"Who are you?"
"Come on, slowpokes! What are you- tunnelers?" a playful voice jeered, a light brown and white feline already scaling the next set of boulders with a nimble set of paws. Small pebbles clattered down the jagged slope, kicked up in the wake of the over-excited she-cat. Further down the ridge, padding at a more leisurely pace, was a light brown tabby accompanied by a long legged pale gray and ginger cat.
"Who are you calling a tunneler?" the brown tabby growled after her speedy companion who by now had halted once again at another protruding ledge of rock.
"Obviously us," yawned the ginger and gray, pale blue eyes reflecting fatigue and lack of sleep. For such a limber feline, it was surprising how often she stumbled during these early dawn trips.
"Willow Branch! Sorrel Stem! Hurry up! We're supposed to be Cliff Runners! Come on, we have to patrol the outer rim today! And if we want to bring back prey you'll pick up the pace!" yowled the brown and white feline, tail tip twitching with anticipation. The rays of the dawn sun bloomed behind her, cascading the ground with a lengthened shadow. The brown tabby snorted with annoyance as she moved out of the light and into the shadow, spine bunched in a low crouch as she lept from the stable earth to the higher ledge. A grunt escaped her lungs as she landed somewhat awkwardly a few bounds from her fellow Cliff Runner. Her former power and grace was outshone as the ginger and gray appeared at her side, her descent much more controlled.
"No one likes a show off," grumbled Willow Branch, her tail for which she was named for lashing out of envy.
"We're coming Sedge Flower!" Sorrel Stem called back, oblivious to the elder she-cat's remark. Tail whipping behind her like a flag, the agile Cliff Runner sprinted ahead, paws scrambling over the stones that provided foot holds to make the journey a lesser chore. Another well aimed leap and the young long haired she-cat was at her friend's side, awaiting the approach of the remaining member of their patrol. With sore, cracked pads, the elder Cliff Runner ambled after the younger generation of her kind, the agility she once had continuing to fade rapidly. Never was she going to admit she was useless, concealing that within her own thoughts as she quickened her pace.
"So nice of you to wait up," she sniffed, brushing past her comrades with a tail flick, pursuing the trail ahead with swifter steps. Sorrel Stem shrugged to Sedge Flower after she had received a dumbfounded stare. Without words, the two quickly regained their footing on the uneven stones and chased after the brown tabby.
Sorrel Stem had long since passed Willow Branch, barreling down the smooth, grassy slope that passed into a copse of fir trees. Sedge Flower shot from the ridge, nipping at Sorrel Stem's heels while the branch tailed tabby gave up in the lead, preferring to take the rear with a wary gaze. Rough pads skidded along the flattened blades, plumes of heather sprouting up from the soft soil at the slope base. The two young Cliff Runners were nothing more than gray and brown blurs in the trees once Willow Branch reached the heather. Determined to keep them in her sights, she kept an even pace, swerving around the trunks and roots. With an overload of sunlight, the tree line faded and it was easier to spot the silhouettes of the other two. The ground beneath them morphed back to stones and pebbles, the softness of the grass long disappeared against her aching pads.
Slowing to a halt at the next ridge, Willow Branch displayed her confusion with a glance to both companions who had stopped, now staring intently at the rocks and grassy patches below.
"What?" she mewed irritably. "You were the ones who said we have to keep moving. Outer rim remember?"
"Pika," a sly grin crept up on Sedge Flower's snout, lips curled back in suspense. Her soft green eyes scanned the hollow, tail raised on high alert as a flash of movement twitched to the far right. Without warning, the young cat bolted from her perch on the stone, charging wildly into the dip with the clattering of pebbles closely following. After watching her recklessness, Willow Branch wanted to claw some sense into her. A kit could know better than to rush in blindly when stalking prey- not to mention the staying silent part.
Her brown and white pelt flashed out of view as she rounded a large boulder. A frightened squeal was abruptly silenced, the sound of a satisfied hiss returning as Sedge Flower padded around the large stone, a tiny brown creature clamped firmly in her jaws. Green eyes illuminated with pride, Sedge Flower dropped the pika by their paws, waiting for praise.
"You foolish scatterbrain!" Willow Branch growled, resisting the urge to throw a swipe. Luckily, Sorrel Stem already took care of that. With a defeated sigh, the gray and ginger had given a sharp cuff to her friend's temple.
"Even a kit knows not to hunt like that," she griped, disappointment evident in her pale blue gaze, the tiredness replaced with the latter.
"I still got it, didn't I?" Sedge Flower insisted, snatching up the pika with a disgruntled frown.
"You youngins don't know anything about hunting," Willow Branch huffed impatiently, setting off down into the stone littered ditch with Sorrel Stem padding alongside. Only offering an angry ear flick, Sedge Flower trailed along near the back, her steps deliberate as each pad struck the grassy stone. It only took mere moments for the small group to pick up speed again, the long legged felines scaling hill over hill, dashing through the heather, and leaping over sharp dips in the earth. The wind flew through their fur, offering comfort of the free open air as opposed to the dank, confined caverns that the tunnelers were forced to endure. As they charged up the steep incline, the wind seemed to blow harder, nearly sweeping Sorrel Stem off her paws as she reached the crest.
"Beautiful out here, isn't it?" she said, aghast at the sight that lay before their eyes. As far as they eye could see, great plains stretched far and wide until blocked by a large expanse of dense trees. Looking more at a downward angle, you could see the two rivers that descended from the summit to the ground where they conjoined as one. To either side was the far stretch of mountains, the tallest hosting Cloudreader's den- where the tom would sit out on the peak and gaze up at the sky, reading the clouds. Inside the tallest mountain were a network of tunnels crafted via tunnelers, making easier access to different parts of the territory. A few led to the base where the tunnelers made dens, another set led up to the mountains where Cliff Runners dwelled, several wound up inside hosted other dens like the nursery or other storage compartments.
"Yeah," breathed Sedge Flower, having set her prey down by her paws. Willow Branch offered a confirming grunt, taking a loose seat by the light brown and white she-cat.
"Can you imagine that the tunnelers never get the chance to see anything this beautiful?" the ginger and gray long hair mused, lost in thought. Her mind drifted to what tunnelers might see; moist, dark holes that lead into the depths of nothingness. Who could live like that? Who could live without seeing the sun for less than an hour?
"Hey, you guys, do you hear...wing beats?" Sedge Flower put forth the question, finding it hard to hear almost anything above the furious wind. Just as the trio whirled around, a large, winged silhouette dove from the sky at top speed. Willow Branch caught sight of sunlight glinting off outstretched talons.
"Hawk!" she screeched, shoving the other two away just as the winged beast swooped, its talons tearing a small tear along her hind leg. The bird pulled up in a smooth motion, crying with what sounded like frustration as it missed its catch. Willow Branch slumped to her side, crashing into Sedge Flower and Sorrel Stem as they slid down the bumpy path. Groaning, the three felines struggled to regain their footing, and being tossed together in on jumble hadn't helped much. As Sedge Flower moved to the top, she spotted the hawk swoop again, surfacing with what appeared to be something small and plump.
"Pika!" the screech left her lips, the panicked feline tearing herself away from the dogpile as she made haste to the top.
"Sedge Flower, it's not worth it!" Sorrel Stem tried to call her friend back before she did something she would regret, but the white and brown she-cat was nearing the ridge where the hawk leveled out his altitude, making small circles. Every twitch of his feathered head followed the Cliff Runner's movements, curiosity sparking in slitted yellow eyes as it debated dropping the pika for a larger piece of prey. Bunching her muscles, spine contracted, her paws left the safety of the ground, claws unsheathed and aimed at the nearest wing. The hawk however, seemed to be smarter as it veered aside, releasing the pika and using its now vacant talons to catch the feline mid-leap.
"Gak!" Sedge Flower wriggled in the hawk's grasp, wincing as she felt its talons puncture her flanks with no intention of letting go.
"Her own fault," Willow Branch meowed, earning a gasp of dismay from the long furred she-cat at her side. "Willow Branch how could you say that? That's Sedge Flower up there! We're coming, Sedge Flower!"
"Wolfclaw take left, Cherrypaw right!"
From the peak, a gray tom with black streaks and a small tortoiseshell sped into view, each taking their respective side. The gray tom leaped from the left side, claws snagging one of the hawk's wings. On the opposite side, the tiny tortoiseshell had taken the right, clinging on to the other wing with sheer terror in her eyes. The owner of the voice appeared on the ridge for a mere second before taking flight and landing squarely on the hawk's back, burying sharp ivories into its neck. With a cry of agony, the feathered monster started its quick descent, Sedge Flower no longer in its talons. The she-cat fell on her side, the wind knocked out of her. Willow Branch and Sorrel Stem materialized at her side just as the hawk collided with the ground, three felines still perched proudly upon their kill.
"You're lucky we were in the area," the same smooth voice purred, belonging to a slender gray tabby with intricate black tabby markings and lively aquamarine eyes. "Or else your little reckless friend there would've been carried off for good. What are you doing out here anyways?"
"Forgive me for answering a question with a question," Willow Branch cleared her throat, locking a stern glare with the tabby. "But who are you?"
"Ah, the name's Nightglaze."
There you go! And here we see our newest appearance; Nightglaze! There, that should keep you all satisfied for at least a day or so. What do you think so far? What do you think of the characters? And for those who were OCs given to me that made an appearance, do you think I portrayed them ok? Remember to read and review, follow, favorite and all that jazz! Until next time,
-Snarky