Don't look down
Chapter 2: Trouble on the horizon
Lilac jolted awake into the bright glare of the sun. She wearily blinked the blinding sun from her eyes,and began to look around. She was in the same place she had collasped only the daybreak before in exuastion. Glancing at the sun,she knew she had only gotten a few hours of rest,but she needed to keep moving. She had to.
Lilac stood up and streached,but instantly regreted it. Her muscles screamed in agony,and her claws ached. She felt like she had fought a eagle in her sleep,and even her pelt was battered.
Lilac wanted nothing more to curl up on the rough stone she had rested on before,but she knew she had to keep moving. Besides,a young,unalert cat might look tempting. And now wasn't exactly the right time to fight off a real eagle.
Her mind flashed to the few hours of rest she had. Her rest had been riddled with nightmares. Blood,storms,and the one thing that would haunt her the rest of her life. The image of her mother plunging to her death,and the last glimps of her terrified eyes as she fell.
Lilac shook off her pelt,as if to rid herself of the horrible memorys. "That's why I'm leaving,isn't it? To make sure something like that ever happens again."
Yet as she told herself that,some how she wasn't sure. Something was pulling her down the moutain,telling her she had to go. It was almost as strong as her want to stay. But,no. That was rediculous...right?
She sighed and her belly rumbled,craving food. She looked around to see if there was any likely places to hunt. Maybe a crack or some bushes. But nothing but a murky puddle lied in her surroundings,just pawsteps from where she stood.
Her teacher's voice came into her ears, "Always drink when you can,Lilac. Water is sparse in the moutains,you must always be prepared."
"Hmm,I wonder what Sky would say about this puddle though." She wondered,but still walked up.
Lilac didn't drink,but gazed at the image in the dark water. A cat with light pelt and amber eyes was stared back at her. But it wasn't her. The eyes were too cold,the pelt was too dark.
It was her father.
To Lilac,it all had finally made sense. As if it was a missing piece of a dream that she finally remembered,and it strung the whole dream together. Why all her life Stoneteller had hated her. Why her mother had always refused to tell her her father's name. Why she had always gotten weird looks from her tribemates when she was around him. Everything.
She glared at the cat in the puddle,but it just glared back. She hated him. She hated him killing her mother. She hated him for her life she had to live. And she hated him for cursing her to look like him.
"But it's not just looks." The reflection seemed to say. "You are just like him. Go back to the tribe,Lilac..."
"No." Lilac whispered.
"It is your destiny." The voice crowed.
"I will never go back."
"Young Lilac,so niieve." The voice laughed. The world suddenly seemed to be swirling around Lilac at a fast pace. "You can not escape me,I am everywhere. Why not make it easier and go back now?"
"No!" Lilac screeched and flashed out her claws,shattering the cat's image. Soon the puddle returned back to normal,but Lilac didn't stay to watch.
Shaking,she stumbled away from the dip in the ground. Her mind was whirling so fast, she could barely focus.
"I can't go back... I can't... Have to keep moving... Have to.."
Maybe if she wasn't so disrupted,she would've noticed the strange scents twirling through the wind that blasted her face,as she climbed over a patch of rocks. Or maybe even heard the padding of two idenical footsteps in the cliffs behind her,following her and watching her as she made her way down the path.
...pagebreak...
Two ragged gray toms padded along the shadows of the high sun,observing a strange she-cat from a rockledge high above her.
One wipped around to face the other,"Why should we not attack her now?!" He spat,and his claws slid out.
But the other tom was calm,"Paticence,Hop." He mewed. "We will not attack yet."
Hop bristled,and his yellow eyes flared,"What?! Do you not smell the wind that blows our way,brother? She is of the tribe! What has the tribe ever done for us,but kill our family?"
The tom narrowed his eyes,"Do you truely belive that story? It happened before our kin's kin's time,Hop. We don't even know if it's true."
Hop glared,"Scars of the past can not be forgotten that easily. I have seen the marks of the claws on stone,the fadded bones of the ones who tried to fight back,and I have had dreams of their wailing in terror. I will never forget it,Soar!" He hissed.
Soar sighed,"She is young,Hop. She should not be held guilty for her tribe's past faults."
Hop laughed harshly,"Ha! You are a fool,Soar. Truely a fool. The tribe will stop at nothing to destroy us,and this she-cat is just the start. Can't you see? It's kill or be killed,brother. You are either with me or your not." Hop's gaze pirced Soar's own.
Soar sighed,"Fine,we shall attack at nightfall. Come,let us eat. We must get up our strenght for later."
Hop nodded curtly,and dissapered around a bend,when he was gone Soar gazed at the young she-cat's hunched figure with pity as she made her way down the cliff.
"I'm sorry,young tribecat. I'm sorry for cursing you with my brother's rage. Ever since he has heard of the tribe destroying our kin's home,he will not stop till the ground run's red with blood."
Soar then mewed quietly,"Run fast,young tribecat. Go back to your kin. For I fear at the claws of my brother,no one is safe." He glanced at the bend Hop had dissapered behind.
"No one."
...pagebreak...
Okay,sorry for the short chappie and the cliffie! But this has to happen in order for a scene later in the story.
Hawk: Hi! *Grumbles* Do I really have to say this?!
Me: Yes!
Hawk: Fine! Swifty updated the tribe whatcha call its in the last chappie,and she was too lazy to say it herself! Now give me my fruit tart!
Me: No,you were rude...
Hawk: First I don't get to save Lilac,then I don't get a fruit tart?! Why didn't I become a actor?!
Me: 'Cause I created you.
Hawk: T.T
Frost: Hi! Frost here! Fun fact time! "Hop and Soar" were originally "Hop and Gopher" the two harmless brothers that lived on the moutains. Also they're decended from the rouge group that lived on the moutains by the tribe. (A long,long,long,LONG time ago.)
Me: Hope you liked the chapter,it was inspired by you awesome readers! If you got suggestions or comments,please...
All: REVIEW!