Chapter 6: Loners

The loud bellowing cry of a monster jolted Hawk awake. Bleary eyed with sleep, she glanced around, tying to remember where she was. Unfamiliar shiny Twoleg rubbish bins were around her and the scent of crow-food was around her. She slowly rose to her paws, muscles aching and stomach clenched and sour-feeling. She was parched and her paws ached from her mad dash the night before.

Shaking her dark brown tabby pelt, she removed grit from her long fur before taking a sore paw step forward. She could see the specks of blood from when her paws bled from the sharp stones and rough thunderpath. She would check them, but alarm slowly trickled back into her. The yowling, the snarling of foxes; everything was crashing back into the front of her mind.

Dusk could still be in danger, or worse. While Shadow could have gotten into trouble with the foxes. Hawk glanced around, seeing unfamiliar Twoleg paws and legs as she tried to figure out which way she had came. Wild with fear, she had left the large flat thunderpath far behind her. In the night she didn't have to deal with this many Twolegs, their strange scents confusing her as she circled aimlessly in place.

Finally, she spotted the shadows on the flat grayish-white stones. She knew exactly which way to go. The slanted shadows revealed the way of the rising sun, a sign that she knew would lead her back. Blinking, she turned and began to navigate the shadowy spaces between the dens. Pale green eyes focused as she trotted to a nearby garden and jumped onto the wooden fence.

Balanced precariously, she peered ahead, knowing she had a long way to go. Fear and panic made her lose her mind, but she was not going to lose hope now. Training her focus to the next Twoleg den, she walked along the fence, keeping an eye out for easy kittypet food that was left out. Live prey was tastier, but she couldn't afford to be picky, especially if it came with water.

Soon enough, after three different Twoleg dens, she found a place with water and some of the hard pellets. Hawk leaped down and approached cautiously, scenting the air, she figured the kittypet had gone on their usual stroll around the gardens. Flicking her tail, she started to eat, crunching on the tasteless pellets. They smelled enticing, yet they were disappointing in taste. She wasn't sure what kind of flavor it was supposed to be, all she knew was it wasn't as good as she recalled.

After eating a few mouthfuls, she moved onto the basin of water and lapped up her fill. Strength was flowing back into her aching body and her resolution for her choice of life rekindled. She would never go back to the easy life of a kittypet. Swiftly, she returned to her journey for the last several dens to get back on track. The sooner she found Shadow, the sooner she would know if Dusk was alright.

The sun was half way to it's peak when she reached the thunderpath again. It's vast surface strange and unwelcoming. She glanced around, noticing the nearby Twoleg kit Play-Place. Some of the kits were playing over there in strange brightly colored tubes and boxes. She had to be swift, she knew how Twoleg kits were. Some excitedly squeal when they see a cat, others throw things at them. Experience had taught her that much. Flicking her ears, she padded and hoped for the best.

If she was slow they might not notice her. A squeal sounded and she glanced over, pausing. She had thought she was spotted, but the kits were just playing noisily. Snorting, she padded on, picking up her speed. She skirted a sleeping monster and made a wide berth around a pair of Twolegs on the flat wooden-thing from the night before. They were meowing to one another, but she paid them no heed.

She approached the bush of the make-shift den. The scent of fox was rather new, but stale. Her jaws were parted and the faint tang of blood alarmed her. She couldn't tell if it was fox or cat blood. Tentatively, she slipped into the bush, finding the soil gouged out where Dusk may have struggled. She tasted the air again, picking up the scents of Dusk and Shadow.

She lashed her tail, furious. She couldn't tell if it was old or new since they had been here. She slid back out, carefully tasting the air. Twoleg scent was covering the area, but she focused hard, picking up an unknown scent of a she-cat. She blinked, confused. Had some other cat come by after the foxes were gone? Did they help Shadow and Dusk? She shook her head, unsure what any of it meant.

Shadow, Dusk... where are you? she thought bleakly, before noticing something familiar and unfamiliar. Her attention was focused on them instantly. It looked like a cat, but it was sitting in the distance and she couldn't make out it's face or pelt clearly. She began to head towards it and it slowly stood up. Tail in the air, faded like an imprint or shadow of some kind.

Who are you? she thought, padding to get closer. The strange cat waited before padding away, looking into the rolling hills that had been carved and dotted with trees and bushes. Where are you going? Don't leave! she internally wailed, running to catch up.

The strange cat flicked it's tail, beckoning her before it bounded off, somehow faster than herself. Hawk pelted after it, knowing if she was seeing it, it had to be a helpful thing. Ever since she was a kit she saw faded cats. Cats who didn't speak, but watched silently. Their paws making no sound and yet their pelt could brush against her own.

Realization shot through her. The faded cat was leading her somewhere. It was swift and slipped through the heather, brushing through it like the wind. She followed, bursting out the other side and nearly running into a solid cat. She stumbled, skidding to a halt on burning pads. Her fur fluffed up as the cat she nearly ran into, a golden brown she-cat, looked startled.

"Wh-what the-! Hey, you don't belong here!" the startled cat meowed, quickly shooting a glare at her.

"Sorry." meowed Hawk, panting looking around a bit only to feel a jolt of sadness. The faded cat is gone. . .

The she-cat huffed irritably, "Get out of here, or else."

Hawk blinked, confused, "Or else what?"

Heather trembled as a ginger and white tabby joined in with a dark ginger tabby tom. Quickly, she was understanding what the or else was. She backed a step, uncertain on how far she would have to run to get out of this one. But you can't run forever. A little voice inside her seemed to say. They might know where Dusk and Shadow are if you ask.

"Gorsethorn, what is going on here?" the tom growled, his eyes glittering with hostility.

"Some kittypet lost from her Twolegs?" the ginger and white tabby she-cat suggested.

"She smells like thunderpath. She might be one of those rogues!" Gorsethorn, the golden brown she-cat, gasped.

"Then we should teach her a lesson." snarled the tom as he unsheathed his claws.

Hawk felt her hackles rise, fear flashed through her, the faded cat had lead her to trouble. She couldn't help but feel betrayed by it, usually good things happened, that was how she found her siblings before, but now it was bad for some reason. She unsheathed her claws, ready to fight if she had to.

"Applemist, check the area for others." Gorsethorn ordered, "We need to be careful after what Nightstar had said."

The ginger and white tabby took off to sift through the undergrowth while the tom circled around Hawk. She held her ground, as he took in her scent, amber eyes blazing. "We should end it right here and now."

"Hold it off, Foxgaze. This she-cat might prove to be useful if she is alone."

"It can send a message to not mess with BushClan!" He snarled.

"There is no other cat scent." Applemist reported, padding up to them. "She's alone."

"Then we'll take her back to camp."

Foxgaze stared at the golden brown she-cat. "Are you mad? What if she goes back to those rogues and tells them where we are located?"

"We need to let Nightstar decide this." Gorsethorn replied, "You may be the oldest here, but you aren't the clan leader."

Foxgaze grumbled, but glowered at Hawk. "Move it, she-cat. You are a prisoner of war now."

"War?" Hawk squeaked out, startled. "I'm just trying to find my brother and sister!"

"Likely story." he hissed, "Now get moving." the tom shoved her forward, forcing her to follow the lithe she-cat before her.

Suddenly, she felt her future was back to square one: Uncertain and alone in a place she did not feel welcome in. Pale green eyes flicked around, but none of the cats really looked at her. Helpless, she padded with them, afraid of what might have happened to her littermates now that they were separated and lost from one another. With a small sigh, she plodded on, hoping that somehow things would be alright once again.

Author Note:

Thought I forgot that Hawk was to be the cat who had a gift?

I didn't. It was just hard to think of how to in-cooperate it into the story.

It's in effect now though. Although, just who is the faded cat she sees? - NightSky