Chapter 12

"You what?" Thin meowed, shocked.

"I sent my cats into your territory." Fade laughed again.

"But why?" Thin asked. Why would Fade want to send her cats onto Thicket Group territory?

"To invade," Fade said. "We're going to take your territory for ourselves." She laughed.

"Why would you want to take our territory?" Thin was only half surprised at this point. Wave and Cloud were right. Fade was evil.

"Well, it's more space for hunting," she growled.

Thin hissed. "It's aslo more space to protect," she said. "And we won't give it up that easily. Besides, you can't just take our territory for yourself."

Fade smiled. "Sure I can."

Fade clawed at Thin's nose but Thin dodged.

"You can't start fights either!" she hissed. "You let us in! You can't fight me! That would start a fight with all my other cats!"

Which is the point. Thin thought.

"I won't fight you!" Thin yowled, probably loud enough for the cats to hear outside the hole.

"Too bad," Fade said. "Because I'll fight you."

Thin dodged again as Fade leaped torwards her.

Fade whirled and clawed Thin's side.

"Stop!" Thin meowed. "Stop attacking! I don't want my cats to come down here and start a real fight."

"That's what I want." Fade had her ears pinned.

"But I'm the leader!" Thin said, desperately trying to get Fade to stop attacking.

Fade was determined. "I know that," she hissed. "That's why I'm attacking you. Your cats would gladly fight to save their leader."

"No they won't. They do what I tell them to."

Fade growled. "They would if it was their leader."

"They wouldn't! They listen to me!"

"What's going on?" Wave's voice came from the entrance.

"Nothing!" Thin said quickly.

Wave noticed the scratch on Thin's side and growled. "What did you do, Fade?"

"A few scratches never hurt anyone," she said, licking her fur.

Wave hissed.

"Wave, back down," Thin said. "I'm fine."

Wave kept his ears pinned but he sat down.

"See?" Thin said. "They listen to me fine!"

"I never doubted you," Fade said innocently.

Wave hissed again.

Thin growled. "Let's go, Wave."

The two cats left the hole with Fade still sitting there on her bed.

***

"There," Chestnut said. "Some of these leaves should do it."

"Thanks, Chestnut," Thin said.

"White will have to take over for you until you heal."

"No. I can still be leader. The new moon is at mid-day today. That's coming soon."

"Fine. But I will check up on you a lot."

"Ok."

Thin got up slowly. "I'll go tell the group to prepare to leave."

***

"And now, it's Fade's turn," Wind said, looking to Stream Group's leader.

Fade hissed. "First, I would like to address that Thicket Group has been attacking us lately."

The cats below gasped.

"What?" Thin asked, outraged. "What do you mean? We attacked you? You attacked me!"

"Stop you two," Wind ordered. "Thin isn't the kind of cat to start random fights."

"You say you're siding with a cat that has only been a group cat for less than a year rather than listen to me?" Fade asked.

"Yes. That is exactly what I'm saying," Wind replied. "Though we don't know her well, we know her enough to know that she would never start a fight. She barely ever fights when she's in one!"

Fade hissed again. "Fine, I attacked Thin. But for good reason!"

"I doubt there is good reason to attack a group leader." Wind growled softly.

"Her territory should've been mine! I was about to claim it! It belongs to no one!"

"It belongs to Thicket Group and always will. You will not chase us out," Thin said sternly.

"It's mine." Fade looked at Thin. "It's supposed to be mine."

"No, it's not," Thin responded. "We've lived here our whole lives."

"We will settle this," Wind said. "But at a different time."

"How?" Thin asked.

"Very simple actually," Wind replied. "You two will fight. But not with claws. No one will actually fight. It is all up to your intelligence. Best leader wins."