Tiny's Last Chance

Chapter 4

Shadow woke to the familiar voice of his mother. Excitedly, he lept to his paws, about to race over to her. Then he remembered. He sat back down, feeling nothing for Mint anymore. He watched as Mint lept down from the window and padded over to the spot he had been when she told him to sleep the night before. She seemed to look at nothing for a few seconds before looking down at the patch of grass. She gave a yowl of horror. To Shadow's surprise, this pleased him. He was happy to see that she regretted leaving him out there, it was a feeling he never had before. He knew it was time to leave when he saw her sniffing at the blood trail that led right to him. She will be surprised when she comes over here. He thought.

"Not coming back, Shadow. Never coming back." he murmured to himself. He stretched his paws only to  give a tiny hiss of pain as his back leg hurt again. He looked over to it and saw that the blood had dried where there was now a scar.

"Yea, a scar to remind me why I'm not coming back." He was talking to himself again. Not even bothering to clean his fur of the blood that was caked on, he slipped quietly out of the bush and found himself running as fast as he could into the forest, which was 5 kitten-steps away. As he arrived, he noticed his mother still following the blood-trail-and his scent! He had to get away, far away! Shadow raced into the forest and along the fence of the neighbors. He was surprised not to make any sound, but relieved his mom haden't heard him. He would never see Sugar again. Then he stopped. He would never see Swirl again, the only litter mate who understood him. He shook the thought away.

"If she wanted to come with me, she should have talk Mint she wanted to stay with me last night. It's too late now." he hissed, not bothering to keep quiet. Suddenly something rustled in the forest. A shape lept out and stood in front of him. It was a large gray tom with a black muzzle, black paws, and a black stripped tail. He crouched down into a fighting position.

"What are you doing in Shadowclan territory?" he hissed. (LET ME NOTE!!! I decided that Shadow's home is in the twolegplace next to the NEW forest, so after the great journey.)

"I - I" Shadow started.

"And what is that is that horrible stench? Wait- is that blood?" A flash of fear went through the tom's eyes, but it lasted only a heart-beat.

"What is your name, little one. And why are you here?" The tom growled.

"My name?" Shadow asked. Should he tell this stranger his name?

"Yes. Tell me, now!!!!" The tom was about to leap on him. Shadow could tell he would be torn apart. He thought quickly.

"Do you really want to fight me?" Shadow flashed back at him. The tom gave a laugh.

"Am I supposed to be scared?" The tom asked, his eyes piercing through him. Shadow forced himself to stand up straight.

"Any other cat would be scared," he meowed, surprised at how calm his voice was.

"And why would that be?" The tom wasn't convinced.

"Well, you see this blood and you smell fox, and probably the faint smell of death?" Shadow hinted, knowing that the death part wasn't true but how could anyone tell? Foxes smelled horrible anyways.

"Wait... are you telling me.... you killed a fox?" the tom was a bit taken aback. He couldn't help but show in his eyes a hint of fear.

"Good job you figured it out. Now unless you want me to kill you too, I suggest you go running home to your group and tell them never to come near me again." He unsheathed his claws and raised them in the air. They where also stained with blood. The tom glared at him and Shadow lurched forward as if to attack. The tom gave a yowl and ran back into the forest. Shadow sheathed his claws. He was startled as another noise sounded behind him. Not again? He almost meowed out loud. But this time a plump white she-cat and a plump brown tabby tom lept up on the fence. When Shadow looked at them, he noticed they weren'y cats at all! They where kittens like him!

"That was very brave of you!" the white she-cat meowed. Her voice had an accent that Shadow had never heard before.

"Yes, it was! That same tom is always coming to just this part of the territory just to make sure we don't set a paw in the forest. Now someone-a kit showed him off!" the tom agreed, leaping down from the fence.

"I'm Wind, and this is Acorn." The white she-cat mewed, leaping down to join her brother.

"I'm Shadow. Nice to meet you." Shadow replied. These two kits could be enjoyable to be around. Though they where bigger than him, they seemed to worship him at the moment.

"Where are you going?" Wind asked, padding up to sit next to him.

"Oh, well, I left my housefolk because..." he thought hard.

"Because I kill all the foxes that come into the yard that he likes to watch." he finished.

"Wow! You must be brave!"  Acorn sighed.

"The foxes that always come into our yards like to chase us around!" Wind's eyes where wide with fear.

"Well, you could come with me. Where I'm going, no cat will ever go hungry and we will fight off all the enemies and dangers we see!" Shadow realized it would be fun to be with these two cats.

"Our twolegs would be so worried though!" Acorn was reluctant.

"Twolegs?" Shadow asked.

"We heard you call them housefolk, we just prefer twolegs. It's such a funny word!" Wind explained. Shadow nodded in understanding.

"I think we should go, Acorn!" Wind pleaded.

"What if this cat can't fight off the next danger?" Acorn's eyes where wide.

"We have to trust him! He got rid of that Shadowclan cat, and if we don't come he's sure to come back! I'm going, I hope you will too." Wind stood up next to Shadow. Acorn hesitated, then nodded.

"Sure, I'll come with you. I would never leave you, sister." He padded up to Wind and gave her a friendly nudge. Shadow almost had a pang of regret. Would he ever be like that to Swirl again? Once again, he pushed the thought away. If she wanted to be with me, she should have.

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Next chapter soon! I'll give you a hint. It is from Mint's point of view. Probably the only chapter with her point of view unless I change my mind. ;3