EDGECLAW'S GROUP
The first bright yellow rays of sun rose high through the trees, shimmering as it cast its light on the forest floor.
The traveling cats had already eaten their morning breakfast; a mouse and a squirrel that Kickleg had luckily caught when he had gone hunting with Berrybranch. They had gotten an early start and were keeping at a steady pace.
"Not long and we should be out of these woods," Berrybranch commented, looking forward in the direction that the sun had risen.
They could see that it wouldn't be long now before they would be once again in another valley.
Saige took a deep breath then let it out slowly, "My, but it sure is beautiful here, and the smell of the trees, it reminds me of days when I was a kit!"
I can't imagine not living near trees! Edgeclaw thought to himself as he glanced sideways at Saige as she made her statement, it must've been hard for Saige to leave everything she knew and loved behind. She must've been really in love with that rogue. Either that or she had bees in her brain!
Owlclaw flicked his tail as he asked, "Where did you grow up Splinter?"
Splinter looked surprised for a moment at Owlclaw's question and paused as if pondering whether or not to answer. Just when Owlclaw thought she was going to ignore him, she meowed, "I grew up in a city actually, but I never liked it, too many two-legs for my liking, too many Thunderpaths. Out on the moor, where you can smell the fresh air and feel it rush against your fur, that's where I feel at home."
"Do you have a family of your own?" Kickleg asked, his paws making crunching noises as they stepped on the leaves.
Edgeclaw looked quickly towards Splinter, seeing the blank expression on her face as it slowly hardened into a scowl. He realized Kickleg had accidently struck a nerve, and from the looks of Splinter's stern face, a painful one.
"It's none of your bees-wax about my family!" She snapped, "Can't a cat walk through the woods without being questioned to death!"
Kickleg stopped and looked at Edgeclaw then back at Splinter. "Well… uh, I'm sorry." Kickleg mumbled, "I didn't know."
Splinter barley acknowledged his apology and gave a loud "Humph!" in reply.
They carried on in an awkward silence for most of the way as they left the forest and continued on through the valley till they came to a long fence, made up of long metal wires linked together, forming small squares, with an almost invisible white string going straight around the inside that vibrated silently.
"This is it. We have to cross through the fence here and head through the meadow. I think the squares are big enough for all of us all to squeeze through." Saige meowed as she pushed herself through one of the small squares of wire and plopped over neatly on the other side. "Just take a deep breath before you go in so you're as small as possible. Try not to touch the white string either. We don't want some cat getting stuck in it! Keep your head low."
Owlclaw crawled through next and Splinter followed after him, neither of them had trouble crossing through the strange looking fence.
"I guess I'll go next?" Kickleg drew a deep breath as he stepped into one of the squares, then stopped mid plunge as his stomach prevented him from passing.
Saige took a pace forward toward him "Uh oh! Are you stuck?"
Kickleg released his breath then took another massive gulp of air as he made himself as tiny as possible, "I think I can make it. Just give me a second."
He used his back legs to give a mighty thrust as he plowed through the square of cold wires and rolled onto the other side. "Whew! Well that wasn't too bad!"
Edgeclaw and Berrybranch were the last ones left on the opposite side.
Berrybranch looked at Edgeclaw to see if he wanted to go first.
"You go on ahead, I'll come last." Edgeclaw meowed.
Thankfully Berrybranch was a slender she-cat and made it through without any problem.
Edgeclaw looked doubtfully at the square, he was the biggest cat of all in the group, and if Kickleg had barely made it through… Could a cat as broad-shouldered as Edgeclaw make it?
The cats on the other side all stared at him as he hesitated.
Edgeclaw knew how much he hated enclosed spaces and not being able to move. It just made him feel so powerless.
"Well, come on!" Splinter called, "We want to make it to Saige's home by nightfall don't we? We don't have time to sit all day and enjoy the weather!"
Edgeclaw drew in as much air as possible as he started to push through one of the square holes in the fence. He tried turned his shoulders sideways as he made it through the first part.
I think I'm going to make it!
He inwardly started to panic as he tried to take a step forward but couldn't. His hips weren't going to make it through!
"Can you make it?" Berrybranch asked.
"Try taking a deeper breath," Kickleg offered.
Edgeclaw tried pulling forward more, "That won't help. I can't suck in my hips!"
Owlclaw and Kickleg came over. "Here we'll help you."
Careful to keep their heads low, free from the thin white string above them, they both crept on both sides of Edgeclaw's shoulders as they tried to assist him by pushing him slowly as he scrambled with his legs.
Feeling his clanmate's bodies pressed against his as they assisted him, he suddenly felt claustrophobia come over him as he scrambled with all his might to push himself through, he felt the wire as it scraped along his hips as he gave a mighty shove and lifted his head abruptly, popping through the wire and touching the white string right above him.
He felt an electric shock go through him as the string came in contact with his body and he leapt backward with surprise and pain, rolling over roughly onto the grassy side.
"Are you alright?" Berrybranch was leaning over him now with a worried expression on her face.
Edgeclaw blinked clearing his vision, and touched a paw to his head. "What happened?"
He felt as if a lightning bolt had struck him. His fur was all puffed out making him look twice the size as he shook his head slowly to clear his head.
Berrybranch stepped back as Edgeclaw tried to get to his paws, but quickly rushed back as the warrior almost fell down again, she grunted as she supported him with her shoulder. "Oof! You are a big cat!"
Saige meowed from beside him. "When you touched that string, I heard a loud zap as you fell over!"
"They call it an electric wire," Splinter meowed, "At least, that's what a farm cat told me many season back. Two-legs use it to keep their farm animals from getting out"
Berrybranch meowed indignantly, "Well why didn't you say something! Edgeclaw could've been hurt!"
"Nah," Splinter responded, "It doesn't do any serious harm, just shakes you up a bit. Besides, Saige already said not to touch the wire. If I said something about it some cat would've probably panicked and touched it anyways. At least if you weren't scared of it, there was less of a chance."
Berrybranch just flicked her tail in annoyance.
Edgeclaw wondered why she was so upset, and looked so frightened, after all, he wasn't hurt and Splinter had a point. It could've caused some of the others to panic.
As they padded across the field, Owlclaw ran up towards the front. "Look! Splinter, what are those things?"
There were five white furred creatures in the field grazing on grass, they had short hair covering their bodies and a pair of horns that curved back on their heads.
Splinter smiled at the young warrior. "Those, my friend, are goats."
Owlclaw's eyes opened wide. "They're so big!"
"Are they dangerous?" Kickleg asked, a little warily.
"Not if you just mind your business and don't get too close. They're not as big as cows but in my experience, not quite as friendly." Splinter meowed.
Owlclaw surveyed the field, "Wow, how do you know so much about them?"
Splinter lifted her head high, obviously pleased with Owlclaw's question "Ah, when you've been as many places as I have you learn things. But, now let me tell you a real interesting story about the time I took on one of those goat beasts, it had young ones you see, so it was twice as ferocious. But no goat is quite too ferocious fer' old Splinter…"
The others listened to another one of Splinter's heroic story as they trotted on faithfully toward their destination.
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Author notes/ Thanks everyone for viewing and reviewing !:) Hope u liked this chapter