{RiverClan Territory}{Highlands} Commitment

A cold morning sun rose high above RiverClan territory. Dewdrops lay motionless on the leaves and ground, covering it in a layer of small, sparkling wonders. A slender she-cat with a long calico coat streaked past a tree, marking it with her scent. She was up early today knowing that it was her fist day as a full grown warrior of RiverClan. She still had to get used to being called 'Honeyspots' instead of Honeypaw but that small feature was something she could live with. Her calm, blue eyes shone with delight when she picked up the scent of a rabbit. She just entered the highlands which held the ultimate ending goal. 'Catching a rabbit'. She wanted to specialize in fish like any other RiverClan warrior but in times of need she also wanted to be able to catch prey that lived in the forest, let's say a squirrel, but what if she could catch a rabbit? She had this wish already since she was young but never really got the change, time or sense to do so. Now it was her change. She lowered herself down on the ground and sneaked trough the high grass, senses all on sharp. She smelled it clearly now and noticed it moving not far from her hiding spot. It was not that big but not necessarily small either. Honeyspots flexed her claws and opened her jaws to taste the scent even more. When she was withing range, she shot up and flew at it missing it at just a whisker length when the rabbit shot away. Cursing she ran after it missing once more before it disappeared in a small burrow. With a smirk on her face she sat up and sighted. Her coat was wet because of the many dewdrops she passed. She lifted one fore paw and gave it some licks, cleaning herself as if she was a bit moved by the fact that she missed the rabbit. Better luck next time. She thought, smirking.

It was a beautiful morning. The shimmering dewdrops reflected the sunlight. A small, light grey she-cat was making a walk. Yesterday, she had been the apprentice Petalpaw, but now she was Petalcloud. A warrior. The word 'warrior' still didn't sound like something she was. She felt like an apprentice. She yawned. Staying awake all night makes tired, but she now had finished her silent vigil.
When she walked past a tree, she thougt of Honeypaw, who had become so angry when she mentioned she was practicing climbing trees. Now, she decided to try it again. She went to her 'official practise tree' and hurled herself in it. After a while, she reached the lowest branch. She sat down and that was when the smell of another cat reached her. She saw how a calico cat runned after a rabbit, but the prey was too quick for her. The cat sat down and began washing her paw. Her fur was wet. Petalclouds eyes began to sparkle and she jumped on the ground, just before the other cat. 'Hi Honeypa, sorry, drops,'she said with a smile on her face. Hopefully she won't be too angry, she thought, reminding her last encounter with Honey.

Honeyspots turned her heard towards a voice that yanked her out of her thoughts. Her blue eyes locked into the green ones of her fellow clan mate, Petalcloud. Yesterday she turned as well into a warrior. With a shiver she thought back about their argument a little while back. She wondered if she still climbed tree’s. Maybe I overreacted.. Honeyspots thought, but she shoved the thought away too stubborn to accept her being wrong. ”Hi Petalcloud, don’t worry I still need to get used to my knew name as well” She reassured her clan mate with a chuckle. She threw her big, bushy tail over her forepaws and yawned. ”Tell me, what brings you up so early?” Honeyspots mewed with a slight smile. She didn’t want to remind Petalclould anymore about the tree’s and her disapproval of it. It was immature and she should give it a rest since she could not hurt anybody. Still she could not ignore the immature voice in the back of her head grinning ‘Told you so’ whenever the picture of Petalcloud who fell out of a tree crossed her mind. Waving it away with effort she tried to look as honest and upright as she felt. ”I figured I would go catch some other prey than those in the river .. I don’t have much luck so far” She added, confessing her failed attempt to catch a rabbit. She was not sure whether Petalcloud saw it or caught just a glimpse of it. She was pretty sure she smelled it just when she jumped so maybe she just noticed it. Honeyspots gave her left forepaw another swift lick and cleaned her nose who had a little dirt on it. Maybe she could visit the elders today to see if they were doing all right. It was getting colder and everyone felt it. Maybe she could order some newly created apprentices around. With a smirk on her face she felt her lips curl up in a smile. Secretly she wanted to do that for ages and how she got the change. Speaking of apprentices, I wonder why Stormstar gave my brother one and passed me .. could it be because I- She cut her own thoughts off and bit her lip. Probably because he thought she wasn’t as mentally stable as she appeared for the last few months. Sadly it was true and at every point she could fall back if the slightest thing went wrong or the tiniest wound was inflicted on anyone who she cared for most. Truth is, Honeyspots was healthy on the outside and mostly healed on the inside but not fully. Still she grieved daily as not as long and heavy as she did when she was six moons old. She was older and wiser and only sat vigil for some silent minutes once a day, just to make sure she would never forget her mother and the thought about her. As long as nobody knows about it.

”Hi Petalcloud, don’t worry I still need to get used to my knew name as well,” Honeyspots said. Petalcloud wondered if she had even noticed that Petalcloud had just jumped in from of her out of a tree. Or at least, she didn't pay any attention to it. Maybe that was better than raking up their argument from a few days ago.
Honeyspots yawned and Petalcloud automaticly took her cue from and yawned too. ”Tell me, what brings you up so early?” the calico warrior asked. 'I thought it would be a good idea to hunt. Now that we're warriors, we should hunt more than we did previously,' she awnsered. ”I figured I would go catch some other prey than those in the river .. I don’t have much luck so far,” Honeyspots told her. Petalcloud sniggered. 'I know. Well, I don't think I would have been able to catch that rabbit. It was really quick,' she mewed. So she gets angry at me when I say I climb trees, while she hunts for rabbits as a WindClan cat, she thought. No way she would say that aloud, though. 'It's a shame Stormstar didn't make us mentors. I think you would do well,' she said, smiling at Honeyspots. 'But we shouldn't complain. I mean, we're just made warriors. We can't expect to get our own apprentices immediately.' She wondered how the other cat thought about it. Was she dissapointed or didn't it bother her?

Honeyspots shook herself out of her thoughts and turned her attention back to Petalcloud. ‘It's a shame Stormstar didn't make us mentors. I think you would do well’ Petalcloud answered as if she could read her mind. With a surprised smug on her face she nodded in agreement. ”Indeed, I wonder why though” She said in reply not wanting to say aloud that she could guess why he left Honeyspots without an apprentice. ‘But we shouldn't complain. I mean, we're just made warriors. We can't expect to get our own apprentices immediately’ She heard Petalcloud say. She thought about that for a moment and shrugged. ”My brother was made a warrior with me and he got an apprentice” She pointed out not able to hide the small undertone of jealousy. She shook her head and concentrated herself back on her clan mate. She had no right to expect that she could get the same priviliges as her brother since they were both two different individuals. From the same litter, that is, but still far more different than any other can could imagine. She flicked her tail somewhat annoyed and continued ”Then again I suppose I do not really care.. I mean yeah, maybe we get an apprentice later but we can’t expect to do everything right if we get one right now, right?” She mewed not sure if it was mend for Petalcloud or more to convince herself. ”One way or another- I bet we get one next ceremony”

”My brother was made a warrior with me and he got an apprentice,” Honeyspots said. Petalcloud heard she was a little jelous, but thatwas normal. Who wouldn't be when her borther got an apprentice, while she didn't. 'I know, Hawkscream got one too, when he was made warrior,' she awnsered. She also had been a little dissapointed when she didn't get an aprentice. 'But maybe there were just too many apprentices for the more experienced cats and gave the others random new warriors as mentors. I don't know, that could be the reason.' Honeyspots flicked her tail and continued speaking. ”Then again I suppose I do not really care.. I mean yeah, maybe we get an apprentice later but we can’t expect to do everything right if we get one right now, right?” Petalcloud nodded in agreement. 'When the time is there, we'll probably be better mentors for our first apprentices then your brother is now. I mean: you can only teach someone how to catch a rabbit when you can catch one yourself,' she said with a smile. ”One way or another- I bet we get one next ceremony,” Honeyspots mewed. Petalcloud nodded again. 'I think you're right. And Stormstar will see that we deserve it when we come back today with enourmous piles of fresh-kill. We should go on hunting now. Shall we try to catch a rabbit?'

With a fleck of her ear she huffed in annoyance. It was hard to believe that only six moons ago things like this would sounds so unimportant. Now that she had picked up her regular life again and started doing normal jobs for a clan cat would it almost look as if nothing had happened back then. She smiled at Petalcloud at her proposal. She nodded in excitement. Maybe two against one would do good. They where fishers not runners like WindClan so catching a rabbit on your own was difficult indeed. "Okay! Shall I lure it out and chase it towards you?" She suggested with a thought. In her head she could already see herself dragging a rabbit away! She smiled. What would Cindersmoke do if he saw that me and Petalcloud caught a rabbit? She flicked her bushy tail. Probably laugh and eat it. "or do you have a better plan? Maybe that rabbit from earlier comes out- it looked so .." She paused for a moment. Well, delicious? It sure didn't look as good as a fish but it was for sure better than starvation in a later stadium in leaf bare. "Well not really delicious, I prefer fish way above everything else but I suppose it would taste" Honeyspots stated with a serious expression on her face. If she wasn't so busy trying to think ahead of herself and the clan she could think she would do it the WindClan style. Rabbit for breakfast, lunch and diner. She shuddered. Nope. No rabbit for me if there is a delicious fish laying around

Petalcloud was thinking of how they would catch a rabbit if they couldn't even outrun it, when Honeysptots said: "Okay! Shall I lure it out and chase it towards you?" That solved the problem. 'Good idea,' Petalcloud said. Honeyspots continued: "or do you have a better plan? Maybe that rabbit from earlier comes out- it looked so .." delicious? "Well not really delicious, I prefer fish way above everything else but I suppose it would taste" 'I prefer fish too. Rabbit is nice, but it can never taste better than a delicious glimmering fish,' Petalcloud agreed. 'Okay, now let's go to that rabbit hole and wait until it comes out,' she said. 'If it comes out...' She walked to the rabbit hole, but kept a distance. If Honeyspots was going to chase the rabbit towards her, the rabbit shouldn't see her before Honeyspots. 'I'll hide here,' she mewed, pointing towards a low bush with her tail.

Honeyspots nodded towards Petalcloud and her smile took over. My my, isn't that lovely! Looks like I can catch a rabbit today after all. She thought, her smile slowly fading. "It will come out, eventually it has to, right?" She said with a lot of confident in her voice. She jumped up and turned towards Petalcloud who notified her and hid herself. With a curt nod Honeyspots bounded off into the tall grass with all her senses on sharp in case she noticed something else hiding in the tall grass. After she put some distance between her and Petalcloud she focused on an open spot with a lot of boltholes. She rabbit scent was everywhere what mend that this was recently used. Hiding in the grass, crouched down to the ground and waited for some to come out. It didn't took long and a small bunch of hares shot out. She locked her eyes on a small one that was leaving the group for only a couple of tail lengths. It made sure to stick to the closest burrow in case it had to flee. Honeyspots closed her jaws and started to move, sneaking in a big circle around it making sure that if it would flee it could not reach it's bolthole. Honeyspots stopped and slowly entered open field. Her muscles started to tremble when and she breathed in, making herself ready for the shot after it. However, just when she was about to she could hear a strange shot not very far away. It scared all the hares back into their holes and made Honeyspots's fur shot upright. With her eyes round and her tail fluffed out she looked around for the source. That wasn't a normal natural sound? Then she noticed in the far distance a couple of twolegs. They where heading her way although she was pretty sure they didn't saw her. Mousedung! She shot back into the grass and ran with all her might back towards Petalcloud without a rabbit. "Petalcloud quick! We got to hide!" She mewed. Not wanting to lead the twolegs to camp she shot back into tall grass and pried herself trough the nearest entrance of a rabbit hole. She could hear small feat moving away from her in the dark. While she made room for Petalcloud she peered trough the opening not wanting to let any Twoleg spot them.

Petalcloud watched as Honeyspots waited at an open spot. Then, some hares came out of the holes. Hares, not rabbits. Well, that was even better, wasn't it? However, hares run even faster than rabbits, so she and Honey would have a hard time catching it. Honeyspots creeped forward. Petalcloud saw that she prepared herself and Petalclouds muscles tensed. She was ready. Then, suddenly, she heard a shot. She flinched. Her eyed were wide with fear. What was that? She hardly noticed that the hares were already safe in their boltholes. Honeyspots came running towards her. "Petalcloud quick! We got to hide!" she mewed. Petalcloud followed her to the clearing. 'What? You want to go in there?' she mewed when Honeyspots headed towards one of the holes. She peired herself through the small entrance. Petalcloud steped forward and looked into the darkness. She saw Honeyspots, who had made room for her. 'Is this really save?' she mewed nervously. 'I mean, won't it collapse?' She creeped into the hole. Some earth came down when her back touched the ceiling. 'No, no, I'm not going. I don't want to get stuck in here.' She left the hole and looked nerviously in the direction where the twolegs were. She noticed a conifer. She could hide in there. The needles would hide her. She runned to the tree and launched herself in it. This tree was harder to climb than her practise tree. Needles and small braches scratched her. When she thought she was high enough, she kept hanging at the trunk. The branched weren't thick enough to carry her. Please, let them have not seen me, she thought.

Honeyspots saw Petalcloud coming her way and she unsheated her claws in fear. Come on! She thought. When her clan mate stopped in front of the hole she let out a growl. "Come on, what's the matter? Do you want the twolegs to see you?" She hissed and she made some more room for Petalcloud her eyes wide in fear. "Come on!" 'Is this really save? I mean, won't it collapse?' Honeyspots felt her paws tingle. "Shut up will you! You are making me all nervous!" She mewed nervously. 'No, no, I'm not going. I don't want to get stuck in here' Petalcloud objected. "What! Why you-" She swallowed some curses and watched wide eyed how her clanmate left the den. "You mousebrain! COME BACK HERE!" She jowled in terror. What is she doing? Does she want to be hit by those twoleg things? Honeyspots tough bewildered. The thought of it made her flinch and she shot a small prear back up to StarClan. When she saw Petalcloud climb up a tree her jaw dropped open. Immediately she hoped that the twolegs would not think she was a bird or something and she also thought bitterly that climbing tree's was going to save her life. When the twolegs came closer, Honeyspots hid deeper into the hole flinched and with her ears back. A twoleg stopped right in front of her hole. It's enormous foot was standing in the way. He heard him barking to his partner with a strange tone. When the barrel of the gun appeared in front of the hole Honeyspots did not even hesitate and she shot back into the small, narrow caving. Moving around was difficult since she was just too big for the small corridors. Her eyes shone like lights in the dark. As she continued further she could notice droppings of the hares, possibly rabbits. She had no idea they lived with so many. She could hear small foot scrabble away from her. She still didn't hear any strange noise what mend that Petalcloud was still save in her 'tree'. Seems that learning to climb tree's wasn't thát stupid .. She ignored the thought and huffed. When she noticed a spark of light at the far end of a long tunnel she shot towards it, prying her way trough it. She slowly looked around when she moved her head out. The twogels were in the far distance what mend that she had gone the way all under them! Cautiously with her fur fluffed in every way she looked for a small, gray speck of Petalcloud. She could not see it. Waving with her tail and jumping up and down, making sure the twogels would not spot her she tried to get her clan mates attention. Hopefully she noticed me .. now let's get the hell out of here! She made herself smaller and walked away from the twogels all the way to the river that ended in waterfall and separated RiverClan from WindClan. Cautiously she walked alongside it heading away from RiverClan. When a shot rang trough the air she heard birds cry and fly up. Eyes wide with terror she turned towards the twolegs and saw a flock of birds flying up to the sky. Bloody Dark Forest! I better get out of here! ... I hope Petalcloud is okay .. She thought with worry and her eyes clouded with fright. She streaked her way trough the long grass and headed for the tree's in the far distance. It territory there was not really from anycat. At least she could hide there and watch the twolegs from a great distance. If they happen to came her way she just had to climb a tree. Over my dead body She thought bitterly and she shot trough some bushes. She sat herself down next to a high, oak tree. From here she could see the twolegs in the far distance and she could even hide herself somewhere without them seeing her.

Honeyspots wasn't happy with Petalclouds choise not to join her in het rabbit hole, that was clear. But Petalcoud wasn't going in there, no matter what would happen. She could see the twolegs when they entered the clearing. One of them stood very closely to the hole Honeyspots was in. They said something, but Petalcloud didn't understand twoleg-language. They both carried long, thin things. Petalcloud had heard from telling that these were the most dangerous about the twolegs. It seemed that they could kill someone with it whithout touching them. One of the twolegs pointed with it towards Honeyspot's hole. Petalcloud was shocked. Were they going to kill Honeyspots? Luckily, the twoleg turned around when his companion said something.

'I'm sure the rabbits will come out, eventually. If we just wait here...' 'You're right. We'll be silent, and when they think it's safe, they will emerge and then... bang.' Petalcoud didn't understand what they said. She heard them make a weird noise, of wich she knew it was laughing. Go away, go away, she thought. She couldn't stay in that tree forever. If there was just a brach thick enough to sit on... but there wasn't. Petalcloud began to feel tired and got crick in her paws from hanging. Then, a rabbit's head emerged from a hole. The little creature sniffed the air and hopped foreward. One of the twolegs lifted his gun. BANG! Pealcloud lost her grip and fell out of the tree. She landed on the ground. She saw the rabbit had collapsed. A red stain grew on the it's fur. Petalcloud groaned when she lifted to her paws. In all the noise of fleeing birds, the twolegs hadn't heard the branches break. She had to get out of here, before they would see her. She started running. Her right hind leg hurted, but she could run on it and that was what she did. Don't look in my direction. Look at the rabbit. Or at the boltholes. At anything, but not at me, she begged. She saw a big oak tree. The grass was tall around it. She could hide there.
When she arrived at the tree, Honeyspots was there too. 'Are you allright? How did you get out of the hole?' she asked. She nervously looked in the direction of the twolegs, hoping that they remained there. If they had seen her en followed her, they were in trouble...

From where she was, Honeyspots could notice something moving in the grass. Thinking it was a rabbit and hoping it would be Petalcloud she started to kneaded the mud under her paws with her nails. Her heart was still racing fast from the kick she just had. Where does it go with the world? Other clancat's tricks that save your life, BloodClan on your doorstep, swiming ThunderClan cats and now .. Twlolegs everywhere... Honeyspots thought with a smirk. She better hoped that Petalcloud was okay, losing another clanmate wasn't on her list. Besides, she had to confess, Petalcloud was nice. Although was their conversation a while back not so nice as it had been now. Hormones. Honeyspots stated. When a gray spot dashed out of the tall grass she recognized it as Petalcloud. With a grunt of relief she rose to her paws and sighted, again in relief. 'Are you all right? How did you get out of the hole?' "Simple, I .. I followed the hole .. deeper down and I found an exit far away from the twolegs" She explained. The thought of the dark, cold underground wasn't very welcoming. If it wasn't absolutely necessarily she wouldn't go in there again at all! Which reminded her .. With a hard lash of her fore paw she hit Petalcloud against her ear, claws a bit unsheated so that you could feel a small scratch, not enough to draw blood though or actually hurt. "Dear StarClan, Petalcloud!" She breathed, half angry half relieved. "Stupid mousebrain, turning around and running in open field like that. We could be like sitting ducks!- .. well, you could be like sitting ducks!" She squeaked, too full of all sorts of emotions to get her voice right. When Honeyspots heard her own voice she could no longer supres her actual relief that she hadn't had to drag a lifeless, RiverClan body back to the camp. A small grin spread across her face. "I am so glad you are alive!" She mewed and she touched her clanmate's shoulder with a soft flick of her bushy tail.

"Simple, I .. I followed the hole .. deeper down and I found an exit far away from the twolegs" Honeyspots told her. Suddenly she hit Petalclouds ear, but not to hard. "Dear StarClan, Petalcloud!" She breathed, half angry half relieved. "Stupid mousebrain, turning around and running in open field like that. We could be like sitting ducks!- .. well, you could be like sitting ducks!" Petalcloud looked to the ground. Honeyspots was right. It was stupid to do that, but she just couldn't go into that scary black hole. Petalcoud unterstood that Honeyspot wasn't really angry. She was just worried about her. "I am so glad you are alive!" the calico cat said and touched Petal's shoulder with her tail. 'I'm glad you're fine too,' Petalcloud anwered softly. She didn't want to think about what could have happened. She had been so anxious when the twolegs had pointed towards the hole with his long, scary kill-thing.
Then she realised the danger wasn't over yet. The twolegs were still not far away. 'We should go to the camp and warn the others, before anyone gets hurt,' she mewed. Or dies... she thought, but she didn't say it aloud. She didn't want to think of thet either.

(Sorry for the lateness)

Honeyspots took a deep, shaky breath and looked over Petalcloud's shoulder to make sure no twoleg could sneak up on them. She could see them in the far distance looking around and poking into the tall grass. We should warn Stormstar and all the other cats. She thought and she opened her mouth to tell Petalcloud. 'We should go to the camp and warn the others, before anyone gets hurt' Her clanmate mewed. Honeyspots closed her mouth and nodded in agreement. "I was thinking the exact same" She glanced again over her clan mates shoulder and pricked her ears. They didn't look like they where coming here any time soon and if they did there was enough time to run and hide. Hiding spots where literal everywhere. She rose to her paws and took again a deep breath. She would do anything just to fly to camp without having to pass those twolegs. "All nice and all .. but we have to cross the fields again to reach our territory again, smartass" Honeyspots mewed bitterly and she knew that she probably could not get Petalcloud to go into one of those holes. Then again she didn't know if she was so eager to go back in there .. Either that, or die. She eyed Petalcloud again. "I get the distinct feeling that I can't get you to follow me in one of those holes, am I wrong?" She tried hopefully. One thing was for sure, she was not going to go alone again and let Petalcloud risk her life while she was safe underground. For how far it would be safe there. She curled her tail up and tried to think of anything that would not be so dangerous and they could still cross without risking getting hit by one of those twoleg devices. They sure are strange animals.. She pondered with her ears back. "Any idea's?"

"I was thinking the exact same" Honeyspots answered. She looked at the twolegs. "All nice and all .. but we have to cross the fields again to reach our territory again, smartass. I get the distinct feeling that I can't get you to follow me in one of those holes, am I wrong?" she said. Petalcloud shook her head. 'No, you can't,' she answered 'but we can take a detour. It will take a little longer, but better late than never. I think we'll get quicker at the camp that way than when we stay waiting here untill those twolegs leave.' She thought about any other way to reach the camp. 'We could creep,' she suggested 'I'm pretty silent though I say it, who shouldn't? How about you? You can take the rabbit hole if you think that's better.' Though the situation wasn't very much to laugh at, a smal grin appeared on her face. 'What do you choose? The waiting, the detour, the creeping or the rabbit hole?' she asked. 'I would think creeping is the quickest way, but maybe it's also the most dangerous one. If they spot us...' Her smile faded away.

A detour? Honeyspots echoed in her mind with a thoughtful expression on her face. It sounded better and that way they didn't have to separate again. Creeping wasn't such a difficult job, but the fact that maybe those twolegs would mistaken them for hare's or rabbits didn't sound so tempting. As tempting as going back into those holes. "Well .." She mewed somewhat overwhelmed. She nodded at Petalcloud's statement and pulled herself together. "I am not going to leave you all by yourself again, that's not what friends and clan mates are for. You risking your life and all and I am going cozy and safe trough those holes" She mewed somewhat agitated and with a flick of her tail she underlined her statement and straightened herself. "It is true that they can spot us, we just have to stalk all around it and make sure that they don't mistaken us for rabbits or something .." She admitted. Honeyspots sighted and made an attempt to go. "Well .. let's just go then .. better get this over with" She sounded not very enthusiastic at that point, more like a bit dull. She glanced in the direction of the twolegs who were at a great distance from they away. Not a single shot was heard for quite some time, maybe they had enough prey stolen and were they thinking of leaving? She hoped with all her heart while she lowered herself and started to enter the tall grass, close to the ravine on their left that marked the boundary between WindClan and RiverClan. With a shock she realized that if they would be spotted now it was either run or die. They were like cornered rats. With no escape anymore...

"Well .." Honeyspots said. "I am not going to leave you all by yourself again, that's not what friends and clan mates are for. You risking your life and all and I am going cozy and safe trough those holes. It is true that they can spot us, we just have to stalk all around it and make sure that they don't mistaken us for rabbits or something .." She admitted. She sighed "Well .. let's just go then .. better get this over with" She didn't sound very happy with this solution. Petalcloud didn't like it either, but they had no other choise. She looked at the twolegs. They were far away. Next to her, Honeyspots had lowered herself en crept trough the tall grass. Petalcloud did the same and followed her. The edge of the ravine was very close. Petalcloud didn't feel very comfortable with that. If those twolegs came their way, they couldn't run away with the ravine in their backs. There weren't many trees here either for her to climb in or holes for Honey to hide in. They would have to run along the ravine and hope taht the twolegs wouldn't be able to aim properly in the tall grass. No, she didn't like this situation at all...

Honeyspots kept as low as she could. Her ears were pricked as she continued to creep past the slope. She could hear Petalcloud moving behind her and she took a deep breath. As the made progress to safer lands she could hear the twolegs make loud noises to each other. She never heard them before, not like this, maybe those sounds were how they communicated. I wonder if they all act so stupid as those do? Honeyspots wondered as she stopped for a moment when she could hear the twolegs' voices rise with every step they came closer. She started to panic and glanced back at Petalcloud, nervously feeling the ground shudder as they came closer. "Petalcloud.. quick! We got to .. run" She mewed hastily as she continued to look for a place to hide. Just when she spotted a hole she could feel the ground stop shuddering and she froze. Not far from were they were stood a Twoleg, back turned to the two cats. Frozen in fear she didn't move a muscle as she looked to the strange colored fur of the twoleg. Occupied and too panicked to notice her clan mate she moved nervously closer to the tall grass and then sank to her belly, ears flat back and as close to the ground as possible. She knew that if they ran they maybe made it, that is, probably with a hole trough their bodies. She didn't know exactly what the shining twoleg things they carried were, she didn't even fully understand but what she knew was that this was bad and if they didn't made it to camp the whole clan could be terrorized by those twolegs. She felt her heart race with fear as she could feel and hear the twolegs walk. The sudden dense silence that hung around her made her feel isolated and naked. As if she was being watched by eyes that she could not see.. Dear StarClan, help us. She thought while she tensed her muscles, ready to dash to the nearest shelter possible. She wanted to help Petalcloud and all but she could not help her clan mate when she ended up like those hares the twolegs killed earlier. Speaking of which, where was Petalcloud?

Petalcloud froze when the twolegs came closer. Her blood turned cold and her eyes were wide with fear. Had they spotted them? StarClan, help us, she thought. She felt the ground under her feet tremble while the twolegs approached -or was she trembling?-. "Petalcloud.. quick! We got to .. run," Honeyspots whispered. Petalcloud heard her own fear in Honey's voice. 'No! They will-' suddenly the twolegs stood still. Petalcloud didn't dare to move to look at them, but she imagined the long kill-thing being pointed at her. She closed her eyes. Nothing happened. After almost a minute, Petalcloud slowly moved her head to see them. The twolegs were even closer than she had thought. They stood with their backs to her and Honeyspots. They were so close... She almost thought she could hear their breaths. Slowly, very slowly, she took a step, nervously watching the twolegs. She lowered herself as low as she could, whishing that the twolegs would just walk away. She almost almostgot a heart attack when they suddenly started making weird, barking noise. Were they talking?

'Well, I don't see any rabbits here.' 'I swear I saw something.' 'Maybe it was just the grass that moved in the wind.' 'No, it wasn't, really. Maybe there's a ledge in the ravine on wich it jumped. If it's there, it has no escape route. It would be easy to shoot.' 'Okay then, let's take a look, though I don't expect there to be anything.'

Petalcloud didn't understand a word of what they were saying. They were now silent again, but now they started walking towards her. Sit still or run? Petalcloud thought. They walked towards her. They would spot her eventually if she didn't move. But maybe they would walk past her. If she ran, they would shoot, and Petalcloud was afraid that that shot would be the last thing she heard. What to do?
Maybe they won't shoot me if they know I'm a cat, not a rabbit. Twolegs don't usually shoot at cats. But they won't even take the time to look properly before they shoot, if I move.
Suddenly the twolegs stopped moving and started barking again.

'Hey, Mike, I see a rabbit hole over there. Maybe your mysterious rabbit hid in there?' 'That could be. Let's take a look.'

They started walking again, this time in the direction to where she and Honeyspots were heading. Did they see something there? Honeyspots! She is somewhere over there! She herself couldn't see the calico cat, who was well-hidden in the grass. Petalcloud had no idea where she was excectly. But the twolegs had a higher point of view. 'Honeyspots?' she whispered. Her voice was almost inaudible, but she didn't dare raising her voice. If the twolegs heard her, that could ruin everything.