Forest's Fate

Chapter 13

I blink several times and twitch my ears, certain that I just imagined that Name called my name. He is staring right at me, though, so I have no choice but to stand up. Out of instinct, I feel my tail curl underneath my hind legs as I feel my heart start to beat rapidly. I'm definitely going to die against these rebels.

The leader has stopped calling other names, though. That's because when I look up, I see that Mirage is whispering something into Name's ears. Her ears are flattened, and her tail is furiously lashing back and forth. I also notice that the fur on her back is ruffled.

In response to what Mirage said, Name flattens his ears as well and hisses a few words at her. Everyone around me is completely silent as the two cats argue, probably out of fear that if anyone says a single word, he or she will automatically get a strike or get called to fight the rebels.

Finally, when Mirage furiously growls a whole speech to him, Name sighs deeply. And as Mirage glares claws at him, he mutters in a voice that I can barely hear, "Forest, sit back down."

Confusion clouds me. Did he just tell me to sit? I open my mouth to clarify what just happened, but the spine-chilling look in his eyes makes me change my mind at the last moment.

"Yes, sir," I meow as I sit back down in the long grass.

Branch, who is still next to me, tilts his head and twitches his whiskers, looking just as puzzled as I feel. "Wow, what did Mirage just do?" he whispered, glancing at me with wide eyes.

"I have no idea," I mouth to him when Name and Mirage quietly converse with each other again. But as I said that, I know that what Mirage did is as clear as the eternally cloudless Gardinian sky. She somehow managed to keep me from being put into the Earth-Superior army against the rebels. But why? I thought she hated me. More importantly, though, what did she say to Name to convince him to change his mind?

I get so lost in thought that I almost miss who Name replaces me with: "Stripe."

My head springs up as I see Stripe's ginger body hesitantly stand. I'm standing behind her, but I can see her fear when her tail slips between her back legs, the same action I did when he called my name.

Name doesn't even look at Stripe to see if she followed his instructions to stand at her name. His gaze stares in the distance as he growls, "That is all. Everyone who is standing, follow Mirage."

Everyone who was called steps around the seated cats on their way to Mirage. Most of their steps are hesitant and slow, as if they're treading through mud instead of long grass. And I don't blame them.

Stripe glances behind her shoulder, and for a single moment, our eyes lock together. In that second, I forget how annoying and embarrassing she was. Her ears are flattened all the way to her head for a second, and there is a dark, apprehensive look in her eyes for a moment.

But it all goes away after that, and her head snaps forward. I see her ears lift as she runs to Mirage. "I'm gonna kill all those rebels!" she exclaims, her tail lifting confidently in the air.

Mirage turns her back to me as she walks toward the entrance, but I still catch her response. "You'd better."

I count thirteen cats following Mirage. As all of the cats finally surround her, Mirage turns around, and both Name and she scrutinize all of them, one by one.