10
Rusty sat in the darkness, watching Illusion's flank rise and fall as she slept. Mistystar had sent them to investigate the forest on the other side of the Thunderpath, as an extra to their warrior assessments a few days after their ceremony.
Rusty closed his eyes, his emotions conflicting inside him. He loved Illusion. Illusion loved him. How can I do this? How can I be such a traitor? How can I be such a monster? Rusty thought to himself.
He stepped towards Illusion, pinning her sleeping form to the ground. She awoke, glancing worriedly at Rusty's claws. "Rusty? What are you doing?" she asked worriedly. She trusts me, Rusty wailed to himself.
"Rusty, please get off," anxiousness grew in her voice, and she began to struggle.
"Don't struggle, Illusion," Rusty whispered. She immediately relaxed, but fear was still in her gaze. "I'm sorry, Illusion. I didn't want to have to do this."
"Do what? What are you doing to me?"
Extending his claws, Rusty ripped his claws all the way down Illusion's belly without hesitation. A horrible wound immediately opened up, and Illusion's face was opened in a frozen mask of confusion and pain and a soundless scream. She tried to speak, but coughed up blood onto the ground.
"How could you do this to me?" she rasped weakly as blood ran smoothly from the wound. Sadness, disappointment, confusion and pain burned through Rusty's soul through Illusion's gaze.
Rusty closed his eyes, pain coursing through him. "I'm sorry," he repeated, turning around and running through the forest.
Milk blundered through the forest, forgetting completely about covering her tracks. Hunger gnawed at her belly, and thirst burned at the back of her throat. Smells filled the air, twoleg, thunderpath… and cat.
Milk sniffed, following the vague scent, before coming across a familiar, blood-stained body. Milk recognised her, her fur was split down her back in black and orange.
That chimera cat River wanted to kill… Milk thought, sniffing the body. Placing a paw on the cat's side, she felt the faint pulse of life deep inside the cat.
Milk thought for a moment. River wanted to kill both of them. Maybe they could join together? Milk knew of the clan cats she lived with, and they were strong.
Milk shook her head. She didn't have time to think. If she changed her mind, she could always kill her later. Gathering some cobwebs to stop the blood flowing thickly from her wound, Milk stopped the bleeding. Now all she could do was hunt for the cat and herself.
Padding through the forest and noticing a vole, Milk dropped into a crouch and crept forward. The vole twitched its ears, but didn't run. Milk pounced, landing paw first onto the vole and killing it with a swift bite. Milk couldn't help feeling a surge of pride shoot through her. It was a long time since she caught her own prey.
Taking it back to the cat, she realised she started to twitch. Placing the vole in front of her, Milk backed away, grooming herself until the cat began to move.
She gasped in pain, falling back into unconsciousness. Great, Milk thought, rolling her eyes. It would take the cat forever to wake up. Laying down, the she-cat dozed until sun-high.
She awoke to see the cat staring at her, her gaze filled with hate.
"Don't think I don't know you," she snarled weakly. Milk noticed that the vole was gone.
"Don't thank me for the vole, why don't you," Milk growled coldly. She immediately regretted her decision of saving the cat.
"You killed Burn," the cat continued, as if Milk hadn't said anything. "And I hate you. I don't care that you saved me. I'd rather be dead."
Milk stood up. "Then I'll leave you to die here," she snarled, stalking away. The wounded cat laughed mirthlessly, but Milk heard her voice crack. She knew the cat was afraid to die. What cat wasn't?
Milk crouched, watching the cat. She had to admire her resolute stubbornness, despite the hate she felt toward the unlikable cat. "I know you're there," the cat snarled, trying to shift but crying out in pain. "You know my clan will come for me. And they'll kill you."
Milk laughed humourlessly. "You'll be dead by the time they reach you," Milk reassured, coming back into the cat's vision. "River wants rid of both of us," she growled. "The only way you're leaving here alive is if I help you, and the only way I will help you is if you promise me a place in your clan."
The cat looked surprised. "You want to join the clan?" she asked. Milk nodded.
"Maybe," she growled, laying down her head.
"I'll maybe save you," Milk replied.
"Did you know Rusty?" the cat whispered after a pause. She didn't raise her head.
Milk nodded. "He was the runt. No cat respected him. He was ordered around by everyone. Most cats didn't even learn his name. He was nothing."
She heard the cat sob with pain, and it probably wasn't from her wound. "How could he do this to me," she whispered to herself. "I loved him." Milk suddenly felt a pang of loneliness. No cat loved her. The Tribe cats never liked her, she led most of the tribe's queens to their death, and now even River wanted her dead.
"We're not so different, you and I," Milk commented, folding her paws underneath.
The cat's face quickly turned angry. "We are nothing alike," she snarled. "I'd rather die than be like you."
"Think about it," Milk replied, shuffling closer. "We both have to no cats to love us. We are both on our own. And we are both depending on each other."
The cat looked her in the eyes, hate burning in her gaze, but understanding too. "I guess so," she growled. "But just because we are relying on each other, don't expect me to hate you any less."
"Don't think that I like you either," Milk growled. "You are partly the reason River wants me dead. That scum, after all I did for him," Milk spat. The cat looked at her, and a glimmer of a smirk flickered across her face.
The cats looked at each other, and saw the dark hunger for revenge flicker in the other's eyes.