Clan of the Eclipse, Amanda and Tabitha [the little red hen ebook txt] 📗

angrily, though Raven saw the concern in her eyes. She stripped the leaves from the plant. “Would you give me that horsetail, Bramble?” She asked the tom.
Raven noticed he was still limping, and wondered if that was normal until she saw the way Eclipse’s eyes follow him walk. Bramble gave her the leaves and she began chewing the two plants together. Bramble very gently applied the cobwebs. By then Eclipse was ready to torture Raven by massaging the stinging pulp into her. She clenched her teeth and set her ears back to prevent herself from caterwauling at the top of her lungs or worse – scratching Eclipse’s ears off.
“There. That will help you feel better.” She saw the crow and the jays then and glared at Raven.
“What?” She asked innocently.
“Climbing? With that injury?”
Misty meowed quickly “No way! She killed the jays while they were pecking at bugs, and the crow was eating prey-rot! Ghost refused to let her climb – though she tried to play a couple fast ones on us!”
Eclipse glared at the three of them, clearly not convinced.
“How’s River?” Eclipse asked Frost. Then she looked around. “And where’s Maya?”
“River’s complaining her neck hurts, and it smells funny.”
Eclipse looked at Bramble. “What do we use for infection, Bramble?”
He thought a second – he was getting faster, impressing Raven – before replying with confidence “Horsetail.”
Eclipse purred. “Good. Use that on her wound for me.”
“Maya became restless, so she said she was going to patrol for prey along the river.”
“We didn’t see her.” Raven meowed thoughtfully.
"Why did she go alone?" Misty asked.
Bear meowed from a distance "I was patrolling, and Pepper or Scratch since are guarding. Pepper said that she can protect herself so it isn't against any rule."
“What would Maya be doing patrolling the river?” Ghost asked. "We didn't scent any prey, so we went into the woods."
Frost gasped. They turned to her. “I showed her how to fish!”
“When?” Eclipse sounded shocked.
“She asked me to when I got up to make dirt. It was before the river really got so cold. I mean, it was starting to, but not enough for it to be a big deal. It made it even easier because the fish were coming up to the surface to feed on bugs.”
“Making for easy training…”
“Who ate the fish?”
“They were small, so Maya told me to share it with River. At the time, we weren’t a part of your group, though. I thought she was being nice.” Eclipse was thoughtful for a moment.
“Perhaps she was.” She decided. “Maya has accepted my leadership since I took control in the battle. I can do something she can’t; lead cats in a crisis, then turn around and heal your injuries.”
Raven purred “Without even blinking an eye.” She added; Eclipse looked at her with surprise, and something told Raven she really was stressed out.
She’s still remaining so calm, though. It must hurt to know Maya broke the laws. There’s no way Bramble and River’s wounds and the lack of herbs is helping, either. Yet still she calmly tells us what to do next.
While they spoke, River growled and struck out at Bramble, who barely got out of the way in time. He looked frustrated and embarrassed. Raven noticed he had green slime all over his paws.
“Hold still.” Bramble calmly told River, though he wasn’t as convincing as Eclipse. “It’ll only get worse if I don’t put horsetail on it.”
Eclipse rose and went over to River.
“What kind of warrior is afraid of a plant?” She asked mockingly. “Come on! If you can get that bite, you can put up with us healing it!”
She looked taken aback by the silver she-cat. Raven watched with interest as she took a jay and ate. Bramble grabbed a mouse. Pepper woke in the commotion and looked like he was about ready to leap out of his fur. He took her other jay. Ghost took the other mouse. Eclipse and River stared at each other until Bramble finished eating. Then River sighed.
“Fine. I have to admit, it surprised me. I’ll keep my claws sheathed.”
“Thank you.” Eclipse purred, grabbing the crow. She looked at Frost. “Want to share?”
“Sure.”
The two plucked the feathers and began to eat just as Raven and Ghost finished. Bramble returned to applying the pulp – more gently – as Maya came in with a huge fish in her jaws.
“Wow! You just started and already caught a trout!”
Maya gave it to her. Eclipse sniffed her and turned back to her crow. Raven noticed only her paws were wet.
“Lick those dry before you leave the den again.”
“Alright.” She meowed as she tucked into the fish with River – and even Pepper. She seemed to enjoy it, which surprised Raven; the old house cat seemed too stuck in her ways to eat a real fish.
After they’d eaten they groomed one another. Raven stretched, but winced at the pain from her leg. Glancing outside, she saw it was around high sun.
“We could rest until dusk…” She suggested.
“Hey, that’s an idea.” Maya agreed.
“I haven’t hunted yet.” Frost meowed. “I’ll go and get something.”
“No need. You and Ghost can go around twilight. If I know Ghost, she’ll do well. She’s good at night hunting.”
“I’m not too bad, so long as Pepper’s there.”
“Alright. I know where we can find a great place for cat fishing.”
“Cat fishing?”
“Yeah. They surface at this little spring not too far at night to feed; you’ll get your fur wet, but not as bad as when I go to the lake.”
“There’s a lake?” Ghost asked quietly.
“There’s one on the other side of the forest opposite the way you guys came. There’s a field, and then a lake. Just beyond that humans are in a huge camp. During the day they ride these large animals onto the lake that roar to help them fish. River and I stay away most of the time; the fish are hard to catch and mostly live too deep, and we’re likely to get caught by the humans.”
“What else is beyond the forests?” Eclipse asked, sounding interested. Honestly, so was Raven.
I can’t see Dragon chasing us after we leave the forest. He may try here if we linger, but why leave the trees?

“From the human’s camp you come to the base of some mountains. But those are dangerous – filled with wild dogs that howl and live in huge packs. A cat who came down to kit called them wolves. She said they’re vicious, and treat cats like prey.”
Ghost, Pepper and Maya shivered. Raven pricked her ears.
Those sound a lot more dangerous than the human’s mutts I’ve always dealt with.
“I don’t know what’s beyond them, though.” Frost finished her prey. Raven curled up to Eclipse and began to groom her. Bramble followed suit. Soon, the cats were grooming on another and drifting off to sleep. The last thing Eclipse remembered was Pepper slipping out, mentioning guarding the entrance.

*****

River had spent the day sleeping, so it was no wonder she couldn’t sleep now. She walked out and sat with Pepper. He was a handsome enough cat, but very jumpy – so jumpy she was shocked he had fought so well and so hard against the large toms their group had been running from. She sat quietly at first. But she wanted to know more about the group.
“What’s your story, Pepper?” She asked quietly. It still made him jump. Her whiskers twitched. At least she knew why they had him guard; a wind-blown leaf wouldn’t get past his senses, let alone a large, menacing tom hiding in the shadows or a prowling fox. But he answered in a soft, young voice she didn’t expect; he looked older than he sounded. He was far past his kit years.
“Ghost and I are siblings, though we’re from different litters; Maya is our mother. We were house cats for our entire lives, but Maya’s mother and father were both feral cats who grew up outside both the human camp and the tribal laws. She taught Maya to hunt and fight. Maya taught all of her kittens, but only Ghost and I really stayed with her. My sister can fight, but she’s so nervous and ill she isn’t too good at it. I, on the other hand, can fight much better than I can hunt. Hunting is tedious and takes patience. I’ve never had much of that.”
She listened quietly. He scanned the bushes and river banks. She even saw him scan the trees of the forest they came from. She had a feeling the tom and his groupies were persistent and planning something interesting. His eyes landed on something and his fur stood up along his spine.
“Fox.” He whispered.
River followed his gaze to see a sleek red dog with a badger-dog scent drinking from the swollen river. “He’s getting a drink. I don’t think he’s noticed us.”
As she’d suspected, he drank and left back into the underbrush. Even if he’d noticed them, he was well-fed and strong; there was no reason to attack two healthy cats when there were rabbits and squirrels abound in the forest.
“Foxes around here don’t bother us as long as we’re both well-fed and healthy.”
Pepper looked worried.
“What?”
“You said they don’t when you’re both well-fed and healthy. We’ve got five injured cats – one of which is out here and chilled – and the frost has set in. Raven can’t hunt very well with that shoulder, and she’s the best at climbing trees. We’re low on herbs to help with the cold-weather illnesses and injuries. Two of cats can’t hunt or fight. Raven’s injuries may get infected like yours is. What happens when things go south?”
She stared at him, astounded by his intelligence.
“How are you so aware of this, Pepper? You were raised by humans!”
He purred and meowed “I’ve got feral in my blood, and my mother was taught by hers. With her and Raven there to teach me, I’ve learned.”
He was starting to rub off on her. She stretched. Her neck was sore and stung still from the pulp Bramble had applied.
“You should go inside.” He meowed with concern. He was looking at her neck.
“It’s no big deal.”
“The cold will make your neck stiff, and who says the frigid air won’t bring back you chill? If you get a fever, how are we going to heal you with an herb shortage?”
She sighed. Toms. But she got up and retreated into the den either way. Frost had noticed her absence.
“What are you doing outside, River? You’ve not fully recovered!”
“I feel fine!” She insisted. She didn’t feel like being fussed over. Eclipse had given her herbs. “The only thing I need to recover from now is being kept in this den all day!”
“It’s not even past high sun!” She growled. “Now lay down!”
River’s whiskers twitched. Sometimes living with Frost was like living with her mother! But she settled down next to her anyway. She still wasn’t sure who was more important between these cats. Eclipse and Bramble seemed to lead them overall, but since they knew nothing about fighting or hunting…who directed hunting and training for fighting? She understood what put Eclipse in charge – and therefore Bramble – but how did the rest of them decide what to do away from their Shamans, who knew nothing about getting food and warding off enemies? Ghost shifted in her sleep.
“Hey…Frost?”
“Yeah?” She asked, half asleep.
“Tonight…when Ghost goes hunting