Cheating the Stars

by trekhorse42

When a clan leader and a laid-back warrior head to the abandoned bear den in the dead of the night, they find themselves in deeper trouble than expected. Between fighting cats from another clan for a sacred gem, and leading her own clan, Tanglestar has her paws full. Can she also handle two apprentices who have fallen into deep trouble as well?

19. Chapter 19

The ground was moist under her paws. The air felt heavy and smelled like rain. A dense, suffocating mist surrounded Tanglestar, and she could barely see a tail length in front of her. Wet leaves dripped water on her pelt as she pushed forward, lost in the never ending forest of leaves, bushes, and brambles.

The mist thickened and then faded away, and Tanglestar stopped walking. Moonlight highlighted the smooth rock that was now underfoot, and the shadow of a cat standing across the cliff top sprung forward.

Tanglestar managed to dodge the attack, and hissed before rearing up, prepared to strike the enemy.

The opponent spun around, and a pair of amber eyes confronted Tanglestar. They glittered, a savage spark lighting them.

Tanglestar came down, and let her claws sink into the thick gray fur. The cat struggled, but Tanglestar kept her grip, blood bubbling up through her claws and soaking her paws. She heard an infuriated hiss from the gray cat, but it faded and the moonlight was blocked by a sudden thick mist that rolled in over the two struggling cats.

When the mist faded, the calm bubbling of the creek echoed in Tanglestar's ears. Light from the half moon was caught in the ripple of the water, and Tanglestar stepped towards the edge of the creek, peering in. She saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she looked up she saw small pieces of glowing rocks sitting in the sand, in the form of a circle. Tanglestar stepped away from the creek, and moved to investigate the rocks. She was about to stretch her paw out and touch one of the rocks, but a voice stopped her.

"Those are ours. Leave."

A pair of white cats were standing in the creek, five fox lengths away. They had a subtle glow radiating from them, and as Tanglestar was about to open her mouth and ask who the cats who they there, the fog engulfed her once again. This time, it didn't fade away. It weighed Tanglestar down, dampening her fur. She tried to breathe, but the fog filled her throat, blocking her airways, and a whisper filled her ears.

"Don't search for the stones."

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