High Speed Winds

Chapter 8

"They just haven't noticed that a clanmate is gone?"She meowed, her green eyes narrowing.

"I- ..." The clan leader began, but then sat down heavily with a sigh, and meowed softly, "He was always an outsider, but he was like a son to me."

This must be what Troutfoot felt like. Panicscar's stomach clenched with sympathy for the tom, so she moved aside.

Curlstar squeezed past her.

Panicscar followed the leader warily, her blood-stained paws dragging the ground.

By the time that Panicscar was out of the leader's den, Curlstar was on top of the Tall Rock.

"All cats able to catch prey gather beneath the Tall Rock!" His worried yowl brought the clan together.

"Panicscar has informed me that Shardfang has disappeared! He was taken by Barkpelt. We must save him!" He meowed to the fathers clan.

In the back of the crowd, Opalstorm cried out, "I will gladly lead a patrol!" Scarletpelt, who was in a state of distress, agreed with a slight nod. Hailstorm stepped up and nodded as well.

Panicscar glanced up, her green gaze brimming with happiness.

Perhaps Shardfang does find happiness here...

Curlstar nodded towards the three, and asked, "Are there any more volunteers?"

"I will go!" Panicscar looked up at the tom.

Across the clearing, Panicscar saw Mistletoepaw gaze at her with awe.

Curlstar nodded with respect to Panicscar, who wasn't even a member of their clan.

"Whirlfur, you are in charge of the camp."

The gray pelted she-cat nodded at her leader, and went off to do her duties as deputy.

Curlstar leapt down from the rock.

"Hailstorm, Panicscar, Scarletpelt, and Opalstorm! Come with me." Curlstar called to the cats.

***********

"Last I saw Shardfang, he was unconscious." Panicscar explained, the story spilling out of her.

Curlstar mumbled, "Lemme, guess. Holly."

Panicscar gave a slight nod of her head.

The scarred she-cat glanced at the rest of the patrol, and saw Scarletpelt's eyes widen with surprise.

"They went this way." She swerved, cutting off the rest of the patrol. Panicscar followed the red she-cat, her curiosity bubbling inside of her. She could feel Curlstar's hot breath on her tail as they padded deeper into the forest.

"I-it stops here." The cats stopped at a deep cave, many scents tingling Panicscar's nose.

Panicscar pressed her nose to the cold, wet soil, and the tang of holly burned her nose.

"Shardfang is, or was here." She mewed quietly.

***********

The black that had swarmed his vision for so long began to fade, and Shardfang opened his eyes for a brief moment. He blinked, his mind wary and he was unaware of what was going on.

He didn't move from his position lying on his side on the cold stone floor, but from the texture of his surroundings, the black cat could tell that he was in a cave, and adding onto that, a dark one. Cats moved around him silently, but a small white she-cat sat in front of him.

Who is she?

The she-cat turned to look both ways, before lying down on her side in front him.

As her short fur brushed his paw, his muscles tensed.

Fear coursed through Shardfang, every hair on his pelt bristling with the thought of being seen awake. Fortunately, the she-cat only twitched her whiskers.

Shardfang relaxed, and looked at his surroundings again.

A large rock jutted from the cave walls, and a small opening was hidden by moss underneath it.

When Shardfang looked closer, he saw a familiar brown tom sitting on the jutting rock.

Barkpelt! He snarled inside of his mind.

As his kin turned to look in his direction, Shardfang quickly shut his eyes.

He heard the tom walk across the clearing towards them.

"Whiskers!" The tom spat loudly.

Shardfang felt the she-cat at his paws sit up abruptly.

Her tail-tip flicked restlessly on his paws, and Shardfang felt her tremble slightly.

"Yes, Barkpelt?" She meowed, her voice as though a claw had ran down her throat.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Shard?" Shardfang winced to be called Shard again.

I remember Blackflower calling me that. He let out a soft purr. 

Fear rippled through him. Did they hear me?

"Yes, Barkpelt." Whiskers whimpered.

"Why were you sleeping, then?" Shardfang heard him sneer.

"I-I was just resting my legs." She protested, and Shardfang felt her stand taller.

"We need him to get his siblings to help us. We can't have him escaping us."

Shardfang smirked as Barkpelt meowed his plan.

Shardfang stifled back a gasp of horror as he heard a sharp grunt come from Whiskers, followed by a loud thump.

Blood now tainted the air.

Shardfang heard a loud dragging sound in front of him, and Whiskers' scent seemed to fade away.

Shardfang's eyes fluttered open to see Barkpelt dragging Whiskers away from him.

Barkpelt's mouth was stained with her blood, and the ground behind her was smeared scarlet.

Shardfang couldn't help himself and let out a loud gasp.

Barkpelt dropped Whiskers, and his amber eyes flickered to Shardfang.

As the brown tom stepped towards him, Shardfang staggered to his paws weakly, avoiding the she-cat's blood.

The black tabby tom pressed himself against the cold cavern walls behind him as Barkpelt moved to stand in front of him.

"Hello, Shard." He meowed, his sour breath stirring his ear fluff.

"Shardfang." He muttered, and Barkpelt's ears twitched slightly. Shardfang flinched as Barkpelt unsheathed his claws.

"Gwen! Shell! Come here!" Barkpelt ordered.

A tortoiseshell she-cat and gray tom stepped beside Barkpelt, their eyes gleaming in the shadows.

What is he going to do now?