Chapter 28: Tall Pine

"I apologize for my lateness," Creek said evenly, his tone soothing. His eyes betrayed no sign of nervousness as he met Sleet's intense blue glare, but at the same time, his used his tail to guide Tall Pine behind him. "We've come a long way to speak with you."

"Well, so have we," Sleet grunted. "So you better get on with it."

Tall Pine, who peered over his father's shoulder, shifted his paws uneasily as Sleet's eyes briefly flickered over him before returning to Creek's face.

Creek nodded in assent. "A moon ago, a patrol of Clan cats left their home in the mountains seeking the Bands. They crossed your territory on their way. I found them there, and I guided them to the Bands' territories, and then I stayed to help them with their mission. But the Bands discovered that I was helping them, and they forced me to betray the Clan cats—"

"What a surprise," Sleet interrupted, her face twisted into a nasty sneer. "You turned traitor on them as well."

"If you want me to speak, then let me," Creek snapped. His tail swished back and forth testily.

Sleet bared her teeth at him but said nothing.

"Thank you." Creek's tone was curt. His tail stilled. "The Bands captured several members of their patrol. They're interrogating and torturing them for information. I can lead the Clan cats to the camp where their imprisoned Clanmates are, but we have no hope to rescuing them by ourselves. That is why we've come to ask for your help."

Sleet narrowed her ice-blue eyes. "You are asking for our help to fight the Bands?"

"Yes, I am."

"Why should we help you?" Sleet curled her lip. "You betrayed me, and the Clan cats have done nothing for us, yet you're asking us to join your fight against the Bands! They're vicious tyrants and cold-blooded killers. They'll slaughter us without mercy."

"I'm asking because innocent cats are being tortured," Creek appealed. "And because we share something in common: the Bands have wrongfully hurt us. If you join us, we will all show the Bands that they cannot hurt us any longer."

Sleet rose with a flick of her thin tail. "No. I am not going to meddle in something that doesn't concern us or put my cats at risk for others we have no loyalty to, all for a futile fight against the Bands. We will not help you."

Creek bounded after the slate-gray she-cat as she stalked back to her group. He halted, his muscles tense, as she swung around, her piercing blue gaze fixed on him.

"Please." Creek's voice was soft. His yellow eyes pleaded with her. "I ask not for me, but for the cats who are suffering under the Bands' claws." He gestured to Tall Pine. "For his sister and my daughter who they are holding prisoner."

Sleet's mew was short and curt like a branch snapping in a storm. "No."

Creek stepped closer to the street cat. He bent his head as his voice became dangerously low so that Tall Pine had to lean forward to catch his words. "Did you decide so quickly because you're concerned for the lives of your cats? Or is it because you're still scared of the Bands after what that patrol did to you and your brother?"

Sleet stared at Creek for a moment, her eyes wide with disbelief. Then with a ferocious snarl, she slammed her thorn-sharp claws into Creek's cheek.

What in the stars? Tall Pine gasped. He wanted to run to Creek's side, but fear froze his paws to the ground like boulders.

Creek staggered but remained on his feet. He slowly raised his head, blood dripping from three small scratches on his cheek, staining his white fur crimson. Tall Pine sucked in a breath as he thought Creek might strike back, but the lithe tom didn't move.

Sleet's dark gray face was a mask of pure outrage, hiding the pools of hurt in her eyes. "How dare you! You mangy traitor. I found you wandering through the town, weak and vulnerable, and I permitted you to join my cats. I listened to your story, and I confided mine in you. All you have done is betray me."

Creek's yellow gaze was hard as stone. "You gave me no choice. You would have killed an innocent cat if I had not stepped in. We may have been close at one point, but it was only because I was vulnerable after I left the Clans. I will never agree with your ways. You are hardly better than the Bands'."

Sleet flinched, but her expression hardened, her eyes unreadable. "If I am no better than them, then why are you asking for my help?"

Creek took a deep breath. His rigid posture softened. "I came because I believe that you can be better than them. I saw that cat for a little while during my stay with you. I'm sorry for betraying your confidence, but I thought it was the only way to make you listen. I believe that you can do what is right. You can face your fear and stand up to the Bands by helping us rescue our cats."

A moon seemed to pass in the silence that stretched on after Creek finished speaking. At last, Sleet sighed. "All right. We will help you."

. . .

A great veil of blackness shrouded the land. The sun's light had faded from the sky like dying embers, bringing the sweet relief of a cool night breeze. A mournful owl cry echoed through the shadowy trees as Tall Pine and Creek trekked the final length of their journey back to the Clans' camp. Behind them followed a great river of cats, a combination of Sleet's street cats and Creek's loner friends.

The burrow behind the brambles was dark and quiet as it came into Tall Pine's view. Yellow Sky's smokey gray pelt was nearly invisible in the darkness, and Vole Leap's tabby stripes were like shadows cast from the trees, so the young tom didn't see them sitting guard until they straightened, tasting the air.

"Tall Pine? Creek?" Yellow Sky bounded forward to greet the toms. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously at Creek. "Where have you been? Blossom Dust said you went for a walk, but you didn't return."

Vole Leap scanned the crowd of newcomers. The fur on her neck bristled. "Who are these cats and what are they doing here?"

"Tall Pine and I went to speak with friends and acquaintances of mine," Creek explained. "These are loners from the forest and farmland and street cats from the twolegplace." He lifted his chin proudly as he gestured to the cats with a sweep of his tail. "They have come to help us."

"What?" Owl Eye stood outside the burrow. He scowled, his tail tip twitching. The other members of the patrol peered out from the den, aroused by the arrival of the hoard of strange cats.

Tangle's amber eyes flashed. "It's true."

"We are loners and friends of Creek," Speckle added. "We've come to help his friends and family because the Bands hurt us too."

Sleet shoulder her way to the front of the knot of her cats, though her ears twitched hesitantly. "I am the leader of the street cats. We've also come to help you rescue your Clanmates."

The crowd of Clan cats exchanged glances as an awkward silence stretched on. Tall Pine shifted his weight as he waited tensely, watching his patrol-mates' faces. What will they say? I hope they'll let them help us.

Sun Splash pushed her way through the Clan cats, hardly able to contain her grin. She dipped her head graciously to the newcomers. "You are unexpected, but your help is most welcome. We will be forever grateful. Thank you all."

Tall Pine let out a sigh of relief. Our ancestors were right! Help indeed did come from the most unexpected place. But now we have good odds of rescuing our Clanmates. A determined expression settled onto his face. We're coming Spotted Owl.

"Tall Pine!" Blossom Dust's ecstatic cry rang through the crowd. The small she-cat dodged around the street cats with a nervous look, but it vanished as she bounced up to Tall Pine, her eyes glimmering brighter than suns. "You brought cats to help us!"

Tall Pine purred as he butted Blossom Dust's shoulder with his head. "Yes—well, it was really all Creek. But that means that we stand a chance to succeed in our mission. We're going to rescue Spotted Owl."

Blossom Dust's yellow eyes grew solemn, brimming with resolve. "We have the numbers to take on the Bands now and our determination. The Clan of the Bright Stars is with us. We will bring Spotted Owl and the others home."

Tall Pine looked up as a pair familiar scents hit his nose from among the plethora of new scents. His jaw slackened as he saw two familiar shapes—one storm-gray and the other a splashed tortoiseshell—weaving their way through the tide of cats. "Slate? Harvest?"

Blossom Dust followed his gaze. "They showed up not long after you left."

Slate nodded as he and his mate approached. He offered them a crooked smile. "That's right. Nice you see you again, Tall Pine."

Tall Pine returned his greeting. He cocked his head. "But how did you know to come?"

"We've known Creek for several moons," Slate responded. He flicked his ear at where the lithe tom was talking with Yellow Sky, Sun Splash, and Owl Eye. "He's just one of the many cats who stayed with us at one time or another."

"One of our friends passed along the message that Creek sent out," Harvest added. "When we heard that you Clan cats were in trouble and that Creek was rallying all of the loners in this area, we came to help."

Concerned, Tall Pine frowned. "But you warned us not to come here because you know how dangerous the Bands are. Why would you risk your lives? And what about your kits?"

"Our friend is watching over Swallow and Chestnut," Slate assured him. The usually jovial tom was still with solemnity. "We know the risks, but we want to help."

Tall Pine dipped his head, a smile creeping across his face. "Thank you very much. We can use all the help we can get."

"Slate?" A shocked mew sounded from behind them. Tall Pine peered over Slate and Harvest's shoulders as they turned. Slate stood a few paw-steps behind them, the faintest hint of surprise evident in her widened blue eyes.

"Sleet," Slate greeted her. He took a step forward but paused, hesitating. His ears pulled back. "It's been a while."

"Yes." Sleet's eyes flickered to Harvest.

Slate touched his tail to the tortoiseshell she-cat's shoulder. "This is my mate, Harvest. We're still living at the barn, but with our two kits, Swallow and Chestnut. I've heard stories from passing rogues about your street cats in the twolegplace."

Sleet smiled tightly, her eyes glinting with poorly concealed regret. "Congratulations. I'm not surprised. You always had everything figured out."

"Some of us need more time to find where we belong," Slate acknowledged. "We're all very different, even brothers and sisters."

Brothers and sisters? Tall Pine thought, wrinkling his brow in confusion. Are Slate and Sleet siblings? Though as he thought about it, it was easy to see the similarity in the dark gray pelts that were practically the same shade.

Tall Pine and Blossom Dust slipped away to give the reunited siblings some privacy. They wove around clusters of cats speckled here and there in front of the Clan cats' burrow. Their patrol-mates congregated near the burrow's entrance, but the street cats clumped together not far away. The loners spread out in groups of two or three.

Yellow Sky rose from her huddle with Creek and Sun Splash. "Everyone! Let's gather to discuss our plan."

Like a great tide, the cats stood and gathered near the burrow in an enormous ring. Tall Pine and Blossom Dust found their way over to their Clanmates and sat down. Slate murmured to Sleet, then slipped over to join Harvest near Creek who sat between the Clan cats and the loners, while Sleet joined her street cats.

Once everyone was settled, Yellow Sky raised her tail for silence. "Before we begin, all of us Clan cats would like to express our profound gratitude to all of the new cats for risking your lives to help us fight the Bands and rescue our Clanmates. We can never repay you." The senior fighter's severely calm gaze traveled around the circle. "The patrol leaders, Creek, and I have had a discussion, and we made a new plan now that we have many more cats. We will share it with you all now. After that, we will hunt and rest. Tomorrow night, we will attack. Now, let's begin."

Tall Pine's paws trembled with anticipation as the patrol leaders launched into their explanation of the plan. He glanced up, through the tangled branches of the canopy to the star-dusted sky, and sent a prayer to his ancestors in the heavens. We're coming Spotted Owl. Hang on for one more day.


Yay! This chapter is finally done! It took so long because I been really busy, but also I wasn't that motivated to write this chapter, and I found it hard to produce writing I liked. I'm still kind of iffy with this chapter, but everything can't be perfect and I want to move on. We did get Sleet and Creek's conversation, and the Clan cats are ready to attack! You'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out what happens…

Q(s)OTD: What do you think of Creek and Sleet, and Sleet and Slate? (Confusing names huh? It wasn't intentional.)

How do you think the attack will go?

- A Warrior At Heart