Written 2015-2016

Azalea squeezed her slender body under the cool metal fence. She felt the hard bar run along her spine and she allowed a purr to escape her as she came into the glare of white light. She opened her eyes, revealed big, lime-colored eyes that hid just beneath the soft fur of her pelt. Her gaze flickered across the yard she stood in, taking in the dry clumps of grass and weeds. A weathered white picket fence marked the boundary between the neighboring yards that were clearly tended to far more often. Three pastel chairs sat not to far off, their broken backs were propped against the house. The porch floorboards sagged and the window boxes were hastily crammed with wilted daisies and unwanted dandelions. Not to mention, the yard was overrun with weeds and tall, mysterious, grasses. This was Azalea's favorite hunting spot, the camouflage was abundant.

Lizzy Serene who lived at the house was constantly working, so she rarely noticed the stray cat lurking about her unkempt yard. Azalea had peeked in the dirt stained windows before. Every room was cluttered, the bedroom, the kitchen, the family room, every room except one. The office. The office was beautiful, the desk was topped with glass and the computer was a soft gravel colored metal with a shimmering logo in the shape of an apple. The monitor screen was always crystal clean and the email had a neat, precise backdrop of pink and blue geometrical shapes. There was a leather loveseat and a tall lush plant growing in a marble pot beside a stainless steel mini fridge sitting just under the glass plated desk. And there was always Lizzy sitting in her tall back, black office chair browsing the touchbar with her fingertip and spinning in her seat.

Azalea returned from her fantasy and shrunk low to the ground, prowling through the growth that secured her invisibility. Her ears perked up, waiting to pick up any trace of noise, a squeak, a shuffle, an ache of muscle. Azalea's haunches were sore from crouching but she barely noticed as she attempted to contain the adrenaline rushing through her body. Squeak... Azalea whipped her head around. Her eyes caught on a small, tentative brown field mouse hunkered down in an overgrown patch of buckhorn plantain. Azalea's eyes thinned slightly as she captured the field mouse in her gaze. She took in the tiny details. Its wet pink nose wiggling. Its paws grasping handfuls of insects and grass. How it could not seem to decide whether it wanted to sit up or sit down. Azalea's tail swayed slowly back and forth. Her belly was touching the ground but her paws were brought up close to her chest and stomach so that her haunches jutted out from her lower back. Now she was fully focused.

Azalea pushed off her hind legs and stretched them out to feel the wind on her fur. She peeled back her lips and growled fiercely as she soared through the air and onto the mouse. She instantly pinned the mouse down with one paw and and played with it out of spite before skillfully killing him in one swipe across his throat. The mouse fell limp under Azalea's paw and she felt obliged to unpin him. She licked her lips but a voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she couldn't eat it until she was out of Lizzy's view through the body sized office window.

Azalea took the mouse and clenched it in her jaws. She prowled back to the fence and slipped underneath. When she emerged fully she opened her eyes and what she saw scared her half to death. Three toms stood in a perfect triangle formation in front of her and their chests were puffed up pridefully. The one in the middle, a strong looking orange tabby tom with a scabbed scar across his eye, swiped for Azalea's head but missed. He tried again but was too slow, Azalea hit his side instead.

The tom swayed and then regained his composure.

"Thunder. You think that you can compete with me? After what happened last time?" meowed Azalea, calmly and quietly, staring at the red mark on the tom's face.

"I will admit that you are like no other outsider I have met. But my tribe is still stronger than... you," Thunder tilted his head, smirking. Azalea was unaffected and felt no surge of emotion.

"Why did you come here?!" growled Azalea "I'm no longer part of your stupid tribe! You can't control me!"

"That is what I've come for! And that's what I intend to do. I have an offer Azalea..." Thunder stilled, and looked at Azalea for a long while, she felt his gaze burning her.

"An offer?" questioned Azalea. Her voice still held its merciless ere.

"Yes, an offer. Come forward, Prince Quinn," Thunder ordered. A feeble looking orange tom stepped up beside Thunder. He bore fighting wounds all over his body. Azalea assumed he had been in many fights defending his tribe as the prince. Besides the fact that Thunder was obviously much stronger than Quinn, their features were similar. The same slim eyes and the same default smirk. "My son, Prince Quinn, would like to take you as a mate."

Azalea felt taken aback.

"It would be for protection, of course," Thunder continued. Protection from what? Azalea wondered. She lowered her tail and her fur bristled. A car flew by, penetrating the air with pebbles and dust clouds.

"You make me sick," Azalea held her ground and glared directly into Thunder's dull, yellow eyes.

"Sometimes a ragtag outsider like you needs to be taught their place," growled Thunder in a low voice. He lunged forward at Azalea who stood her ground, baring her teeth at him. He swiped at her flank but she dodged him and raked her claws across his face leaving a suitable red gash over his eye that crossed the first. By then, Quinn and his crew had disappeared. She growled victoriously as Thunder stood defenseless and alone. She used her hind legs to kick him away as he tried to attack again and she turned to see Thunder laying helpless on his back. She stepped on his chest and pinned him down then bit his ear, tearing off part of the tip.

"Now," she muttered. Thunder's irises were filled with fear as he stared upward in shock, "Next time you decide to come to me again with your annoying little posse and another stupid proposal you will remember this MOMENT!" she shouted, swiping her claws across his face once more, developing a third scar outdoing the last two.

Thunder scrambled to his feet and looked at Azalea. He saw no fear in her meadow green eyes. Only courage, triumph, and determination. He lowered his tail and shrunk back in fear.

"Y-you're crazy," he whimpered, "Crazy!" he skittered away, scared out of his wits.

Azalea watched him until he faded into the fog of the woods. She yawned. It was late, the sky was fading from a deep rose to a hyacinth purple. She stumbled, her front leg ached from pinning down Thunder. Azalea would never dare admit it, but despite her hurtful remarks, Thunder was still quite tough.

Azalea trailed along the curb and then sat next to the stop sign before crossing the road into the woods. Night knocked on her door and the leaves she trod on darkened. They were soon shaded cornflower from the moonlight that flickered between the thousands of twigs and vines tangled up in the canopy. She passed the familiar thick trunks of bur oaks and the eyes of red maples as their keen gaze followed her. She brushed her ribs against the sweet smelling sassafras and serviceberry and smelled the fragrance of wild lilies and daffodils hiding in the shadows.

Finally, the forest opened up to a large clearing. Brush lined the edges but the space was covered in flowing loose drifts of dust. When Azalea looked up she could see all the stars pinned to a velvety purple canvas. No other creatures roamed Azalea's clearing and she made sure of that. At the edge of the brush there was an alcove made of a bent shrubbery. The twigs and leaves twisted to form the dome shape that sheltered Azalea and served as her home. She wiggled under the wall and into her cove. Curled up peacefully on a heap of soft leaves and looked through the imperfections of the wall at the array of stars, this helped her slip slowly out of consciousness and allowed dreams dance around her head.

...

"Hel... help me," A voice came in from just outside. Azalea opened one sleepy eye and looked out from under the wall. An orange cat shaded dark in the night lay strewn on the ground, a pool of blood shimmered around his body. "Please... " He groaned, in obvious agony. Azalea grimaced as she recognized the injured tom.

"Quinn?!" Azalea was shocked. But her shock took no time to morph into frustration. "What are you doing here? What is your purpose? Are you just here to spy on me? To win me over by acting like a little injured kitten!?" Azalea interrogated, sleep and anger overtaking her mind.

"It's not what it looks like!" whimpered Quinn. He grunted in pain and struggled to position himself towards Azalea.

"I think it's exactly what it looks like," Azalea growled. Quinn cowered but did not leave the front of the den.

"Just please, help me," he pleaded. Azalea's eyes rolled over Quinn's injuries, his caked leg and his bleeding head. She stood back. He really was hurt.

"Fine. But just this once, don't come crawling to me again," She finally meowed, reluctantly embracing the cessation of the argument, feeling embarrassed that she had caved so easily. Azalea dragged Quinn by the scruff of his neck into her den. She cleaned the blood from his fur with her tongue, mindful of his wounds and examined the injuries carefully. Scrutinizing each gash with her gaze.

"How bad are they," asked Quinn, finally speaking after a long pause. He twisted his neck to look at her. Azalea sighed in frustration.

"Bad enough," she managed to respond, looking at them closer. Quinn yelped as she touched his leg. "Are you going to tell me how you got them?" she inquired suspiciously.

"Just help me already!" Quinn yelled in response.

"I'm trying! Look, I'm not like the other cats back at your daft tribe!" Azalea raged.

"Sorry, sorry, just please, I need help... " Quinn leaned back. Azalea looked at him a moment then spoke.

"I have a friend," Azalea sighed. Quinn's ears pointed upward in interest and his tail curled a bit in excitement, "She is good with herbs and medical work, her name is Yarrow," Azalea's eyes narrowed and Quinn flinched, "But she can't know you're the tribe prince, she hates the tribe just as I do and more. She will not look for reason, she will kill you immediately,"

"Okay... " meowed Quinn slowly, "I won't tell her."

"Good," meowed Azalea "I will be back in a couple minutes," Quinn nodded.

Azalea slipped out into the blackness of the night. The air was frigid and she shivered as it pushed down on her. She tried to remember why she had agreed to help Quinn. Yarrow's den wasn't too far away, only a couple paces. But Yarrow was a deep sleeper so it would be a challenge to awaken her. Yarrow's den was bigger than Azalea's and endorsed in black-eyed susans and zinnias. The inside had melted candles and shiny aluminum pieces from yards that Yarrow had visited. Yarrow's bed was first made of a layer of colorful leaves and then silk pieces from Queen Bee. Queen Bee was a house cat and a friend of Yarrow and Azalea. Although Yarrow and Azalea disproved of Queen Bee's ways, Queen Bee gave them gifts that they could not refuse. Yarrow's cushion was then lined with wild roses and lilies. The beautiful black feline lay curled up comfortably in the center.

"Yarrow?" Azalea whispered. "Yarrow?" Yarrow snorted and stretched her leg. "Yarrow!" Azalea shouted. Yarrow scrambled up kicking leaves, flowers and silk everywhere.

"Wha-what? Azalea?" Yarrow froze, her chest rising and falling quickly.

"Yeah, I need a favor," Azalea meowed.

"Oh... good," Yarrow relaxed.

"I have a friend who is injured badly," Azalea meowed. She was breathing heavily as she stood urgently before Yarrow. Yarrow nodded slowly and stood still for a moment, staring at Azalea.

"Okay, Azalea, but I'll need to see this friend so I know what herbs to collect," Yarrow broke the silence.

"Oh, right," Azalea lead Yarrow back to her own den to show the injured tom. Azalea grimaced as she saw Yarrow's expression develop when she saw Quinn's head and leg.

"Azalea..." Yarrow breathed, "This would be the worst case I've ever treated,"

"It's okay, you can do it, you're our only hope," meowed Azalea breathlessly. Yarrow sighed, frustrated.

"Azalea, why do you always get me into these things?" she asked, rubbing her head. Quinn looked up.

"Any day now would be nice!" He seethed.

"Shut up! What is your name, anyway?" asked Yarrow, Quinn was about to speak when Azalea interrupted him.

"Ummm... his name is... uuuuhh... Kipp, yes that is his name, his name is Kipp," Azalea forced a chuckle.

"Uh, okay, if you say so Azalea, I'm going to get my herbs and some bandages," Yarrow was gone instantly. Quinn looked at Azalea, his eyes half covered by his eyelids.

"Really?"

"What?"

"Really, Kipp, you couldn't think of anything better? I guess you mollies are really the way my father says." Quinn muttered.

"Watch your tongue. Remember, I'm the one treating you and I'm the one with poisonous herbs on my side, and you don't want to expose yourself to Yarrow, do you?" Azalea threatened. Quinn sighed and sunk into the dust.

"I should have gone to Axel," he meowed.

"Are you kidding me?!" gasped Azalea. "Axel follows all the orders from his chief! That's what he's known for!" And after all I've done for you..."

"Yeah, but he was my best friend!" shouted Quinn. "We grew up together!"

"So what? Friendship won't matter to him once he has an order from Thunder! You should know that! Remember Hope Tribe's motto, 'Labor and Leaders over Love and Leisure'? Don't you understand what that means?" cried Azalea. Quinn groaned

"I really don't care. How have you memorized the Hope Tribe motto anyways?" he asked, his eyes lolled over to her suspiciously.

"Yeah, yeah, I was born into the Hope Tribe." Azalea replied, looking away shamefully. Quinn smiled, satisfied.

"Did you have good memories there?" Quinn inquired.

"Would I have left if I had good memories there?!" Azalea replied sharply.

"Well, I was just asking... " Quinn muttered angrily. "Which queen were you born to?"

"Acacia," meowed Azalea quietly.

"Who?" asked Quinn.

"Acacia," Azalea repeated, frustrated that Quinn didn't know a queen from a his own tribe.

"Oh, that old hag..." meowed Quinn quietly.

"What?!" Azalea yelled. She glared at Quinn making him cower in her gaze.

"Sorry," Quinn whimpered.

"Ugh. Anyways, Acacia means small but mighty, and it is a symbol of love, friendship, and beauty. When Acacia was young, she nearly died because of her small size and considerable heart condition. Thunder wanted her dead the moment Acacia was born, but Amber, Thunder's mate and your mother, stopped him and convinced him to give Acacia a week to heal. Thunder listened to his mate. Surprisingly, Acacia pulled through with the help of the other queens and kittens. She grew up kind, beautiful, and very likable, so her birth mother, Briar, named her Acacia. Then I was born in Acacia's first litter. Thunder always called me Zeel, meaning "energy" because all he saw in me was my energy as I ran around constantly, ticking off toms and elderly queens. Acacia hated the nickname and insisted on calling me Azalea instead. Which is a flower that Acacia loved. She saw it in Serene's garden before Lily moved in and demolished the garden,"

"So why did you leave?" asked Quinn, his interest growing.

"One cold winter day, when I was almost a year old, Thunder announced that we were low on food he told us that we had equal rations that we could pick up from his den at noon. When I went to his den and I saw the rations and I realized that the queens' rations were much less compared to the other rations! I was outraged. The queens were starving, they couldn't live off so little food, they had to feed their kittens to. I confronted him and lectured him for discriminating against one type of cat. He told me that the queens just laid around anyways while the toms and warriors worked all day. Taking shifts defending the queens. I knew he was wrong, the queens cared for their kittens, kittens that could one day grow up to become warriors and toms. Thunder was outraged and to punish me he killed Acacia right before my eyes.

"I ran away that day and I found Yarrow, an outcast who lived with her father, Chris. Chris and Yarrow nursed me back to health and Chris disappeared two months later. I lived with Yarrow until I was strong enough to find my own den and live and hunt on my own. Thunder bothered me sometimes but not to much. I've done him badly each time he confronts me, scarred his face three times, bit off his ear, everything. He is relentless,"

"Oh... that's what happened," meowed Quinn,.

"Anyways," Azalea continued "I have been living on my own ever since,"

"Wow," meowed Quinn, pondering the story. But he didn't get much time because Yarrow slinked inside.

"Alright, I'm going to start by using these leaves and cobwebs to bandage your wounds," explained Yarrow. Quinn nodded. "Now, Azalea."

"Huh?" Azalea looked up from rearranging her bed.

"I need you to chew these up for me." Azalea had a look of disgust on her face as Yarrow shoved a pile of herbs towards her.

"Why me? Why not you?" she sputtered.

"Because," meowed Yarrow, "I barely know Kipp and you do, right? You claimed he was your friend."

"Yes, but why can't he do it himself?"

"Oh, he's much too weak," Yarrow chuckled as she propped up Quinn's head. "Jeez, he looks a lot like Thunder... " she muttered. Azalea and Quinn both looked at each other with concerned expressions.

"Oh! Not to be offensive or anything, it's just..." Yarrow continued to sort herbs as Azalea chewed the leaves reluctantly. She spit them out as soon as possible in front of Quinn who closed his eyes tightly.

"Ugh, they're covered in your slobber!" he complained

"Just shut up and eat them already!" demanded Azalea. Quinn gagged as he slowly swallowed the pre-chewed herbs. Yarrow tucked some flower petals under Quinn's bandages and fed him poppy seeds.

"There," meowed Yarrow. She kicked a small parcel made from a hosta leaf over to Azalea.

"What is this?" demanded Azalea.

"More of the herbs you just chewed. He's going to need two a day for three weeks," instructed Yarrow.

"Three weeks?!" gasped Azalea. Yarrow shrugged.

"Yup, three weeks And, don't worry. Only the first few need to be chewed.!" Yarrow smiled and exited the den.

"That's not much better..." Azalea meowed under her breath. "You can sleep in the corner," she told Quinn, who dragged himself and a pile of dry leaves to the corner of the den. Azalea curled up in her own bed. And the night finally began for her.

...

After a couple hours of laying awake, Azalea began to notice that Quinn was rolling around in his sleep. She stood and walked over to him. He was muttering something under his breath.

"Yes, Dad," he meowed. Azalea was struck by the words, like a rock had been thrown at her chest, just thinking about Thunder, "Yes, I know and I will, I understand that her death was and is for the sake of the tribe..." Quinn's soft voice trailed off as he rolled over. Azalea growled and jumped on him, grabbing his throat with her claws. Quinn snapped awake and swiped at her face.

"What is wrong with you?!" he yelled. Azalea's gaze was unfiltered, rage and aggression leaked into it and it burned Quinn's eyes like laser beams.

"What is wrong with you?! When were you going to tell me you were planning on killing me?!" yelled Azalea, breathing heavily.

"What in the heck made you think that I wanted to kill you?" Quinn screamed. "And get your claws off my throat!"

"No! I heard you! Your plan is exposed! Your father told you to kill me for the good of the tribe!" her heart was beating four times faster than it had been beating before.

"No, that was about Kya!" Quinn was screamed. "And that hurts, you're on my leg!" Azalea pulled her foot off his injury and dragged her claw off his throat, still tense.

"Who is Kya?" she asked.

"Well... Kya was a pretty white queen carrying eight kittens and spreading a new religion around the tribe... the new religion was not supportive of my dad... he decided to slit Kya's throat... I objected to his choice... I asked him why he would kill Kya... I told him I thought he was disturbing her rights. She was carrying kittens... he told me he couldn't have queens creating their own religions... they weren't suited for the task... he told me that because Kya had disobeyed him... she had violated the clan's guidelines... and therefore she had to die... for the sake of the clan... I agreed... then to punish me for ever doubting him... he did this to me... " Quinn looked at the dusty floor and looked at his injuries, pausing. "Then I... then I came to you," Azalea sat back and sucked in tears. Why would a father want to hurt his own blood?

"This is worse than I thought... " Azalea laid back down in her bed.

"What's worse than you thought?"

"The Hope Tribe situation," Azalea replied.

"There is no situation," Quinn seethed. "My father is a great leader, he has been keeping balance in our tribe for years," Quinn sat up and looked me in the eyes, "The the river Dawn picked him to be the next leader. What more proof do you need that there is no situation? Why, if he were here, he would be telling me and you off right now and leading me back to the comfort of my own home," Quinn had taken obvious force to say the word "comfort".

Azalea calmed herself, she tried to become one with herself so that she would seem more reassuring to Quinn, who shivered beside her. Her heart fell into the pit of her stomach, she considered that Thunder had brainwashed his own son into telling everyone that he was a great leader, and that Quinn had deserved his cruel punishment.

"Quinn," Azalea didn't know what she was going to say, she would have to eventually explain Thunder's wrong-doings to Quinn, but now, he seemed to fragile and delicate, like he would shatter without the perceived protection of his father's wing over him. "I see where you are coming from," Azalea shook, she opened her mouth to continue, then shut it again, and opened it, her throat closed, trying to stop the words from coming out, "But, your father, he... wronged you." Quinn seemed shaken by the words.

"Me?! No, my father was doing e-exactly what he had to, because I was a t-terrible son, I wronged the Hope Tribe and soon, he will be back for me, he will you'll see, Yarrow will see, you'll all see," Azalea's anger swelled in her stomach, she wanted to erupt on him, she wanted to convince him that he was wrong, that he was a good son; his father was just absolutely insane. But instead, she tried to reason with him.

"Listen, I know that you feel like it was all your fault, but it's not, and seeing the other side of someone you respect can be hard. I respected your father once too," She meowed. Quinn looked up at her, his spine had curved and he slouched now. His slick dark orange fur was smoothed down his back. The fur on his leg was bristled and the cobwebs were peeling off. "But then I was forced to see him for what he is. A bad leader. A bad cat. Someone who doesn't deserve anyone's respect, especially yours." She looked at him now, directly into his eyes.

"Thank you, I may never understand why I believe it was my fault and you don't... but I will remember your words. And maybe that will help me," Quinn's voice shook as he slowly passed out in the strong toll of the sleep herbs that Yarrow had fed him.

...

Morning came abruptly, shafts of light glittered elegantly through the canopy decorating the forest floor in shimmering patches of yellow light. Quinn was still asleep, they had both slept through dawn. Azalea didn't want to leave Quinn alone but she had to hunt as much as possible if she was going to feed both of them.

On her way out, Azalea told Yarrow to tell Quinn she had gone hunting if he awoke before she came back. Yarrow agreed and Azalea decided to stay within the woods to hunt. She walked far away from her den and Yarrow's, leaving scent markers all the way so she could find her way back. She came upon a clearing. The clearing had exotic grass in it that was cut short and smelled foul. In the middle of the clearing was a giant barn that smelled of rust and led. The barn used to be red but now the paint had faded to a rose color and chipped off the barn, laying in huge toxic strips on the grass. The door to the barn was covered in scrambling termites and hung from one hing. Everything but the grass on the outskirts of the clearing looked horrible.

Azalea crawled through the weed infested crack on the side of the barn, there was bound to be lots of mice inside. Azalea was right, the entire space was crawling with them! She caught three and stopped, she could only carry that many back.

The walk back was long. The sky had dimmed. Azalea hadn't realized how long she had been gone for. The trees parted and the clearing came into view. She smelled the air. The strong odor of rotting flesh came to her. Azalea sunk low to the ground and stalked into camp until she saw Yarrow bent over something. Blood dribbled down from where Yarrow stood. Her eyes clouded with concern and she stood up and ran over to Yarrow.

"What's happening!?" Azalea demanded. Yarrow looked at Azalea for a moment, her brow wrinkled in a frightened expression as she sunk back to what she was doing.

"He got bit by a wolf. He's lost a lot of blood and part of his leg is... " Azalea winced when she looked at Quinn, who had passed out, his leg a bloody stub hanging off his skinny body. His mouth hung open and air slowly moved in and out of his throat, the bloody claw marks from last night still etched on his neck. Azalea stared at a black splotch exploding over his leg.

"Yarrow! Cut off the rest!" she yelled.

"No! Are you crazy? He'll die!" Yarrow responded.

"Trust me, he is becoming infected," Azalea reasoned. Yarrow's gaze rolled down Quinn's leg, her eyes finding the black spot. Her tail lowered.

"What the He-" Azalea shushed Yarrow before she could say anything more. Quinn's eyes widened at the sharp wood chip Azalea held poised above his leg. He awakened to their voices.

"Azalea, what are you, please don't-aaaaahhhhhhh!" Quinn passed out as Azalea kicked away the chunk of blackened flesh.

"We have to wrap this now or he is going to bleed out," she told Yarrow, who nodded and ran back to her den to get cobwebs. Azalea put both paws over the bloody stump trying to contain the blood and waited for Yarrow who frantically collected cobwebs and pain herbs. Yarrow rushed back, dropping leaves and webs all the way. She breathed heavily as she dropped all the supplies beside Quinn. Yarrow began shoving leaves and flower petals down Quinn's throat while Azalea wrapped his leg very unprofessionally in web and padded it with dried leaves. They carried him back to Azalea's home and Yarrow retreated back to her den to retrieve some foul smelling flowers to wake up Quinn.

...

"This is my fault, isn't it?" Azalea sighed as she placed flowers around Quinn's bed. "But Quinn, you have to wake up. We have to stop Thunder, your father, the issue from getting worse," Azalea was breathing heavily, "I know you don't understand because he brainwashed you, but we need you to stop him. You are our strongest weapon," Quinn didn't stir. Yarrow walked in with flowers and moved them over Quinn's nose.

"Wakey, wakey, Sleeping Beauty," Yarrow meowed. Quinn coughed and then grunted from pain when he tried to move.

"I can't feel my leg! I can't feel my leg! I can't see it! I can't see it!" Quinn started yelling and panicking uncontrollably, "It hurts! It hurts!" Yarrow moved with a purpose, she laid a hosta leaf over Quinn's eyes and lavender blossoms over his nose. She made him swallow more pain remedies and peeled back his bloodied bandage, replacing it and adding a spread she had concocted to stop the bleeding.

"Oh, of..." Quinn squeezed his eyes shut. "It hurts, it hurts." Blood sprayed all over the dusty ground and Azalea grimaced, imagining cleaning up crimson dyed dirt later.

"Kipp's going to take at least a couple months to heal," meowed Yarrow, looking down at Quinn.

"What happened?" asked Quinn, liquid pain killers gurgling in his throat.

"You were traveling to my den and a wolf attacked you, you were too weak to fight him and he took part of your leg. When Azalea got back I was trying to help you. She noticed that the bite had infected your leg with some mysterious black disease and she cut off the rest, then you passed out again. We fed you pain killers and put a cast and herbs on your leg and now you're here." Yarrow finished.

"I don't remember any of that..." meowed Quinn, bewildered.

"Yeah, that happens to most people after they've been in a lot of pain. Your brain rejects the memories and you have a hard time remembering," explained Yarrow. Quinn shook his head.

"I think I have a migraine..." He groaned.

"That can happen, you took quite a bit of medicine. The painkillers should help with that in a few minutes. In the meantime, you should rest, I am going to give you some herbs that will help you sleep," Yarrow meowed. She left the den to get them.

"I heard you," Quinn's head rolled over to face Azalea, who winced.

"You did?" Azalea felt concerned, she hadn't meant for him to hear her. Quinn laughed.

"Yeah, it's okay, we will take down Hope Tribe," he smiled and laid back.

"But not yet, you need to heal," stated Azalea firmly.

"Yeah..." meowed Quinn. "That will give you time to prepare... have Yarrow make some strong poison, develop a team," he smiled.

"Yes, all that, but now you need to sleep," meowed Azalea. She walked back to her own bed laid down. Yarrow came later and fed Quinn his sleep herbs.

...

The hot pink shades of dawn began creeping up the horizon. Azalea stretched, Quinn was still knocked out. She squeezed out of the den and into the wind. The ground had orange and yellow bows of light decorating it. Azalea remembered that yesterday she hadn't eaten anything. Her stomach grumbled as she tried to recall where she had buried her mice. But she didn't have time when she heard the heavy sound of paws hitting the ground.

A mocha-tabby colored tom trotted out of the trees on the opposite side of the clearing. He was tall and thick, his muscles flexed as he neared Azalea.

"Hunter," she meowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you had another encounter with... him," Hunter gritted his teeth. "I wanted to make sure you were okay,"

"I'm perfectly fine, I don't need any help from a someone tough like you," she teased.

"Is Yarrow okay?" Hunter didn't catch the joke.

"Yeah, she's in her den sleeping." Azalea smirked.

"To be expected... " He smiled. "Let's go wake her up."

"You know how Yarrow gets when she's woken up," Azalea frowned. But Hunter was already trotting to Yarrow's den. Azalea rolled her eyes and stood outside the entryway to the home. As expected, she heard Yarrow's scream and then giggle of acceptance, Azalea walked into the den, Hunter licked Yarrow's ear and she did the same. Suddenly, Yarrow's eyes grew with surprise.

"Did Azalea tell you about Kipp?!" Yarrow was practically jumping out of her pelt. Hunter shook his head.

"Who is Kipp?" he asked, a confused shade came over his expression. Azalea grimaced, she knew that Hunter wouldn't fall for the "Kipp" trick. He had known Thunder for a long time. He had even been Thunder's friend and bodyguard until he saw what Thunder was really doing.

"Ummm... just Hunter for now, Yarrow you must be tired, stay back,"

"Nonsense, I need to see how he is doing!" Yarrow objected.

A YEAR AGO

"Thunder, the acorns." Thunder tensed and recoiled as Hunter dumped a jawful of hollowed acorns. "Is something wrong?" asked Hunter, uneasily.

"Nothing, thank you, dismissed," Thunder replied, in an almost monotone voice. Hunter left the den faster than he arrived. He came out to the same scene he was used to, it was much different than in the bejeweled royal den. The tribe's grounds were crimson with years of crusted blood, supposedly from traitors of the tribe. Dens were poorly assembled and needed repair. Sick cats with sagging, matted pelts dotted the grounds. Mucus, saliva, and blood dribbled down their coats and mixed with dust and grime. The canopy was barren and icy air bit at his face. Even the sky was gray and cloudy. Despite the condition of the camp, Hunter smacked on a happy face and strolled through the grounds to his den. Thunder had told the tribe that outside of camp, things were worse, some asked why Thunder's den was so much warmer and beautiful than the citizens' den, Thunder told them that he needed to be alive for the Hope Tribe to prosper.

Hunter reached his den and entered, he stopped as soon as he got in and walked back out. He couldn't believe it. He walked in again and crept slowly over to the corpse.

"Beryl?" he whispered in the dead queen's limp ear. "Beryl! Wake up!" he shook her and her eyes drifted open revealing a consuming sea of white foam. Dead and cold. "Please, Beryl! Wake up!" His eyes caught on a slip of paper birch. In the original cat transcript the letter read, "him". Anger and frustration and denial boiled in Hunter's heart. He dragged Beryl's dead body through camp and buried her in the woods. he proceeded to run away. He didn't know where he was going but he knew he wouldn't come back. Hunter wasn't watching where he was going and he crashed straight into a calico molly carrying a rabbit through the woods.

"Sorry, I'm Azalea," she meowed.

"Hunter," he responded weakly.

PRESENT TIME

Azalea tried to signal Hunter that she needed him to go along with her. But Hunter was completely oblivious to Azalea's pleads.

The three cats trotted to Azalea's den, but Azalea lagged behind them. Worry clogged her throat. She realized she had to be ahead of them so she could be there to stop Yarrow and Hunter from tearing Quinn's face off.

"What in the name of..." she heard Hunter's low grumble from the den. Nervousness pummeled into Azalea's stomach.

"What?" Yarrow meowed.

"Argh!" Thunder yelled. Azalea ran into the den and took the bloody swipe from Hunter before it could be delivered to Quinn.

"Ow, ahhh" Azalea held a paw to her bloodied forehead

. Hunter looked disgusted, no sign of pity glimmered in his eyes.

"Azalea..." he growled slowly. Quinn was frozen in the shadows of the desolate corner.

"I can explain!" Azalea caught Hunter before he could say anything else. "Quinn was..." she looked back at Quinn for reassurance, he nodded her on. "Abused by his father in his previous home." Pity only caught for a second at Hunter's iris.

"That's trash, now cough it up, why in the heck is he really here?!" Hunter pried.

"That's why! I told you! I wouldn't lie, Hunter!" Azalea gushed. Hunter lunged at her without hesitation, knocking her to the bare ground. Azalea raked her claws down his flank but he pinned her down by her throat before she could knock him back. He tore a gash in her front leg. Mustering the little strength he had, Quinn jumped from his corner and pounced on Hunter, managing to knock him off Azalea.

"Get away from her you idiot!" he yelled. Azalea stumbled away and Hunter straggled himself free from Quinn's grasp. Yarrow had left the den.

"You... you stopped me." Hunter struggled to say the words.

"Yeah, I did, that's what I do to jerks who harm my friends," Quinn growled. He prepared to lunge at Hunter again, the creak in his joints spread over the room. The shock with it, like a dark cold blanket that Hunter had been wrong.

"What is going on?!" Yarrow tromped in the den. She squirmed uncomfortably when she saw the gash on Azalea's leg and the claw marks on Hunter's flank. "What happened?!" she demanded. Yarrow had always been the mother figure of their tiny family.

"Nothing! Everything is fine!" Azalea covered Hunter's stern grumble best she could.

"No!" Hunter cut in, "Everything's not fine!" Azalea sighed in frustration and prepared to protect Quinn from Yarrow's vicious attack. "Azalea, here, brought the son of my worst enemy into her own home and tricked you!" Anger welled in Yarrow's eyes as she looked between Azalea and Quinn. "And, worst of all, he attacked me!" yowled Hunter.

"That's not the entire story at all! Not even close! You see, when Hunter saw Quinn, he attacked me. Then, Quinn tried to help me and so Quinn attacked Hunter. Yarrow, Quinn saved me. Besides, in Quinn's... previous home, he was abused. That's why he was hurt," Azalea explained. To Azalea's disappointment Yarrow's cold stare did not waver but instead was aimed at Hunter.

"You attacked Azalea?!" she screamed. Hunter shuddered.

"Yarrow, please, it was a misunderstanding." He stumbled over his words.

"No, you listen to me. You hurt one of my friends before listening to the entire story, you have offended my friend, therefore, you have offended me." Yarrow stayed quiet for a moment, surveying the premise. "I will not spill any more blood today... but get this in your head, next time you... mess up... I will not be as understanding." Yarrow could definitely be a vicious killer if she wanted to. Hunter put his head down.

"So where am I-" he started.

"No! You don't get to talk. You will sleep outside tonight; do you understand?"

"Ye-" Hunter started. But Yarrow had already left.

"I understand why you attacked me. It wasn't your fault, we'll make you a bed, you can sleep in my den," Azalea assured Hunter.

"No, I deserve what I got. I hurt you," Hunter meowed. He dragged himself out of the den. Azalea felt her heart burn with sadness. Yarrow had been too harsh, she didn't know what Thunder had done to Hunter.

...

The next morning came slowly, Azalea had another sleepless night. She headed out hunting right when dawn broke without talking to Hunter or Yarrow or Quinn first. Azalea didn't want to remember any of yesterday. She avoided going in the direction of the barn. She knew that the forest would calm her and wash those memories away as long as she didn't go there.

The forest floor was lush and green. Purple and yellow irises bedazzled the dry leaves. The canopy was a somber lime, shafts of light clawing between the breaks in branches. Azalea felt the moist dirt in the bare places smoosh between her toes and embraced the fresh scents of summer. She became at peace, her heart and mind's restless battle pausing, just for a moment. Then something changed. Black oily color exploded across the forest around her. She jumped as the stripe of night swooped beneath her and engulfed the woods behind her. The air bit at her nose and ears, and the once profuse wildflowers were wilted and became scarce, the surviving ones crunched dead beneath her paws. The canopy was bare and lifeless. The trees like dead hands reaching out of their graves, flesh peeling and dripping off their naked bones.

"This is most impressive, Barley," Thunder's voice hit Azalea like a bullet. She dove into the starving twigs of a lifeless bush

"Yes, yes, the human technology has definitely inspired me to do great things," Barley's voice sang, high-pitched and creaky. Azalea peeked out behind the bush to see Barley's star shaped nose and tiny paws. He was a mole.

"Uh huh, and the rest of the Lavender Serum?" Thunder inquired.

"Back at my lab, thirty mL of it, enough to take out the entire ecosystem." replied Barley.

"And the antiserum?" Thunder showed no sign of emotion in his blank voice, contrary to Barley's hyper and fervent nature.

"That too," Barley sounded excited. "You know, I've never been a part of one of these evil plans. It makes me feel so bad and-" Azalea tripped the leaves crinkled under her impact.

"Shush, Barley!" Thunder's voice sharpened and his eyes darted around the area.

"What are we-"

"Shut up, you imbecile!" Thunder shouted.

"Alright, now I'm starting to see the whole evil thing... "

"I said shut your mouth or I'll rip your face off!" Thunder demanded. The two continued to argue, or Thunder continued to yell and Azalea took the chance to slink away into the healthy part of the forest. Glass smashed onto the forest floor. "Now look what you've done! They'll find traces of the serum!" she heard leaves being picked up from the ground. "Look, now whoever was listening to us is obviously gone!" Thunder yowled. "Now just show me the stupid antiserum!"

"Yes, Chief Thunder, right this way." Barley said. Once Azalea was sure they had left she crawled over to where the glass had smashed. She dug around until she had found all the leaves with traces of the lavender colored serum on them. She took them into her mouth, careful not to let the honey like substance touch her lips knowing its ability, and began her journey back to camp.

...

"Azalea, you're back!" Yarrow looked relieved. "You didn't tell anyone you were leaving!"

"Yeah, I'm sorry, but I found something," Azalea replied. Yarrow looked surprised.

"What did you find?"

"These," Azalea laid the leaves down in front of Yarrow. Hunter joined them and curious looks erupted across their faces.

"Leaves?" Meowed Yarrow. She looked confused as she kicked the crisp, odorous leaves.

"No, look closer, and be more careful," Azalea urged. Yarrow and Hunter's gazes dropped to the leaves. Hunter pawed at one.

"What is that? It looks disgusting," Yarrow pulled more leaves her way, inspecting the shimmering lavender syrup.

"Ugh, I see it too, is it edible?" Hunter commented. Yarrow dipped her paw in the serum and lifted the drop close to her mouth.

"No! Stop, it's poison!" Yarrow and Hunter gasped and backed away, Yarrow rubbing her paw insistently on the dusty ground. "Don't do that either!" Azalea shouted. but it was too late. A river of gray death spawned and multiplied, flowing in every direction. Murdering and abusing anything in its path. Yarrow, Hunter, and Azalea all jumped away into the woods. They came slowly and cautiously out after the damage was done.

"Where in the heck did you get your paws on that!?" demanded Yarrow.

"Yeah! That's lethal!" yowled Hunter.

"Listen, just hear me out, okay?" Azalea said, "I was hunting in the woods when I heard Thunder talking to one of his lab experts, Barley," Hunter nodded, acknowledging that he had known Barley while he was still serving Thunder. "At least two acres of the woods around me looked like this." Azalea motioned to the dead land that the poison had created, "They call it the Lavender Serum. Barley claims they have more than enough to take out the entire ecosystem," explained Azalea.

"Why would they want to destroy the forest? That's their home too," asked Yarrow.

"Well, Barley also said he has an antiserum. I think they are going to destroy the forest and then blackmail all the outsiders into submitting to Thunder to get the antiserum. So if their plan works then they will get the forest back and hundreds of new Hope Tribe members." Azalea replied.

"How did you get the serum without them noticing?" asked Hunter.

"They did notice me, and Barely dropped the flask of Lavender Serum he had with him. I ran into the healthy part of the woods and waited until they had left, then I went and got the leaves that the poison had spilled on," explained Azalea.

"What are we going to do?!" gasped Yarrow dramatically.

"We are going to fight back and try to concoct ntiserum!" meowed Azalea pridefully.

"But we are completely outnumbered! And Quinn is still very injured," reasoned Yarrow.

"You're not considering everything, Yarrow. Thunder's people are sick and tired. They are weak and unhealthy and most importantly, vulnerable. Although Thunder doesn't know it yet, he has made himself weak by torturing his tribe." reasoned Azalea, "And we have plenty of other strong outcast cats that will work with us. All Thunder cares about is numbers. He doesn't care about will, strength, or courage. We need other outcasts, ideas?"

"Timber!" shouted Yarrow. Hunter had a look of confusion.

"Who is Timber?" he meowed.

"He is another outcast who lives here, we met him a couple months ago, he's new but trustworthy," explained Yarrow.

"So, where is he from, the Hope Tribe?" inquired Hunter.

"No, he's from the deep south, his voice is tipped a little to an accent. He was part of the southern tribe, the Peace Tribe, the newest of the Quarter Tribes bond. He explained that they had been exempt from the Quarter Tribe's treaty, the treaty has many laws and ideas that don't match Peace Tribe's ways. That's why out of the four tribes, Hope, Faith, Peace, and Descent, Peace Tribe is the only tribe that hasn't engaged in any large-scale wars and isn't part of the treaty. To elaborate, they have equal rights for queens and every pelt color. They all have agreed to a set of laws to assure that none go hungry. But the leader of Faith Tribe, Samurai, forced the leader of Peace Tribe, Gizmo, to join the treaty, that's when Timber left," Yarrow replied.

"Oh... " meowed Hunter, ashamed that he had ever been a part of the Hope Tribe. He hadn't left when he knew it was bad. He had allowed Thunder to brainwash him.

"Is Quinn still asleep? We should tell him about the Lavender Serum," Azalea broke the silence. Yarrow gazed over at Azalea's den.

"I think so, he's probably exhausted, let's let him sleep until nightfall," Yarrow reasoned. Azalea and Hunter nodded in agreement.

"We should find Timber now," meowed Azalea.

"Let's not chew more than we can swallow. We don't know if we want to start a war" Hunter attempted to sway the cats.

"It's not a war, Hunter. It's doing the right thing. Blackmail and murder are two evils that we have the ability to confront, therefore, we will," meowed Yarrow fiercely. Hunter cowered back.

"Okay, so where is Timber's den?" asked Hunter.

"This way," Yarrow trotted away from the clowder. Hunter and Azalea followed close

behind.

The woods were bright. The sun glared fiercely down from the heavens, breaking the canopy and engulfing the low ferns. Azalea's lime eyes flickered observantly across the sky. Her gaze found a cluster of storm clouds creeping up on the east edge of the sky. She turned back to her companions realizing that they had surpassed her long ago. She rushed to catch up with them.

"A storm is in the air," she commented. Hunter stopped.

"Is it safe to go on?" He replied.

"It doesn't appear too severe, but I won't make the call," meowed Azalea.

"We are already so far, we can't turn back, by the time we journey back from Timber's it will be daybreak, then the storm will have run its course," commented Yarrow. Hunter and Azalea nodded and they continued.

The air felt heavy with water droplets. Humidity pressed down on the clowder's coats. The first drop of rain caressed Azalea's cheek. She surveyed the area, recognizing a scarred oak, they were close to Timber's place.

After a few minutes, the rain pounded down as if it would never release its icy grip on the clowder. Timber's makeshift den began to peak above the branches of a young maple that stooped to the pouring drops. The cats ran to the den and skittered inside without being invited.

"Yarrow, Azalea, so good to see you!" Timber's voice bounced through the darkness. Azalea walked close enough to him that she could barely make out the features of his face. The den was dark but the floor felt untidy and Yarrow tripped over an ignored fallen twig.

"My apologies, Yarrow. You must all be hungry, who is your friend?" Timber responded to Yarrow's fall with ease.

"His name is Hunter, I guess we could use a bit of food, the journey took all day," Azalea meowed. She found a warmer, cleaner spot in the corner of the den and sat down. Yarrow and Hunter joined her. Timber brought a small mouse and laid it in the center of them. He too sat down and gingerly swept some silt out of the way.

"So what brings you to these parts?" he asked. He wavered a little, adjusting his position to comfort.

"We have a proposal," meowed Yarrow, meekly. Timber straightened himself.

"Really? I have been looking for a little more adventure in my life," his voice was light and cheery.

"Yes. As you know Hope Tribe has been-" Yarrow began.

"Hope Tribe?! I don't want to tangle with them, they are bigger than all us combined!" Timber laid down his reason.

"But a stand needs to happen! The prince came to me dying! He said he had been abused by his father!" Azalea cried. She thrust herself forward. "They need to be stopped!"

"Yes! By someone else, some stronger clowder! There are four of us and hundreds of Hope Tribe members! We'll all die!" yowled Timber.

"No, they are weak! They are all ill, sick and dying. Thunder is arrogant and we are strong, healthy and selfless! We may die, but I would rather die fighting than standing by and watching innocent cats get hurt!" Azalea countered.

"Listen, not many are being hurt, you haven't seen anyone besides the prince who is really dying," Timber attempted to strengthen his argument.

"Are you kidding? You've seen what the conditions in the Quarter Tribes are like! Every member is dying! I was in the forest recently and I figured out they have possession of a powerful serum that could take out the entire ecosystem!" Azalea yowled.

"You have no proof that there is such a serum, no serum has that much power, you don't even know for sure that Thunder even has control it even if it does exist!" Timber and Azalea were nose to nose now in the center of the messy den. Yarrow supplied Azalea with the leaves.

"I do have proof! These leaves have traces of the spilled serum on them! He is going to use the Lavender Serum to blackmail every outcast cat into joining the Quarter Tribes! Now do you understand why we need to strike first?!" screeched Azalea. Timber sank down.

"Maybe," he whispered hoarsely. Yarrow, Azalea, and Hunter perked up. "On these conditions," he added. The excitement faltered. "I will leave the clowder whenever I want, whenever I feel I must, for my life. And I will be fed well and if I am hurt, I will be cared for." Azalea, Yarrow, and Hunter all slumped.

"I guess that is understandable... " Yarrow meowed slowly. She shifted her posture and stared blankly into the blackness. "I agree. if my colleagues do as well," she decreed.

"I suppose I agree, although I believe the first part is selfish," Hunter slowed, saying the last part more quietly. Timber only twitched at the insult.

"I guess I agree then, we need all the help we can get," Azalea meowed. They were all disappointed by the sharp conditions. Timber curled up satisfied. The rain still beat down on the slanted roof. He peered upward curiously. Yarrow, Azalea, and Hunter were hunkered down at the exit.

"You can stay for tonight, you don't have to walk in the rain," Timber yawned, "I'm staying," The three smiled and clustered in a corner to sleep. They snuggled in close so they could keep warm although Timber did not join them.

By daybreak the air was frosty and the ground was drizzled with ice and rainwater. Timber, Hunter, and Yarrow were all still asleep when Azalea woke up. She crawled to the exit and looked out. The light was scarce but the sun peaked just above the horizon. She could go hunting, but she didn't want to scare her friends in case the woke up to find her gone. She laid back down next to Yarrow and watched her sleep. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically. She watched it and made a rhythm in her head. Music. Rise fall, rise fall, her eyes drifted closed and she wandered off to sleep again.

...

A writhing noise awakened all of the cats. Disturbed, Timber checked the door. A man with thick overalls, a red plaid shirt, and a plumber's butt was curled around a tree. His monstrous chainsaw pressed against the bark. Sawdust filled the air and Timber choked back. The man was bouncing to some kind of music playing through white beads tucked in his ears. The humming was barely illegible over the cords the chainsaw croaked. He was nearing the center of the tree with his saw.

"It's going to come down on us!" yelled Timber. "Everybody, run!" all the cats sprinted out of the den into the nearby brush. Timber watched in fear as the giant oak destroyed his home.

"It-It's gone..." he sputtered. Timber backed away from the site slowly. "Gone, my new life, everything I have worked for..." he whimpered. Hunter came to his side.

"Nonsense, it will be fine. I'm sure you can stay with one of us," Yarrow and Azalea nodded in agreement.

"Thanks so much, forget the first condition, you guys are real companions." he meowed. He licked each of the cats behind the ear in a show of appreciation.

...

On the way back to the camp, the conversation was light. No one said a word about Timber's deceased den. The air warmed throughout the day and the frost melted to dew and then evaporated. The sky was clear and aqua colored, as if the storm had never happened. The sun was high and burned canary yellow and snow white. The clearing of the camp came into view.

"You'll stay in my den for the first night," announced Yarrow to Timber. They all went into Yarrow's den. Timber was appalled.

"It's huge! And look at all this stuff! it's so clean in here! Man, it kind of puts the stuff that I had to shame..." Timber trailed, stumbling to a corner.

"No, the life you built for yourself was amazing, no cat could have come out of a situation like you did and done that but you!" meowed Yarrow. "You can use the leaves over here to make your bed," Yarrow gestured to the neatest stack of crisp autumn leaves anyone had ever seen. Timber's eyes widened.

"Like a cushion? This is too fancy ... " he meowed, dragging stacks of dried leaves to his corner.

"What should we do the rest of the day?" asked Yarrow.

"We could always get two cats in one day and go ask Queen Bee," offered Azalea.

"Queen Bee?! She's to used to her fancy pet life!" Hunter sounded shocked.

"She told me she's always wanted more adventure in her life, and now that is available to her, we should at least offer," pleaded Azalea.

"There's no harm in asking," commented Timber. The clowder nodded.

"Hey!" shouted Azalea.

"What?" asked Timber. Lifting himself off the ground.

"You have to meet Quinn, the ex-Hope Tribe prince,"

"Yeah, he does! Come, Timber!" meowed Yarrow, trotting towards Azalea's den.

Azalea's den was dark. She had added extra insulation to the outside to keep injured Quinn warm. He was asleep, curled up peacefully. Azalea tapped his shoulder gently with one paw. He snapped awake.

"What is it? Who's there! I'll tear you to pieces!" he yowled.

"Shut up!" Azalea laughed, "It's just us, we have someone we want you to meet,"

"Oh, okay," embarrassment bounced off every corner of his voice. Yarrow boosted his shoulder blade with her forehead and he sat up to face Azalea. He balanced expertly on three legs. His pupils darted around the den until they caught on Timber. The dark colored tom shifted uncomfortably under Quinn's stern gaze.

"This is Timber, Timber this is Quinn," Azalea nervously tried to introduce the two cats to each other.

"Nice to meet you... " Quinn murmured. He lost his balance and tipped over. Yarrow hoisted him back to his paws again, Quinn winced in pain as she touched his bloody wrapped stub.

"Maybe we should consider replacing the bandages," she suggested. Quinn and Timber were staring at one another. "Do you know each other?" Yarrow asked. Timber sighed.

"Maybe, but it doesn't matter now. We can forget our past," Timber meowed walking away, "For now we can forget,"

"Right. Well, you two get settled with each other then, I'm going to sleep," meowed Azalea.

...

Azalea padded out of the den into the glow of the sun rays. The sky was an unsettling blue and a puffy white cloud sat in the atmosphere. She looked around. There were no other clouds for miles, the cotton ball cloud was the only one. The sun dyed her pelt gold as she crawled through the eve.

"Azalea," a cat yawned behind her. She whipped around. Timber stood in the dust, his shoulder blades slouched and his eyelids covering half his pupils. He yawned again. "Why are you up at this time of day?" he demanded.

"I was going to hunt," Azalea meowed quietly. "Quiet, we can't wake the others,"

"You're crazy. It's literally like daybreak!" Timber yowled.

"Shut up! You're going to wake up everyone here!" Azalea whispered coarsely. She turned around.

"Where are you going now?! Your leaving" Timber meowed. He had obviously not heeded Azalea's advice.

"I told you, I'm going hunting!" Azalea shouted. She buried her nose in her chest. "Look what you made me do," she whispered. Anger boiled in her stomach. Timber did not waver.

"I didn't make you do anything!" he whispered. "Just go hunting, I'm going back to bed!" Timber stomped away. Azalea rolled her eyes and crept into the woods. She agreed with Timber's stance. She was exhausted as well. The air was biting and frost wound its icy fingers around her throat. Winter was coming. She walked into the woods. Icy air came up from the ground and leaked between her toes. The tangible cold nipped her ears and the sun did no good, casting its seemingly cold rays down through the canopy.

"Azalea!" a loud, depressed wail echoed against the tree trunks. Azalea stopped dead in her tracks. The voice's girly edge caved in revealing that it was Queen Bee. "Azalea! Gross... " Azalea heard her paws crunch through the deep river of leaves. The paper white, long-haired cat emerged from under the brush.

"Queen Bee!" Azalea meowed. Despite her yearn for adventure, Queen Bee had never dared to leave her life of comfort in the human home. She had never stepped a paw off her yard. Why now? "Why are you here?" Azalea asked. Queen Bee's gaze faltered. She dipped her head and looked down at the brim of the leaves.

"My family..." she sniffed, "They moved away and they... they left me behind... " Queen Bee lost her hold.

"Bee! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" cried Azalea. She approached Bee and cleaned her coat with her tongue.

"They left me! I thought they loved me!" sobbed Bee. She breathed heavy, choppy breaths into Azalea's shoulder. "They gave me a can of treats and put it in the backyard. While I was eating they threw out my toys and locked the door. Then they packed up their stuff and... and left! Oooooohhhh..." Azalea looked at her.

"There, there, you'll be okay. You can stay with me," Azalea offered, smiling.

"Really? You would let me?!" Bee sounded shocked.

"Yes of course!" Azalea backed away laughing. "I would do this for any of my friends!"

"Wow," Bee meowed to herself, "No one has ever done anything like that for me," she smiled.

"I was going to go hunting, care to join me?" Azalea offered.

"Oh, no, most definitely not!" meowed Bee.

"Not ready for that yet?" Azalea asked, knowingly.

"No... Honey, I wanna see your place!" she meowed. Azalea nodded.

"Follow me!" Azalea trotted through the leaves.

"If I would have known how beautiful it was here I would have gone sooner," meowed Bee, smiling. It is going to be nice to have another molly around besides Yarrow... Azalea thought to herself. The trees opened and Bee cringed when her paws touched the dirt.

"You know, you could consider sweeping..." she murmured. Azalea ignored her, rolling her eyes and led Bee to the den.

"Gosh, it is dark in here, do you have any lighting?" she asked. Azalea laughed to herself.

"This isn't a human den, Bee, we don't have fancy electric lighting," she approached Quinn who snapped awake.

"Morning," she meowed. Timber was still out cold in the far corner. His bed of leaves lay untouched.

"Good morning, Zay," Quinn yawned and stretched his legs. his expression lightened. "Who is this?" Quinn grinned.

"Oh shut up, you!" Azalea meowed playfully.

"Nice to meet you, my name is Queen Bee, but Zay calls me Bee," she smiled. Quinn winked and attempted to stand and immediately collapsed back down on his bed.

"Yeah, Quinn, real smooth," Azalea rolled her eyes and walked to her pile of dead prey, choosing two voles and two mice. Quinn smiled and tried to decline.

"No, Quinn, you haven't eaten all week," Azalea kicked the vole towards him and he accepted it.

"So who's this?" he grinned again at Bee, who smiled back at him. Azalea rolled her eyes.

"Bee, if you stay here you need to agree with some conditions," Azalea's face turned serious. Bee faced her.

"Yeah, whatever you want, Zay," she meowed nonchalantly.

"Good, you need to join our team to defeat Hope Tribe," Azalea answered. Bee's eyes widened.

"You know I've never met them but I do know that they are not to be tangled with," Bee sounded firm on her idea.

"But, Bee, they are doing terrible things. Thunder is terrorizing his citizens! He is tricking the outcasts into joining his discriminating clan! Now, that includes you," "There is a serum that can destroy the very existence of our home! He's going to use it to blackmail everyone," Bee appeared taken aback. She mouthed something. Quinn laid his head back down, his boredom enhanced by the pain herbs Yarrow had given him.

"I'll consider it..." Bee meowed. Azalea smiled.

"Good. Let's visit Yarrow," Azalea began. Bee stood still beside Quinn.

"Wait, we can't just leave him behind!" she gestured to Quinn. Azalea rolled her eyes.

"Alright, lovebirds," Azalea and Bee got on either side of Quinn and helped him up.

"Thanks," began Quinn, "I haven't been beyond Zay's den since that wolf attacked me," Bee stopped.

"Wolf?! You have wolves here?!" she sounded shocked. Azalea laughed.

"Course we do! It is a forest, Bee," she meowed. Her voice tensed to unsure.

"You're right, Zay," meowed Bee, "I engaged in this quid pro quo, I can deal with it..." Bee tried to sound confident but she sounded scared. She visibly shook with fear.

"Yarrow!" Azalea shouted. Yarrow trotted out of her den, smiling.

"Bee! Azalea!" she meowed, licking both of their ears affectionately.

"Hey! What about me?" Quinn teased. Yarrow laughed and gave his ear a quick lick before continuing.

"Where is Hunter?" she asked, "Timber is still out cold."

"Same with Hunter," Azalea meowed. She urged Bee and Quinn on and they retreated into Yarrow's den.

"Let's talk about how we are going to defeat Hope Tribe. I'm thinking that we must be pragmatic," Yarrow announced once they got in, "Where are those leaves, Azalea?" she asked.

"Back at my den," Azalea replied. Yarrow nodded.

"Good. We can use the information that the leaves provide us to track down the antiserum and steal it. In an efficient manner of course," Yarrow responded.

"We aren't strong enough now, we must consider what our conditions are. Quinn has just lost his leg and he is still recovering," Azalea reasoned.

"That's very true, Zay," Yarrow meowed. "But we need to get to them first, Hunter and Timber are both omnipotent to most of Thunder's ghouls," Azalea nodded.

"But I want to help! After all you guys have done for me I need to do something in return," Quinn whimpered. Azalea softened.

"But, Quinn, we have to get in as soon as possible to get the antiserum, for all we know Barley could be injecting the ground with the serum as we speak!" Azalea permitted her anger to escalate.

"I'm sorry, Zay, but this is a process, if we just go into Barley's lab right now and try to take the serum capsule right out of his paws, we will obviously be stopped by Thunder's goons," Quinn reasoned. His frustration swelled, "Come on, Zay, don't you understand? You and Yarrow helped me realize that I needed to heal before I tried to help you, you taught me that if I just waited patiently then things would go much better for me. Now, I'm here to help you realize that you need to wait until our team is strong enough and we have a strong enough plan,"

Azalea pawed the dirt and released Quinn who curled up in the silt. Her gaze weakened and frustration developed in her mind but was then softened blunt by the shrill call that she was incorrect. Guilt spread like a wildfire in her chest. She felt as if she was just shot in the heart. She had wronged her friend and he had respected her and corrected her. She had done nothing for him. She nearly submitted him back to the bitterness of his diabolical father. She nearly gave him a death sentence.

"Why are you so kind to me?" she finally asked.

"Because you almost released me back to the hand of Lucifer that night, you didn't. No matter how much my bloodline had hurt you. You took me in, I can't thank you enough because if you had left me out there, in the hands of Jack Frost, I would surely have perished, you saved my life. For that I can never repay you." Every sentence was like a warm jacket engulfing Azalea. She had done something that had changed some cat's life.

"Thank you, that was... amazing," Azalea meowed calmly. She breathed heavily, "You're right, we need to pursue other plans and be far more efficient, but at the same time... patient," she sniffed and embraced Quinn in the best way a cat could.

"Who are the lovebirds now?!" laughed Bee. Azalea and Quinn quickly parted. Azalea rolled her eyes.

"Hey, Yarrow, how have things been? Your den is beautiful!" Yarrow nodded affectionately and her face glowed.

"Thanks, Bee. Things have been going great, how has life with your family been? Why are you here? In the woods?" Sadness enveloped Bee's eyes. Depression crawled through her stomach like a spreading infection.

"They... Yarrow, they left me. They packed up and drove away and didn't come back. That's why I'm here," Bee released the words between huffing gasps.

"Oh, Bee, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring it up," Yarrow's concern comforted Bee. They embraced each other.

"I'm just glad I have cats like you who will help me and care for me in times like these. How will I ever repay you guys?" sobbed Bee. Azalea perked up.

"I know, you could join our alliance against Hope Tribe." Bee sniffed and leaned back.

"What do you mean? I'm not sure I am ready to commit to something so... drastic," Bee meowed slowly.

"No, Bee. I know you aren't ready for commitment like this but just hear me out! You join on no conditions, but the membership doesn't have to be permanent," Bee sniffled again and nodded quickly.

"Yeah... okay that sounds good... as long as it isn't... commitment," Bee gasped. She was recovery from her impulsive imaginary tears. Azalea nodded, delighted with Bee's decision.

...

"I have a plan," Quinn whispered "Gather Hunter and Timber, team meeting, now!" Azalea, Yarrow, and Bee all looked at him. Azalea's eyes narrowed. They had all ended up falling asleep in Yarrow's den, earlier Timber had joined them. Hunter had gone night hunting.

"This had better be good! Hey! Wake up!" Azalea yelled.

"Ouch! Zay, you could wake up an army!" laughed Bee. Timber sat up and groaned.

"What the crap, Azalea," Timber grumbled. He lifted himself to his feet and looked at her, but then stumbled back.

"Oh, stop pushing it, you big baby!" Azalea prowled over and punched his flank playfully with her paw. He laughed and then regained his composure.

"Why did you wake me up?" he asked.

"Well, first off it is like noon! And that is just crazy... second of all Quinn has announcement," Azalea replied. Timber raised his brow.

"I'm surprised he made it here," He commented. Quinn sighed, frustration welled in his throat.

"I'm perfectly strong, see," Quinn decreed. He attempted to stand then collapsed again.

"Quinn! You're going to hurt yourself!" Yarrow alerted. Quinn groaned.

"Too late," he meowed, leaning back and groaning.

"Let me get some pain herbs," Yarrow hurried to back corner.

"Good job, Timber," Azalea teased. Timber shrugged in response.

"Whatever," he walked to the far corner and curled up again. Azalea rolled her eyes and paced towards the exit. Before she left she turned, craning her neck over her shoulder blade. She curled her tail back then straightened it.

"I'm going to get Hunter, are you guys okay without me?" Azalea questioned. Yarrow sighed sarcastically and rolled her eyes. She approached Azalea and licked her flank.

"We'll be fine, don't you worry, We can take care of ourselves," Yarrow reassured. Azalea's concerned expression softened and she licked Yarrow's forehead. Azalea rushed out of the den leaving the cats behind. The sun was high above the horizon now, glaring a piercing glare down at her. She pinned down her ears and smelled the air. Fox.

Azalea dropped her stomach to the ground and laid down her tail flat. She bared her teeth and prowled across the clearing.

"Whoever you are, come out now! Or forever hold your peace!" red flashed before her eyes. The biggest fox she had ever seen bounded out from the trees.

"I am not afraid of you!" The fox growled. Azalea moved her front paws backward and under her chest.

"Who are you? And who sent you?" Azalea demanded. The fox chuckled, backing away and waving his head slyly back and forth.

"I hate to be interrogated by a cat, but if you must know, my name is Axel and I was sent by Thunder!" he laughed. "Thunder informed me that you were weak. He claims that he has defeated you many times. He says that you gave him his scars, and he says that he gave you much worse," Axel laughed again.

"Oh, Axel, you got so old, so much like a robot, a slave," Azalea smirked, "I am not one to brag, but every statement you said is invalid, except the one about me inflicting those scars; and unless you want the same, I suggest that you leave," Azalea growled.

"Listen, Pop Tart," The fox gazed sternly at Azalea. Azalea was unfazed by the meek insult, "I don't know how foxes around these parts act when they encounter a cat, but me, I attack and kill. I listen to my master and don't question him or deny him. So I suggest you leave because I won't go down without a fight, Teddy Bear," he chuckled and lunged at Azalea. Shw swooped out of the way and started running towards the woods. She yelled over her shoulder "Yarrow, Hunter, Timber, Bee, Quinn everyone! Run!" The fox cackled.

"Run, girl, run! You won't get far!" he laughed. He bounded after Azalea and grabbed her spine in his jaws. "You're lucky. You're a special prisoner. I won't kill you just yet, Thunder wants to speak with you," he laughed his squeaky, evil laugh, and bounded away with Azalea pinned between his teeth.

The journey was not long. The Hope Tribe camp was never far from Azalea's den. When the camp came into view it was even worse than Azalea remembered. The ground was dusty. Mounds of loose skin and fur lay in clumps. While Azalea didn't know if the body parts were from cats or prey, she had a pretty good guess and it wasn't pretty. The dens were tight and compact. She wondered how the cats fit inside. The dens were made of sticks and leaves and loose bark. They were riddled with holes and tears. The ground was covered with feces and excrements. Blood dribbled in streams all over the camp. It was rumored within the outcasts that the river that chose Thunder flowed red with cats blood. Azalea wondered if it was true as her eyes wandered over the camp. The cats' pelts hung in rags from their sides. Their fur was entangled with saliva and crusted blood. One kit's fur was stripped clean of his skin and his paws and backside were caked with blood and mud. His mother had obviously once had white fur but now it was coated in a thin layer of dust that made it appear mocha brown. Her ribs showed despite her long hair, her leg was swollen, revealing purple and blue skin. She looked too weak to do anything for her or her son. The rest of her supposed children lay in a dead pile on top of their assumed father. Their skin was covered in scars and gashes.

"Stop sulking, Pop Tart," Axel growled through clenched teeth. "Master says that it is much worse outside of camp," Azalea winced. That wasn't true, she knew that Thunder tricked all his disciples into believing that the camp was better than the outside world. Azalea grunted in disgust.

"Look at me! I'm am an outsider and my coat is clean and healthy, I have no gashes on my legs and my ribs and skin are not visible! Now, tell me, do I look like I am in worse condition than these cats?" Azalea spat. "I am in better conditions because I left this horrid cult! You can't bring me back!"

"I see that your mind, heart, and body are enthralled by demons and evil spirits. I see that the devil has put you in his cult. Thunder controls no such cult! He controls a safe haven for all cats, he lives luxuriously because he serves us. We are suffering poverty because we came to him and now we must repay him," Axel's sarcastic spirit had dissolved. He sounded monotone as if he was reciting a written document.

"Listen, Axel, I know that he brainwashes you with his intimidating ways, but the world is damaging and deceptive. It only reveals its true intent when you embrace the fact that life is a cruel, harsh demon. A demon who tests you in many ways, dropping horrible cats in your life, testing if you have the intellect to escape their duplicitous actions and phrases. And Axel, underneath all that sly fur, I know you have a good heart. If you just let it escape-" Azalea tried to reason. Axel cut in abruptly.

"No, not another word. I don't want my body as poisoned as yours. That is the devil speaking through you. Soon you will die a slow, painful death and then the demons inside you will disperse. If you ask me, I think that we are doing you a favor," Axel replied knowingly. Azalea was speechless. But before a word could escape her lips, she saw Thunder's lavish den parading into view. Her heart raced, threatening to beat out of her chest. Thunder sat in front of his entrance. His pupils were raised, focused on Axel, who revealed a sly, toothy grin.

"I got her!" He dropped Azalea in front of Thunder who sat unfazed. His chest puffed in pride and status. His green irises only met hers for a few moments before he looked back at Axel. Axel's teeth were slick with red liquid from Azalea's flesh.

"Good work, you may have your extra share. It is waiting with Amber, go," Thunder nodded firmly. His expression was dull and emotionless. Not a hint of excitement twinkled in the whites of his eyes from the joy of catching her. Axel bowed his head respectively. One hind leg bent until the blade touched the blood stained dirt.

"Thank you, master," he muttered. Thunder gestured dismissively and Axel padded away. Thunder's eyes dropped to Azalea. Azalea cringed in pain, feeling blood trickle through her fur from the wounds Axel's teeth had left.

"Follow," ordered Thunder, spinning on his hind legs and walking smartly into the den. Azalea struggled to stand. Pain shot through her side when she straightened her legs. She hadn't noticed the pain during her conversation with Axel because she had been so enthralled by his words.

The den was endorsed with flowers and fine pots of herbs and dried petals. The walls were thick, built of layers of leaves, twigs, and muddy insulation. His bed was made of a layer of dried straw, fresh smelling lime colored leaves and then cozy pine needles and grasses. The edge was lined with fresh black-eyed susans. Azalea wondered how he had gotten such fresh finery at this time of year. The den was dim but a wall had been cracked enough that it allowed a little light to illuminate the den.

"Sit," meowed Thunder. He approached a table of leaves and began to sift through them. Azalea peered out the exit. Two strong looking cats sat outside. The chances were slim that she could fight both off. She saw no chance of escape. She saw Thunder move away from the leaves and pulled away a slit of bark revealing rows of vials. He pawed through the vials. Examining each one and it contents thoroughly. He finally tipped one vial towards himself. Azalea tensed when her eyes registered the color of the liquid present. It was a dark, syrupy lavender. Thunder took the cork of the vial in his jaws and placed the vial in front of Azalea.

"Here is the deal," he meowed, his eyes thinning into slits. "You talk, you don't get hurt," he looked down at the vial. He pawed the cork, tipping the vial towards himself. "This is the Lavender Serum. Concocted by my scientists," he smiled taking in the purple bliss, "It can kill anything with a single drop, so you had better talk," he grinned, releasing the vial back into place.

Azalea eyed the vial. Now was a good time to consider how to stop the blackmail. She had no idea where the anti-serum's location was. But it would take too long to figure out. She decided that the team would just have to find another way.

Azalea stared at the serum and recalled a time long ago when she was a kitten.

The healer had healed Azalea. Acacia was worried that Azalea would catch the sickness again. The healer explained that in the antidote for the sickness there was a bit of the virus dwelling inside. She explained that this made Azalea forever immune to the sickness and healed her. The medicine also contained a simple herb and waters from a far off hot spring.

Those were the times when Kane was in charge. He was killed soon after by Thunder.

Azalea's eyes were glued to the vial. The color swirled in her vision and smudged her memories.

"Azalea! If you want to live, listen to me!" shouted Thunder. Azalea regained her composure and returned to reality. Her eyes were on Thunder but they dropped again to the vial and without thinking, she swiped the cork in her jaws and sprinted out of the den. She ran faster than she ever had before. Shock running through her legs with each step. She heard the bodyguard cats behind her, their muscles weighing them down. Azalea grinned and ran faster and faster. She ran through the thorns and the brush, needles and dirt catching and splashing on her coat.

"Azalea! You're dead!" she heard Thunder call. She didn't care. He was far away from her now. She couldn't be caught.

The trees opened. Hunter, Timber, Yarrow, and Quinn were all standing in the clearing.

"Azalea!" relief embraced Yarrow as she ran to Azalea. "Are you okay!? We thought you were dead!" she gasped. Azalea laughed, placing the fragile vial on the ground. Yarrow stepped closer to her.

"Watch it Yarrow," Azalea warned. Yarrow's gaze dropped to the vial and she sprang backward away from Azalea.

"I-is th-that th-the L-lavender S-s-serum," Yarrow choked out. She backed into Quinn who supported her when she tripped over his leg. Hunter observed the vial knowingly.

"That's almost an ounce of deadly poison," meowed Hunter. The silhouette of the vial reflected in his pupils as he combed the edges of the cork with his toe. Yarrow swatted at his paw.

"Don't do that! If you knock it over the whole forest will die!" she warned. Yarrow shuddered prodding at Hunter, trying to move him away from the vial.

"Guys, stop bickering. The vial is made of acrylic. It won't break as easily as you guys believe, Barley and Thunder learned from their first glass vial, remember?" Azalea meowed.

"Where did Thunder get an acrylic vial? Much less a glass one?" asked Yarrow suspiciously.

"I would guess that he stole the vial from humans," commented Azalea. She took the cork in her mouth and trotted towards her den. She gestured for Yarrow, Hunter, Quinn, and Timber to follow.

The den was dark and nothing was visible inside. Time had passed quickly and the moon shown brightly through the dark canopy. Azalea laid the vial in the corner and her team entered. Azalea looked at her team.

"We are so wrapped up in attempting to figure out how to capture the antiserum. But now that I have the serum and we can begin to conduct the process of creating our own antiserum," Azalea explained. "We need to get rid of it, then Thunder won't be able to steal it back,"

"Our own? Why can't we just steal the real antiserum?" Yarrow inquired.

"Because apparently Thunder doesn't only fancy himself. He pampers tough, male bodyguards at every high-maintenance facility. That includes his den, the river, and, I would guess, the lab where the serum and antiserum were created," Azalea replied. The team nodded. Quinn piped up.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's start testing anti-serums!" he meowed. The team nodded in agreement and they all rushed to Yarrow's den.

The den was dim and smelled of lavender. Timber's bed was clumps of grass around the floor. Yarrow walked to the far corner where neat rows and stacks of herbs and petals were located. She pawed through the herbs.

"We can test the herbs and petals that are easier to get with ease. But the herbs that are more challenging to collect are the ones that I do not want to waste," Yarrow sighed. Quinn's pupils welled with pity.

"That's all right. We'll start with the simple herbs and deal with the complex herbs when the challenge arrives," he reasoned.

"Okay, that sounds good," meowed Yarrow. She pulled out two petals, a minimalism flower, and a leaf. She bit into the flower and left it in her mouth, then spit it into the corner.

"Um," Quinn had a confused expression. Yarrow looked at him.

"That was Chamomile. it was to calm my nerves," she sighed and kicked the remaining herbs to the center of the den.

"Is that a special combination?" asked Quinn. Yarrow shook her head.

"These are random. I have only ever treated cats. Not an forest," she frowned. "These are thyme, lavender, and rosemary. They are all simple to get and have very basic causes," she sighed. "They probably won't provide any relief from the serum," she took a daisy in her mouth and popped the cork of the serum. She gently tipped a drop of poison on the daisy and it wilted instantly. Black and white elements overtook the bright purple color it once had. Then she chewed up the herbs and spit them on the daisy. Saliva and all. To her amazement, the daisy transferred back to its original state for a few moments. Excitement welled in her. Then the color immediately faded back to black and white. She frowned and kicked the root infested wall.

"Just calm down," assured Quinn, "Try another combination," he suggested.

Yarrow tested at least twenty herbs, but none worked. Sometimes the color would return, but then it would fade back.

Quinn shifted his position uncomfortably as Yarrow dropped the last of her rosemary on the daisy. Color exploded over the daisy and then was sucked away.

"Maybe now we should try the better herbs," meowed Quinn. Yarrow shook her head, "Based on what happened just now, they won't affect the flower at all," Azalea pressed her forehead to the coldness of the torn bark on one of the vines constructing Yarrow's den. Her mind raced around until she unlocked a comforting memory.

TWO YEARS AGO

"Come on, Zay! The twig is gonna fall!" a shrill voice hollered. Azalea smiled and bounced through the snow. She grasped the twine in her jaws and pulled the stick upright. It fell her way hitting her on the head. She winced in pain and kicked it away.

"It's useless, Strawberry, the twig will just keep falling!" Azalea shouted. Strawberry shook her head and pushed the twig up again, tipping it on Azalea.

"Kittens, what are you doing?!" Acacia trudged through the snow. Bear and Hawk bounced after her.

"Trying to pull a stick upright! To build our own den!" cried Strawberry. "But every time one of us puts it up, it falls!" Acacia examined the twig. She quietly walked over to the twine and used her teeth to pull it into four separate pieces that all came into one piece at the top of the twig.

"Momma, don't ruin the twine! You know that the straw is hard to weave with cold teeth!" little Azalea wined. She approached Acacia and attempted to pull the thick twine from her jaws. Acacia chuckled as she tried and twisted her back to Azalea. She continued to part the twine.

"What's your momma doing, Zay?" asked Strawberry. Strawberry's coat was thicker than Azalea's family's coats. Strawberry's family had lost their father and brother. Thunder blamed the remaining queens and forced them into a beaten, frosty shack on the outskirts of the camp. When Azalea's family tried to help. Strawberry's mother meowed that they deserved it. That they had let the foundation of their family die. Acacia could do nothing.

"Alright," Acacia laid the pieced twine in the snow and spread each part out. She instructed Bear and Hawk to stand in front of two parts and Azalea and Strawberry in front of two other parts. They took the twine in their jaws and spread out in a circle. The twig stood upright without falling.

"See, always united, Azalea. Remember to be one with your partners and you will never fail," Acacia meowed. Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the glittering tint of crystal snowflakes.

PRESENT TIME

"Maybe in these secluded groups ... but," Azalea took every herb and mashed it inexpertly into a revolting mush. The team stared at the mush in disgust. "United, they will be stronger." Yarrow looked at the mush.

"Every team needs a strong leader," she smiled at Azalea and trotted to the corner. She pulled away stacks and piles of leaves until she discovered a tiny vial. She gently took the vial in her teeth and placed it beside the mush.

"This is a glass vial containing a small portion of ... " Yarrow dramatically sucked in a breath, "The waters of Thunder's river,"

The team stood. Dazzled. The water appeared normal at first glance but when the water lapped against the sides, the underside appeared to glisten with a geometrical glassy pattern.

"I-I wasn't going to sacrifice them for this cause. Because I wasn't confident in your solution," her eyes dropped to the ground. Azalea noticed guilt and depression swirled in her her pupils, "I am sorry I didn't trust you," Quinn looked up from the water.

"It's okay, Yarrow. We all have valuables that we want to keep. Somethings are... very valuable," he snatched one more look at the vial before returning his gaze to Yarrow, "And we will all have to sacrifice some of our valuables for the good of our cause. Yarrow just might not have been ready for that. None of us can blame her, I mean, considering what this is," he gestured to the vial.

"Thanks Quinn," Yarrow smiled and took two leaves. Using her teeth, she skillfully wove the lobes together and laid the makeshift bowl in the center of the room. She nodded to Azalea who reluctantly filled the bowl with the mush. Yarrow popped the cork of the vial of water and poured the sacred liquid into the bowl. She used a stick to stir the mixture.

"Bring the daisy," she ordered Quinn. Quinn looked at the wilted daisy, stained with colorful patches from the herb juices. He laid the daisy in front of Yarrow who dipped her paw in the goop and wiped it on the daisy petals.

The air was still and quiet. The daisy laid sunken down by the weight of the mush.

Then something happened.

The mush dissolved into every part of the flower. The liquid wasn't evaporating into the surrounding air but instead it was being absorbed into the lime colored pores. The team watched intently as the flower began to blossom and color began to flow back into its cells. The stem dipped into the dirt and the flower began to grow from the earth. It was like watching a flower grow on a time lapse.

Soon, the pale lavender petals grew smoother and more elegant than ever. The smooth green stem grew longer, thicker, and more supportive. Five pristine kelly green leaves erupted from the edges of the stem.

"It's beautiful," marveled Quinn. He walked closer and pressed his forehead against the petals. "It worked. We don't have to worry about losing our home anymore," he smiled and looked around. "Now, we have realized how special our forest is to us. We need to help the other members of Hope Tribe and help them become pariahs of Hope Tribe as well. We need to destroy Hope Tribe from the inside," he looked at the team. Then back at the flower. The flower aged more until it wilted.

"No," mewed Timber.

"No," Azalea meowed.

"They need us," meowed Hunter. He walked to the daisy and looked up at the petals. He then stood up on his hind legs and pawed the leaves away from the cracks in the top of the den. The team gathered around the daisy and looked upward at the petals. Faded shafts of light broke through the petals and layered crisp dappled light over the silt floor. The light shafts punctured the clowders' pupils like bullets Chills traveled through their bodies as they looked at the sunlight.

"We are fighting for something. We are fighting for peace. We are the new Peace Tribe. We can still make it. We still have the serum. We will go to the camp tonight!" Timber mewed encouragingly. The team cheered. Azalea felt the hot sun reflecting on her back. Warming her frosty skin.

...

The Hope Tribe camp was dark and the moon was new. The stars let only bits of their trapped light escape them to dapple the stained silt. A white cat dragged herself over to the clowder. When Azalea looked closer, she realized the queen's pelt was stained with dirt and blood. One leg dragged behind her bearing a huge gash.

"Are you from heaven?" she asked. Her gaze dropped down back to the dust, "You work for him. I know, I have been bad, I have been so, so bad," she groaned and stretched her only operating leg.

"Shhhh," mewed Quinn, "We are here to help you. We are from the new Peace Tribe," he smiled and looked into her sapphire eyes, "If you let us, we will help get you out of here and repair your wound," his gaze dropped to her scar.

"No, I can't go. I will be locked out of heaven when I go," she meowed, "And I deserve this gash. It represents how bad I was," she cringed when her leg hit a stump.

"Listen, he is tricking you! This is a cult!" Quinn mewed urgently. "We don't have much time," the queen looked at the ground.

"No, you go. I am going to heaven," she meowed slowly. Quinn grunted with anger. He surged forward and knocked the molly to the ground.

"No, please," she pleaded, groaning, "I am carrying my fourth litter of kittens," she pulled herself up on her rump and made sufficient eye contact with Quinn.

"Who's are they?" Quinn asked. The cat's gaze immediately fell to the blood dribbling hastily on the ground. Cutting a path through the silt and grime, "They are his," she meowed quietly. The team froze.

"Are you Amber?" asked Azalea. The cat shuffled in the dirt and shook her head slowly.

"My name is Alaska," she meowed slowly. She stroked blood choked fur with her tongue, "And I didn't want to," she whimpered, "I lied earlier when I meowed that it was him who hurt me. Really it was Amber. He told her what I had done and he told her to beat me so I would not comply again. Then they pushed me away while they stomped on my only shelter and dragged away my only food,"

"Then why do you still respect his power?" inquired Quinn. Alaska tilted a little from her original position.

"Because what I did was wrong. I wronged my leader's mate," she mewed.

"No," meowed Quinn, "You told him that you didn't want these kittens and therefore he infringed upon your rights. Don't you realize what is happening? You need to escape this place and come with us and we will nurse you back to mental prosperity and physical health," Alaska raised her eyes.

"Okay," she mewed insistently, "I will come, but if I find the treatment, ways, and conditions of the Hope camp more tolerable... then I will return," she stood with frustration and trouble, so Azalea and Yarrow came to her flanks to assist her. They stumbled out of camp with ease because all of Thunder's bodyguards were crowded intently round the prime den, protecting him.

The forest was dark and obstacles lay at every turn. They ran into protruding twigs that stuck from the earth like iron stakes from cold, frozen chests. They ran into the thin, smooth red maple tree trunks covered in curved ridges and craters.

The trees finally parted to unveil the clearing. Alaska eyed the clean, unstained ground as they padded through the camp. Quinn took charge and led Alaska to Azalea's den. He ducked under the wall into the tavern, followed by Alaska, pulling up the strands of root with his teeth in an act of chivalry. Azalea strode to the corner and pulled out a thick palette of colorful, satiny leaves and formed a thick, wide cushion in the center of the dirt floor. Quinn welcomed the sleek, winter-white cat to the mat and, obliged, Alaska laid down on the comforter of leaves. She curled her hind legs under her noticeably swelled stomach and purred as her body sunk into the softness of the leaves. Her tail curled, and then clenched, because it obviously hadn't signaled its happiness in years. The team smiled in triumph. Timber and Yarrow left and Azalea and Quinn curled up on their own beds and closed their eyes, softly drifting into oblivion.

...

The morning struck, calm but sharp. Azalea awakened first. Her gaze fell on Alaska's bed which was empty. She noticed that Quinn was curled up with her on his own bed. This was typical cat-like behavior, but it was still cute. Azalea rested her chin on the tops of her paws. For once, she did not have the daily thirst for the blood of prey.

A couple hours later a shrill tone rang out, enveloping the camp. Alaska's ears pricked and she turned over to Quinn who awakened as well.

"What was that?" he mewed. Alaska ignored him and her gaze rolled over Azalea. Then she looked at Quinn. She stood but dropped down again against Quinn, who smiled, and they cleaned each other. Azalea joined in for a while but then left them in peace, striding to the entrance of the den. She slipped beneath the intertwining branches and into the light. Yarrow stood up too. Her midnight black coat shining in the sunlight. Azalea came up beside her and Yarrow looked at Azalea with concern.

"That cry came from the camp. It sounded like a molly," her gaze flickered back to the woods. The screech had been low and scratchy. Azalea recalled the voice from when she was young and still living in Hope camp. She remembered the kind, soft voice of a molly speaking to her. A light went off in Azalea's mind when she remembered who the molly was. Amber.

An alarm went off in Azalea's head as she tore herself from Yarrow's embrace and sprinted into the woods. She tore ferociously past vines that dipped down and lightly scraped the ground. She leapt heroically over fat logs and spiky, fallen trees. Yarrow screamed behind Azalea.

"What in the heck are you doing?!" she yelled, "You're crazy!" Azalea ignored Yarrow and galloped farther and farther until Yarrow's voice faded behind her. All she could think about was that memory.

ONE AND A HALF YEARS AGO

Young Azalea felt the rough corner of the cliff against her toes. She could jump. She could jump away from despair, poverty, regret and fear. She could jump and feel the wind rustle her fur and that tingly sensation in her stomach as gravity decreased rapidly around her.

Thoughts and pictures and memories raced through her mind like fireflies cupped under her paw. Her brothers and sisters starving to death. Her mother's ribs showing clearly beneath her thin layer of clumped, blood-soaked fur. She shook her head, hoping to whip the thoughts to the ground so she could beat them away. She had frequent, unwanted thoughts constantly holding her life in iron shackles. She could not control what she thought of and the many constant sleepless nights reminded her of this fact.

The air felt crisp and drifted ever so slightly against her rump. Encouraging her to jump. Reminding her that she could. The thoughts didn't stop, they became stronger. They joined the wind pushing her and whispering thoughts in her ears.

Her knees buckled and she felt the wind against her fur, the tingly feeling in her stomach. She saw trees coming closer. She was falling. She was doing it.

But only for a second.

Teeth grabbed her scruff and pulled her sharply over the edge of the cliff. She tried to wiggle free. She wanted to feel the wind again. Feel the sensation again. See the trees coming closer again.

"Let me go! This is what I want!" she yelled. But someone muffled her and pushed her gently against a tree. She felt the rough bark rubbing her spine.

"Shhhh..." a beautiful brown tabby molly stood in front of her. One of the cat's eyes was grass green and the other was sapphire blue. Her tail was dipped low but it was still and calm. She made eye contact with Azalea and stared deeply into her green eyes. Azalea was terrified.

"A-Amber? I am so sorry, highness," Azalea tried to kneel but Amber stopped her.

"No, no, young one," she whispered. "I want to know why you were going to jump that cliff," The cliff with its precarious spiky grasses drooping over the edge was splashed in sunlight behind them.

Azalea shifted her paws beneath her, feeling the limited patches of fuzzy clumps of mud caked fur.

"Because. Why do cats live life when it is filled with so much despair, hopelessness, tragedy, and unfairness?" Azalea whispered. Amber's eyes softened and she drew Azalea's forehead to her chest.

"Because, honey, the world is also filled with delight, pleasure, hope, and fairness. Sometimes we find ourselves in a position where we feel that life is pointless. We feel that if life has nothing good to give us then why should we go on suffering? But we are blinded by the loss when behind that is the great parts of life. The parts filled with love and happiness, and the parts where we prosper and rejoice our joyfulness," her eyes glinted with wisdom and Azalea pressed her forehead harder against Amber's chest.

"I will always owe you. From this point forward. If you are ever in trouble, I will save you. Thank you," the air was calm and still. Two cats stood together as sunlight crept around them bending and hugging them closer, tighter.

"Amber!" Thunder's voice rang out.

Then she left.

PRESENT TIME

The Hope Tribe camp came into view, forcing Azalea to run even faster. She wanted to see the short trees bordering the camp come closer. She wanted to feel the wind in her fur. When she got into the camp, hundreds of scared faces looked at her with sad, hopeless, ash grey eyes. She heard another shriek from the prime den. Two bodyguards stood outside the den. Like a bullet, Azalea zoomed across camp, crashing into both bodyguards. She raked her claws across one bodyguards face when he tried to regain victory and swipe at her chest. She put one paw on the other body guards forehead, using his neck as a spring to leap onto the roof of the dome. With flamboyant accuracy, she dove through the roof directly beside two cats.

Amber lay helplessly on the ground as her supposed beloved beat her with his kicks and scrapes. Amber's facial fur was torn and bloodied. The skin on her stomach had many clear scars screaming across. Worse yet, her stomach was swelled on a large scale.

That monster.

Azalea lunged at an unsuspecting Thunder, knocking his body to the ground. His ribs cracked as they took the impact of earth to skin. She dragged her claw across his eye, forcing fresh, crimson blood to spurt from his wound.

"I should have scarred your heart, not your face!" Azalea screamed. She pulled her claw down his chest and stomach, leaving a deep, satisfying gash. Amber struggled to stand and dragged herself between Azalea and Thunder before Azalea could strike Thunder's heart.

"What are you doing!" Azalea's claws were poised above Amber's heart. She recoiled quickly, her gaze focused on Amber.

"Azalea, I know you're angry but killing my mate won't solve anything," the sternness in Amber's voice stilled Azalea. Azalea leaned away from Thunder and sheathed her claws.

"I am sorry. I was just trying to uphold my oath," mewed Azalea sadly. Amber's eyes softened.

"I understand. Thunder was just ... confused," Amber meowed quietly. Azalea fumed.

"It was no mistake! He was beating you, Amber! Although I wasn't supposed to kill him, he still deserves punishment! You need to stop blowing off his horrendous actions by calling him confused!" Azalea lectured. Amber tensed.

"Azalea, he just thought I released this poor young molly named Alaska and-" Amber tried to continue.

"You mean the molly you beat!? The molly we saved?! Bloodied and dying?!" Azalea protested. Amber looked downward.

"Yes, I beat Alaska. But it was because she betrayed me. She was carrying my mate's kittens!" Amber retorted. Azalea felt taken aback.

"Alaska was forced to! That is only the information your mate gave you!" Azalea sputtered.

"No she wasn't! Thunder told me-" mewed Amber.

"Thunder!?" Azalea blurted, "The same Thunder who I just caught beating you!?"

Amber didn't say anything. Thunder continued to lay dumbfounded on the ground. Amber walked to the corner of the room and looked down at the ground.

"Maybe you're right ... " she mewed slowly. The air felt still. There was no pressure against Amber. It was as if the walls around them had dissipated and Thunder had faded away. Leaving the two cats in an endless vat of space.

...

Amber agreed to head back to Azalea's home with her. Thunder had nearly bled to death when they left. His personal medic had only just arrived when they reached the edge of the brush.

The walk had been dead silent. Neither of them spoke to one another, although they weren't frustrated with each other. They just both felt as if it would be better if they were quiet.

When they entered the camp, Yarrow's tail peeked out from her den and Quinn was resting beside Alaska in the center of the camp. He had a worried expression on his face as Alaska gently cleaned his coat. His ears perked when he saw Azalea.

"You're back!" A joyful expression spread over his face. But he did not stand. Alaska had settled comfortably and her head lay on his back and stomach. She laid for a while as Azalea and Quinn mingled pleasantly. Quinn's gaze still had not captured Amber who stood timidly in the shadows of towering trees far behind the two conversing cats. Quinn sighed, his stomach rising and falling abruptly. Alaska was frightened awake. She immediately looked at Azalea. Her eyes looked stubborn but her lids fell quickly when she recognized Azalea. Alaska seemed calm for a few moments until her eyes moved behind Azalea into the distance. Just at the tree line. Azalea and Quinn could not tell what Alaska was looking at. But they didn't need to because Alaska stood abruptly, knocking Quinn aside. Her eyes thinned and she looked directly at Amber. Amber stood frozen in icy, penetrating hatred. Alaska's shoulder blades bulged from her back. Her spine and ribs left clear imprints on her now clean tufts of white fur.

Azalea's watched as Alaska's lips curled into a snarl. The low treacherous sound of a hiss rumbled in her throat. Then it all happened so quickly; one moment Alaska was standing still, the next she was flying through the air as if she was a white dove. She landed on Amber and pinned her to the ground. Alaska dragged her claw down Amber's neck, chest, and stomach, leaving a trail of scarlet blood. Amber yowled in pain but Alaska was not satisfied. She was not finished. She felt she wouldn't be finished until Amber fell limp beneath her paw. Alaska wanted to be sure that Amber experienced just as much pain that she had experienced and more. Alaska raked her claws across Amber's eyes, leaving a bloody divot in Amber's right eye.

Azalea thought she needed to do something. After all, she just rescued Amber, why would she want to destroy her own mission?

Alaska took her hind leg and pulled it up, shoving her knee hard against Amber's stomach. Amber was screeching in pain. Her voice was low and cracked from her bodily damage. Azalea approached the two slowly. By then Hunter, Timber, Yarrow, and Quinn were all standing and watching. Azalea paused when she reached the battle scene. She cautiously looked over her shoulder at her friends who stood absently in the clearing no more than seven feet away. Azalea's gaze moved back to the argument. She felt herself swipe hard at Alaska, sending her tumbling across the ground.

Quinn panicked. He ran towards Alaska and knelt. He began to clean the rash from her fall. Azalea and Yarrow helped Amber to her feet. Hunter stared at Amber with penetrating eyes. Azalea realized that he must be recognizing her as well.

"A-Amber?" he stammered. Amber looked at him. She looked directly into his eyes and identified the fiery diamonds of disparate that glistened in his irises. Hunter pretended to be looking over his shoulder. He hated her staring into his eyes that way.

"We did not understand why you left ... " Amber shuddered and looked away. Hunter's rump was the only thing that faced Amber. Hunter didn't want to show her the obvious sorrow in his expression. But the burning rage in his chest demanded release.

"Oh, he knew, he knew," Hunter slowly turned to face Amber close. His expression morphed into a clear ecstatic of anger. "He knew!" Hunter shouted this time. Amber appeared terrified. She pinned the tips of her ears and spiked her fur, slowly backing away. "Stop cowering! You bowed down to that monster and justified his ways! You loved him! I don't even want to call it love because it was barely a relationship! He beat you constantly and you did nothing to stop him!" Amber appeared hurt and taken aback.

"I-I apologize ... I only just realized the error of my ways," meowed Amber in a profound voice. Alaska stared in immense shock and a small sense of awe. Amber could not tear her gaze away from Alaska. She watched as Alaska slowly moved upward and away from Amber. Despite the release, Amber stayed laying on her back, staring at Alaska in awe.

"Azalea," Alaska mumbled quietly, "I will ... be back soon ... " Amber sat up and watched as Alaska slowly left the camp.

Quinn stood to run after her. Amber summoned all of her strength to step in front of him.

"No. She deserves to do what she wants. After all I put her through ... " Amber muttered. She backed away. "After what I did, I don't deserve to be a part of this team ... I am going to live with an outcast I knew long ago. Good bye," Amber sounded as if she was on the verge of tears, although her voice was soft and gentle as the flap of a butterfly's wings. Amber stopped in her path. She slowly looked over her shoulder blade and smiled. "Thank you, Azalea, for saving me and helping me see the demon in my life ... you discouraged the leviathan of my ocean ... "

Amber faded in the dark evening shadows of the trees.

"Amber ... " Azalea felt her lips part.

Timber sighed heavily.

"Azalea. You brought me here and healed my soul. But now. Now I must pursue my new life. My fresh soul. Thunder is weak. And the sun of your life still burns. You are true friend, a better one than I will ever be. The better one I yearn to be," Timber smiled and began to walk away.

"Wait," Azalea whispered, "Your home ... "

"Huh?" Timber paused a moment, his head poised, aimed at Azalea. Then he laughed ... "Remember, Azalea? I'm stronger now," He stood a moment before taking off on a sprint across the tree line.

"Azalea," Hunter's low voice caught Azalea off guard, "I am growing old. My body is growing weak. I still have not found a mate and made myself a family. I want to live the rest of my days with that special cat out there and a beautiful family. Good bye, Azalea. It was good..."

Azalea felt unable to speak as she watched Hunter walk away. She felt lost. The team that she had worked so hard for was falling apart little by little.

"Azalea," Quinn mumbled. He was faced away from Azalea. Azalea turned.

"Quinn..." Azalea could not bare to turn and face him. Her most faithful and essential member of the team.

"I am going after Alaska. I want to comfort her and form a life. I do not want to live the rest of my days running and fighting," Quinn paused. Azalea could feel the ice infecting her joints. She casually knelt, folding her paws and tucking them gently under her chest, "I know you want this forest to be perfect. Your perfect home. You see the error in everything and your spirit supports as you attempt to repair every dispute, issue, and problem. But ...you can't. You can't fix every tiny imperfection."

"You may not think so, but," azalea pulled something from behind her. Something purple and liquidy. The cork was gone and she brought it to her lips. "Never again will you suffer,"

The End