Warrior's isn't mine.
Chapter 27
Fox raised his ears, watching the trainees fight. Stone and Wave crouched in front of the younger ones, taunting, goading them to attack the larger cats. They were only a moon old, Stone and Wave towered over them, holding back on their attacks against the weaker cats.
"Attack them; are you going to hesitate when it's CreekClan?" Storm snapped, pacing on the edges of the skirmish, and Ripple lunged forward. That was enough for Owl and Dusk; they sprang forward after their brother.
CreekClan. The mere word kept The Pride on edge. Patch was paranoid, convinced they had taken her daughter, and who knew what they were doing to Ice. Fox wasn't sure, as there was no evidence to suggest that. Ice's scent had been what led them to the border, but it was possible she only walked through the territory, hoping that the border would deter anyone that followed. Now Robin's unease about having to fight Lion… That was justified, it was a confirmed fact that the golden tom had joined. Fox knew Buzzard didn't like it; for one thing he'd wanted the loner in The Pride, because it kept Robin from wandering. For another it meant CreekClan had somehow recruited a tough tom that had been unwilling to join The Pride before. Did Lion have some grudge against The Pride he'd never revealed? And how did they ever manage to recruit Fire?
"Fox!" the ginger tom jumped, Storm was glaring at him. His best friend had been moody and sullen since the birth of his kits, focused on nothing but them and training them, hard.
"What?"
Storm growled, "I've been asking you for awhile now, I want you to watch while I fight them."
Fox nodded, Stone and Wave moving back to where Jay sat. The blue-gray tom trained both his sister and the gray tom who'd been born outside The Pride.
Storm's claws unsheathed, Ripple's did as well, Dusk flattened her ears, but Owl stepped forward, teeth bared. Fox stared at them, the still soft fur that surrounded their faces, their now darkened eyes, except for Owl who'd kept his blue eyes, while the other two had their mother's yellow-green eyes. Fox watched them swarm their father, struggling against him every time he knocked them back, Ripple had a faint red line over his chest, spilling down his black fur to his tabby marked legs. Fox flinched, Ciara wouldn't be happy about that, not at all. She was mad enough about Storm's training, and comments he'd been making, Fox idly wondered if this might set the spirited she-cat off completely. She kept telling Storm to be more careful with the kits; couldn't Storm see she was ready to leave him and The Pride? Fox was not going to be standing near that argument.
He sank his claws into the ground, trying to focus on Owl's attempt to attack Storm, flinching slightly when the trainee slid off his father's head, hitting the hard ground with a dull thud. Owl got up; shaking himself off, Fox flattened his ears.
Buzzard couldn't be expected to do anything if it came to blows between Ciara and Storm; he was too busy with his own kits and Dawn. Occasionally Fox caught a glimpse of the leader, and the scheming look in his eyes made his pelt crawl. Something was coming, Buzzard was up to something, Fox could only guess and shudder at what.
"Fox, are you even looking anymore?"
Fox let his eyes drift over to Storm and replied calmly, "they did fine considering their lack of training. Their enthusiasm will help them when they develop skills. Storm you've trained them not even a half-moon are you expecting the next Vulture in your litter or something?"
Storm raised his head at the mention of Buzzard's father, his blue eyes surprised, before they narrowed and he growled. "They were sloppy."
"That isn't their fault; they will get the hang of attacks." Fox retorted, flicking his tail slowly. "Honestly Storm, even you weren't ready to charge into battle after this little training."
He looked over the kits, Owl was shaking his head, as if trying to clear it, Ripple was covered in thin scrapes, and Dusk was favoring her back left leg.
"Well a battle will be coming so they'll have to be ready." Storm curled his lip, turning back to the kits. "Again, this time actually try?"
Fox looked away, his gaze falling on Jay. The blue-gray tom shifted his weight awkwardly, and turned to speak to Wave. Fox sheathed and unsheathed his claws feeling the weight of disgust in his chest. He could understand for a heartbeat why Rook ran off, and why Feather followed. Because he'd never considered deserting before but the path Buzzard was leading The Pride down was beginning to scare him.
