A Change in Life

Chapter 3

    Lily plopped down onto the soft, moss covered floor. They had traveled all day and night was setting in already. Coldness nipped at her fur. She shivered and Max pressed himself against her. "It'll be better soon. Once this cold weather passes." He whispered to her. Lily could only muster a small nod in reply. "We should make a nest for the night. We can try hunting tomorrow." He said, leaning down to sniff at the moss beneath their paws. He scraped some of it together and grabbed some leaves. He laid them on top of the moss and curled up in the small nest. Lily sighed and laid down beside him, curling her tail over her paws. Soft snores echoed through the forest. The sounds of the night scared her. An owl screeched far away. A fox barked somewhere nearby, causing Lily to flinch. Max grunted and fell back into a deep sleep. Lily shivered and fluffed our her fur. She tried to sleep, but she couldn't. A cold breeze whisked her fur. She narrowed her eyes against the cold air. Her eyes were watering. She rested her head on her paws and finally drifted into a restless sleep.

    Lily woke to a paw nudging her in the side. She jumped to her paws and glanced around. Her gaze met Max's and she relaxed. He stepped closer to her so that their pelts were brushing. "We should hunt soon." He sighed. Lily nodded. Before either of them could move, a twig snapped nearby. Lily looked around anxiously, searching for the creature that had made the noise. Suddenly, bushes trembled at the edge of the clearing and a small pale gray tabby tom stepped out of hiding. His fur was standing on end and his teeth were bared. His blue eyes flashed with rage and hate. Lily stepped back, surprised by the stranger's anger. They didn't even know this tom! "What are you doing here?" The tom snarled, stepping closer. Max padded forward to meet him, making an effort to keep his fur flat. He dipped his head to the pale gray tom and swished his tail calmly. "We wanted a change from our old life. So we came into the forest." He explained. The tom's tail tip twitched irritably. "What's your name?" Max continued, clearly trying to be friendly. The pale tabby met Max's gaze, then Lily's. "I'm Cloud." He replied. Max nodded and flicked his tail towards Lily. "That's Lily and I'm Max." He said. Cloud dipped his head, his fur beginning to lie flat. Max glanced around cautiously. "Is there any more cats around here?" He asked Cloud. The tom nodded slowly. "A few cats live in the forest. We all get along and share the resources here. But sometimes we don't get along easily. And there's many dangers out here in the forest. Foxes, badgers, dogs that strayed from their yards. Human traps, sickness, rival cats. Many dangerous situations. But we usually help each other out." Cloud explained. His blue eyes were gleaming. Lily padded forward to stand at Max's side. All of a sudden, Cloud darted away. He disappeared among the trees at the far side of the clearing. A commotion broke out in a clump of bushes and trees until it all ended in a small squeal that was cut off abruptly. Then, Cloud reappeared, a small gray body dangling from his jaws. He dropped it at Lily's paws. He met her gaze. "This is a squirrel. You can usually find them in the forest, especially where there's lots of trees." He told her. He pushed the dead animal closer with a paw. "Try it." He encouraged her gently. Lily leaned forward and sniffed at the prey. It's pelt was bushy and soft, smelling of leaves and wood. She took a small bite of it and chewed slowly, savoring the juices that flowed into her mouth. It tasted meaty and leafy. It was actually good! Better than the pebbles her people had fed her. She gulped it down and took one more bite before pushing it over to Max. "Try some. It's actually pretty good!" She exclaimed as she swallowed. Max took a bite and chewed it, looking thoughtful for a few seconds. He swallowed the mouthful and looked at Lily. His eyes were shining eagerly as he leaned down and took another bite of the squirrel. "It's amazing!" He yelped. Cloud purred and took a bite himself. They all shared the prey, finishing the small amount of meat on the squirrel. Lily flicked her tongue over her muzzle, making sure to get every last morsel. Max cleaned his whiskers and stood up to stretch. He turned to Cloud. "Could you teach us how to hunt? We might need to learn a few battle moves too, just in case." He said. Cloud nodded and jumped up. "Sure! We can start training tomorrow. For now, we need to get you settled in to the forest." He explained. Lily and Max nodded.