Chapter 3

Thin shook her head. She wasn't special. She was just a normal stray and probably didn't have any actual leading abilities. Sure, assertiveness was nice but that wasn't all there was to leading. She had to be caring at times and calm, confident and loyal.

She would be a terrible leader if she was one.

Thin stretched and walked over to her hole. Night was coming soon and she should probably get some rest. But instead, she decided to sit by her hole and wait for the other cats to come back.

***

Storm and Gold came back talking a lot. They were getting along pretty well. They were both half-blind so Thin guessed they probably understood each other. Wave was trying to get to know Maple but she was growling and ignored him for the most part. Storm-flight walked in behind them and reported to Thin that everything was calm around the thicket. She didn't know why the young cat reported to her but she guessed he must've just thought she was easiet to get to.

After Storm-flight's report, Thin decided to get some rest. She still thought she had a horrible nickname. She went to her hole to sleep. She lay in the grass bed as she tried to fall asleep. She couldn't sleep no matter how hard she tried. She rolled onto her back and then rolled back onto her side. She got back up and circled in the bed again before laying back down but nothing worked.

She growled in frustration. She curled into a ball and thought about what it would be like to be Cream or Caramel, the two kitties who lived in the wheel-home. Eventually she fell asleep.

She dreamt she was leader. "Good morning, Thin-tail." White dipped her head. I've already sent out a group of scouts to check the forest for other cats and another group to go hunt."

Thin noticed that the thicket was mostly empty except for Chestnut. "How's Cloud doing?"

White's smile dissolved. "He's still injured. Chestnut is starting to think he may never fully heal."

"The fox didn't do that much damage."

"It wasn't the fox. He healed from that ages ago remember? It was that attack from the other groups. Even you knowing it would happen and they still hurt him badly."

"I knew?"

"Are you ok? You might want to see Chestnut. You seem to have some memory loss, leader.

Leader? Thin wondered. She shook her fur. "So what were you saying about sending out hunting and scouting groups?"

"I sent Storm and Gold to scout our territory. I know it's small but I decided we still need to defend it. Wave is collecting healing plants as usual while Storm-flight and Maple are out hunting. Pine is still here though. He's gaurding the thicket."

"Good," Thin said. "I'm going to go check up on Cloud. You go find some more bedding. Some of the beds probably need it."

"Yes, Thin-tail." White hurried off.

Thin went to check on Cloud. He was laying unconscious on the bed. Thin looked at Chestnut.

"I don't know if he'll heal, Thin-tail," she said. "He hasn't woken up yet. It's been one moon cycle."

"He'll get better." Thin acted hopeful, but she knew he might be like this for the rest of his life. He might never fully heal.

But he has to... Thin woke up as she thought that. The thought left her head as quickly as it had entered. Then another thought popped up. What was that dream? White said I'd known of the attack... Was that a moment from the future? Maybe... Maybe I am supposed to lead after all...