Warriors- Rise of Darkness

Chapter 6

     Hailpaw trotted off, her ears pricking to her movements. She heard a rustling in the small cracks in the rocks. She crouched down, her eyes locked onto the small movement. A small brown nose poked through.

A squirrel crawled out of the rocks, odd behavior in general. Hailpaw didn't care. She froze, keeping her body as still as she could. The squirrel slowly grew closer to her. It stopped to clean its face, grooming its bushy tail. Hailpaw saw her chance and went for it.

She leaped out of her spot and pounced on the squirrel. The squirrel saw her coming and quickly sprinted away, missing her attack. Hailpaw kicked off the ground and darted after the prey. The squirrel started to slow down and Hailpaw saw her chance. She pounced again. The squirrel made a sharp left. Hailpaw smashed into a tree. She groaned, shaking her head. Slowly, she got back up to her feet and raced after the squirrel. She was determined to catch it.

Her chest grew heavy, she could barely breathe. But she couldn't give up now. The squirrel was in sight and she picked up speed. She turned to the right and raced up a log. She leaped off and went to pounce on the squirrel. She flew off the log, barreling toward the squirrel.

Suddenly, a flash of something rammed right into the squirrel. Hailpaw landed and spun around. A black and white cat dropped the now dead squirrel. Hailpaw growled. It was no cat from Snow clan.

"That was my squirrel!" She hissed, her fur-raising up like needles.

The cat turned and looked at her surprised. Hailpaw recognized the cat. Mossystar.

The handsome tom swished his tail, looking at her "I'm sorry, I-"

"You are past the barrier" She hissed.

He looked at her amused "this is the barrier. You wandered here yourself."

Hailpaw growled in anger and embarrassment "that was my squirrel that was on our side."

Mossystar picked up the squirrel and brought it to Hailpaw "Say no more." he dropped it at her paws and sat down "it was rightfully yours."

Hailpaw was stunned "y-you aren't going to fight me?"

"Fight an apprentice? That would be unfair" he said with a twitch of his ear.

"But you could easily steal it from me," She said.

He nodded, his blue eyes darting back and forth "this is true, but where would that get me? There is enough tension between our clans. I don't want to start another war by killing one of their apprentices."

Hailpaw's fur bristled "you think you could kill me?"

"You're an apprentice," he said, "I'm a leader, what skills do you posses that could kill me and my nine lives?"

Hailpaw flinched "just because I'm an apprentice doesn't mean I don't know how to fight!"

He laughed "sure. What is your name?"

"Why do you care to know?" She hissed.

He blinked "I'm not trying to be hostile or cause problems. I just want to know."

She paused, looking at him "Hailpaw."

He purred "I see. Well, it was nice running into you Hailpaw."

Hailpaw grabbed the squirrel and quickly darted away, not daring to spend any more time talking to the Mountain Clan leader. Her heart thumped in her chest, knowing very well that was a close call. He could have killed her and she was lucky that he didn't decide to. She was hoping that her bluff had worked, especially with her actual lack of knowing how to defend herself.