Falling Sky

Chapter 4

SilverShade looked anxiously at the sky, the half moon glowed ominously. "See you in the morning Shark."

"Where are you going?" Asked Shark, looking up from her meal of dove. Her greens eyes glowed palely in the moonlight.

"To... hunt," SilverShade mewed, looking at SharkTooth.

Big mistake! SharkTooth could see right through her lies. "You're going to meet someone, aren't you?!" SharkTooth gasped mockingly. SilverShade felt fear burn her chest for a split second. "You're going to meet that black and white tom!"

"Bye Shark!" SilverShade said pointedly, going in a zig zagging route, plunging into the river and swimming smoothly across instead of taking the log. She shook her pelt quickly before pelting off to Dust's killing place. To her relief, the kit wasn't there, but Hawk was. His sturdy form was silhouetted in the darkness, he turned to her, a dangerous smile playing on his face."Ah, my favorite child," he purred.

"I'm your only child." SilverShade pointed out, sitting down a little distance away. She felt her blood turn cold as she caught the glimpse of shining eyes just within the tree line.

"Hmmm? See my friends do you?" Hawk purred, his blue eyes flashed as he smiled psychotically. "I think I'll... introduce you."

"Sash!" He called. A pale tabby padded forward her eyes narrowed with caution. "This is SilverShade, the new member to our... group."

"Has she proved herself?" A voice growled from the tree line. "Have her prove herself against me! I could easily take that shabby she-cat on!" Another voice hooted.

"Hear that, dear? You ready to become one of us?" Hawk asked his teeth glinting. "Get back to your post Sash."

"Get over here then, Flec!" Hawk hollered, stepping out of the way as she spotted a dark gray tom, his legs were littered with darker spots. He looked about the same age as SilverShade, but his amber eyes held a handsome glint.

"Ready to dance girl? Look's like you've barely left your mother's side," he said, grinning challengingly.

"Well at least I have life," she growled, launching herself at him before she finished her sentence, one of her surprise techniques. Her claws raked the side of his face, and she kicked him off before he could rip open her stomach. She jumped back as Flec snapped at her tail, he missed, but tripped her with one paw. She bared her teeth as he placed one paw on the small of her back, the other on the ground beside her cheek.

"Can't get me now huh?" He purred into her ear, just as she swished like a fish and sank her teeth into his paw, pulling him down beside her. He screeched, his claw tearing open the fur of her nose. She flipped onto him, her nose touching his for a heart racing moment but she shot off him.

SilverShade lay on her back, her soft stomach exposed. Flec circled her, gazing at her as he leapt at her. She kicked him off, sending him flying a good few feet away. He snarled in shock, sitting up. SilverShade copied him. They circled each other, occasionally hitting each other with a long-clawed paw. She stopped for a second, and, like she hoped, he stopped too, just as he did, she leapt on his shoulders, digging her claws into her spine and holding onto his ear for balance. He snarled, bucking rapidly in an attempt to throw her off.

She dug her teeth into his scruff as he shoved her off, but her hold remained and he fell to his side. SilverShade nimbly jumped to her feet, putting her paws around his eyes. "I could take them out of your head in a heartbeat." She snarled, he whimpered. She removed her paws, stepping back as he got to his paws. Both Flec and Hawk showed looks of confusion, though Flec's gaze held a hint of gratitude.

"Again," SilverShade said, dipping her head, welcoming him to attack first. He watched her warily, then, looked at Hawk before leaping at her. She dodged, her claws raking his side. Flec lay on his stomach, trying to catch his breath as SilverShade leapt at him, putting a paw on the handsome tom's throat.

"I win." She smiled.

"Finish him," growled Hawk. "You could do it easily."

"I could–but I won't he's clearly beaten, had it been a real battle, I would have." The forest went silent as SilverShade challenged their leader, "You don't want to lose your cats just to replace them?"

Hawk growled, but said nothing. He grabbed her by the scruff, ignoring her yelp of pain, dragging her over to a rock. "Don't do that." He growled once he had released her and they were out of sight of the other cats.

SilverShade dipped her head. "I won't, I apologize, I just didn't see the point of killing a perfectly good soldier."

Hawk nodded, it could be better that way, he thought then turned to her, her blue eyes searching his dangerously. "If anyone asks, you begged for you life just now," he growled stalking back.

"SilverShade will join us–despite her great disrespect." He added. SilverShade quickly reopened the the scratch on her nose she got from her brief fight with Flec. She bowed her head, slinking up behind Hawk. She raised her head with unexpected pride, and a single cheer shot through the air as a black and white tom stepped out of the forest.