Chapter 13: FearClan

Within the changing moon, their group remained the same yet different. Lion blinked as she looked over the cats around her, taking in Cedar's appearance. She was looking plumper than a moon ago. The black tabby tom had officially become her mate and now she was expecting. With their fishing lessons having gone well enough to add underwater prey to their prey-pile, especially catching the long-beaked creatures with slightly long necks and oily feathers. Luckily, their feathers were also soft and warm, perfect for when leafbare arrived again.

They have become much more organized thanks to Shadow wanting to help bring greatness for themselves. Heather had also become even stricter. Leaving the rogues of the joke-clan, known as FearClan, in fear. Some say she may have had feelings for Cedar, others claim that Shadow was just being used as Heather is not a tom. Regardless of what it was, Lion understood one thing.

Heather wanted Cedar's unborn kits to be well protected. Especially with the impending war coming within a moon or less. Arguments had been made for Cedar to stay back until the kits were born and eating prey. So far the she-cats couldn't agree on that matter, but Shadow smoothed over their pelts by promising that no matter what happens their group will look after the kits.

Everyone knew they were coming, but no cat knew when and if they would be as cruel as their mother. Lion prayed to any spirit that would listen to her non-believing heart that it would never happen. Moth and Dusk had become her only close companions, the others focused on barricaded their clearing to be well defended for the kits.

In the mean time, Lion had to sit and watch over the prey-pile while the others hunted. Anything caught in water was given to the higher ranking cats to feed upon first. Heather had placed her on that duty to test her loyalty. After all, Lion had been openly mocking them since the day her mother foolishly joined them many moons ago. Back when Nightstar first rose into power.

"How is the prey-pile looking?" Heather growled, stalking up to her.

Lion blinked in greeting. "Delicious for cats like yourself to enjoy."

"Tempting, isn't it?" she teased.

Looking away, she rested her amber eyes upon the cats whose fur was slicked with water. "River-prey is here." she mewed in a mono-tone.

With a soft hiss, the creamy brown she-cat padded to take the prey from them. It was little things like this interaction that made her day. It was better to see Heather cross because of duties getting in the way of her usual bullying. Not that Lion thought of herself as a victim of it. She rallied against it, always having a snake for a tongue when it came to challenging Cedar and Heather.

However, that all changed, the pure enjoyment slowly trickled out of her. Heather placed the prey beside Shadow and paused for a moment. She could see her jaws moving, she was tattling again. Gloomy once again, she checked on the prey and her surroundings, avoiding eye contact as the black tabby tom approached her.

"Can't you see I'm busy enough at it is!" Shadow snapped, not even bothering with greeting her.

Lion flicked her tail dismissively, "Sitting around and waiting on Cedar to be hungry to give her prey is a hard job."

"Lion, she is expecting my kits and-"

"So what?" Lion interrupted, focusing on her duty. "Not my problem you got that creature pregnant."

Silence met her as she finally looked at him, he seemed startled by her sharp tongue. His eyes wide as he finally whispered. "Are you not happy for me?"

"Why should I be? We were never friends to begin with."

"I thought..." he trailed off, looking perplexed.

Lion shrugged, looking back ahead. "If you haven't noticed, Heather only sends you to scold me for wasting your time and hers. So if you are done with your kittypet feelings, take them back to the river-pile."

"How can you be so cold?" His mew was harsh, almost accusing. "It's like Cedar and Heather have betrayed you when your the one causing trouble!"

"Leave me alone."

"What?"

The reddish-brown she-cat whipped her head up, agitation surging through her. "Go away and leave me alone!" she snapped, "You know nothing! you will never be one of us!"

"Lion!" The sharp yowl of Cedar cut through her like sharp claws. She snapped her head, only to earn an unsheathed paw to slam into her ear, tearing into it. She took the hit, claws digging into the earth as Cedar's fishy breathe snarled in the throbbing ear. "How dare you speak that way to my mate!"

She was silent, tail wrapped around her as the pregnant she-cat glared at her, hormones raging through her. Shadow spoke softly, his mew hardly a murmur. "Why can't you just do as your told without griping?"

Cedar snorted, "It's like you want to be kicked out!"

Lion stayed put, fur fluffed up in aggression as he tail tip flicked. Finally, she looked up despite all her anger and hate. Her amber eyes meeting the bright green ones that were filled with fury.

"What do you have to say for yourself?"

Lion sat still, no one could save her from this outburst. Moth and Dusk were looking away in shame. She was all alone with only two options. Suck it up and apologize or stand her ground. Slowly she rose to her paws, prepared to give in.

"Well?" Heather prompted, padding over with a smug look on her face.

"I will never understand how a cat so beautiful could be so ugly and still capture dumb toms." Lion meowed haughtily.

Cedar gave Heather a look and the creamy brown she-cat pounced. Sharp claws dug into her pelt, slashing wildly as Lion slashed back, tearing out clumps of fur. All her pent up rage and anger was coming loose, she bit into the second in command's shoulder. A yowl of pain echoed in the clearing, the toms raced into the fray. Sharp teeth snatching her tail and scruff in attempt to make her let go.

She kicked Heather off with a hiss that became a pained wail when the tom on her tail bit down harder. She wriggled, trying to fight more, the familiar black and brown pelt was on her tail, it was Pounce. She thrashed wildly, kicking and screeching at the top of her lungs. Heather watched with the light of battle in her eyes. A brown tabby tom pounced on top of Lion, blocking her visual on Heather.

At Cedar's mew, the toms stopped their attack. Falcon pinned her down, claws on her throat while Reed had paws on her flank and Pounce was at her belly, prepared to strike again. They watched their leader expectantly, their paws dirtied with blood much like Lion and Heather were.

"That's enough, kits. Let her go. I'm sure she learned her lesson." Cedar purred, seeming to have enjoyed watching the fight.

As the toms got off her, Lion got to her paws, panting through the pain. Heather spoke next. "Did you learn your lesson, she-cat?"

Lion licked her lips, staring at the haughty she-cat. "Yes." I learned that the toms are prepared to kill me now. she thought wryly.

"Good. You will be dismissed from prey-pile guarding. Go jump into the river, might do you some good." She spat, before taking the position.

She looked to Shadow who looked startled by the ferocity of the events. She flicked her tail with a contempt snort. "What's wrong, never seen a cat-fight tom? Get used to it. This is just another half-moon for me."

His gaze averted, Cedar looked ready to rally the toms again with her lashing tail. Lion turned and limped to the river. The only place that calmed her. The only place where she couldn't be treated like crow-food. Her wounds throbbed, she felt light headed, but she padded on strongly. She asked for it, she guessed. She challenged them into a fight and broke her own promises. At least if she collapsed in the river, she could finally be swept away into the only place that felt like home in her heart.

Author Note:

Now we see how toxic Heather and Cedar's reign is.
Perhaps Heather has feelings for Cedar, perhaps she doesn't.
It just won't matter to me on it. - Nightsky