─────────── ✧ ───────────

─────────── ✧ ───────────

chapter five
. ༉‧₊˚✧ . ˚.

Hemlockshade and Troutdip were munching on a large rabbit from the morning patrol. The sky was extremely gray, filled with clouds. Snow would be approaching soon, which meant prey would become scarce and harder to find. Leaf-bare wasn't extremely difficult, as they had plenty of woodlands to explore; after all, they always had outside of the Valon Providence. However, more and more prey bones and rogue scents have been found on their territory — both territories —  and the Village cats have been worrying. In the back of Hemlockshade's mind, he had wondered if it was the felines that had been after him when he was a kitten.

   "Earth to Hemlockshade." A voice shook Hemlockshade from his thoughts. He looked up and noticed his siamese friend starring at him, his whiskers covered in rabbit blood. Hemlockshade flicked an ear.

   "Yes?"

   Troutdip blinked and narrowed his eyes softly. "You seem tense. Want to tell me what's bothering you?" he meowed with a small smile curling on his muzzle. Hemlockshade tightened his muzzle. He didn't want to worry his friend. If word got out that these cats were on their territory because of him, they would surly exile him for good; this is the only home he has ever known — aside from when he was a kitten — and even then he barely remembered that.

   "Just thinking about leaf-bare," Hemlockshade meowed as he dipped into the rabbit, ripping a piece from its corpse; that wasn't a total lie, he just couldn't risk exposing his background, even to his best friend.  Troutdip smiled and nodded his furry head.

   "It'll be okay, I think Batsqueal mentioned that The Gods are going to make this leaf-bare lighter than usual," Troutdip said. The nostrum novice could be right, but Hemlockshade didn't believe in their afterlife. Hemlockshade pretended to agree with him with a nod of his head.

As the two teared at the half-devoured rabbit, the black oriental tomcat could feel a pair of icy-cold eyes piercing through his fur. He rose his head and slowly glanced around. His eyes locked with a familiar pair of yellow eyes: Woollysheep. He stared at him with a cold gaze. Hemlockshade swallowed his saliva nervously and glanced away. Woollysheep and him haven't been talking much these days, but were more "friends with benefits", minus the "friend" part.

Hemlockshade glanced up again and his pelt began to prick up as he watched the corkscrew-pelted feline pad up to the two tomcats eating. Quickly, Hemlockshade rubbed the blood away from his whiskers and sat up. Troutdip noticed Woollysheep and rose his head, glancing between him and the gray combatant. "Care to join me for a walk?" the gray tom asked with a flick of his ear. Hemlockshade hesitated. Part of him wanted to, but the other part . . . . he knew why he wanted to take a walk. He needed to stand up for himself, but deep down his feelings for the combatant were still there.

   Troutdip scoffed and rose to his paws. He never liked Woollysheep. Tansycloud had told the siamese feline that they have been having trouble, and since then, he kept his distance from him. "I'm gonna see if Fernwisp wants the rest of this rabbit," he muttered, "her kits will be here any day now, and I'm sure she's hungry." Without another word, he picked up the rabbit and padded off towards the care-takers den, leaving the two alone.

The black-furred tomcat watched his friend before turning back to Woollysheep. Say no, his heart pleaded. With a weak smile, Hemlockshade nodded his head. "Sure," he murmured. Woollysheep grinned and turned around, making his way to the exit. Hemlockshade followed and bounded beside him. How could he say no to him?

* * *

Even though the sun wasn't out, Hemlockshade could tell that it was past sunhigh. He parted his mouth in a wide yawn, sleep clinging to his eyes. The two were padding deep into the woodlands, far from camp. Perhaps Woollysheep just wanted to talk? Maybe he wanted to apologize for his behavior? He glanced to the tomcat, but his eyes were focused on the path ahead. Suddenly, he realized that they were headed to the den that they would often stay the night in. They weren't going to talk. Woollysheep wasn't going to change. Hemlockshade flattened his ears and his fur began to bristle in anger and discomfort. He stopped in his tracks, tears threatening to spill. A knot formed in his throat and he swallowed it hard.

Woollysheep noticed he had stopped and turned around. "Come on," he murmured, padding up to him. The tom circled around him and brushed his tail underneath Hemlockshade's chin, making him shiver. The gray tomcat gently licked his cheek with his eyes closed. He was frozen to the spot. He dug his claws into the soil beneath him. His whiskers quivered. Hemlockshade blinked his tears away.

"I-I don't want to do this anymore," he whispered, "please, Woollysheep. I . . . I love you, but I can't . . . I just . . ." Tears fell from his eyes as he looked down at his paws, ashamed.

Woollysheep stepped in front of him and rose his chin with a claw to make Hemlockshade look at him. His gaze was cold. "You'll do what I say," he hissed coldly, "this is what love is." Hemlockshade's eyes slightly widen in horror. His claw on the bottom on his chin dug into his skin and he could feel the blood ooze out of the wound. Was this love?

Hemlockshade stepped back, staring at Woollysheep. He couldn't do this anymore. This isn't love. This is lust. He cannot be apart of it anymore. "I can't. I'm sorry." Hemlockshade turned and began to pad back to camp, his head hanging low. He could feel Woollysheep stare after him as he made his way away from the combatant. Tears fell from his eyes as he walked along the path.

Suddenly, he felt teeth dig into his tail. Hemlockshade howled in pain and craned his neck to see Woollysheep's jaws on the end of his tail. The gray tomcat yanked back as hard as he could, forcing the black feline closer to him. Fear consumed him in a large wave. His heart thumped against his chest. "W-Woollysheep!" he stammered.

Woollysheep pinned him to the ground, one paw on his head with his claws extended and another on the center of his back. Hemlockshade's face was pressed to the ground. He spit dirt out as he forced his head to one side so he could breathe. "You're so useless, it's pathetic," he snarled.

Hemlockshade cried out, but the more he cried, the more Woollysheep's claws dug into his pelt. Pain seared throughout his entire body. Fear consumed him. Tears ran down his face. Woollysheep bent down so that his muzzle was brushing up against Hemlockshade's ear. "I know your secret, Hemlock," he hissed coldly. Panic spread through his body. Did Woollysheep really know about his past? Had Leaftumble picked up on what he had said awhile back and figured it out?

Another shot of pain caused him to yowl out. His eyes tightened and he clenched his jaws. This wasn't love.

Just as Hemlockshade was about to lose hope, the weight was knocked off of him, causing him to gasp out in surprise. His eyes sprang open to see a flash of brown and gray tussling with Woollysheep. Hemlockshade scrambled up to his paws, his fur covered in dirt as blood oozed down his face. With wide eyes, he watched as Troutdip and Woollysheep tussled in the dirt, fighting with tooth and claw. The corkscrew-furred tomcat threw his attacker off, baring his teeth into a snarl as Troutdip stood in front of the black oriental in a protective manner. His ears were flattened to his skull, his tail lashing to and fro. Hemlockshade had never seen him so angry before; he was always bubbly and cheery. The two stared at one another as if waiting for the other to attack as Hemlockshade peered from the side, crouched low to the ground.

   Woollysheep scoffed and sheathed his claws. His eyes were cold. His fur flattened as he stood tall, eyes narrowed and tail lashing. "You're brave, attacking a combatant with more experience," he growled lowly. Troutdip didn't say anything. His chest heaved up and down heavily. Woollysheep scoffed and flicked an ear. "Hemlockshade, you're pathetic," he hissed as he padded towards camp, slowly passing the two other felines. Troutdip slowly shielded the black tomcat as the other combatant passed, his eyes locked with Woollysheep's.

   "You're going to regret this, Hemlockshade," he growled, "just wait, in a moon, you'll be dead."

   Hemlockshade swallowed his saliva as a knot formed in his stomach. The two watched as he disappeared into the underbrush before Troutdip turned to his friend. "I shouldn't have let you go with him," he admitted, "I'm so sorry."

   Hemlockshade had barely heard him. Woollysheep's words echoed in his mind over and over again. He knew. He knew. The rogues were here for him; and there was nothing he could do about it.