Chatper 6, Mallika
The duo were drawn to a halt, both scenting something unusual. "You smell that too?" Mallika asked, ears shoved forward anticipatively. "Yeah, I do." Shadow confirmed, lifting his skull to inhale the unfamiliar aroma. "You think it's another animal?" Mallika suggested, then lowered her scalp, looking at the sandy path beneath them. "Paw prints!" She cried, leaping backwards as she was referring to the sets of paw patterns that scattered across the path they were walking upon. "Oh my." Shadow commented wide-eyed, sniffing the prints. "Ah-hah! Smells just like Hawk and Cedar!" He quickly distinguished the scent, beginning to gallop forward. "Wait up!" Mallika grunted, bolting after her friend.
They began to shift into a walking state, soon to be forced to a stop as they came upon an enormous moss-covered rock. Mallika and Shadow blinked, baffled, as four cats atop the rock stared down at them; and they looked unsurprised by their presence.
A dark brown tabby turned to a light gray she-cat, eyes narrowed. Shadow knew what he whispered to the she-cat, apparently 'Thrush, are those more prophecy felines?', but he may be mistaken. Shadow then stepped forward, wincing his ears. "Cedar? Hawk?" He wondered, blinking warily. "Shadow?.." A pale she-cat replied; definitely Cedar. "We /told/ you the skies were right!" Cedar yelped, scuttling down the rock with Hawk. "Ey pal," Hawk meowed. "Nice to see you again. Whose your girly friend?" Hawk's icy blue eyes turned to Mallika, and she immediately flattened her ears. "We're not mates, barely even friends." She spat stubbornly, focusing her auburn eyes upon Hawk's, as if challenging him. "Hey, hey, alright." He muttered. "That's Mallika for ya!" Shadow chortled, nudging Hawk playfully. Two cats still remained on the rock, eyes narrowed at Shadow and Mallika. "Hey Thrush, Spider, get down here!" Cedar meowed cheerfully, urging them to meet the newcomers. At the offer, Thrush and Spider reluctantly sulked down the rigid rock, fixating their bright glance on Mallika and Shadow. "Hello Thrush and Spider," Shadow purred politely. "I'm Shadow, and this is my traveler-buddy-thing... Mallika." He introduced himself and the cat he was with, gesturing kindly. "I am quite capable of introducing myself!" Mallika snapped, swiping her paw across Shadow's head. "Don't gotta be rude," Spider cackled, examining Mallika's feisty features. "Quite the girl, ain't ya?" He snickered, then nudged Thrush. "Oh pff, I'm the only one for a beast like you." Thrush joked, nuzzling Spider's shoulder affectionately. "Gross." Mallika huffed, looking away. "Oh grow up, Mallika." Shadow grinned playfully, attempting to tackle her down. "Off me!" Mallika snarled. Clearly it wasn't a game for this irritated feline. She outstretched her claws, sending a light blow to his face. Shadow screeched, lunging backwards. "Jeez!" He hissed, licking his shoulder in annoyance. "You two, calm down. We've got a lot ahead of us." Hawk meowed strictly, breaking the two a part. "Best you two go get some sleep. There's just enough dens inside of the rock. Six currently, three left. Don't know who for though? Maybe the other cats who'll be a part of the prophecy. Now I suggest you two get some slumber, who knows what'll happen tomorrow?"
Chapter 5, Cedar
"Of course not!"
The pale, orange striped she-cat blinked wide-eyed at the tom, rising her tail in determination.
"Look Cedar, we're almost there," Hawk attempted to soothe, his tongue rasping reluctantly over his lips, "no need to freak out on me." He finished, twitching his whiskers silently. "Hawk, you don't underst-" Cedar began, but was cut off as she followed her friend's gaze to a nearby stream. "Cedar!" Hawk yipped, sounding like an excited dog, "Look! The stream - and paw prints. What did I tell you, huh?" He began to prod forward, not giving Cedar a chance to respond. "Hey, wait up!" She hissed frustratingly, sprinting to his side until she copied his pace speed. "Those paw prints mean nothing," Cedar panted quietly, curling her tail in irritation. "They look old, there is no way there could be other rogue cats like us following the same stream in thought of a prophecy.." She peeled his labrums back, yawning greatly in exhaustion. "No, no, no, you see those tracks. You know you do! Those are cat tracks!" Hawk jerked his wide, green gaze at Cedar in disbelief. "Whatever, whatever, we can still go with your little 'destiny' thing." Cedar rolled her light blue eyes in exasperation, continuing to follow her comrade without hesitation.
"I can smell the tracks up ahead! And they're /not/ faint!"
Hawk began to leap in joy around Cedar, who was bored and annoyed by him. "Come on, Cedar!" He nudged her shoulder with a bright smile, "You know you can smell it! You know it's up ahead, you ju-" "Shut up!" Cedar cut him off with an annoyed glare, baring her fangs. "Sheesh, no need to be snappy.." Hawk huffed, taking a step forward. "No, stop!" She yowled, leaping at him, pinning him firmly. He squeaked quietly, but Cedar took no notice - instead her gaze was locked upon a large canine-looking creature a few yards away. "Oh..." Hawk lowered his vocals, making his tone sound as a whisper. "Hurry, over here." Cedar sprung away from him, releasing her firm grasp as she barreled behind a tree. "I'm sorry." Hawk panted as they were both crouching behind the trunk of the tree. "Shush, it might hear us - and I think it /smells/ us." Cedar growled under her breath, staring with fright and hate at the canine. "Do you think it'll kill us?" Hawk began to shudder, but Cedar remained her glare upon the light brownish gray animal. Suddenly, it picked it's skull up, staring directly at Cedar with bared fangs. "Oh no," Cedar bolted from her hiding place, leaving Hawk behind. "W-wait!" He yelped as the creature drew next to the tree, snapping violently at his face. Without reluctance, Hawk shot off after Cedar, scrabbling away from the enemy. Hawk halted, seeing Cedar nowhere in sight. "And she left me behind!" He hissed, flattening his ears, but began to sprint off again as he heard large - rumbling paw steps behind him. Without noticing, he threw his body into a tree, climbing up it desperately. The much bigger in scale canine oppressed it's body close against the tree, biting into the bark in annoyance - and determination. "No, no, no, please tell me it cannot climb!" Hawk whimpered, scrambling up higher, watching the creature below send a series of barks directly at him. Pinning his ears, Hawk grasped for the highest branch, collapsing upon it. He however, did not flick his gaze from the khaki animal, but it seemed it couldn't climb. It looked desperate and famished, and finally began to circle the trunk of the tree, snorting and snarling in disgust. Suddenly, Hawk saw a flash of tan fur shoot into the canine like an arrow, making it stagger slightly. It growled and grunted in hatred, lunging at the attacker. "Cedar!" Hawk dropped his lower jaw in disbelief, watching her tussle with the animal. /I have to help her!/ Hawk told himself leaping from the branch. Once the creature was turned and had it's attention focused upon Cedar, Hawk sprung upon it's vertebrae, making the canine yelp in surprise. Clinging his claws into the skin tightly, he felt the light wolf-dog buck, trying to snap and bite at Hawk's fore paw, hopefully snatching it and throwing him off. However, once it had looked away, Cedar shot at it again, aiming for it's neck. She constricted her jaws sturdily around it's gullet, pressing her talons into the altercater's chest, keeping a vast grip. This gave Hawk an advantage to bite for the animal's exposed scruff - and he did. Fastening his fangs into the skin, he began to shake like a vicious mutt, ripping fur and small pieces of skin off. It howled in fury, beginning to thrash and roll around. Hawk hissed, releasing his grasp and scuttling to the side, avoiding the attack that could've crushed him. Cedar, however gripped harder, refusing to let go. Finally, the creature bit deep into her shoulder blade, prying her off of it's upper chest region. It threw her to the side, blood trickling from it's lips. Instead of striking for his exposures, the creature turned and darted off, not looking back, but instead disappearing into the dark abyss of the forest. Cedar scrabbled onto her pillars, panting heavily, blood running down her shoulder. "Cedar, are you alright?" Hawk approached her, having only mere scratches. "Yes, I am fine.." She meowed quietly, her gaze drawing up to Hawk. "Come on then, let's get going," Hawk smiled a bit, running his skull under her chest, heaving her slightly upon his shoulder, giving her assistance to walk. "I-I know how to walk." She mewed in surprise, jerking away. Hawk frowned and nudged her. "Okay, I am sorry," He flattened his ears in embarrassment, leading the way back to the stream.
Once in the clearing, they both inhaled the soft breeze with grins of success. Hawk led the trek, halting abruptly. He dropped his lower jaw in amazement and surprise, staring at the boulder in front of them. To their astonishment, there were to cats upon the boulder, staring down at them. "It's the two cats the skies told us about!" The she-cat atop the rock - next to a tom, meowed in disbelief. "Hawk, you were right," Cedar whispered, not unlocking her gaze from the two cats, "there /are/ cats here, and they're going to start the prophecy with us!"