Prophecy
Clamor rose among the Clan. The kits were aimlessly circling around the adult cats, not knowing what to do. Hussar's commanding voice rose above the rest."Quiet! Everycat quiet!" he yowled. Jingo blinked thankfully and stepped up on a small mound of dirt to address the cats. "I'm sure there is no need to panic," she meowed in a soothing voice. Jingo beckoned Fritz to come forward with a flick of her tail.
"Fritz, would you please explain what happened?" Jingo hopped down as Fritz took her place on the mound. His face was flushed, embarrassment finally taking its course.
"I-I had a dream," he began, stuttering. Jingo raised her tail for quiet as the cats started murmuring again.
"I had a dream that I had tripped over a root and fallen into a gorge. My-My grip was slipping when a tortoiseshell cat that smelled like the forest came and grabbed my scruff. She pulled me back over the edge, but when I turned around she was done. I continued my walk over the forest, when I saw that in the sky a star burst into flame. It slowly became bigger and bigger until it touched the ground and e-exploded. Then I saw a sparkly orange cat standing in its place. He smelled like the she-cat I saw earlier. He told me, "Many perils and trials you and your friends face ahead. It will be hard and treacherous times, but you will survive." I was confused but v-very happy, because he told me we'll live! But..." Fritz paused, and everycat shuffled nervously. "H-His eyes suddenly turned w-white, and he spoke in a really spooky voice. I... I think it was a prophecy." Several cats gasped.
"Continue please Fritz," Jingo probed. Fritz nodded and shifted from paw to paw.
"He said something like, "Beware of the wild, with merciless and cold hands. To live you must follow the ways of the Clans..." I-I asked him what he meant, but he melted into thin air." He paused. "Now that I think about it, it seems pretty clear..." He jumped down from the mound, deep in thought. The cats were in a dead silence.
A curious bird hopped down to a lower branch of its tree, cocking its head to look at them. Astra was the first to break the silence, leaping up and swatting at the branch in an attempt to bring down the bird. Her claw snagged on a leaf, catapulting the bird into the air as the branch lept up from Astra's grasp. It squaked in surprise and took off into the forest. Speckle smiled meekly at drew her tail between Astra's ears. Astra purred and bounded away to her littermates, tackling them. Everycat stared longingly at kits as the played, wishing for their carefreeness. Jingo cleared her throat and called for the cats' attention.
"I'm sure there is no need to worry. Fritz," she called, addressing the ginger tom. "Is there any particular reason why you're so convinced that this dream means something?" Fritz's eyes clouded with regret and uncertainty. "It... It just seemed so real..." he murmured, barely audible. Jingo sighed. "I'm sure there is no need to worry," she repeated. She turned around and to face the cluster of cats. "It is late into the morning and we are all hungry." Everycat chuckled as Frisk's belly grumbled loudly. Jingo blinked pointedly and continued. "We need fresh-kill. Pod and I will go hunting. Hussar, Fritz, and Speckle with her kits will stay in this clearing. Yowl if there is trouble; we shouldn't be too far off from here." The cats separated, Pod limping up to Jingo. Hussar was about to leave when Jingo beckoned him with a flick of her tail. They padded a few paces away.
"You understand why I left you here? Fritz is in no condition to protect all four kits and Speckle if something happens. Even though Pod's limping might interfere with his hunting, it's better if you stay here. I'm sure Pod's leg won't be that much of a problem." Hussar snorted. "Unless he decides to catch a rabbit," he retorted jokingly. Jingo butted her head into Hussar's side teasingly and went back to Pod.
"Take it easy," she told him, angling her ears to his injured foot. Pod twitched his tail and stalked off into the undergrowth, clearly annoyed at Jingo's comment. Jingo halfheartedly bounded after him.
Pod had clearly been sprinting, to Jingo's dismay. She followed his scent trail through the bushes, which led her to a clump of flattened brambles. Crimson blood splatters covered several of the thorns, as if a cat had stepped on them and proceeded to shake them violently of of their paws. Jingo quickened her pace until she was running through the forest at full speed, dodging precarious obstacles while trying to keep Pod's scent trail ahead of her. Without warning, a Twoleg fence loomed above her. Jingo skidded to a halt, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake. She inspected the smooth wood and found red streaks at the tip of one of the planks. Clawing her way over, she saw a small Twoleg garden stretching out in front of her. Amidst a bed of flowers lay Pod, his flanks heaving with effort and leg twisted at an awkward angle.
"Pod!" Jingo exclaimed, bouncing off the fence. She hurried over to his side and inspected his twisted foot with gentle paws.
"I told you to take it easy!" she muttered almost to herself. Pod's only reply was a groan as he rolled onto his back, revealing his soft belly with a small but profusely bleeding gash on it. Jingo gasped, and after a moments hesitation started licking the wound furiously, trying to lap away the blood. Pod moaned in pain, and jerked slightly with Jingo's every lick. He raised his head and tried to say something to her, but she put a paw to his mouth.
"Hush. Everything will be okay," she murmured soothingly. But would it?
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