Shattered Ivy

Chapter 5

   Ivy shuffled her paws.
Where is he..?
   Distrust pricked at her pelt. She growled silently and paced around the tree trying to be patient.
   After several moments, Ivy glanced at Turtle. "I want to go look for Mech. Either something's happened to him....or he ..." She let it sink in. Turtle gasped. "But Mech is loyal! He wouldn't lie to us."
   Ivy shook her head hopelessly. She began to walk back towards the den. Her sister followed her.
   Ivy crouched low and stalked through the bushes and grass. She sniffed for any sign of Bloodbone cats. Her eyes widened as she smelt the salty tang of blood.
   Ivy turned to Turtle. "Wait in the bushes. I'll be right back. I don't want you to hurt your tail going through brambles again."
   But Ivy really didn't want her sister to see what she was about to see.
Some cats were fighting....there's a blood trail....
   Ivy gulped seeing blood spattered on the forest floor. She slowly crept towards the den. As she came to the entrance she froze.
   Two dead bodies lay at the entrance, their throats clawed out. Ivy whimpered and noticed that their scent was of a Bloodbone cat.
How did two Bloodbone cats die? Who killed them...
   Ivy shuttered.
What happened to Mech?
   She turned around suddenly, a shiver shot down her spine.
A low groan echoed in the trees. Ivy gasped quietly, her heart beating faster.
   She walked a few paw steps and noticed something underneath a bush.
   Ivy hissed in fear then recognized the one blue and one green eye gleaming in the shadows.
   "Mech?"
   Mech crawled out of the bush half way and wheezed. His eyes were closed and blood dripped from his jaws. Ivy stared in horror at Mech's state. A long gash ran along his stomach and one of his back legs looked badly bitten. Blood stained his pelt and Ivy spotted the Bloodbones' fur caught in his claws.
   "What happened?" She asked hesitantly.
   Mech opened his eyes wearily. He struggled to stand up but Ivy quickly allowed him to lean of her shoulder. She clenched her teeth feeling his weight but she forced herself to push through to help him. Mech limped and favored his chewed leg.
   They began a steady walk back to the trees with Ivy glancing at Mech to see if he was ok.
   After several fox-lengths, Mech slumped to the ground. Ivy drew in a deep breath, her shoulder aching.
   She looked around desperately for moss. She rushed to a nearby tree and clawed off a few strips. She gripped it in her jaws and hurried back to Mech.
The she-cat stared at his stomach where blood was still spilling out. "Uh.."
Ivy tour the moss in clumps and pushed it to his bloody stomach. Ivy whimpered not knowing what else to do.
Turtle poked her head out of the bushes. "What happened?" She stared at Mech's body. "Oh nooooo!"She lurched forward and laid next to Mech.
Ivy got a sudden idea and looked around the forest for cobwebs. "Turtle hold the moss in place please. I'm going to fetch cobwebs."
Turtle nodded slightly and put her paws on the moss against his belly.
   Ivy spotted a log at the edge of her sight and sprinted towards it. She came to a halt and peered inside the log. Sure enough, some spider had thought it was a great home. She reached her paw in, hoping no spiders were there and pulled cobwebs out.
   She moved her black paw in a circular motion to wrap the cobwebs around it. Once Ivy thought she had enough she padded back to Mech careful not to let the cobwebs touch and stick to the ground.
   She slowly placed on the cobwebs around the moss. She wrinkled her nose frustrated as the cobwebs stuck to her.
   Turtle purred. "You need help?"
   Ivy smiled and nodded.
   Turtle took some of the cobwebs from her and stuck them to Mech and over the moss. The moss had quickly soaked with blood but the cobwebs held tight. Ivy and Turtle held the cobwebs so they would stick. Already the blood flow had slowed to a trickle.
   Is that good, or has he lost too much blood...
   Ivy thought worriedly.
   Mech's eyes opened half way but much more conscious. "Thank you."
   Ivy smiled. "Can you tell us what happened?"
   Mech sighed and lifted his head up. " As I went to see if your mother was there, there were two Bloodbones. You probably saw their bodies."
   Ivy nodded her eyes wide.
   "Well it turned out there were four. It looked like they were keeping your mother prisoner in her own den. I had seen only two then. The others must have been hunting because I surprise attacked the two by the entrance."
   Mech licked his paw in pride. "I easily killed them with only a few scratches and one had managed to bite my leg."
   He moved his back leg slowly as if it pained him. "I thought the fight was over and I was about to go in the den to get your mother when two Bloodbones leaped on me from behind."
   "I was outnumbered but with two already dead I thought I could do it. My bitten leg slowed me down and when I was unbalanced...one did this to me.." he glanced at his stomach. "One stayed behind to finish me off and the other took your mother to their camp."
   Turtle stared shocked. "But they didn't finish you..."
   "H-he...umm....he thought I was dead and left me alone." Mech stuttered.
   Ivy narrowed her eyes sensing he was lying.
   Why would he lie when he is badly hurt? We were the ones that healed him. Maybe I should ask him now that his can't attack us.
   Ivy couldn't help thinking.
   "What really happened?" She asked.
   Mech stared at her. "W-what do you mean?"
      "They didn't finish you off because you are one of them?" Ivy implied a little too aggressively.
   Mech shook his head quickly. "No I already said I was with the Rebellion. How could you think that after I helped you."
   "Well we just helped you so we are even." Ivy meowed lashing her tail. Turtle stood by her sister's side. "I thought we were friends." She muttered sadly.
   Mech sighed and looked at his paws in front of him. "He didn't kill me because....he thinks I would make a great Bloodbone cat and he wanted to recruit me. I....had to make a deal."
   "What deal?" Ivy hissed already guessing what it was.
   "He said he would let me live....if I bring him your mother's kits...which would be you."

(Finally done with five chapters XD comment what you think so far. Lol sorry for the cliffhangers)