Forest's Fate

Chapter 28

        The next day, I see Ash alone by the East Tunnel with his back faced to me. To my relief, he is standing and overall looking much better than yesterday.

I'm not sure why I didn't notice this before, but there are voices quietly speaking behind me.

"Which rebel group are you going for first?"

"Not sure. I'm torn between the Army and the Shadows. We will ask the leader of whichever group we find first."

"I hope you're not just planning on going there all by yourself."

"Oh, don't worry, I already have everything all planned out. Why don't you go back to patrolling the East Tunnel?"

". . . Alright."

I spin around when a cat I don't recognize walks past me. Rain is standing, watching the cat go with amused eyes. She flicks her tail and shakes her head at me. "Too many frightened cats around here. I've been getting pestered all day with the same questions."

        "Ice arrived a moment ago with a warning."

        My head snaps toward the source of the alarming sentence. Ash is next to me, his amber eyes surprisingly calm as he stares at Rain. Now that all three of us are at our full heights, I can see how tall Ash is. He dwarfs both Rain and me.

        "What did he say?" I ask.

        Ash tilts his head toward the sky as if he were reciting something. "It was mostly personal and had little to do with the war. He wasn't here for long because the other rebels noticed him and drove him out. However, by what he said, the Earth-Superior army is recovering quickly because of the new cats from Earth. I am assuming that an invasion will be coming."

        "That means we have to act fast," Rain says, her ears tilting downward at the news. "There are still a number of injured cats that we're keeping in the West Tunnel."

        "I am aware of that."

        "If you don't mind me asking, though, what was the personal stuff all about?"

        Ash removes his gaze from the sky and glances at both Rain and me. His posture stiffens as his eyes meet mine for a split second. I give him a strange look. Why is Ash suddenly acting so strange?

        He looks back at Rain. In a lower voice than usual, he replies, "It was about Leaf. He was trying to lure me back to the Superior side."

        Ash's curt reply doesn't help me with my confusion at all. Who is Leaf? I go back in my memory, trying to remember if I had met someone in Gardinia named Leaf yet.

        Rain gives him a look of sympathy. "Oh, I understand. At least you're not listening to him."

        Ash nods. His muscles relax as if he just released a huge weight from his shoulders. "Yes. Ice's arguments are useless."

Both cats peer over at me.

Tilting my head at them, I meow, "Who's Leaf? . . . Sorry." I awkwardly add the last part, since my question sounds abrupt.

"No, it's fine!" Rain purrs, nudging my leg with her paw. "I'm surprised you didn't ask earlier, since you're usually quite nosy."

"What, nosy?" I stammer. "Never!"

Rain sticks her nose so close to my face that her white whiskers brush mine. "Uh, yes you are! You always ask questions."

"No, I don't!"