above: hail (hes supposed to have a more yellow pelt)

chapter 13

. . . 

Hail's tail flicked once at my expression. "You've heard of the F.E.A.T.H.E.R?" 

I nodded shortly. "My friends and I have figured out a part of your secret, indeed. But we would like to know: what does the saying mean?"

Hail's lips tugged into a half-hearted smile before dropping again. "It's not a saying, it's code. Like you've heard, it means 'flight, escape, away, and the hail encourages the rage.'"

Lightstar's eyes narrowed and her shoulders stiffened. "So this prophecy is about you?"

"It's not a prophecy." Hail's eyes narrowed. "Mouse-brain." he added, extremely quietly.

If Lightstar heard the last comment, she ignored it. "Is it about you or not?"

"Yes, obviously it's about me!" Hail glanced at her as though she had bees in her brain, then raised his tail in defense as she raised her eyebrows. "It was made before I was born, so stop accusing me of all this!"

"Enough." Lightstar's muscles twitched. "You need to explain, cat, why you've been taking my warriors away from their Clan."

"Because I need a warrior's help!" Hail's tone seemed pleading now.

"With what? You have your own guards, authorities. Why have you been training my warriors to fight and kill, keep them in cells and talk down to them? They didn't deserve that."

Hail sighed and motioned for her to close her mouth. She did so, glaring at him, and watched as he began again.

*start of flashback, Hail's POV*

The city walls loomed around me as I slunk uncomfortably through the dirty streets. Cars honked on the roads and rain beat down on the ground. I turned the corner, trying to  blend in with the shadows. Alas, my orange coat was a dead giveaway.

I did not belong here. I was a savannah cat, longing to be free in long-grassed plains, running free under the sun. Not here, in the rainy city.

I glanced behind me. Was something watching me? Were those a pair of eyes, unblinking in that pile of trash?

Shaking my head, I continued along the pathway. I had to reach camp before dark, where I was safe and sound. No one would try to kill me there, where I had twelve of my companions to defend me and themselves.

I got so lost in my thoughts that I did not realize my situation. A grey blur leaped at me, ramming into my shoulder. With a thud I was knocked against the hard concrete and stars flew across my vision. A grey, blurry paw was raised in front of me, long, lethal claws glinting in the poor sunshine. 

My head cleared just in time: the other's paw flashed down, and I quickly scrambled forward, cannoning into their stomach. With an oof  they fell, and I quick as a flash I pushed myself forward so my legs were on their stomach and face was close to theirs. 

"Dagger," I growled in recognition, the cat's face appearing familiar. He was a part of the other group, the one that fought us for our territory here in the city.

All the tom did was grunt, attempting to push me off. I persisted, holding my own. "I'll let you go if you leave me alone," I promised, keeping my grip on Dagger's shoulders.

The fire in his eyes burnt out. "Fine." The tom ceased struggling an I stepped back slowly, the fur on my neck still raised and my claws peeking out of their sockets.

Dagger got up, claw marks visible in his shoulders as he dusted himself off and stretched up to his full height.

I waited for him to scamper away, tail twitching expectantly.

The fire presently in his eyes appeared again, though, and tail bristling, he tripped me with a paw, sending me in the concrete once again.

"You piece of fox-dung!" I snarled as he leaped and pinned me down. No matter how hard I struggled, his claws curled closer and closer around my neck.

A croak sounded out of my mouth as I gasped for air. Was this the end, would we lose another member so soon after Snow?

Suddenly the grip on my airpipe loosened and the weight vanished. A cat that I recognized as my sister, Willow, was grappling with Dagger, using all her strength in her lithe body to pin the tom down. Eyes flashing, the molly bit down on his flank, sending him yowling away, down the street.

"Are you okay?" Willow asked, her yellow pelt drenched in water as she helped me up.

I struggled to breathe and hunched over, gasping for air. Willow patted my back reassuringly with her tail.

"Breathe, breathe," she coaxed. When I finally had caught my breath she spoke again. "We should get back to camp, and quickly." The she-cat's eyes flickered around the area. "Are you ready to move?"

I nodded, forever grateful to my sister as we walked back to camp.

I stood on the rock we used to address each other and spoke softly, herbs still wrapped around my dotted pelt. 

"Dagger attacked me today in alleyway three. Willow helped me live back there, but we do not have enough members to fight off Conan's gang." I locked eyes with my companions. "My mother told me about a Clan, living quite a while back. She said her great-grandmother was born into one of those before kitting as a rouge. The story tells of a great Clan that swims with the water and eats fish. They were strong together. Now, we must journey to ask the Clan if they can help us fight off Conan and his rouges. Who's with me?" I raised my tail encouragingly.

Willow and Smoke, my other sister, were first to yell out support. "We are!"

Slowly, the rest of my companions joined in, and the following day, we closed out camp and set out in search of the great water Clan.

*end of flashback, Rushingwave's POV*

My eyes were wide as the spotted tom wrapped up his story.

"I lost my brother, Snow, to those rouges. My mother died under the paws of Conan. And I need help, they have so many cats, and we have barely any."

Lightstar's eyes showed nearly no compassion. "Why didn't you just ask? You started stealing warriors when Thistlestar was still leader, what were you thinking?" she exploded, tail lashing.

I nodded. "Your choices have weakened RiverClan, and we need time to heal." I nudged my leader and whispered, "Tell him to leave, we need to talk this over!"

Lightstar glared at the tom, then flicked her tail to the exit. Dipping his head, he backed away, yellow coat glinting before disappearing.

yes, i updated early. now, what do you think of Hail's story? do you think he deserves a chance? tysm for reading <33