Chapter 15: Spotted Owl
"Spotted Owl," Sharp breathed, his tail grazing her shoulder to get her attention. He stood as rigid as the frozen ground, peering intently at something in the distance.
Spotted Owl halted and turned her head. She tried to follow his gaze, a frown creasing her face. "What is it?"
"Look-over there." Sharp's hushed voice quivered with excitement.
Spotted Owl leaned forward and then side to side, trying to find what he was looking at. Between the branches of a sapling evergreen, she saw what he was talking about. Not five tail-lengths away, a plump rabbit was nibbling at one of the remaining plants untouched by the frosts. "Oh my stars, it's a rabbit." Her smile faded as she sent Sharp a suspicious glance. "You don't mean to catch it for yourself, do you? You already have a vole."
Sharp shook his head. "No, of course not. But I just thought-"
"That since prey is so scarce, and it is a plump rabbit that would feed many cats, we should try to catch it," she finished with a grin, swishing her tail. "Let's do it."
"Okay, here's what we're going to do," Sharp decided, his expression set with concentration. He pointed with his tail to the right, where several evergreens grew in a dense clump. "You sneak around that way and hide in the thicket. I'll slip around behind the rabbit and scare it toward you so you can catch it."
"Are you sure?" Spotted Owl bit her lip, uncertainty fluttering like a snared moth inside her. She shifted her weight from paw to paw, all too aware of the slight weakness in her injured leg. "I don't know-" She turned to look at Sharp, but he had already crept away.
The young she-cat sighed. Okay, I guess I'll just have to do it. She turned and headed in the opposite direction, trying to move as quietly as possible, but compared with Tall Pine, who glided as smoothly and silently as a swan when hunting, she felt like a galumphing badger. She attempted to recall what he had tried to teach her in the past about hunting; where to place her paws, the correct form for a hunter's crouch, and how to hold her tail, but without much success. But, eventually, she made it across the leaf-dappled forest floor, around the edge of the thicket, and through the dense branches with only a few disturbed leaves and one cracked twig.
Spotted Owl shouldered through the branches until her muzzle poked out of the thicket. She sunk into a crouch, chided her frisky tail, and turned her attention on the rabbit. It hadn't moved from its seat, still nibbling at the leaves, utterly oblivious to the predators stalking it. She sighed in relief.
Beyond the evergreen tree on the other side of the rabbit, the undergrowth quivered. Spotted Owl watched as Sharp's muzzle appeared between the branches, then his head, and then his shoulders. She held her breath as he stalked closer, every muscle in her body tense as she waited. We have to make this catch.
Paw-step by paw-step, Sharp drew closer and closer to the rabbit. His muscles rippled as fluid as water as he took each step with the deliberate and silent precision of an experienced hunter. When he was barely two tail-lengths away, he sank down to his belly. Opening his mouth, he let out a deep growl.
Fear shot through Spotted Owl, jolting her like a lightning strike. For a heartbeat, she was on the battlefield again, the screeches of fighting cats ringing in her ears as she stared Sharp down, his wild green eyes searing into hers. Her legs began to quake beneath her, and her heartbeat quickened.
Spotted Owl blinked a few times and shook her head vigorously. The scene before her eyes vanished. She was back in the sun-dappled forest of the Clan of the Morning Sun's territory. The battle was nothing more than a distant memory. It's okay; I'm safe. She forced her fur to lay flat.
The fighter trainee looked up as her fear calmed, only for alarm to sizzle through her. No. I forgot about the rabbit. Startled by Sharp's growl, it had taken off, heading directly toward her.
Spotted Owl forced her sluggish limbs into action. She launched herself forward, but without enough time to ready herself, she floundered not even half the distance she usually could have leaped. The rabbit was a tail-length in front of her now, its warm brown eyes wide as it saw another predator. She lashed out with her claws unsheathed, but the rabbit swerved nimbly and twisted around, doubling back toward Sharp. Her heart sank. Mouse-dung. I missed it. Now we've lost it, and it's all my fault-
But Sharp had not given up yet. As the rabbit dashed back in his direction, he sprang to his paws and stretched out his forelegs. It veered to the right, changing direction again. He took a great flying leap and slammed into it from the side. They rolled over, vanishing into a clump of dead ferns.
Did he get it? Spotted Owl hurried over as the ginger tabby tom reappeared, the rabbit hanging from his jaws. His eyes green glittered like sunlight on ripples. She let out a long sigh. "Thank the stars, you got it. I'm sorry that I missed it. I should've been ready."
Sharp dropped the rabbit at her paws. "It's fine. Don't worry about it."
Spotted Owl leaned down to give the rabbit a sniff. She paused for a heartbeat, hesitating as she weighed her words. But she decided to go ahead. "That was an excellent catch, by the way. Probably one of the best I've ever seen."
Sharp ducked his head, his ear tips turning red though his lips tugged upward into a smile. "Ah, uh, thank you."
She tipped her head."Where did you learn to hunt so well?"
Sharp's smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. He was silent for a moment, still not meeting her gaze. "My father taught me."
"Oh." Spotted Owl sobered. Her chest constricted as an image of curved, gleaming claws wormed its way to the forefront of her mind.
"But, anyway," Sharp said quickly, his voice just a little too loud, jarring Spotted Owl out of her daze. "My sister's actually a better hunter than I am."
The young she-cat exhaled, silently thanking Sharp for changing the subject. Now I can just move on and not have all of that brought up again. And I might be actually getting somewhere with Sharp today. Maybe I can discover something important to tell Mossy Moon. "Your sister?" She pricked her ears. I don't think he ever mentioned having a sister before. Something tingled in the back of her mind, wanting her to focus on it, to remember it, but she forced her attention back on the conversation.
Sharp smiled, fully this time. "Yeah, my sister, Sage. She's a great hunter and fighter. When we were younger, she always would win whenever we play-fought. As we got older, she helped me whenever I had trouble with training. She could have been amazing, but…"
But what? Spotted Owl leaned forward. She opened her mouth to ask, but a battle cry thundered from somewhere not too far away, making several birds take flight from their roosts in the trees. The pair froze, their erect ears swiveling from side to side, trying to figure out which direction the cry had come from.
Sharp titled his head, frowning. "What was that?"
Spotted Owl turned in a circle, tasting the air as she strained her ears. Apprehension fizzled like hot coals inside her. Deep down, she could feel in her bones that something horrible was happening, but she couldn't be sure why. "I don't know. But it was nothing good."
"Do you think we should investigate-" No sooner than the words had left Sharp's mouth, then another cry interrupted one, this one a high-pitched screech.
Spotted Owl's heart leaped like a started deer in her chest. "That's Amber Mist." As soon as her ears pinpointed the direction, she bolted, not even giving herself time to think. A flash of pain raced up her leg as she wove through the trees and soared over debris in her path, her paws instinctively landing in familiar footholds, but she ignored it. Her mind was focused on one thing; everything else did not matter. It sounds like a battle. My Clanmates are in trouble.
Clumsy pawsteps pounded the earth behind her, as loud as a galumphing metalbeast. The black and white she-cat cast a swift glance over her shoulder as she soared over a fallen log. Sharp was behind her. He had followed her without question when she'd taken off without, their prey forgotten. He continued to chase her even though he struggled to keep up in the dense forest. A low-hanging branch whacked him upside the head, but he did not stumble or even slow down.
Spotted Owl lifted her muzzle, tasting the air. A jumble of scents rolled across her tongue. She frowned, untangling them like fur matted with burrs. She could smell Amber Mist, like she'd thought, along with Dawn Sky and a few other of their Clanmates. A hunting patrol. But there were also several scents that she didn't recognize, at least at first. But they all were fresh. We're getting close.
The young she-cat skidded to a stop at the top of a short incline, sending several rocks skittering over the edge. The cacophony of bellows and screeches rang like the buzzing of a fly in her ears. She tensed with alarm as the stones clattered to the forest floor, but none of the cats noticed as they were locked in a fierce battle. Several of her fellow Clan of the Morning Sun cats were strewn throughout the trees below her. She caught a glimpse of Smoke Pelt's gray coat as dark as a shadow in the shade of the trees as he fended off a flurry of swipes. Near the foot of the hill, Passing Storm spat out a mouthful of blood as a blow caught him across the muzzle. Yowling a battle cry, Dappled Fur lunged at her brother's attacker, sinking her claws into the cat's fur and hauling them off of him.
Spotted Owl leaned forward as the cat tumbled toward the base of the incline from the force of Dewy Grass's blow. The fur on her neck rose as she prepared to leap onto the enemy fighter, but recoiled, shock flooding through her as she recognized them. What? That's not a Band cat. Is that...Duck Flight? But he's from the Clan of the Flowing Waters. She raised her head. The thick watery scent hanging in the air confirmed it. In the back of her mind, she had recognized it from the beginning, but denial had stopped her from believing it. She frowned as confusion clouded her mind like a dense fog. Why are they attacking my Clanmates-and a hunting patrol at that? We're far from the border. What are they doing so deep in our territory? Certainty dawned on her like sunlight dissipating the fog. This is an intentional attack. Gray Moon must have ordered it after what happened at the council meeting last sunrise. But this attack is a massive escalation from a civil disagreement-it's a declaration of war.
Sharp came crashing to a halt behind her. His breathing was ragged from the exertion, but he turned to her, twitching his whiskers worriedly. "What's going on? Why are they fighting? Should we help?"
Spotted Owl did not respond. Wasting no more time, she charged down the slope and into the fray. Stones clattered behind her as Sharp followed her, but then the battle swallowed her, separating them. She sidestepped as Sage Fur rolled past, grappling with a sleek black Clan of the Flowing Waters fighter. Sage Fur growled as the tom sank his teeth into her shoulder but retaliated with a blow to his muzzle. She'll be fine, the trainee thought as she slipped past them. I'm sure other cats need my help.
A growl as ferocious as a lion caught Spotted Owl's attention. Her head jerked up, scanning the battle until her eyes locked on Smoke Pelt. The senior hunter reared back onto his hind legs, lashing out as he tried to fend off two fighters at the same time. His opponents wove around him, surging in to deliver a blow before dancing back out of reach of his flailing paws. His gray fur was matted with blood, and his flanks heaved with exhaustion.
Spotted Owl broke into a run, dodging around the trees as she flew toward them. When she was close enough, she pounced on the nearest fighter. Landing on the fighter's back, she hooked her claws into the flesh and jerked backward, hauling the cat with her, away from Smoke Pelt. They tumbled backward, careening toward the ground. At the last heartbeat, Spotted Owl retracted her claws and pushed off, landing in a roll onto her good shoulder. She jumped to her paws as her opponent slammed into the forest floor, buffeting several dried leaves into the air. In two paw-steps, she was on top of the fighter, trying to pin her down. She ducked as the fighter clumsily tried to swipe at her muzzle. She fended off several more blows as she shifted her paws, trying to get a good grip, but the Clan of the Flowing Waters cat twisted beneath her, sending her teetering off.
Spotted Owl grunted as she hit the ground hard enough to jar her bones. She gasped as pain bloomed like an unwanted weed in her injured leg. No, not now. This can't happen now. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to her paws and dropped into a fighting stance, shoving the pain away. A growl brewed in her throat. The enemy fighter was already on her feet, her teeth bared and yellow pelt that now looked very familiar bristling.
Oh, my stars. Spotted Owl's jaw dropped open as her hostile posture instantly relaxed. "Sun Splash?"
Her fellow ex-patrolmate relaxed as well, her expression morphing from fierce to shocked. She blinked. "Spotted Owl."
The young she-cat took a step forward. "What are you doing here? Why are you attacking my Clan?"
Sun Splash's round eyes met Spotted Owl's for a fraction of a heartbeat, conveying a tangle of emotions from sorrow to frustration, then she hurriedly looked away. "We have orders from Gray Moon."
I was right. Spotted Owl tried to hide her shock. Instead, she narrowed her eyes. "To do what specifically?"
"I can't tell you."
A wildfire of fury ignited inside the dappled she-cat. She lashed her tail. "I cannot believe that you would do this. After everything we went through together on that patrol, risking our lives to gather information to save the Clans, you're following a chieftain not only has refused to cooperate but who has now incited a war." She swept her tail at the battle around them.
Sun Splash bowed her head. "I have to follow my chieftain's orders."
Spotted Owl swallowed a lump in her throat. "I don't want to fight you. But-" She dropped into her fighting stance again, the growl that had been building in her throat bursting free. "-I will if that's what it takes to protect my Clan."
Sun Splash's eyes widened. Spotted Owl tensed her muscles but froze as a cry cut through the clamor of battle. Her head whipped around, her eyes frantically searching the trees interspersed with brawling cats. There. On the other side of the skirmish, Amber Mist and Dawn Sky were backed up against the thick trunk of an oak tree, cornered by two Clan of the Flowing Waters fighters. Dawn Sky stood as immovable as the mountains, shielding her trainee with her body as she hissed and swung blow after blow at the enemy cats. But with only basic battle training, it was hard for her to fight off one fully-trained fighter, let alone two. As Dawn Sky lashed out at one of them, the other snuck around and scratched Amber Mist's nose. The hunter trainee let out another yelp.
No. Urgency ignited in Spotted Owl's chest. How dare they attack my Clanmates. She took off across the battlefield, leaving Sun Splash behind. The pain in her leg flared, but she squashed it, pushing herself faster.
Spotted Owl yelped as her paw caught something, its rough unevenness scraping the front of her leg. She stumbled and fell, her chest slamming into the forest floor. Instantly, the pain went from a hearty flame to a raging forest fire, threatening to consume her. She rolled over onto her good side, pressing her injured leg to her chest as she moaned in agony. No, no now. Why did it have to start hurting again? Someone has to help them. Conviction settled inside her. I have to. She rolled over onto her belly and tried to push herself to her paws. Her legs trembled, but she managed to stand.
Okay. Spotted Owl turned in the Amber Mist and Dawn Pelt's direction. Holding her injured leg tightly against her body, she steeled herself. Now all I have to do is make it over there- As soon as she tried to take a step, her legs gave out, and she collapsed again. She let out a gasp of pain. No. She tried to stand once more but could not make her body obey.
"No," Spotted Owl moaned. She lifted her gaze to where Dawn Pelt was still trying to fend off the two fighters, but the hunter was rapidly tiring. I have to help them, but my cloud-brained injury is holding me back. Oh, stars, I hate being this weak. What is going to happen to them now?
A flash of ginger fur on the edge of her vision shook Spotted Owl out of her despondent state. Her jaw hung open as she saw Sharp swoop in as fierce and deadly as a diving eagle. He was a blur of ginger fur as he rammed at one of the fighters, bowling the she-cat over. The fighter lashed out with her hind legs, shoving Sharp away, but he twisted in mid-air and landed lightly. The she-cat rolled and pushed herself to her feet in one fluid motion. Sharp ducked as she aimed a swipe at his shoulder. Feigning an attack to the right, he slipped to the left and battered her flank with a flurry of blows. She cuffed his muzzle, but he did not falter. Ducking into a roll, he came up on her other side and leaped onto her back while she was still turning around. The she-cat writhed worse than a fox in a fit, but Sharp forced her to the ground. He pinned her, and with a few well-aimed blows, she stopped struggling.
Sharp backed off, letting the Clan of the Flowing Waters cat up. She staggered to her paws and fled into the trees. As he turned, set his flinty green gaze on the other fighter, Spotted Owl caught sight of something poking through the fur on his underbelly. She leaned forward, looking closer. Amidst the ruffled fur were patches of bare skin, most faded, but one was fresh and pink. She furrowed her brow. Are those scars? But being so far away, it was impossible to tell.
"Clan of the Flowing Waters!" The call rose above the cacophony. Sharp froze where he had been about to attack the second fighter, and Spotted Owl's head jerked up. She looked around, her gaze settling on Sun Splash. The yellow she-cat stood on a tree stump, her pelt stained with blood along her left flank and a hind leg but head held high. "We're done here."
Throughout the trees, the Clan of the Flowing Waters cats streamed toward her, leaving the Clan of the Morning Sun cats standing or lying, exhausted and bloodied but alive. Spotted Owl summoned the strength to push herself to her paws. She met Sun Splash's gaze. The she-cat gave her an unreadable look before she leaped down from the stump and followed her Clanmates, vanishing into the forest.
Spotted Owl let out a long breath. Her head drooped, and her shoulders slumped as exhaustion washed over her. Oh, my stars. Gray Moon really did it. The Clan of the Flowing Waters attacked us. We've been allies for the moon, but now...I guess we're at war. Her eyes alighted on each one of her Clanmates in turn as she surveyed the devastation. Smoke Pelt stood closest to her, his flanks, crisscrossed with scratches, heaving. Dappled Fur was helping Passing Storm to his paws, even though she held her foreleg, smeared with blood, close to her chest. A stream of blood trickled down from the bite marks on Sage Fur's shoulder as the older she-cat spoke in hushed, urgent tones with Dawn Sky. Despair descended like dense fog on Spotted Owl as she dropped her gaze. We're at war with another Clan when we should be uniting to face the more significant threat. We've lost all hope of defeating the Bands now.
Snap out of it, the black and white she-cat ordered herself, giving her body a small shake. She forced herself to banish those thoughts for now. The Clan of the Flowing Waters are gone, and the battle is finished. We have to get back to camp and inform Mossy Moon. I need to help my Clanmates.
Spotted Owl carefully stood, holding her injured leg above the ground at an awkward angle. The pain had faded to a dull ache like the embers of a dying fire. Gingerly, she set her paw on the ground and shifted her weight to put pressure on it. Spotted Owl hissed as the pain flared, instantly retracting her leg. Okay, I'll just have to do this the hard way. Turning, she began to hobble on three legs in the direction of her Clanmates.
"Hey, Spotted Owl," a bubbly voice exclaimed.
The young she-cat nearly leaped out of her fur. She swung around, her pelt bristling until she saw the amber-brown she-cat with glimmering eyes standing behind her. "Stars, Amber Mist, you scared me."
"Oh, sorry." Amber Mist was undeterred. "Dawn Sky sent me to help you."
Spotted Owl blinked. "What for?"
"Because you're injured. Aren't you?"
"No. Well, yes," Spotted Owl admitted. "But it's just my old injury. I'm fine otherwise. I was just going to help one of our Clanmates."
Amber Mist swished her tail in the general direction of where their other Clanmates had gathered. "Everyone else is fine." She frowned as she peered at Spotted Owl's leg pressed against her chest. "You look like you need help."
Spotted Owl twitched her whiskers, scowling, as she turned away. "Well, I don't." She took a step but stumbled with the awkwardness of walking with only three legs. "Mouse-dung," she cursed under her breath. My leg should be fine. I should be able to do this by myself.
Amber Mist tilted her head. "Are you sure you don't need help?"
Spotted Owl sighed, shutting her eyes. "Fine."
"Yay," Amber Mist squealed, bouncing over to the older trainee, but calmed as she got close. With a carefulness quite unlike her, she maneuvered herself close to Spotted Owl's side, allowing the larger she-cat against her shoulder. Working together, they limped over to where the rest of the patrol had gathered and began the trek back to camp.
"I cannot believe that I just got to participate in my first battle," Amber Mist chirped as they hobbled up the rise. Words flowed out of her mouth like a brook swollen with water, keeping up an incessant stream. Spotted Owl groaned and rolled her eyes, but she knew nothing she did would staunch the flow. "I never thought that I would get to fight as a hunter trainee. But this sunrise, it happened. Everything happened so fast. One heartbeat we were hunting; the next, those cats were attacking. Claws and fur were flying everywhere. It was exhilarating…"
Spotted Owl tuned the younger trainee out, falling into thought as her gaze drifted up the line of her Clanmates. They were making slow but steady progress up the winding trail to their camp from the lower slope. At the head of the patrol, Sage Fur paused at a turn, peering over her shoulder to check on Smoke Pelt, who was close behind her. Dawn Sky and Dappled Fur's claws scraped against the rough stone of a bare patch of the mountainside as the former helped the latter up an incline. Spotted Owl and Amber Mist were at the rear of the patrol, with Passing Storm, who was leaning heavily on Sharp's shoulder in front of them.
"...but I was also terrified," Amber Mist prattled on with a swish of her tail. "The battle was scary. Dawn Sky did her best to protect me, but at one point, she was fighting off two cats at the same time. Luckily, Sharp came and saved us. He was incredible. He came swooping in..."
That's right. Something stirred deep inside Spotted Owl as she stared at the ginger tabby tom's tail ahead of her. Sharp followed me into battle without hesitation to help cats who he owes no loyalty or allegiance to. He put his own life at risk for ours. He saved Amber Mist and Dawn Sky. That's nothing like the cat I know-or I thought I knew. She bit her lip. But how can I trust him? He has deceived us before. He has betrayed us before. I cannot forget everything he did to me and my Clan. But- she cocked her head -he did apologize for everything he did. Maybe-just maybe he really meant it. Maybe he did tell the truth about why he came here. Maybe.
Well, here's another chapter. Sorry, this one took so long! I've got a lot going on right now, but I'm finally on break and loving it. So, this was an interesting chapter. We've got more development of Spotted Owl and Sharp's story!
Reviews:
Theoneandonlyloneypotato - Thank you very much! I'm glad I was able to convey that depth of emotion that I wanted to. It's not harsh at all-honestly I want to do the same to Gray Moon. Thank you! I've worked really hard on learning to write vivid descriptions. Keep practicing, and you'll get there.
Wyatt (Guest) - Thank you! I'm doing well. How about you?
Fun Fact: As a young cat, Smoke Pelt, fell in love with the fiery young fighter Stormy Water. He was very shy, so by the time he confessed his love to her, and they became mates, she died soon after.
- A Warrior At Heart