This chapter is to sorta show how the Band interacts with each other and what they do during the day. They don't have any border patrols or anything so what do they do?
Cherry woke when it was getting dark. For a second she forgot where she was, or what she was doing in the forest. But then the dull ache of her head reminder her and she groaned.
Uhg Spark had challenged her, and she had fallen asleep. Wow she was stupid. Now her muscles would seize up.
She sat up and stretched ignoring all the pains that shot up her body.
"Watch your back Adder, you never know when something will drop on it from above."
Spark's voice was so clear it was like he was standing next to Cherry. She didn't know why this threat was playing in her head. Spark had threatened her loads of times, but this one a certain foreboding to it. Unconsciously Cherry glanced behind her shoulder, maybe she should watch her back, just to be careful. You couldn't underestimate Spark when it came to cruelty, he'd do anything and had done enough on Cherry that she knew anything was possible. Whether it was almost scratching her eyes out or almost ripping her in half, Spark had done a lot of damage.
But she was probably being paranoid. Spark wouldn't attack her without asking for a fight, so there was nothing to worry about. Cherry licked her paw and brought it over her soar ear wincing in the process. Those ears were reduced to shred and that scratch down her back would be another scar to add to her collection.
She remembered her promise to Spark, that next time she would be on the ledge and her eyes narrowed. She would make it on the ledge, she would beat Spark, she had been so close, so close. But then all had gone wrong. Cherry swiped her paw angrily at a rock sending it skittering off into the trees.
Well if she was to get to the ledge she had better get practicing. Cherry launched herself at the nearest tree and dug her claws into the bark, she began climbing, higher and higher till she was at the very top and the ground was way, way, way down below her. She sat on the skinniest branch she could find, her claws dug into the bark, swaying in the wind. She didn't know why she had picked the highest branch to sit on, or why she was just sitting her. She should probably get working but it seemed like her body was glued to the branch.
She stared at the sunset a certain peace coming over her. It was nice up here, swaying in the breeze. Cherry closed her eyes, and let the peacefulness take over, the birds quietly singing, the rocking of the branch, the buzzing of the mosquitoes and other bugs.
Suddenly unnatural rustling broke through the peace. Cherry opened her eyes and crouched, peering down at the ground. She recognized the dusty gray pelt of Fang. He was slithering over the ground, his ears pricked, and his head swinging back and forth, looking for something. What was he looking for? He couldn't be hungry, not already, so what was he doing?
Then Cherry realized what he was looking for, her. Great Fang was being a search party. Didn't he know she could look after herself?
Cherry slowly climbed down the tree making hardly a rustle. She jumped down and let out a soft hiss as a stabbing pain went up her foot. She had forgotten about that, she'd have to be more careful. Thankfully Fang was too far away to hear her.
She stalked Fang through the trees, staying a couple tail lengths behind him. Finally when Cherry saw her chance she sprang.
She landed square on top of Fang, he twisted but Cherry was ready for it and jumped and landed in front of him.
"Looking for someone?" She asked.
"Cherry!" Fang's face relaxed. "You scared me!"
"I know, I've been stalking you for awhile now you know," Cherry told him.
"Yeah well you know Thorn's better in that area then I am," Fang said. "Plus I wasn't really paying attention." Fang paused. "I see your healing well if you managed to stalk me."
"Yes, I'm perfectly fine!" Cherry sais exasperatedly, jeez Fang was worse than a mother, though Cherry didn't know what mothers acted like, having never met hers. She had always heard the other band member use this expression, since of them actually had mothers. "I've already climbed to the top of tree and plan on killing some bark as of right now."
"I'll come," Fang said. "I need to work on my claw action."
Cherry rolled her eyes. Fang definitely didn't need to work on his claw work. He was just coming along to make sure Cherry didn't collapse or something, that had happened the first time Spark had challenged her. But that was a long time ago, she wasn't going to collapse, hopefully.
Cherry padded through the trees with Fang tailing her, till she came to a place where there were two trees but still enough room to practice.
"I'll take this tree," Cherry mewed pointing her tail towards the one on the right.
Fang nodded and slid down into the attacking position. He then flew at the tree and his claws out stretched and took out a chunk of bark. Fang was good at his attack, while Cherry was good at strategy and defense, that was what made her the highest of the low rankers.
She got into the attack position. She closed her eyes for a minute and when she opened them it wasn't a tree, it was Spark hackles raised. It wasn't the wind in the leaves, it was Spark's furious hiss. Cherry felt her hair stand on end and she flew at the tree/Spark. At last moment she changed directions, rolling sideways and scratching the side of the tree/Spark.
She got up and hissed again then flew at the tree/Spark again, this time she dug her claws into the bark and started climbing, she climbed to the first branch and began running along it as Spark chased after her. She kept running and then flew off the tree, launching herself through the air and grabbing onto a different branch. She didn't stop but kept running, Spark right on her tail.
When she got to the trunk she shimmied up to the next branch running along that. She jumped to the next one then shimmied down the trunk, then she kept running, Spark was right on her tail, she couldn't stop. He was so close now, so close she could hear his breath, so close his teeth were a mouse length away from her tail.
Then Cherry launched herself off the tree, this time directed at the ground right before Spark grabbed her tail. She landed on the ground a sharp pain running up her leg but she ignored it and turned to face the ginger cat as he landed heavily on the ground. Right when he landed Cherry flew at him not giving him to recover. She slashed out fur/bark jumping all over. The she flew at him again, and again, and again. Dancing around, and around, and around him, bark/fur was flying everywhere. He was bleeding heavily but Cherry was unscathed, adrenalin pumping through her veins. She could feel the blood pounding in her ears, her claws were on fire as she slashed and slashed.
Then it was over. Spark collapsed and disappeared as Cherry let herself relax. She closed her eyes and nothing was there but a battered tree, and her battered claws. Her pads were filled with splintered and her claws were raw from slashing at something as hard the tree.
Cherry closed her eyes again put her head on her paws. Uh that training had worn her out, more than it should. She had ripped open a couple of her wounds and they sluggishly bleeding and soaking her fur.
Cherry opened her eyes, and started back to the cave. She stopped by the tree where Fang was practicing and told him she was going back. Fang hardly looked at her but kept his eyes on the tree which was practically bear of bark.
Cherry strode back to the cave. The moon was high and shining its light to make weird shadows across the forest. The occasional bird was singing and cricket songs were playing.
"Heyy Cherry!" It was Thorn melting out of the darkness.
"Hi Thorn,' Cherry mewed, smiling like always when Thorn greeted her like he did.
"I predict you were practicing," Thorn mewed.
"You were right, Fang still out there," Cherry said. "He'd probably like a partner."
"Okay I'll go see him," Thorn said. "See ya."
"Bye."
Cherry kept walking, smiling slightly. Thorn was the comedian of their group, Cherry the fierce, and bold, and Fang the worry-wart. Though the saying opposite attracts applied to her and Fang, they were definitely the closest.
Then a thud right in front of her brought Cherry out of her thoughts. She immediately crouched in the attack position her hair on the back rising making her wince inwardly inside.
"Adder," A gravelly voice came out of the darkness. Cherry knew immediately who is was, though she couldn't see him.
"Talon," Cherry responded.
"You are healing well," It wasn't a question, it was an observation. Talon never asked question.
"Yes, thanks for asking," Cherry said sarcastically.
The little bit of Talon's green eyes Cherry could see narrowed. She groaned inwardly, did she have to make Talon mad at her. Didn't enough happen in the last couple days?
"You should show more respect," Another voice came out of the forest. Falcon. "I heard you giving the same advice to Thistle the other day, maybe you should take your own advice."
"Yes well, Thistle needs all the help she can get," Cherry replied.
Talon rumbled in agreement.
"You may be right there," Falcon agreed. "And I see you also need help. Sunset tomorrow same place I have a new move that will work on Spark."
"I'll be there," Cherry said as Falcon and Talon padded away. She only allowed herself to smile after they couldn't see her. Yes! Falcon always had the best moves but rarely ever showed, she definitely had a chance at Spark now.
"Watch your back Adder, you never know when something will drop on it from above."
Who wants to guess why Cherry training "opponent" is so life-like?
R&R please!