Northstar shoved through the bushes, the undergrowth whipping at her face. She ignored it, her eyes fixed on the area ahead of her. The paws of her clanmates following her drummed in her ears, but she didn't react to it. She had something important infront of her, more important than anything that could jump across her path. If she failed, which would end in her death, would lead to the death of every cat the followed her.
The silver leader stopped suddenly, turning to the cats behind her. She found herself staring into Birdsong's eyes, and was suddenly torn apart by the regret and fear in her eyes. Her heart twisted, but she shoved it down. "I want everyone to stay here. Bless's den is up ahead, and I want no one near it," she ordered. Birdsong nodded, trying to stand firm.
Northstar turned to pad forward. "Good luck," the voice made her pause, but she wouldn't turn around. She knew she'd go running into Ozzy's paws if she turned to look at him.
"Th-ank you," she whispered, her voice cracking. Pretending she was still sounded as stone hard as she had intended, she continued on.
After a while, she found herself padding along a twisting sandy path. Her pads were going numb, and her blue eyes were dull as she forced herself forward. She no long knew where she was, the small stretch of sand between the ocean's waves and the cliff face that now seperated her and her Clan had been only discovered half a moon after Bless intruded on the camp, and it had never been explored further. She was now fully on Bless's land.
It seemed like moons by the time she reached a sandy clearing. She'd found many of these clearings as she traveled, but this one was different. The towering trees curved over it, covering the ground with an ever-lasting shadow. The sand looked like ash, whether in light or under the trees' shadows, but it was still sand. She wanted to get out of this place, everything in her body wanting to surge forward.
She began to calmly pad forward, until the soothing voice wrapped around her. "Never thought you'd be this brave."
Every muscle in her body tense, she turned around to face Bless. "What does it matter to you? You'll try to slaughter me just the same."
"I won't try," Bless replied, her diamond eyes glistening in the dark. "I will." The small cat lunged forward, slamming her small paw into Northstar's face harder than she had anticipated. Northstar was knocked back, stumbling to stay on her paws. Blood welled along her cheek and in her eye, stinging like wasps.
"The innocent. The brave. They're all the same." Bless said.
The silver she-cat let out a battle cry, lunging for Bless. The murderer met her halfway, slamming into her chest with her side. Northstar grabbed her scruff, but she was able tu surge forward and grabb Northstar's back left paw. Northstar shrieked through her fur, but kept her teeth firmly in her fur. Bless pulled back, forcing Northstar to let go. Pain pulsed from her paw, but she forced herself up. Bless was waiting for her, blood dripping from her muzzle.
They met eachother blow for blow, again and again, even as moonlight eluminated the forest around them. Scarlet blood glistened on the ash-colored sand, and both she-cat were exhausted. But Bless wasn't giving in, and Northstar didn't dare run. She had put herself in a position she could turn away from. Northstar stumbled forward, and Bless shoved on the ground to leap over Northstar.
Her claws hooked into the leader's haunches, pulling her down. The tumbled end over end until Bless pinned down her shoulders. She ran a long claw down her cheek, making Northstar shiver. She shoved her back legs up into Bless's belly, then slamming her to the ground with a paw. She jumped onto Bless's shoulders, holding her pinned down. "You're really going to try and kill me?" Bless asked, panting.
Northstar growled, but Bless kept going. "What about your precious code?" She panted, a cold insantiy flaring in her eyes and shaking in her voice. "You're going to break that?" She added as she struggled, slowly breaking out of her grasp. "What would they think? What would he think? Ozzy? That his name? What would the kittypet say?" She rambled on.
Northstar shook her head, her strength wavering. She let out a cross between a shriek for help and a battle cry, lunging forward and clamping her jaws on Bless's throat. She let go, blood welling in her mouth. Bless was huffing, trying to let out a cry for help but her voice cracked. Bless scratched at Northstar's shoulder, trying to shove her to the side. She went through the same wound over and over again, deepening it, but her blows were weakening. Tears cut through the blood, fresh and matted, on her face.
As her blue eyes glazed over, she continued to fight. Fight until her last, dying, musty cold breath. "Slick...Cold...Wreck!"
The silver leader stopped suddenly, turning to the cats behind her. She found herself staring into Birdsong's eyes, and was suddenly torn apart by the regret and fear in her eyes. Her heart twisted, but she shoved it down. "I want everyone to stay here. Bless's den is up ahead, and I want no one near it," she ordered. Birdsong nodded, trying to stand firm.
Northstar turned to pad forward. "Good luck," the voice made her pause, but she wouldn't turn around. She knew she'd go running into Ozzy's paws if she turned to look at him.
"Th-ank you," she whispered, her voice cracking. Pretending she was still sounded as stone hard as she had intended, she continued on.
After a while, she found herself padding along a twisting sandy path. Her pads were going numb, and her blue eyes were dull as she forced herself forward. She no long knew where she was, the small stretch of sand between the ocean's waves and the cliff face that now seperated her and her Clan had been only discovered half a moon after Bless intruded on the camp, and it had never been explored further. She was now fully on Bless's land.
It seemed like moons by the time she reached a sandy clearing. She'd found many of these clearings as she traveled, but this one was different. The towering trees curved over it, covering the ground with an ever-lasting shadow. The sand looked like ash, whether in light or under the trees' shadows, but it was still sand. She wanted to get out of this place, everything in her body wanting to surge forward.
She began to calmly pad forward, until the soothing voice wrapped around her. "Never thought you'd be this brave."
Every muscle in her body tense, she turned around to face Bless. "What does it matter to you? You'll try to slaughter me just the same."
"I won't try," Bless replied, her diamond eyes glistening in the dark. "I will." The small cat lunged forward, slamming her small paw into Northstar's face harder than she had anticipated. Northstar was knocked back, stumbling to stay on her paws. Blood welled along her cheek and in her eye, stinging like wasps.
"The innocent. The brave. They're all the same." Bless said.
The silver she-cat let out a battle cry, lunging for Bless. The murderer met her halfway, slamming into her chest with her side. Northstar grabbed her scruff, but she was able tu surge forward and grabb Northstar's back left paw. Northstar shrieked through her fur, but kept her teeth firmly in her fur. Bless pulled back, forcing Northstar to let go. Pain pulsed from her paw, but she forced herself up. Bless was waiting for her, blood dripping from her muzzle.
They met eachother blow for blow, again and again, even as moonlight eluminated the forest around them. Scarlet blood glistened on the ash-colored sand, and both she-cat were exhausted. But Bless wasn't giving in, and Northstar didn't dare run. She had put herself in a position she could turn away from. Northstar stumbled forward, and Bless shoved on the ground to leap over Northstar.
Her claws hooked into the leader's haunches, pulling her down. The tumbled end over end until Bless pinned down her shoulders. She ran a long claw down her cheek, making Northstar shiver. She shoved her back legs up into Bless's belly, then slamming her to the ground with a paw. She jumped onto Bless's shoulders, holding her pinned down. "You're really going to try and kill me?" Bless asked, panting.
Northstar growled, but Bless kept going. "What about your precious code?" She panted, a cold insantiy flaring in her eyes and shaking in her voice. "You're going to break that?" She added as she struggled, slowly breaking out of her grasp. "What would they think? What would he think? Ozzy? That his name? What would the kittypet say?" She rambled on.
Northstar shook her head, her strength wavering. She let out a cross between a shriek for help and a battle cry, lunging forward and clamping her jaws on Bless's throat. She let go, blood welling in her mouth. Bless was huffing, trying to let out a cry for help but her voice cracked. Bless scratched at Northstar's shoulder, trying to shove her to the side. She went through the same wound over and over again, deepening it, but her blows were weakening. Tears cut through the blood, fresh and matted, on her face.
As her blue eyes glazed over, she continued to fight. Fight until her last, dying, musty cold breath. "Slick...Cold...Wreck!"
