Shining of the Four

Chapter 21

            As she gathered enough strength and self-esteem, she burst into the woods, the cats vanishing behind her. Salmon ran for awhile, past snowy rocks and trees, past bushes and frozen ponds. When she felt she was far enough from the clearing. She stopped, catching her breath in the icy weather.

            Already, she felt cold from the winter winds that brushed against her. Parts of her pelt were clumped with snow, but she had to do this. She had to find a piece of prey in this terrible weather.

            As she walked, however, she caught no scents of any animals. All she could smell was the winter wind that blew against her.

            Maybe Storm was right. Maybe she wasn't good enough. It would be impossible to find any sort of prey in these woods.

            "No, I have to try," Salmon argued. "My mother wouldn't have given up."

            Salmon padded through the woods, feeling more hopeless with each corner she turned and with each boulder she passed.

            "I have to try," she argued, snow blowing against her pelt. It was impossible to find any sort of prey in this weather, especially with a winter storm on the way. Salmon continued trudging through the snow though, knowing that she had to find a way to collect a piece of prey. If she didn't, she'd fail, and she'd be alone in the woods forever.

            Salmon froze, hearing the sound of a snapped twig. She turned around, hoping to find a rabbit or even a small mouse. Her heart sunk. An icicle had dropped from a nearby plant onto a rock, and bits of ice spread across the ground. It had been nothing but the wind that has caused the icicle to fall.

            Sighing, Salmon continued on, the snow coming down harder now. Soon enough, the snow began to blind her, and she realized she had to take shelter somewhere. It was impossible to find anything in this weather. All the animals were most likely taking shelter in small holes or caves.

            Tired, exhausted, Salmon made her way through the woods, her pelt chilly. She hadn't been in this part of the woods too often, so it was all unfamiliar to her. She wasn't sure which way she had come or where to go. She was about to cry out in anguish, then shut her mouth, knowing she had to move on.

            Up ahead, she thought she saw a large boulder, but as she came closer, she realized that there was a dark center that stood out from the rest of the sides. It was a cave!

            Salmon sighed in relief, thanking her mother for leading her to some place to rest. Quickly, Salmon padded towards the cave, collapsing on the cold, stone ground. Outside, the wind howled and snow came down quickly.

            Salmon turned, glancing at the cave. She wondered if maybe any animals were in here. She doubted it.

            Salmon sat up against the wall of the cave, shuffling her paws. It would be impossible to go hunting again until the storm calmed down. How long would it last? She wasn't sure. All she knew was that it needed to end soon if she wanted to impress the others. She had hoped she'd find prey by the evening, though now, she highly doubted it. She guessed this storm would be going on for awhile.

            Salmon curled up in the cave, her tail resting on her nose. She closed her eyes, slowly drifting off into a sleep.

Visions haunted Salmon as she slept. She saw cats gathered in a clearing, yowling and arguing with each other, followed by others padding through the woods, on hunts of their own. At one point, she swore she saw her mother leading her down a rocky path, though she doubted it was actually Cherry Blossom. The dream ended with Salmon standing in the woods as a hawk screeched up above.