I am sooooo sorry for the super-short chapter last time. I was in school. And I didn't have my jump drive. And was doing half a dozen other things at the same time.
So, enjoy this. 500 words.
Emerald unsheathed his claws, and Jade snarled angrily. Pearl backed away, her blue eyes wide with with fear.
The fox leapt at them, growling with its mouth open. Jade shrieked and lashed out with a paw. Emerald sprang at the fox with a snarl, and sank his fangs into the fox's flank, meeting the skin and causing beads of blood to rise through the fur.
Jade's strike caught the fox in the side of the face, disorienting it and causing it to fall over, yelping. Emerald sprang away from the reddish creature and spat angrily.
The fox scrambled to its paws, growling. Emerald arched his back and hissed. Jade crouched down, her pupils slits.
The reddish brown creature seemed to decide not to risk any more wounds, and backed off into the bushes with a warning growl. Pearl was hiding behind a rock about a cat-length away, trembling.
"And a very good help you were, Pearl." Emerald meowed dryly.
"S-sorry. I- I- I was j-just so s-s-scared." Pearl whimpered.
"Do you realize, that if that fox had killed us, you would have been next on the list? You would have died. And hiding isn't going to help any!" Emerald snarled. "You might as well have given your prayers to the Travelers already!"
"Stop it!" Jade hissed. "Can't you see she's scared?"
"She's not a kit!" Emerald growled. "She can speak for herself!"
"Just stop it!" Jade insisted. "Leave her alone." Her ferocious gaze shocked Emerald, and the black tom fell silent.
"L-let's go." Pearl mewed finally, and Jade nodded.
Travelling in silence was a difficult task, especially for Jade, who was silently fuming. Emerald was flicking his tail unnecessarily, and Pearl was wincing as she stepped too hard on her injured paw.
They reached the base of the mountains by sun-high, and all three were exhausted.
"Can't we stop to hunt?" Pearl asked pleadingly.
"You know we can't." Emerald answered shortly. Jade growled in frustration and stalked ahead of the black tom, looking furious. "Jade, don't get all huffy. You can hunt later."
"Don't talk to me like I'm a kit!" Jade snarled.
"Don't act like one." Emerald shot back.
"Stop it!" Pearl mewed. Both cats glared at each other for a moment, then Jade turned and padded off into the mountains, her tail lashing. Emerald looked at Pearl before following silently.
The trip through the mountains, and the growing cold made it difficult. Jade shivered as she felt the cold stone beneath her paws. Though her pads were quite used to this cold, it still hurt slightly.
"Can't we hunt now?" Pearl begged.
"We're almost there, Pearl!" Emerald snapped.
"Sorry…" Pearl mewed quietly, shivering.
Jade glared briefly at Emerald before noticing something. A dark opening at the top of a ridge in the mountainside. "I can see the cave!" She shouted.
"Yes!" Pearl mewed happily, but stopped as she realized that small white flakes were beginning to fall.
"We have to hurry." Emerald meowed, nudging Pearl forward. She skittered over the rocks, Jade loping behind her. The cave entrance was getting closer and closer, and the snow was falling harder and harder…
With a gasp of relief, the three cats clambered into the dark hole, the scents of many cats around them.
A huge gray tom stepped forward, snarling. "Who are you?" He demanded. "How did you find this place?"
"Granite, it's Emerald, Pearl, and Jade!" Jade snapped.
Granite pulled back, looking shocked. "Sorry." He rumbled. "I thought you were intruders."
"Not a problem." Emerald meowed, but he was interrupted by Pearl, who mewed loudly.
"Can we please get some food?!"
Jade laughed along with the rest of the cats in the cave, smiling fondly at them. They were home.
More than 500 words. BE HAPPY.
