This is a story based off of my other story (actually its like a paragraph or so), She's Gone, so if you want, go check it out! :)
Disclaimer: this is my story of Buttercups arrival in the Everdeens house, but this time Buttercups littermates! I do not own the hunger games but do own these characters (sage but not buttercup).
Wow long, on with the story!
A New Beginning
Chapter 2: Seperate Ways.
"It's quite sad, really."
"You idiot! Of course its sad!"
"I meant why they stayed and fought instead of running like they told us."
"Gatter! Do you not understand? They stayed because they had to! The dogs would have caught our trail and killed us all, not just them!" I said furiously.
"They weren't killed, they were slaughtered." I stomped away from my brothers at this. I know its true. That makes it torture, i cant even describe what i saw those dogs do to our parents. Sure they held them off for a little while, but when six more came? No. Its very hard to think about.
Could you imagine? Just picture for just a minute, imagine you as a small cat, smaller than your litter mates imagine a clearing twenty yards on each side, now think of your fearless father cone running into the clearing scared out of his mind, with barking, snarling and growling chasing him! Now imagine your parents gathering you and saying goodbye, then sending you into the bushes to run. Imagine watching your parents being...Never mind. Its too hard.
"Hey Rhyme! You here or are you in space?" Chate meowed in my direction.
"Oh shut it Gatter! And yes,Chate, i was technically here. In the body."
"Where's Sage? I here him but I cant find him," Gatter asked us, changing the subject.
"He's in the bushes, he's grieving as he should! He's in the right mind," I muttered the last part, making us come back to the subject we were discussing.
"Calm down Rhyme, you've let your temper get the best of you again."
"Stay out of this Cha-you know what, your right. I should learn to control my emotions. This is a time we should be united, not fighting," I said, my whole body calmed down as I took a deep breath and smelled my litter mates familiar smell. It was mixed with fear, sorrow and shock.
"Rhyme, why don't we go find Sage and sleep. Goodness knows we need it," Chate leaned into me, spreading his warmth to me.
"Sage! Come on, lets leave this dreadful place!" I meowed in the general direction of the tough cat.
"What makes it so dreadful? I kinda like it here," Gatter muttered from behind me. I chose to ignore him and, instead I watched Sage come out into the clearing with us.
"I know a place we can sleep," He meowed when he got closer to Gatter, Chate and I. Sage turned and walked toward the evergreen trees by the stream. We fell in behind him, for once not bickering, just reflect about the recent turn of events.
"Mom showed me this when I got sick, she told me I could rest here, with dad so I didn't get you guys sick," Sage meowed, leading us into a small cave. Just big enough for four, year old cats.
"What happened to howling at the moon, Sage?" Gatter asked the yellow-furred feline. Chate and I turned to watch the scene that was about to unravel.
"What about it?"
"Why did you stop?"
"'cause I got tired of it."
"Oh. Then why were you howling in the first place?" Gatter continued, looking for another fight when Sage didn't respond in the right way to his first attempt.
"It was unjust. Those dogs really tick me off," His answer was simple, never taking the bait.
"Oh."
"Good night," I meowed. They lay down and I knew they understood that I wanted this day over, my brothers could read emotions and words like a bird can read the sky.
Somewhere in the middle of the night I hear a soft rustle, and felt a layer of warmth leave the den. I know I should be worried but, I am too tired to care.
"Where is Sage? WHERE is Sage? WHERE IS SAGE?!" Chate howled into the air. I woke up to find Gatter and Chate nowhere in sight, must be in the clearing, I thought. I curled my head into my tail again, then I remembered what Chate was howling.
My legs apparently were ahead of my brain because they were racing to the clearing before my mind figured out what to do. Gatter and Chate were there, but Sage wasn't. He left us,I just know it! After all, he wasn't likely to sit around with us and mourn. That was just his personality.
"Sage isn't coming back, guys. Would you really expect him to? We should take a page out of his book, start a new life. Explore!" What happened to me over night? I was a whole new cat! Yesterday I would never have dreamed of leaving. My brothers agreed because they were staring at me like i just lost my mind. I probably have.
"Um, Rhyme? You feeling alright?" Chate walked towards me. There was real concern in his eyes, he must think I'm in shock.
"Yes! I mean no-yes, no, yes! I am fine,"I stuttered through the confusion of my mind.
"Uh-huh. Sure, like you expect us to believe that," Gatter muttered, rolling his eyes. That earned him a glare in both directions, it caused him to shy away.
"If that is what you want Rhyme. I'm in, but just know, if we leave we will get over the dogs," Chate stood at my side, acting as a crutch for my tired body.
"Yes, thats what I want more than anything. Gatter? Are you coming with us?" Gatter swished his tail and turned.
"Which way?" He asked looking back.
"East?"
"No, that is a village to the east. We will go southwest, away from the people," Chate told us, taking the lead. And my new life begins...
Six months later
Our winter fur was long gone, and our memories of that terrible day were in the back of our minds. After all, it is survival of the fittest here in the wild.
Sage's memories left with him. I haven't thought of him in almost four months! That doesn't mean I don't miss him though, I miss him horribly. Gatter and Chate don't show it, but they are missing him too, on the inside. Sage, like our parents, left us, but his memories, like our parents, are here.
This is no time to dwell in the past. What is done is done. No more to it.
"Rhyme?" Chate calls to me, from the bushes.
"Yes, Chate?"
"Gatter and I are going to hunt. Gatter tells me to ask you if you could gather some more bedding?" Chate made it sound like Gatter asked, but its more like he told me to.
"Mm-kay," I twitched my ears in farewell. Chate turned and ran off into the forest, chasing after Gatter. I turned the opposite way, towards the little stream where moss grew.
The trees held all of their green leafs, swaying at every slight breeze on this sweltering day. The sun had reached its highest potential in the sky by the time I reached the stream. It was only half way when I left.
I went straight to work, gathering moss and the occasional feather. The stream taunted e the whole time I worked. This and the fact that the sun was scorching anything that lived, made my tongue so dry that I couldn't stand it a second longer.
"Just one drink wont hurt...maybe a swift wash with the cold water," I hissed to myself, following my words with swift actions.
"I'll get some of the fish too," I swiped at the fish, snagging twelve of the tiny creatures. As I caught the animals, I set them next to my moss and feathers.
I got back to our camp site and started to lay out all my days gathering. I was so focused that I jumped a foot high when I felt the heat of another cat touch me.
"What are you doing there?" Said a voice that was neither of my brothers.