Tornstar's breath hitched. He looked back at Watermint in worry as her paws scrambled and Moonflight steadied her, his eyes wide at the prospect of endangering her. He straightened his gaze back to the front and pulled himself over the top of a ridge, his front legs growing taut as he dug his claws into solid rock.
Their journey hadn't even started yet, and still, Tornstar could see the danger they were nearing.
He pulled himself up and over - and that's when he saw it. A little ways ahead, over a bit more mountain, was a smooth area with holes burrowed into the tall mountain walls around it. Cats loitered about, and when they noticed Tornstar, their pelts grew as spikey as the ridge-faces around them.
Moonflight's face son popped back up, easing Tornstar's thundering heart as the hostile cats calmed down a smidgen. "We're here," she said simply as she approached the group. "Cranestar! Cranestar, we need to talk, and-... we have visitors."
Tornstar heard a growl of frustration in the silence of camp as Cranestar emerged from her den. At first, she seemed only mildly annoyed, but when she noticed Tornstar, Acornstar, and the rest of the stranger clan cats, her face darkened into a nasty glare and her ears flattened against the top of her skull. She stiffened but continued to walk past Moonflight until she was face-to-face with Tornstar. Swampclan's leader heard Beetuft growl faintly as he saw Acornstar stiffen.
"What are you doing here?" she said, her voice sharp.
Although Tornstar's heart was loud in his ears, he was the picture of calmness. "Our medicine cats had a vision at the Moonstone... We needed to discuss it with you."
Acornstar nodded, "Don't worry Cranestar, we've called for a momentary truce anyway. We're not here to fight."
Cranestar glanced toward Moonflight and straightened her composure. After a moment of silence, she flicked her tail and began walking toward a smaller cave entrance with moss hanging over, like a doorway. It must've been her den. "Then let's talk."
Their journey hadn't even started yet, and still, Tornstar could see the danger they were nearing.
He pulled himself up and over - and that's when he saw it. A little ways ahead, over a bit more mountain, was a smooth area with holes burrowed into the tall mountain walls around it. Cats loitered about, and when they noticed Tornstar, their pelts grew as spikey as the ridge-faces around them.
Moonflight's face son popped back up, easing Tornstar's thundering heart as the hostile cats calmed down a smidgen. "We're here," she said simply as she approached the group. "Cranestar! Cranestar, we need to talk, and-... we have visitors."
Tornstar heard a growl of frustration in the silence of camp as Cranestar emerged from her den. At first, she seemed only mildly annoyed, but when she noticed Tornstar, Acornstar, and the rest of the stranger clan cats, her face darkened into a nasty glare and her ears flattened against the top of her skull. She stiffened but continued to walk past Moonflight until she was face-to-face with Tornstar. Swampclan's leader heard Beetuft growl faintly as he saw Acornstar stiffen.
"What are you doing here?" she said, her voice sharp.
Although Tornstar's heart was loud in his ears, he was the picture of calmness. "Our medicine cats had a vision at the Moonstone... We needed to discuss it with you."
Acornstar nodded, "Don't worry Cranestar, we've called for a momentary truce anyway. We're not here to fight."
Cranestar glanced toward Moonflight and straightened her composure. After a moment of silence, she flicked her tail and began walking toward a smaller cave entrance with moss hanging over, like a doorway. It must've been her den. "Then let's talk."
