"Pfffft! Me? On clan territory?" I snorted, lacing my tone with amusement, "I'm sure you have this the wrong way around, hun, 'cuz you've ventured onto The Saviours' territory."
"Don't get me wrong, rouge, but you seem to have forgotten the boundaries." He replied, and my over-confident smile falters, This is the right border... right? . "And anyway, answer my question: Who. The. Heck. Are. You?"
"Why should I answer a question from a clanner when he refuses to prove his points?" I quipped, wincing as a thick, crimson red liquid dribbled down my side.
"Because, I have back up." He answered, and I lazily flick my gaze to our surrounding: a thick, pine forest with pale white dustings of snow dancing in the air. It's empty, no sign of life other than the arrogant tom sat before me.
"Is that right?"Sarcasm drips from my tone, and I stand, walking in a small circle around him, "I'd love to meet these clan cats." My tail brushes against his side, and I resist the urge to vomit. Ick, a clanner touched me. I turn around to face him, staying stood as I do so.
"Yup." He said, ending the conversation. I pressed further, though.
"So, if I harm a hair on your pelt they'll come springing to action?" I forced the mock-innocence into my voice. This is a dangerous game, that much I can tell, but it'll prove to end well. Maybe. My indecisive brain thought, and I struggled to ignore it.
"Erm. Yes." His voice was too quick, and a flash of something marked his eyes momentarily. Fear? Anger? Annoyance? Worry? I couldn't tell, and it was gone before I could study it further.
"So, say I.." I trailed off, pretending I was thinking, "Slipped, and marked your side with my claws.. would I face any consequences?"
What the hell are you doing, Wolf, you're going to find yourself battling with a stronger cat. I yelled at myself, furious that I was continuing with this game.
"Yeah." He said, slowly, and I blinked with fake surprise.
"Oh no, I guess I'll just.. I don't know," I paused for dramatics, raking my claws down a nearby tree trunk, "have to ask you to leave our territory instead?" This caused him to blink, and I smile to myself. He wasn't expecting that! Heck yeah!
"I-" He started, but a gasp of surprise erupted from the trees behind us.
"Hazelpaw? What are you doing?" This voice was new, higher than most toms but lower than a she-cats. I span around, to see a slim, smoky-grey tom staring at us from the other side of the small clearing.
"Er- Fadingpaw, this is what it looks like-" He protested.
"I know, I watched it all from above." The new tom- Fadingpaw - gestured to the treetops, letting himself relax and my eyes widened, most likely giving them a small sense of satisfaction.
"Oh." Me and Hazelpaw remarked at the same time, although he gave me a sidewards glance that said 'I told you I had back-up.'
"Darn tom-cats." I muttered, and quickly size up my opponents. Fadingpaw is small, smaller than me, but Hazelpaw is larger. I also hadn't been taught much, so I couldn't take them on.
"Why're you all on Saviour Territory?" I asked, sincerely hoping that the smaller tom knew where the border was.
"Looking for this forgetful mouse-brain." Fadingpaw answered clearly, and I erupted into a fit of laughter as he finished, "He made his way onto your territory."
"Told- you." I gasped through the laughter, and although my amusement was directed to Hazelpaw, it was loud enough that Fadingpaw could hear it clearly. Right. Now they're looking at me funny. Oops.
"Now, can I please escort you out of my territory." I managed when I regained control of myself.
"Sure." Both toms answered simultaneously, almost setting me off again.
"'Ight." I snorted, and flick my tail in a vague direction of the border. I started off towards it, ignoring the pine-needles that lodged themselves between my claws. After a few moments of silence, I stopped, scenting the air and sinking my claws into the ground.
"Go, that's the border. Cross it." I struggled to form full sentences, so I just said random words and ignored their brief apologies. As they stepped away, I couldn't stop myself from yelling.
"Don't cross again, mouse-brains!" I chuckled, before disappearing from view, towards our hidden camp. I ignored the frozen river, which rarely melted, and quickly rushed past it. The river stared to narrow, until it was the size of a stream. Here, a turned left and quickly found the large, arched entrance of our camp. As I stepped into camp, I quickly swept away the mud and pine needles on the leader's rock, and the smaller one next to it. I smiled politely as I sat down, and watched as Earthquake took place in the higher rock, who nodded politely back to me.
"How was your time out of camp?" Earthquake started, and I pricked my ears.
"Alright, I guess. I found an IceClan apprentice in our territory, I drove him out and that was that." I replied, It's the truth. Kind of. Maybe. I shrugged my thoughts away.
"That's why we're going to war." He replied, as if to back up his reasons. I blinked, did he think I was disloyal? And didn't want to go to war?
"Of course." I struggled to force the soft hiss from my voice, although it slipped in at the end of 'course'. "They're getting braver, some of them." I added, changing the subject in a rough manner. Shaking out my pelt, I watched as a small flurry of white fell to the ground.
"Indeed." He frowned at me, and I held his gaze until the power in his stare made me wince, and I averted my gaze. Earthquake's eyes continued to look over me, hovering for a long moment on my new scar.
"The invaders?" It was a rhetorical question, but I answered anyway.
"Yup. One of them put up a fight at first." I said, smoothing things out for him.
"Make sure you clean it with the snow later, don't let it get infected." He warned stiffly, and I nodded, though my mind was absent.
Glad that I knew the whereaboutsof the border, from listening to older cats. Otherwise, I could of been the Hazelpaw of the situation. I thought, yet again thanking the ancestors for their mercy.
"Yeah, yeah." I muttered a reply.
Sensing my frustration, or just deciding it was the end of the conversation, Earthquake leapt off the rock, with my eyes following his movements. "You're dismissed, feel free to do whatever you need."
"Alright." I murmur, although mentally absent.
Time to go check up on the kits.
Reviews and their reply's with your host..Fizz!
Delecttric - Thank you so much for your continued support on this story! It's greatly appreciated, and I thank you for your advise! I've tried hard to incorporate your advise into this chapter! I hope it's better!
Puppydogs68 - I'm not gonna spoil the surprise! As for the names, I'm picking set two, as Dawn voted for that set, with Mist instead of storm! Thank you for your continued support, as a fellow author and a reader/reviewer!
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