Sitting calmly, waiting, she began to remember the first time she came. The black she-cat came here almost every night to wait, so it was harder now to remember this place had once been unfamiliar.

She had come after he had begged her. This was as far as he could come. "I can't live without seeing you, Sapphire," he had said. "Please! Come here, tonight. You know how dangerous it would be if they caught us!" Sapphire had hesitated briefly; it was a long way for her to walk, but she knew she would walk to new lands, hidden places for him. She loved him, and he loved her. "Alright, Ginger, I'll meet you here."

A rustle in bushes broke into her thoughts. Out stepped a muscular, orange tabby, peering around wildly as if expecting danger.

"Ginger!" Sapphire exclaimed, pushing her muzzle into the dark tabby's fur. He let out a long purr and looked at her, his amber eyes meeting the blue ones that gave Sapphire her name. "Did you have any trouble?"

"No, they were all asleep." He looked nervous, as if he knew more than he was telling. She narrowed her eyes at him. What couldn't he tell her? She knew nothing about the group of hostile cats where he came from, though she knew they were mean and would tear him apart if they found out he was in love with her.

She had first met Ginger escaping from this band of rogues; they had not been pleased to find her on their territory and had threatened to kill her. Startled, she fled, straight into Ginger. The others had ordered him to kill her, but he had reasoned with them to let her go. Though she was scared, she had felt admiration for this cat, and had come back into their territory in hopes to find him and thank him. He had asked her to join, and though she refused, he had asked her to keep meeting him, because he wanted to be friends. Now they were more, they were mates now. Why was he lying to her?

He studied his paws in embarrassment from her gaze. "Claw was awake," he muttered. "He asked me where I was going, and I told him I was just going out to hunt." He looked scared, his eyes darting around and examining every single bush. He turned around to check there were no other cats around before going on, "I think he may have followed me here. And I'm scared. For us." Sapphire blinked in sympathy. Ginger was a strong cat, but even he was scared of what Eagle, the brown-and-white tom who led his group, could do to another cat. She drew in his warm scent. "Perhaps we should leave this for another time, then."

"Perhaps so. I love you, Sapphire."

"I love you, too, Ginger."

Suddenly, a new voice came from the bushes. "So, Ginger, had enough talk with this kittypet?" Ginger spun around and peered into the bushes to the right of the parking lot. Out emerged Eagle and Claw, baring their teeth. They walked him to him slowly, but the huge toms seemed more menacing each time one paw was places in front of another.

"Should we kill them both, Eagle?" The tortoiseshell tom turned to his leader.

"Yes. But first let's see what he has to say for himself."

Every hair on Sapphire's pelt stood on end, from anger and fear. These cats would kill her in one swift blow, and she knew it wasn't her time yet to join the Cats in the Stars. "Kill me if you must, Eagle," he spat, with a mutinous glare at his leader. "But leave Sapphire out of this! You have no right to harm her!" Sapphire couldn't believe what she was hearing! "Ginger, no-" she started, but was interrupted by Claw. "Oh, so the kittypet thinks she can fight, does she?"

A growl rose in her throat. "I'm not a kittypet!" she said, keeping her eyes on both the lean cats. "I'm a loner, I just live among Nofur nests."

"Call yourself what you will," Claw sneered, obviously enjoying the young she-cat's rage. "But you're still no match for us!" He took a step forward, only to be stopped by a fierce slash across the muzzle by Ginger. He snarled at his two ex-friends.

"Oh you will pay for that, you piece of fox-dung!" Claw lunged himself at Ginger, and Eagle followed. Ginger raced onto the Thunderpath in terror, not stopping to see if there was a monster coming or not. The three cats were just coming to the middle, still both teaming up on Ginger, when Sapphire spotted a monster speeding towards them.

"Ginger," she yowled. "Watch out!" Ginger glanced in the direction of the monster, and tried to scramble away from the two other cats, but to no avail. "Ginger!" Sapphire screamed again, panicking. The monster sped past, and was soon far in the distance. But in the middle of the Thunderpath lay 3 lifeless lumps of fur. She pushed her nose into Ginger's pelt and caught the last of his scent as it faded into the reek of death. His last words to her rang in her ears as she breathed in the last of his magnificent smell.

"I love you, Sapphire."

She glanced once more at his unmoving corpse and murmured, "Ginger..." before beginning the long trek home.