She was proud of herself for winning back Blizzard, but he still would not love her.

The sky was darkening and the Wanderers were waking up to continue their journey. The night was cool, and a much better time to travel. Every time they would journey, they did the same, early morning and early night. Unless it was leafbare, then it didn't really matter.

Static got up from her nest. She had dragged hers very close to Blizzard, hoping he would take the hint, but he either didn't notice, or didn't care. Foolish tom, I have better things to worry about, and yet I give you so much attention. The least you could do is requit it.

Shaking scraps of moss from her fur, Static walked to see if anything was left from the prey she had caught earlier. Nothing. As though they think the squirrel I had at sunhigh would be enough.

It had been enough, she was not really hungry. Regardless, she was unhappy.

"We will leave as soon as the sun has disappeared," Oriole was calling to the Wanderers.

Distracted by Blizzard and the lack of prey, she had almost forgotten about the injustice of Oriole being leader. Almost.

The sun slipped below the horizon and, as promised, they left. She and Blizzard returned to their place at the back of the group, right behind the two lovebirds. One day that will be us. One day soon.

The wide, sloping field they walked through was full of scents. She could smell all the typical prey, lots of herbs, and... an animal she could not really identify. It smelled of sweet grass and was also slightly musky.

I feel like this is not the first time I've caught this scent, but I don't think I've even seen what it is. Oh well.

Static would not be able to stop and track the scent, so she let it drift from her mind. This segment of travel went much the same as the first. They walked through most of the night and stopped just before dawn. Junco, Oriole, and Llano went off to hunt while the rest of the Wanderers found moss.

Thus began their new schedule, walking through the night and sleeping through the day. The transition was always a little jarring. When they got to the mountain they would go back to sleeping through the night. So annoying.

...

Static could feel someone watching her as she leaned down to drink from the river. As her face got closer to the water, her reflection came into view. Surrounded by stars, it was not her reflection, no, a tortoiseshell tom with amber eyes stared up at her.

Branch.

His late night walk had brought him by the river, and he stopped for a drink. Ears relaxed, he was not very alert. A fatal mistake he would not live to make again. He was always prone to accidents.

Static had similar dreams often, except, in those dreams she was always the cat stalking Branch. Knowing what was coming, she braced for impact. Branch lifted his head just as a weight appeared on his back.

Static was no longer in control of herself, or Branch, she was simply spectating from his body. Branch fought back against his mystery attacker but it was no use.

"Who are you?" he cried.

She had the element of surprise. Branch turned to see Static shove him under the water. He only had a moment to comprehend, before she broke his neck.

Static woke up with a gasp, her neck was throbbing as though she had been the one under the water. Why would I feel it? It was just a dream, Branch is the dead cat, not me.

She curled into a tight ball in her nest and tried to fall back asleep. After a while, she did. The dream returned and again she awoke with a pain in her neck.

Again she tried to sleep, and again she dreamed. As she was under the water she realized something. Waking up even before dream Branch died, she lifted her head out of her nest to stare at the sleeping shape of Oriole. If she talks to the Ancestors, Branch will tell her how he died.

I can't let that happen.

Drowned With a Broken Neck
By ClumsyCavalier on deviantART