Warriors : Rise of the Weather [2] : The Brightest Star (OLD/DISCONTINUED)

Chapter Four

Miley awoke in the middle of the night.

The howls of wind outside could be deciphered through the muffling dirt walls, and a light coating of snow lined the floor further in the tunnel where the entrance resided. Snowflakes fluttered down and rested on top, gradually increasing the size of the white mound. A loud thump disturbed the nightly silence, and immediately set on alert Miley flicked her ears up as small grains of soil sprinkled down on her already matted fur.

Although Shade could be quite a nuisance, his survival lessons really came in handy. Be wary and smart. If you hear something odd, determine whether it would be safe to investigate or not. Down in these tunnels, who knows what may lurk? You must act safely, and by that, I mean that you should seriously tell me if you hear something strange. You may be as annoying as dung, but I do not want a kittypet's death to be of my fault. Shade's small advisory rang in Miley's mind from the night before, and she carefully maneuvered around Shade and Harvey's sleeping forms, and slipped into the darkness of the tunnel.

I don't need him to investigate for me! Miley thought determinedly, lifting her tail over her back in an arc. I'll show him that being a "kittypet" does not make me weak.

Though her resolute thoughts rang in her mind, she couldn't help but feel a flutter of anxiety as she padded along, making sure to remember her route back. A few sections of the tunnel dove to the side, but she kept going forward, towards a soft murmur in the still air. The former kittypet felt that something had come into the tunnel that wasn't there when she had fallen asleep, and she wanted to make sure it wouldn't endanger she or her friends.

She considered the thought for a moment. Is Shade really counted as a friend? She let out a small huff of amusement, and shook away the thought like a passing butterfly. Continuing onwards, a small woodland mouse skittered across her path. She resisted the urge to kill the prey, earning a reluctant grumble from her stomach. It felt like she hadn't eaten in moons, but her companion's safety mattered more than food.

The ground began to gently slope downwards. The walls were still made of soil, but now were slightly less damp and more tightly packed together. Miley felt a little bit more at ease, knowing it was less likely the roof would cave in around her. Gradually the ground began to even out, a soft hum growing in the air around her and the tiniest gust of a nighttime breeze. Miley pinned back her ears and quickened her pace.

A few moments later, she saw what had disturbed her sleep. A gaping hole yawned in the ceiling above, a pile of rocks, soil, and snow dappled with moonlight. A cold chill ran over Miley's spine as a gust of wind howled through the hole above, and cautiously she peered over the rubble to look up. The hole was quite deep, crumbling around the edges and seemed to have collapsed.

That made Miley's unease crawl, and she realized that no matter how deep she was, her life was still endangered from the surrounding tunnels. Swallowing back the wish to return to the safety of her twoleg home, which was bound to be impossibly far by now, she raised her head and began to investigate.

The vague scent of cat tickled her nose, and she followed the trail, skirting the rubble as best as she could, her red fur brushing the earthy walls. Her whiskers quivered as she tasted the stale air, it was now sharp with cold and snow, but the scent of a fellow feline remained strong in her senses.

She then spotted the source of the scent. A crumpled bunch of bluish gray fur lay curled along the ground, the molly sound asleep, yet covering something with her arched back. Curiosity making the best of her, Miley crept forward. She kept herself low to the earth, her belly fur lightly brushing the soil. Her brown eyes flashed with surprise as her gaze settled upon what the blue-gray she-cat had attempted to cover.

A white and brown tom-kit could be distinguished through a spray of soil, laying soundly beside it's supposed mother. Stepping forward to get a closer look, Miley's paw knocked into a small stone, sending it skittering forward and ominously disturbing the silent and stale night air. In less than an instant, the blue-gray she-cat had whipped herself to her paws, her back arched and a vicious snarl erupting from her jaws.

Miley quickly scrabbled backwards, surprise flashing across her features, before changing quickly to a crippling wave of fear.

"Stay away from my kit!" The feline screeched, lashing a claw forward and just barely missing Miley's eye, and instead scraping directly above the former kittypet's nose. Blood welled from the cut, and Miley let out a terrified yowl, ducking to the side as the she-cat swiped at her again.

"H-hey — Stop it!" Miley spluttered, backing herself inconveniently against the pile of rubble, which toppled away behind her.

The blue-gray she-cat lurched forward, her flanks heaving and lip curled with vicious intentions, expressing the fierce protectiveness of a mother. Her jaws snapped through empty air as Miley rolled to the side, fear pulsating through her fur. The attacking feline's kit now stood wide awake behind her, yellow eyes round. He appeared to be four moons old.

Miley pressed herself back against the rubble, but it wouldn't budge. "Please — I-I mean no harm!" She exclaimed desperately, her ears pinned against her skull.

The she-cat seemed to not hear her, a low growl rumbling fiercely in her throat, her bristling fur nowhere close to lying back down, and she steadily advanced towards Miley in a much slower pace, having realized that she had the red tabby trapped.

Miley realized quickly that she had made a foolish decision, going off to investigate on her own. Shade and Harvey would wake up in the morning, not know where she was, and leave. A sudden pang went through her heart, and she lowered her trembling form to a terrified crouch, coming to finally accept the fate she had brought upon herself.

This was where her journey would end.