19 Chapter 19

I stared at the trees for a bit until I saw a bit of fur. I said, "We've got company." Everyone looked at the trees, and a voice said, "You're observant." Three cats jumped out of the tree. There were two males, and both of them were grey with white paws and a white left ear. Their leader was a female, and she had black fur and a white nose. All of their eyes were yellow, except a male who had heterochromia. He had a yellow and a green eye, and he looked scared.

The female said, "And look who it is. It's little Bandit and Smoke. Ace said that you'd be out here." Jay said, "Leave us. Or prepare for a beating." The female grinned and said, "Do you know why I only have two cats on my team? Because that's all I need." She flicked her tail, and one of the males attacked. He hopped on top of Quinn and bit his neck with the intent to kill.

Smoke knocked him off, but then he tripped because of the other cat. Everyone stopped for a second, trying to process what happened, but Jay shouted, "Birch! Get back!" I crouched down and rushed somewhere else. Yuna and Grace were behind me, but the black cat hopped down in front of us and said, "Now where are you going? Nowhere, that's where!"

She tried to hop on me, but I moved out of the way and scratched her flank. She clumsily fell while Yuna and Grace got behind me. She then stood up and said, "Well you've got some skills." She unsheathed her claws and growled. Her growl was like a lion's, and she rushed at me. She managed to scratch my face, but I pushed her out of the way.

Yuna helped Grace up a tree to give me room to fight, and I rushed in to fight the cat. She jumped, but I jumped as well, and I knocked her to the ground. Before I could land, she scratched my leg, and I almost fell over when I landed. She charged at me, but I dodged and I managed to bite her back, making her stop. I was taller than she was, so she had trouble getting out of my grasp.

She yowled in pain, then I heard a loud hissing. The males were trying to get to her, but Jay and Smoke had them pinned down before they could get to me. I put the female down, and I kept her down. Yuna climbed down the tree with Grace, and Jay said, "I didn't know you could fight." I sighed and said, "Jet taught me."

The female said, "How could I have been beaten... by a smaller than average male!" Smoke said, "Well you're a smaller than average female, so I guess that's why." She growled and said, "I'm still growing!" Then Jay asked, "Why is Ace after us?" The female said, "I'm not talking to you." I said, "We'll find out sooner or later. Let's let them go."

Jay sighed and said, "Fine." We let go of all three cats, and they ran off. The shy one was slow, and then he fell. The other grey cat looked back, but then he frowned and kept running after his leader. I grumbled, "This seems familiar." Lu, Quinn, Echo, and Bell caught up, and Lu took a look at the wounded cat.

"Someone broke his front and back right paws." She said while glaring at Jay. The cat was whimpering, and struggling to stand, so Lu dragged him back to camp and we followed. When we got there, a white cat with lightning blue eyes was looking around. Jay said, "Why are there so many cats out here!? It's almost night!" He was right. The sun was setting, and we had to move to another area.

We walked up to the cat, and Jay said, "What are you doing out here?" The cat flinched, and he said, "I'm sorry. I was trying to get back home... wherever it is. I-I live in the city."

Jay groaned loudly, and Grace said, "Wait I know you! Hi Salt!" The cat looked up and said, "Grace? So this is where you went." Grace's expression changed to worry, and she said, "Wait... how are you all the way out here? You're blind!"

Everyone, including myself, were confused. White cats with blue eyes can sometimes be blind, but how is he in the forest? Salt said, "I was with Oliver and Moe. One day, we were moving, and then I got lost because I couldn't hear their voices." Lu grumbled something and she took the cat in her jaws to the medicine den.

Bell and Echo took Yuna to the den they were sleeping in, and Bandit and Smoke went to their den. It was just Jay, Salt, Grace, and I now. Grace said, "Well you can stay until we find them." Salt smiled, and said, "Gee thanks, Grace. You're a real sweetheart." Before Jay could object, I gave him a warning stare. He kept his mouth shut, and Grace led him to an empty den by constantly humming.

Jay said, "I don't think we can hunt for everyone." I said, "Well we'll see. Besides, we have multiple kits on the way. That includes Lu and Grace. Speaking of Grace, she's literally about to burst." Jay sighed and said, "Fine. I guess they can stay." Then something came up in Jay's mind, and he shouted, "Wait, where's Kyle!?"