Warriors: Rise of the Weather [1] : The Journey Begins (OLD/DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Eleven

Edited ✔️
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Miley rapidly ran a hindpaw at her neck, her claws partially unsheathed as she tried to itch away the discomfort of no collar. It had been a couple of days since Shade had torn it off, and the lack of it had left a dull ache around her head, and she completely despised it.

Shade and Miley had been traveling for a few days since then, taking constant twists and turns through the forest as they tried to find their path back to the twolegplace. Shade was now quite certain he was set on the right path, and the two had stopped for a hunting break.

"So, Miley, let's see if you can catch anything." Shade meowed. As instructed, Miley lowered herself downwards, her tail brushing lightly back and forth and unsettling the surface of the snow.

"Miley! Keep your tail still." Shade's voice startled the kittypet, and she lifted her head to shoot a glare at the black and white tom. Shade remained with a steady and hostile gaze, meeting her defiant eyes with a blood-chilling scowl. With a huff, Miley returned to her hunting crouch, this time making sure to keep her tail off the ground.

"Good." said Shade, creeping around her as he observed her position. "Just tuck your forepaws a whiskers length closer together, then it'll be perfect."

Miley, once more, did as she was told, irritation prickling at her skin. Her pelt twitched impatiently, until finally, Shade gave an approving nod. Miley straightened herself, her muscles relaxing in great relief, but her stretch was cut short by claws swiped at her head. The kittypet ducked in perfect timing before Shade's claws could score across her face, and a jolt of fear coursed through her veins. With a pounding heart, she straightened to meet the toms gaze.

"You piece of dung!" She cursed, a scowl furrowing its way into her now scrunched up expression.

Shade whipped his tail angrily, his claws scoring into the cold earth as pants heaved through his flanks. His amber eyes flashed and he looked at Miley, his lip peeled back. "We're going hunting. There is no time to relax in leafbare." He hissed, his flanks easing to a steady, although stiff pace.

Miley's panicked arch of her spine slowly diminished, although she still warily eyed the rogue tom, clearly afraid of another violent outburst. Cautiously, she addressed the tom, her brown eyes flickering across him in search for any sign of full blown aggression. "I-I suppose you're right." She stammered, a lump thrumming at her throat. "Hunting seems like...like a preferable option." Her muzzle jerked to the side as she eyed his pelt. The more she looked at him, the more frail and skinny he appeared to be, and her fear was nearly instantaneously forgotten, and instead was replaced with concern for his well-being.

Shade's black and white pelt clung loosely to his skin, bones jutting out from beneath and appearing sharply at the wrinkles in his fur. There was an irregular pace to his breathing, ragged gasps of inhalation breaking through his furiously wrinkled muzzle. He glared at her, noticing her brown eyes flickering amongst his pelt, and a warning growl broke through his vibrating maw. Miley's eyes darted away, and she gave a stiffened nod. "I'll go hunt." She muttered, lashing her tail before vanishing into the undergrowth.

Maybe he's just hangry. She thought to herself, unable to resist the temptation to peer back to where the tom stood, his stiff poise slowly gathering itself for calmness. She spotted a faint flicker of regret in his eyes, but it vanished as if it weren't even there. Miley shook out her red fur, and prying herself out of the bush, she began searching for prey. The raucous cry of a crow burst into the air, and Miley's head whipped to the sky where the black bird had begun its descent from a bare tree, fluttering its wings before it landed with brief unsteadiness onto the ground. It ruffled its feathers, before diving its beak into the snow in search for food.

Perfect. Miley thought to herself, wriggling into a crouch. Her stomach rumbled lightly, and she inwardly scolded herself for the interruption. Glancing at the bird, a rush of relief floundered over her. The crow had not heard the growls of her stomach, and remained stabbing at the ground with its beak. Ever so carefully, she slipped forward, her red fur a spotlight in the snow, however with silence she was nearly unnoticeable to her unsuspecting prey. Measuring her distance, she thrust herself into the air. A moment too late the crow saw her figure. It's wings fluttered in panic and it let out a terrified caw as Miley's paws slammed onto its spine. The bird battered helplessly at her unsheathed paws, and Miley delivered a swift blow to its neck. A moment later, the crow fell limp, and she picked it up in her jaws.

Miley's rumbling stomach begged her to eat the bird, but she dismissed it with a twitch of an ear, doing her best to ignore the watering flavors of the freshkill grasped between her teeth. In hopes to forget about her driving hunger, something she never had to face back in the twolegplace, she padded back in the direction of she and Shade's makeshift den, and felt a surge of pride rise in her chest. I caught a crow! She thought triumphantly, her tail arching over her back. She smiled through the mouthful of feathers, joy bringing a small bounce to her step.

Miley forced her way through a thick cluster of thistles, the thorns pricking at her thick fur and just grazing her skin. She ignored the small stings until she emerged between the roots of a large pine tree. Shade was already in the den, curled up into a ball with his tail wrapped around his muzzle. Miley cleared her throat in attempt to catch his attention, but to no avail, for he didn't move even a muscle.

The red tabby dropped her catch to the ground, and padded forward, prodding at his side. "Wake up!" She meowed, her voice long and hitched in attempt to wake him from annoyance. Successfully, Miley sat back as Shade irritably lifted his head, his amber eyes narrow slits as he glared at the kittypet.

"What is it?" He hissed, not even trying to pay attention to her. He lapped at a paw and drew it calmly over an ear, giving himself a small grooming as he awaited the she-cat's response.

Miley shifted on her haunches as he proceeded in cleaning himself, and she watched for a few pondering moments. "I caught something for you." She meowed, immediately diverting the black and white tom's attention.

"You did?"

Miley gave a nod, and he peered at the prey that lay at her paws. He let out a small grunt of satisfaction, his whiskers quivering. "For me?" He pressed lightly, a small glitter of eagerness in his deep amber eyes.

Miley gave an uncertain nod, and before she could speak further, the large tom had rushed forward, devouring the crow and ignoring the feathers that tickled his muzzle. Miley scratched her neck as Shade gulped down the remainder of the meat, his eyes glinting in satisfaction. He lifted his gaze to look at Miley with a new sense of respect, inclining his head in a small, grateful nod.

"Thank you." He meowed calmly, however a small purr shook his words.

Miley smiled in response. Any hostility that had been risen between the two that day had been stripped away just by one act of selflessness. With a relaxed sigh, Miley sat down only a small distance from Shade, her eyelids sliding shut as she drifted off into a comfortable slumber.