Warriors Short Stories

Three ~ Your Life Starts Now

Cocoa stretched in a patch of Winter sun, her light-brown-and-white tail flicking lazily. "Hey Cocoa!" A voice rang from about, a teasing voice, warm and full of humor.

"What do you want, River?" She called, opening one of her lemon-yellow eyes. River leaped down from the fence, muscles concealed beneath his silver pelt.

"You look cosy. Can I join you?" He asked, a sparkle in his eye. Cocoa sighed. "I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Nope!" River laughed, and winked at her. "Come on pretty kitty, move over!" She huffed and rolled over, making room for the big tabby tom.

"Are you happy now?" She asked, closing her eye. "No." He answered, all humor gone. "Frost's been hurting you again, hasn't he?" The astomosphere changed immediately. 

Cocoa fell silent. "Cocoa. Please, talk to me." Still silence. "Ok, just... know that I care. We all do." In the blink of an eye the she-cat was gone, over the fence and into the forest, leaving River staring after her.

~

Cocoa didn't ask for any of this. She didn't ask to live with an abusive cat, she didn't ask for everyone's pity, she didn't ask for everyone to always want to know if she's okay. And she didn't ask for River to love her.

Of course, it wasn't his fault, it's just... sometimes she wished she could leave and never return. 

She scrambled up the Tree Den and located the big hole, crawled into it, and curled up for the night. 

~

When Cocoa awoke, she immediately sensed she was not alone. These suspicions were confirmed when she looked to her right. Somehow the sight of the sleeping cat calmed her other than alarmed her, and it's rumbling purrs soothed her back to sleep.

~

A cool touch on her cheek. Whiskers brushing against her face. A whisper in her ear. Cocoa cracked open her eyes to see the bright green eyes of a very familiar silver tabby looming above her.

"River." She murmured, a slight hint of annoyance in her voice.

"Sorry for waking you. You were crying out in your sleep." The tom's eyes were full of concern as she shivered. "It was... just a bad dream." She meowed, trying not to remember the blood that flowed from her pelt.

It was then that she noticed a long scratch running down River's pelt. "River!" She gasped, 
Springing to her paws. "What happened?!"

"Nothing!" He quickly turned so she couldn't see. "I'm fine!"

"Let me see!" She growled, narrowing her eyes. He refused. She pinned him to the ground and examined the scratch, concerned. "You didn't..." She gasped. 

"You couldn't have! He... how dare he!" Cocoa climbed down the tree as fast as she could and ran back towards the village, River following not far behind. 

~

"Look who's back." The white tom spat, hearing the tiny door open and the bell on her collar jingle.

He turned to see a furious Cocoa. "Want another scar, then, Cocoa?" He taunted, unsheathing his claws.

"Not this time, Frost!" She hissed, and sprang at the tom.

River squeezed through the tiny door to see the light-brown and white she-cat pinned to the ground, and a fresh long scratch running down Frost's face. "Why, look who's back for another round." Frost chuckled.

"No, River!" Cocoa cried.

But River could not be stopped.

Frost got off Cocoa and slunk towards the silver-furred tom, growling. River stood still. Frost got closer. River stayed where he was. Frost leaped.

River dodged the attack, and sprang at Frost, sinking his teeth into his pelt and throwing him across the room. He sensed Cocoa by his side. "That's enough. Let's go." She murmured gently.

The two cats ran.

~

"I've heard rumors that there's big groups of cats living in the wild on the other side of the mountains." River told her.

"We can make it in a few days if we leave now. You know how to hunt, I know how to fight. We'll survive." He touched his nose to her ear.

"What about Flower, and Mistletoe, and Jingle, and Raven?" Cocoa buried her face in his fur. "They'll wonder what happened to us. And I'll miss them..."

"I'll get Pine to tell them. His den is near the mountains. Cocoa, are you alright?" River's heartbeat sped up as he realised what she was doing.

"No. What are we doing? We don't know for sure if there are even cats on the other side of the mountains, and we're leaving everything we have behind to find them." Cocoa pointed out, her voice muffled by his long fur.  "And why are you even coming with me? All I've done is hurt you."

"I love you, Cocoa. You haven't ever hurt me. Deep down, I know there's something you're hiding..." River breathed in reply. 

Cocoa pulled back and looked at him. "You're right. I'm definitely hiding something, even from myself. And it looks like you've figured it out before I have." A small smile appeared on her face.

River's heartbeat quickened as she leaned against him and buried her face in his fur for the second time, taking in his comforting scent. "I love you, River."

~

"Are you ready?" River called. Cocoa sighed and nodded. She gazed up at the mountains. "We're really going to get past those things?" She breathed.

River touched his cool nose to her light brown ear. "We can do it... pretty kitty." He smirked as she rolled her eyes at the old nickname.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes."

She took a deep breath and stepped forward. 

Come on, Cocoa! She thought.

Your life starts now