The Forest's Shadows: #1 The Runaway

Chapter 16

Cliff woke up the next morning. He laid in his nest for awhile. Snow, Spots, and Mouse were already awake and talking to each other. Cliff closed his eyes and then opened them again. He then finally got up and stretched. The light brown tom ambled over to the prey pile. There was a thrush, several mice, two squirrels, and one small rabbit. The small tom grabbed two mice by their tails. Cliff took his prey back to his nest. He gobbled down his first mouse, and when he was about to eat his second mouse, Ash came right beside him and sat down. Our of his corner of his eyes, Cliff looked at Ash. He still seem to be distracted.

Cliff didn't feel hungry anymore. He sat up and pushed his other mouse to Ash's paws. "Uh.. Do you want the mouse?" Cliff asked nervously.

Ash looked at him, then the gray rodent. "Sure, I guess," Ash replied. He ripped the mouse and ate it. The gray-striped tom sat up again and pushed the bones away. Cliff eyes widen. He had eaten the mouse really quick!

Cliff awkwardly looked away from Ash. The brown-and-white tom didn't know what to say to his friend anymore.

Ash didn't look at Cliff. While he looked away, he smirked. He was about to laugh, so before he did, he pushed Cliff over with his fore paw and then laughed. Ash laughed like crazy. Cliff looked at Ash. He was clearly surprised of what just had happened. The short tom got back up and looked at the dark gray tom is confusion. "What's so funny?" Cliff asked.

Ash took some deep breaths to stop laughing. "Y-you thought th-that I was mad at you!" Ash laughed. "I'm not mad at you! Sure my back is sore, but that doesn't mean we still can't be friends." Cliff sighed with relief.

"Thank the Stars!" Cliff meowed. "I thought you were!"

Night on some hay rolls and yowled, "Everyone! Listen up!" Spots woke up Cloud and Mouse. Splash and Flame sat down near the hay. Snow carried Bird and then placed her down in front of her. The rest came and gathered.

"So I have talked this out with Snow, Dust, and Spots," the dark gray tabby began. "Tomorrow morning we will be leaving." Ash opened his mouth but Night spoke again. "Just Snow, Dust, Bird, and I will go. We promise to come back of we need help or if we wanted to visit."

The other cats nodded. Cliff frowned. They were leaving. Wait, Cliff thought. Does Ash want to leave this place and continue our travels?

The cats were separating to their own little groups. Cliff looked at Ash.

"So," Cliff said. "Are we gonna leave this place sometime?"

Ash sighed. "What do you want to do?"

"Stay here. It's been nice staying here, and if Night were to come back, we would want to be here when he does come back."

Ash nodded. "That's what I feel."

Cliff started to clean himself. "I'll go hunting soon," the brown tom said. He stopped grooming himself and coughed up a hairball. "You wanna come?"

Ash thought for a second. "I would but you know, my back is sore, anddd yeah."

"Oh right," Cliff chuckled. He went to Mouse. The gray tabby she-cat was playing with Cloud.  Cloud playfully leaped at Mouse, which made them both rolling all over the floor. The blue she-cat slapped her opponent's cheek with her fore paw. Mouse pulled away from her and shook her head. The light gray tabby then saw Cliff.

"Oh hi Cliff!" she mewed. The she-cat came up to Cliff. Cloud came besides her.

"Hi," Cliff greeted back. "Wanna come hunting with me?"

"Sure!"

"Can I come?" Cloud asked. Cliff nodded.

"Let's see..." Cliff looked around for one more cat to bring. He would pick...

Dust.

Cliff went up to the brown and white tom. "Hey Dust!"

Dust turned around. "Oh hey Cliff!"

"Wanna come hunting with us?" Cliff nodded towards Cloud and Mouse.

"Sure!"

Cliff lead the three cats out and went into the forest. 

I really didn't know what to put.