spider webs flying, I caught it by raising the tail. "Got it" I approached it with a smile while I groomed my fur "Thank you dear, that tail of yours is really useful"
Hollyfur keep applying the herbs mix and wrap the wounds in spiderwebs. Meanwhile, at the entrance of the den, I distract myself seeing cats come and go, some accompanied by other younger cats carrying prey, moss and other things. I watched their movements and the new smells of their fur when they appear again near the den. At times other cats would arrive injured and Hollyfur would attend to them, or they would come just to leave some prey for Lynxshine and her kits. By the time Hollyfur was done, the sunlight had already given way to the moonlight.
"It is all done, dear, you have gained good battle wounds, they'll heal in a short time, just try not to make too much effort"
"Thanks, Hollyfur"
"To serve, dear"
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under the high rock for a clan meeting "a strong voice was heard and from outside de den. Whiteblaze came out "Come loner, Crystalstar wants to see you". Hollyfur and Lynxshine help me to get out of the den. On the taller rock of the camp was the same she-cat that was talking with Blackcloud. I swallowed my words, the stories said that in the clans only one cat were allowed to say that words cats called <
"Don't worry, she's our leader, everything will be fine." Lynxshine rubbed her nose against my side, with her help I sat at the foot of the tall rock looking at the grand she-cat.
"I have called you here today to remind you of the times that the clans are going through. For several moons now, the shadow tribe has been stalking the clans from dawn to sunset. The last night, a patrol caught them sneaking into our territory, trying to kidnap a some of our kits ... but today thanks to star clan, the shadows have left with their tails between their legs! " Meows of victory echoed through the encampment from the walls. "At the end of the battle for that rescue, it was thanks to a cat that is here with us today, who helped the kits releasing them of the same Toxic Rain" Whispers were heard among the cats of the clan. I wanted to raise proudly my tail, but under leader's look I just surrounded it around my paws.
"Young loner, come closer" I ducked my head as an act of respect and took a step forward. "What's your name?"
"Tigress" I cloud feel my voice fade away.
"Raise your head." I raised my gaze to the leader, from the top of that rock the sun's rays gave her fur a golden glow. "Tigress, in the name of EchoClan, I thank you for helping the kits. I've been informed of what happened. And as an act of gratitude, you will be allowed to stay in the camp until your wounds have healed."
"Thank you, Crystalstar"
"Hollyfur I leave this guest, on your paws." Hollyfur stepped forward and nodded. "This meeting is over!"
I raised my long tail as the local cats scattered, murmuring something to each other. Whiteblaze came near us.
"How are her injuries, Hollyfur?"
"Good for now, Whiteblaze"
"Loner. Follow me " he meowed dryly and led me to a small cave away from the camp with a soft nest field with the blue feathers of a jay. As soon as i sit on the nest both she-cats went back to the den. When they left, Whiteblaze looked at me without hiding the contempt in his gaze and the suspicious tone in his voice
"Until your wounds heal you will stay here. Crystalstar has given you permission to hunt in our territory, but in the clans ...."
"Kits and elders are fed first, isn't it?” I meowed.
"How did you-?"
“I have a good sight and memory, I deduce that from what I have seen." Whiteblaze shook his tail and left the place. I settled on the bed.
"Recovery is going to be faster than I imagined ... Also, what’s wrong with that warrior? In the stories, the warriors were nice cats that always help others and each other." I thought closing my eyes.
The next morning a repeated touches on my side woke me up, the sun was already at it his high point.
"Good morning sleepyhead!" The light was staring at me, being blocker for a dark silhouette sitting in front of me. "Whiteblaze?"
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