Chapter 2
The ally was lit poorly, but still visible enough to see that fool of a pigeon. Red's tail didn't twitch. His pelt didn't move. His body was completely still. Suddenly, he sprung off the dumpster just in time as the pigeon flew and he flipped his claws to catch onto the tail feathers.
The pigeon squawked in surprise as it hit the ground with Red.
"Oof!" Red gasped as the wind knocked out of him, but his claws still hung onto his prey as he gave a quick bite and the pigeon stopped moving.
It was four months since Sun, his mother's death. Food is scarce. You either hunt for food (extremely hard), steal food, or kill for food. He tried stealing, but he ended up getting bloodied each time. There was no way he would kill. Never. That left hunting, yes, it meant maybe starving for a couple of days, but it worked for him.
"It's my lucky day!" he whispered to himself. He looked 360 degrees around him, not seeing anyone to steal his food. Even better, it was a plump bird, too.
Right when he was going to take a bite, a force threw him to the ground. Dropping his prey, the attacker picked up the pigeon and ran.
"NO!" Red hissed as he leapt to his feet and gave sprinted at the attacker. She flung herself into the next ally.
There was a screech, and Red raced after her. Her body was caught in barbed wire, and every time she struggled fur caught in the barbs.
Her fur was gray and white.
"Like my father's," Red turned away. Should he help?
Red started untangling the barbed wire. The she-cat's expression turned from rage to curiousness. The spitting and hissing stopped. "What are you doing?" she stared at Red. Her voice had a hint of sneer. "Why don't you just leave?!"
Fire rose in Red."Helping you!" he shot back with a snarl."I shouldn't even be helping you! That bird would give me food for two days! You should be grateful that I'm helping you! If I left you here, you would die! Now shut up!"
The she-cat's ears twitched, but she said nothing. Finally, Red was done, and started eating the pigeon that she had dropped.
She tilted her head. "Uh...thanks for helping..." she said awkwardly.
"Go away," Red stated coldly. The she-cat waved her tail in front of his face, blue eyes glowing. "Why are you so sad?" she meowed playfully.
Red stood up. "Maybe it's because both my mother and father was killed a couple of months ago?!" he hissed, hackles raised.
The she-cat's gaze softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Red sat back down. "It's okay...it's over. Nothing's going to bring them back."
"Well, my name's Glade, close friend of Ivy!"
Red's ears twitched."Huh? Who's that?"
Glade's mouth dropped. "You don't know who Ivy is?! He's the complete rival of Match!"
Memories of Sun's death flashed through his mind.
*FLASHBACK*
"Tide, you have no right to come into this ally," Sun said calmly. Tide bared his teeth. "I have every right. You know Riven pulled back to Pier 39. Why are you in the middle of Match's territory?"
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Red's hackles raised."That's him!"
Glade tilted her head."Who? Ivy? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"No! Match! Tell me everything you know about him!" Red hissed.
Glade shuffled her paws."Well, he's the leader of Axes, and a killer. But mostly he sends his second in command, Tide, to assassinate for him now. Some say it's for practice. Some say he volunteers. But so far, Ivy's growing old, so there are rumors going around that I'm going to be the next leader. I know it seems like I'm going off subject, but I'm not. Match is trying to assassinate everyone with Ivy's blood, hoping that no one with experience will take over Riven. Ivy's been training me. Hey...you want to come to Riven HQ with me? I was heading over there in the first place. You can meet Ivy!" Her eyes glowed.
Red stepped back. "Will I be welcome there?"
Glade walked past him. "Ivy's a big softy when it comes to cats who need refuge. Of course he'll let you in!"
Red nodded. "Fine. I'll come."
The ally was lit poorly, but still visible enough to see that fool of a pigeon. Red's tail didn't twitch. His pelt didn't move. His body was completely still. Suddenly, he sprung off the dumpster just in time as the pigeon flew and he flipped his claws to catch onto the tail feathers.
The pigeon squawked in surprise as it hit the ground with Red.
"Oof!" Red gasped as the wind knocked out of him, but his claws still hung onto his prey as he gave a quick bite and the pigeon stopped moving.
It was four months since Sun, his mother's death. Food is scarce. You either hunt for food (extremely hard), steal food, or kill for food. He tried stealing, but he ended up getting bloodied each time. There was no way he would kill. Never. That left hunting, yes, it meant maybe starving for a couple of days, but it worked for him.
"It's my lucky day!" he whispered to himself. He looked 360 degrees around him, not seeing anyone to steal his food. Even better, it was a plump bird, too.
Right when he was going to take a bite, a force threw him to the ground. Dropping his prey, the attacker picked up the pigeon and ran.
"NO!" Red hissed as he leapt to his feet and gave sprinted at the attacker. She flung herself into the next ally.
There was a screech, and Red raced after her. Her body was caught in barbed wire, and every time she struggled fur caught in the barbs.
Her fur was gray and white.
"Like my father's," Red turned away. Should he help?
Red started untangling the barbed wire. The she-cat's expression turned from rage to curiousness. The spitting and hissing stopped. "What are you doing?" she stared at Red. Her voice had a hint of sneer. "Why don't you just leave?!"
Fire rose in Red."Helping you!" he shot back with a snarl."I shouldn't even be helping you! That bird would give me food for two days! You should be grateful that I'm helping you! If I left you here, you would die! Now shut up!"
The she-cat's ears twitched, but she said nothing. Finally, Red was done, and started eating the pigeon that she had dropped.
She tilted her head. "Uh...thanks for helping..." she said awkwardly.
"Go away," Red stated coldly. The she-cat waved her tail in front of his face, blue eyes glowing. "Why are you so sad?" she meowed playfully.
Red stood up. "Maybe it's because both my mother and father was killed a couple of months ago?!" he hissed, hackles raised.
The she-cat's gaze softened. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Red sat back down. "It's okay...it's over. Nothing's going to bring them back."
"Well, my name's Glade, close friend of Ivy!"
Red's ears twitched."Huh? Who's that?"
Glade's mouth dropped. "You don't know who Ivy is?! He's the complete rival of Match!"
Memories of Sun's death flashed through his mind.
*FLASHBACK*
"Tide, you have no right to come into this ally," Sun said calmly. Tide bared his teeth. "I have every right. You know Riven pulled back to Pier 39. Why are you in the middle of Match's territory?"
*END OF FLASHBACK*
Red's hackles raised."That's him!"
Glade tilted her head."Who? Ivy? What are you talking about?" she asked.
"No! Match! Tell me everything you know about him!" Red hissed.
Glade shuffled her paws."Well, he's the leader of Axes, and a killer. But mostly he sends his second in command, Tide, to assassinate for him now. Some say it's for practice. Some say he volunteers. But so far, Ivy's growing old, so there are rumors going around that I'm going to be the next leader. I know it seems like I'm going off subject, but I'm not. Match is trying to assassinate everyone with Ivy's blood, hoping that no one with experience will take over Riven. Ivy's been training me. Hey...you want to come to Riven HQ with me? I was heading over there in the first place. You can meet Ivy!" Her eyes glowed.
Red stepped back. "Will I be welcome there?"
Glade walked past him. "Ivy's a big softy when it comes to cats who need refuge. Of course he'll let you in!"
Red nodded. "Fine. I'll come."
the stars reflection glittered briliantly on the lake. "hurry!" firestar said to his cats. they crossed the tree bridge and he ran up the great oak. "cats of all clans, i have a *cough cough cough* sorry I *gag cough* pleh!" A orange hairball flew out of his mouth and hit Onestar on the head, causing him to jump and knock the other leaders above him to fall off. the leaders all lost a life, but were ok. "it is an omen!!" jayfeather said."a fireball will destroy the stars! everyone leave the island!" as soon as the cats got off, a fireball fell from the sky and fell into the lake reflecting the stars. "see, i told you!" said jayfeather.