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Wild Cat: Chapter Ten: Quick Fix

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Chapter Ten:
Quick Fix
I took note of my Tribe mates leaving, even poor Luckpaw, who seemed to have liked my dear apprentice, though, Vinetail sent her on errands, what was she doing now? She thought she was being so sneaky, I could see her though.
"Lilyspirit, please, we have to move him to my den." Vinetail urged. I let a low growl, that spoke of my displeasure, and earned me a look from my Tribe mates, but what did it matter? They didn't realize how much I needed this apprentice; I am old, not as young as I used to be.
"Come on now!" I heard a voice snap at me, I whipped around to face them, ready to scold them for challenging me, but my fur lay flat when I saw it was Volejump.
"Come now, we both know how important he is to you, but it won't help when he's out there, it's going to rain, eventually." He gave a small smile, and with Vinetail's, Icepaw's, and my help, we gently moved him into Vinetail's den.
"Volejump!" I snapped when we were done, his ears twitch to signal they heard me, and he stood by my side, I led him to my den, but instead of following me like any other Tribe mate, diligently taking the place of my shadows, he followed at a leisurely pace, and entered the den slowly. "You're supposed to follow me, I'm very busy!" I huffed, he snorted rudely.
"Busy? You've sat around all day."
"I participated in the battle, and I was tending to my apprentice!" I spat.
"Really, I've heard Vinetail say, 'please move, can you sit over there, no, you're not helping, go do something else, be productive!' More times today than when Icepaw first became her apprentice."
"I wanted to ask you how important you think Waterpaw is to me." I narrowed my eyes.
"Very, because, let's face it, we're old, and I know you've lost more than one life, you're on your last, don't look at me like that, I'm your kin, we've know each other since birth, when you refused to open your eyes, you can't hide such an important part of your life! But it's also because of possession." His eyes glinted mischievously.
"Possession?" I screwed up my face in an untrusting manner.
"Possession, yes, because you, my darling sister, know those kits do not directly to you." He smiled.
"I never said they were my kits." I felt my fur grow hot, hoping he would change the subject from kits.
"No, but you claim they are directly of our Tribe." He looked confused, but shook it off, "You know as well as I that they belong to their mother, but thankfully, she wasn't too upset, giving you her only kits." He shrugged.
"Waterpush is a great friend of our Tribe, and we thank her greatly for giving us her kits, they have served our Tribe wonderfully." I said indignantly.
"They are serving the Tribe, if you haven't forgotten!" He lashed his tail angrily.
"Lilyspirit?" Whitenose poked his head into the den, his eyes wide, looking between the two of us, I sat down and let my fur lie flat.
"Yes, Whitenose?" I asked.
"Is Waterpaw going to be all right? He doesn't look much better." He sighed.
"He's fine." I smiled at my younger brother kindly. He looked doubtful, but nodded, and left, as he squeezed out of the den, Sweetmouth and Vinetail entered.
"Lilyspirit-"
"What are you doing?! You should be tending to Waterpaw!" I exclaimed, nearly swatting my friend away.
"We've come to discuss Waterpaw, Volejump, this is for Lead positions, and we don't need you and Rabbitcatch." Sweetmouth mewed for Vinetail.
"No, I'd like my brother's wisdom, he knows me better," I glanced at the newly arrived Rabbitcatch, his eyes angry and sleepy, "Rabbitcatch, go back to sleep, you've earned it." I mewed gently, he nodded, but I could hear him curse Sweetmouth for waking him. Fernpush made her way into the den, she was so quiet no cat heard her, but she easily weaved her way through the gathered cats to sit by my side. Behind her followed Jumpkick entered, having to duck and squeeze into the den, he settled beside Sweetmouth and Volejump.
"Lilyspirit, I have left Waterpaw in Icepaw's paws, I have given her strict orders that if anything beyond her control happens, she must come and get me immediately." Vinetail said dutifully.
I narrow my eyes but nod all the same.
"Okay," Sweetmouth begins, "I'm sorry to say, Lilyspirit, but, I am doubtful that poor Waterpaw will make it…" She started.
"No, he must, he's strong!" I snapped.
"Our father was strong, but black cough did him in all the same." Volejump hit me with brutal reality, and I lowered my head.
"But, you're young, are you not? You can easily wait until a suitable apprentice comes." Sweetmouth said.
"No! Uh, with the overwhelming threat from Swift Tribe, and others, I need to choose a temporary apprentice!" I said defiantly.
"Who, no cat I know would gladly accept the responsibility, and then be able to gladly step down from it if Waterpaw recovers, without endangering him later on." Jumpkick observed.
Fernpush, who sat at my side, began to laugh, such a sweet and nearly unheard sound, that every cat stopped and looked at her.
"Lilyspirit, surely you are not blind? Blind to the cat that is on my mind, I know just the cat, more a kit, dearest darling Luckpaw! She hasn't chosen her path yet, she is very kind, any other would become upset, but she doesn't know much of our Tribe, choose her, she holds no ill will, and if poor Waterpaw should heed the Tribe That Knows All and Sees All's call, then she would make such a wonderful leader." Fernpush mewed proudly, every cat thought on it, and each came to the same conclusion, and finally, I nodded.
"Alright, Fernpush, I'll take your suggestion, I'll make it so, are we all in conclusion? Yes, alright, Vinetail, when you get the chance, ask our ancestors why they wish to take every apprentice I have." I said, dismissing them. I watched them leave one by one, Vinetail first, and Volejump last.
"Don't get too attached to her as your apprentice, Waterpaw has always been observant of those things." He nodded to me, I watched him leave, and looked on to see Luckpaw slink back into her den, I decided to get up, and see where she had been.
I followed the trail to a large house; curiously, I hopped onto the fence, and nearly fell off it when I saw huge fangs bared at me. The dog barked and a smaller, softer looking dog stepped out, but he bared his teeth and snapped at me too.
"Alarmieren! Jäger! What are you doing?" I bristled even further as an even larger dog stepped out, I could almost imagine the ground shaking as he moved.
"Erdbeben! We were defending from this intruder!" one said, glaring at me, the two spots above his eyes raised high.
"Alarmieren, she is a cat, what danger is she?" Erdbeben snorted, revealing she was in fact female, as she placed her paws on the fence and looked at me.
"We have no need for your kind here, be gone." She said sternly, and her friends slowly backed away.
"I'm terribly sorry; I was just tracking a friend of mine." I said, gently moving to the next fence.
"Lucky?" The dog offered, I stopped and looked at her.
"How did you know?"
"She came here the day before she started smelling like you. Night before actually, she wished to climb on the roof, and I allowed her, you'd not want to go over to the Hexe's house cat, she doesn't care much for strangers, not even ones with black paws, but she likes mutige Katze, she does, maybe even fancies she can see a resemblance to her in Lucky's pretty coat." She shrugged.
"Well, thank you, but I can handle myself." I nodded respectfully, but the dog snorted. I jumped down into the yard, and recoiled immediately, the ground, though no different from the grass outside the fence, felt like blood soaked it, I could feel the stickiness against my paws, and the stench welled up into my nostrils, suffocating me, I closed my eyes, and flattened my ears, trying to stop it as the sound of cats battling to the death echoed within them. I was about to jump out of the yard when I heard a low laugh.
"Just open your eyes dear, that'll make it better, can't see it if you are looking, can't hear it if you are listening, and you cannot smell it if you are sniffing, that's a good girl, I know, you can still feel the bones and blood, can't you," the black cat's eyes glinted delightfully, pleased, and her tail curled happily, "you seem so strong for one so weak!" She let out a cackle unheard of in cats, and I shifted uncomfortable, too scared to let my fury show.
"That Lucky is much stronger than you, or should I call her Luckpaw? She's afraid of being left alone, though, the grass doesn't feel that way, to her it feels soaking wet, that was how it was, wasn't it?" She tilted her head to the side, "From what she says, she was accidently taken by a monster, is that your word for them? Good, but from what I can tell you, it was raining, there was a storm," the cat's eyes glowed strongly, "lightning, and thunder ruled the skies as a mother tries to help her kits across a road, until, there is a mighty crack, and finally, a tree falls, landing on her mother, or so she thinks, but I can tell she's alive, even if Lucky can't, what happened next goes somewhat along with her story, a truck comes by, and picks her up, takes her home, but she scratched them before she could get inside, so she lived around." She gestured around.
"And how do you know?" I asked, skeptic.
"How would I not know? Tell me, what do you think of one such as I?" She asked, her eyes cool.
"I think you're odd, and I wouldn't know what to do with you if you were in my Tribe."
"It all comes down to your Tribe, doesn't it?" she asked softly, her gaze faded, and then she refocused, "Lucky came by earlier, she wanted to know if I could do something for your Waterpaw, I told her the only thing I could offer was wishful thinking, and luck, of course, whatever good that would do, I don't exactly have a white pelt, you know, if I did I may be of more assistance." She shrugged, and suddenly the wind picked up, so strong I had to dig my claws into the blood covered ground, the stickiness seeping in.
"My mistress calls, but, if I were you, I'd visit, about seven houses down, right about, now." She said, and I felt lightness in my paws, and the urge to run increased greatly, so I ran, my paws flying over the tops of fences until I came to the house she mentioned, and I saw the two cats Lucky used to hang out with.
"Curly, I'm sure it was just a dream, or something, no way Lucky would come back, not here, and certainly not after leaving so long, she's gone, it's as if she never existed." The one with no tail mewed, his voice cold, and distant in talking about his old friend.
"I'm telling you, she's out there, and living with a Tribe, I wonder what that is, what it's like!" The young tom mewed, his eyes glowing with excitement.
I looked at them with confusion, wondering why she sent me here. I was about to melt into the bushes, when the cold one looked in my direction; "Come out of the bushes you coward!" He snapped, I humored him, and stepped out, I could tell they both recognized me, and they shared a quick look.
"Hey! That's, what is it, Lily-something…" Curly mewed confused.
"I am Lilyspirit, leader of Leaf Tribe." I said proudly.
"That's it! Hey, what are you doing here? Come to take another of our friends?" he asked, suddenly suspicious.
"No, I came here by chance, really, Luckpaw, was she here recently?" I asked, curious.
"Yes, I saw her, she seems to be having a great time." He sighed lightly to himself, and I tilted my head to the side as a light breeze whispered into my ear.
"You know, if you ever want to see her, you're welcome to the Tribe." I blurted out suddenly, and my eyes widened, I didn't mean to say anything like that!
"To stay or to visit?" Bobby asked, his eyes narrowed.
"Either." I said suddenly, again.
"We may take you up on that offer." Curly nodded.
"I must leave; it's nearly past moon high." I said, and left quickly. When I got into camp, I raced in and jumped onto the announcement branch.
"Cats of my Tribe, come to me now, and quickly, the news I have is urgent and dire!" I yowled, slowly, every cat crept into the clearing, grumbling and muttering angrily.
"Cats of Forest's Tribe, listen, as you know, my darling Waterpaw is gravely injured, and with the threat of Swift Tribe and others, I must think to choose my successor," I paused, and heard the cats below gasp with shock and yowl their confusion, "I know it's soon, but this cat is just a temporary replacement, and if Waterpaw recovers to the point of being able to continue with Leader duties, then she will step down. I choose Luckpaw, because, she has not chosen her path, and she is the only cat with a good enough heart to be able to hold no ill will against Waterpaw when and if he recovers." I jumped down carefully from the branch and touched noses with Luckpaw, her eyes showing surprise, fear, and excitement.
"Thank you, Lilyspirit." She mewed, I nodded, and listened to the Tribe as they gave congratulations, and as some grumbled angrily, saying it wasn't fitting to choose a new successor so soon, but I ignored them, and let them be dismissed.
When everything was done, I realized how weary I was, and lay in my nest with a great thump, and fell into a fitful sleep, filled with storms and blood.
Sorry this is so late, but I got lazy and bored, and my Grammy's laptop can't submit my work because I type it out on Microsoft word for spelling mistakes and grammar. Thank you for reading! ENjoy!
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