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Warriors Series 5.5: Echoes of the War
Novella 1: Sushi’s Society
Chapter Six

     “Nice catch, Sunny!”

     The tiny tabby looked up, a squirrel lying at her paws among the multicolored leaves. “Thanks!” she purred.

     Sushi watched her daughter pick up her catch, purring. Almost two leaf-falls had passed since the battle with the forest Clans. Sushi’s kits had grown into fine young cats, as well as skilled hunters. Even towards the end of leaf-fall, with leafbare closing in fast, they managed to find enough for every cat to eat.

     Sunny towards her mother, her squirrel hanging from her jaws. The she-cat was just as small as her father had been, with the same rounded head and thick, soft pelt. But her bright ginger pelt was free of scars, and no tooth-spiked collar hung around her neck. Sushi felt a rush of pride; she had raised her kits to be peaceful rogues, not the vicious killers their father would have made them.

     “I sent Snuggle and Shy to check for prey by the twisted stump,” Sunny informed her mother once she reached her again. She set the squirrel by Sushi’s paws, giving her chest fur a few quick licks.

     Sushi fought back an amused purr; there was no question that Sunny was the leader of her litter, and at times she could be rather bossy. But her loyalty to her brothers was unquestionable, and her cleverness often kept them with full bellies at night. “Lead the way,” Sushi mewed.

     Together, the daughter and mother set off through the forest. It had been a little over one leaf-fall since they had left Barley’s barn. Barley and Ravenpaw had sheltered Sushi’s family for eight moons, until the kits were old enough to hunt for the whole family, as they had promised. Sushi knew that Barley hadn’t trusted her at all, but he had been decent to her family, and Ravenpaw had been great with the kits.

     They had promised not to tell any cat that they had been sheltering the BloodClan cats, including cats from the forest Clans. Ravenpaw had told Sushi all about the Clans’ code of honor, and she believed him when he said they were good cats. But she didn’t trust that they wouldn’t try to take out their fury against BloodClan on the kits of Scourge.

     After they left the barn, Sushi and her family had made their home in the forest, just outside of ThunderClan territory. Sushi was always careful to keep herself and her kits out of the sight of warriors. She still wore her collar of teeth and claws, and while none of her kits were identical enough to Scourge to recognized as his kits on sight, she knew Sunny looked enough like him to raise suspicion. They had found an old badger den that served as a cozy den, and they hunted in the surrounding forest. Sushi was still haunted by memories of her past, and she never felt entirely comfortable in the forest, but for now her family was safe and happy.

     Once they had picked up the rest of their catch, Sushi and Sunny returned to the den. They came upon a familiar scene when they reached the den. Scraps was sitting outside, sorting leaves with one paw. Ever since Ravenpaw had told him about medicine cats and their healing herbs, Scraps had been fascinated. These days he spent most of his time collecting and studying herbs, repeating what Ravenpaw had told him and storing any herbs he deemed important in the den, in case of emergency. He had already used his new knowledge to heal minor injuries and illnesses among his family.

     Wrapper was inside the den, curled up beside Catflap. The large tom looked frailer than he ever had before. Though he was fed even more than the rest of the family, old age kept him from putting on much weight. Sushi felt a pang of grief as she looked at him, and the empty space beside him. Bellchime had died not long after they had settled in at Barley’s barn. She had simply been too old, and when she became sick, it took her life quickly. Barley and Ravenpaw had been very kind about the whole thing, allowing them to bury her at the barn and holding a vigil for her. Catflap was quieter now, even seasons after she was gone, but he still made an effort to be there for his family.

     All three cats looked up as Sushi and Sunny approached. “Nice haul,” Wrapper commented. Sushi carried a pair of mice, while Sunny had her squirrel.

     They dropped their catches in front of the den. “Thanks,” Sunny mewed. She glanced around, her ice-blue gaze sharp with curiosity. “Have you seen Snuggle and Shy yet? I thought they’d be back by now.”

     All three cats shook their heads. “They could just be running late,” Catflap rasped. The elderly tom was lying beside Wrapper, his paws tucked neatly beneath him, and his tail wrapped around him. “Prey will be getting more scarce now that leafbare is almost here, after all. They might have had to go farther from the den to hunt.”

     Sunny shrugged. “Whatever. I’ll keep a watch out for them.” She padded a little ways away, settling onto her belly on the crunchy leaves, watching the distant trees for a sign of her brothers.

     They didn’t have to wait much longer. Soon after Scraps finished sorting his herbs, two black shapes came padding into sight. Sunny’s head shot up. She leaped to her paws, bounding towards her brothers with a joyful yowl. As Sushi watched in amusement, Sunny butted her head against Snuggle’s shoulder, meowing something loudly in greeting. It was clear watching them that Snuggle had inherited his mother’s height. He towered over his tiny sister as she greeted him, looking down at her with a patient purr. His green eyes shone with warmth, his thick black-and-white pelt covering strong muscle.

     After exchanging a brief greeting with his sister, Shy left his littermates behind to pad towards the den. The sleek black tom was certainly quick to get away from the loud greeting of his littermates, but Sushi knew that he was more comfortable with them, and with his family, than with any other cats.

     He padded up to Sushi, touching muzzles briefly with his mother. “Sorry we took so long,” he mewed quietly. Shy was soft-spoken, when he spoke at all. He generally preferred to listen to others speak, watching with his golden gaze impossible to read, learning more in his silence than if he joined conversations himself. Other rogues usually found him creepy, if they noticed him at all. But Sushi knew he was just quiet by nature – reserved, and gentle, not cold as others thought.

     Sushi purred as she touched her nose to her son’s ear. “It’s alright,” she mewed. “No harm done.” Shy blinked warmly at his mother, then padded away, joining Scraps by his pile of herbs. While Shy didn’t seem to have the natural talent for healing that Scraps did, he often sat beside Scraps and watched him work. He tended to stay quiet, letting Scraps fill the silence by telling him about the herbs and their functions.

     Once Snuggle and Sunny had finished catching up, they began padding towards the den. Snuggle had a single mouse in his jaws, and when Sushi glanced back at Shy, she realized he didn’t have any prey. “Is that it?” she asked, sniffing at the mouse in surprise.

     Snuggle dropped his mouse with the rest of the prey, turning back toward his mother with a grave expression. “We were lucky to get this much,” he told her quietly. “Something’s happened.”

     Sushi’s good mood evaporated. “What is it?” she asked. Snuggle’s expression was more serious than she’d seen it before.

     “Twolegs,” Shy answered from his seat beside Scraps. “Their monsters were in the forest today.”

     Snuggle nodded gravely. “They were making enough noise to wake a deaf badger. It scared off most of the prey.”

     Sushi’s ears shot forward in shock, and she saw Wrapper stiffen from beside Catflap, eyes sharp with interest. “The monsters were in the forest?” Sushi repeated, stunned. “But they never leave the street!”

     “These ones did,” Snuggle mewed grimly. “I have no idea what they were doing, but if it happens again, I don’t know how much prey we’ll be able to find.”

     For a moment, Sushi felt a twinge of fear. Then she gave herself a rough shake. “Let’s not get too worried over nothing. Twolegs are mad – every cat knows that. Whatever reason these twolegs and their monsters were in the forest, I doubt it’s anything to worry about. We’ll just have to keep an eye on it and see what happens.”

     Shy and Snuggle’s expressions were doubtful as they regarded Sushi. Privately, she wasn’t even sure of her own words. But after a moment, Snuggle just shrugged. “If you say so.” He scooped up the squirrel from the pile of prey, carrying it over to Catflap and dropping it in front of the elderly tom. The large black-and-white tom settled beside Catflap, murmuring in a low voice to him and nudging the squirrel towards him.

     Sushi felt a rush of warmth as she watched her son’s kindness to her father. Snuggle had the kindest heart of his littermates, and was often seen comforting Catflap, or encouraging his shy brother. As she watched, Catflap dragged the squirrel closer with one paw, starting to pick at it.

     Sushi purred, blinking warmly at her son. But inside, she was still worried. She didn’t know what the strange behavior of the twolegs and their monsters meant for her family, but she had a feeling this wasn’t the last she was going to hear about it.

SCENEBREAK

     In the following moons, the situation with the twolegs only got worse. Big monsters came into the forest, tearing up the trees with their gnashing metal jaws, leaving the forest scarred. Prey was already scarce now that leafbare had come, but the destruction of the forest drove off what little prey was left. Even in the days before she became a guard of BloodClan, Sushi’s family had never eaten so poorly in their lives. Sushi was terrified by how weak Catflap was becoming. Every night, she watched him fall asleep, fearing that he wouldn’t wake in the morning.

     As hard as they tried, Sushi and her kits weren’t able to catch enough to support the family. Wrapper and Scraps did what they could, but they were so weak from how little they were eating that they never caught anything. There was no question of Catflap trying to hunt anymore; Sushi didn’t think he could make it very far from the den without collapsing from exhaustion. Often times, it was only Sunny’s clever hunting schemes that kept them from starving. Every day, Sushi’s dread grew. She was sure that they were all going to starve before newleaf came.

     One day, she was at the den. It was the end of a day of hunting. She and her kits had split up, and she was the only one who had returned so far. All she had to show for her efforts was one half-frozen shrew. Catflap was gnawing on it, looking like he was barely strong enough to eat, while Wrapper and Scarps looked on glumly.

     Sushi was sitting a little aways from the den, keeping an eye out for her returning kits. She could only hope that they had managed to catch something. Otherwise, the only cat who would eat tonight would be Catflap.

     Suddenly, she stiffened. In the distance came a muffled roar, horrible and grating. As the hair along her back raised ominously, she recognized three shapes racing towards her through the trees. “Run!” Sunny screeched as she and her brothers hurtled towards the den.

     Sushi was on her paws in an instant. “What is it?” she demanded, fear making her pelt bristle. In the den, Scraps and Wrapper were standing protectively in front of Catflap.

     “The monsters…” Snuggle panted. The three cats finally drew near enough for Sushi to see the wild fear in their eyes. “We saw them. They’re coming for the den!”

     Fear exploded in Sushi’s chest. “Then we have to go, now!”

     Every instinct screamed at Sushi to run, but she had to get her family out. Catflap was agonizingly slow as he struggled onto his paws, stumbling out of the den as if he could barely control his paws. Terrible fear blazed in his eyes, but as Scarps started to push him forward, he shook his head. “Go on without me,” he rasped. “I’m too slow. You’ll die if you stay with me.”

     The roaring was getting louder now. Sushi could see the monsters getting closer, trees and earth being torn up in their wake. They were slower than the monsters that moved along the streets of Twolegplace, but they were massive, with huge metal claws. One reached out its jaws, cracking a birch right in half. Sushi nearly jumped as it fell to the ground with a terrible thud. Then, she gave a sharp shake of her head. “We’re not leaving any cat!” she snapped. The large she-cat bounded into the den, coming around behind her father and roughly shoving him forward. He stumbled forward, looking surprised, but Sushi didn’t have any time to be nice about it. While Scraps helped Wrapper limp away from the den, Snuggle and Shy took over with Catflap, forcing the elderly tom forward as quickly as they could make him go. Sushi stayed behind them, keeping an eye on the monsters as they approached. “Hurry!” she snapped.

     Finally, every cat was clear of the den, just as the monsters reached it. Sushi watched with horror as the great jaws of one monster tore away the earth where their den rested, destroying the first home where she had felt safe in seasons. Branches and leaves were being hurled everywhere, trees falling, leaving their home unrecognizable.

     But the monsters didn’t stop there. They kept moving forward, their jaws snapping. Sushi stiffened, terror making every hair on her pelt bristle. “We can’t stop. Keep going!” She stayed to the rear of the group, keeping an eye on the monsters, while Sunny raced to the front. As the ginger tabby bounded away through the snow, the rest of the family struggled to follow her.

     Blind terror ruled Sushi as she stumbled through the snow, forcing herself to stay at her family’s pace. She couldn’t see the monsters anymore through the trees, but she could hear them roaring, and she could see the devastation they were leaving, branches and trees still falling dangerously close. Wrapper was struggling to run with her crippled leg, and Catflap was agonizingly slow. But Snuggle and Shy kept pushing Catflap forward, and Scraps didn’t leave his sister’s side for an instant.

     Sunny’s gasp made Sushi stiffen in fear. “There’s more!” the ginger tabby called out. With a rush of horror, Sushi looked over to see more monsters coming in from the side, cutting off their escape. The group whirled around. For a moment, they were frozen, trying to figure out where to flee to.

     Suddenly, Sushi realized where they were in the forest – and more importantly, where they were close to. Her heart clenched in fear, but she knew what had to happen next. “Sunny, take the rear!” she snapped at her daughter. Sushi bounded to the front of the group, growling, “I know where we’ll be safe.”

     Without stopping to explain, she took off, staying slow enough for her family to follow. Eventually, the sounds of the monsters faded into the distance, but she didn’t stop. Not until they reached the edges of the place that had haunted her nightmares for seasons. They passed out of the forest, fleeing into the narrow streets and looming buildings that would protect them from the monsters.

     As the group finally collapsed, exhausted and panting, on the pavement, Sushi looked around herself in fear. They were back in Twolegplace.

     Sushi could hear her family struggling for breath behind her. Snuggle was beside Catflap, looking worriedly over the elderly tom and murmuring to him. Scraps was going from cat to cat, checking for injuries, while Shy stared blankly ahead, looking exhausted. But Sunny was already up on her paws, looking around curiously.

     “This place looks familiar,” Sunny murmured. “But I can’t remember…” She glanced at her mother, gaze suddenly sharp with interest. “This is Twolegplace, isn’t it? This is BloodClan territory.”

     Snuggle and Shy looked up sharply, looking stunned. Scraps and Wrapper were looking around warily, their pelts bristling, while Catflap was too exhausted to do anything but look up wearily.

     Sushi flattened her ears, flinching as a monster passed them on the street beside the sidewalk they rested on. “Yes. Yes it is,” she murmured.

     She knew exactly where they were. The family had found themselves just inside of BloodClan’s territory, near where some of the younger cats made their dens. Sushi’s hackles began to raise as the familiar stench of twolegs and monsters began to set in. Already, horrible memories of her days as a guard of BloodClan were beginning to race through her mind.

     “Why did you bring us here?” Scraps asked, fear in his mew.

     “Because monsters that big would never follow us into narrow streets like this,” Sushi murmured. She glanced back the direction they’d come, feeling a pang of grief. “Our home… they destroyed it all. Who knows how much of our hunting grounds are left?”

     Scraps sighed, hanging his head. “My herbs,” he mewed quietly. “I should’ve thought to bring some of them – maybe we could use them.”

     Before Sushi could speak, Sunny shook her head, mewing, “It was more important to get everyone out of the den alive.” She flicked her tail-tip against Scraps’ shoulder, giving a mew of forced cheer. “Don’t worry. We can always gather more herbs later.”

     Snuggle shook out his pelt, gazing around warily. “The first thing we need to do is to get out of Twolegplace,” he murmured. “What if BloodClan finds us here?”

     “Please,” Sunny scoffed. “BloodClan was held together by the fear of our father. With Scourge dead, they would have scattered seasons ago.”

     Sushi gave her daughter a sharp glace. “Don’t sound so sure,” she warned Sunny. “Any of one your father’s guards may have taken over leadership since he died. We’ll have to be careful.” She sighed, glancing wearily towards the street. “But we can’t go back to the forest yet either. We don’t know how long the monsters will be there, and now that our den is destroyed, we don’t have anywhere to go.” She sighed. “We can go back in the forest in the morning. For now, let’s try to find somewhere safe to spend the night, and maybe find something to eat.”

     The others weren’t happy with her decision, but they didn’t argue. It didn’t take them long to find a quiet corner in a narrow alley to settle in for the night. A tipped-over garbage can served as a safe, if crowded, den for the family. Sunny and Shy managed to catch a sizeable rat for the family to share. When they finished their meal, Sushi sat back, starting to groom.

     It was strange. Even with the threat of BloodClan hanging over their heads, Sushi somehow felt more comfortable than she had in moons. The forest had been her home for two full leafbares, and it had been a good home. But she knew Twolegplace better than anywhere else. She had been happy here, once. Though she couldn’t forget the horrors she had witnessed, there was a certain comfort to being back on the street.

     Her feeling of comfort was short-lived. Sushi was helping Sunny clean up from the meal when something clattered further down the alley. Every cat froze. A shape was moving at the end of the alley, eyes flashing in the dark. Cats scrambled to hide behind the garbage can, but it was too late. Just as Sushi bounded for the garbage can, a familiar voice called out a horribly familiar name in shock.

     “Screech?”

-~-

COVER: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Cover-Sushi-s-Society-Novella-One-608430971
ALLEGIANCES: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/Sushi-s-Society-Allegiances-608432627
CHAPTER ONE: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/EOTW-Sushi-s-Society-Chapter-One-608430691
PREVIOUS: http://jayie-the-hufflepuff.deviantart.com/art/EOTW-Sushi-s-Society-Chapter-Five-612683417

Yay, another chapter done. ^^ Once this is over I can get back to Trail of Ashes – though I’m going to be writing some original stuff (not anything I’ll post here) as well over the summer, so don’t expect constant updates.

Anyway, sorry for the infodumps in this chapter. There’s only so many chapters in a novella to get information out. I tried to make it flow – I hope I succeeded.

Two years have gone by, and now Sushi and Scourge’s kits are fully grown. And the destruction of the forest has begun. At this point, Sushi would be seven years old, so she’s getting pretty up there in years, as are Scraps and Wrapper, but they aren’t totally elderly yet. Catflap, on the other hand, totally is – I think he’s around 12 years old here. Yes, I know that’s ridiculously old for a wild cat, but whatever, Sushi’s spent her whole life doing whatever it takes to keep her family well-fed, and it’s paid off. Besides, Mitsystar’s at least that old in the canon universe now, and she’s still going strong.

Now that they’re back in Twolegplace, next chapter should be interesting. ^^ Only three chapters left – and I promise you’ll learn the connection to Trail of Ashes in the last chapter. It isn’t a big connection, but whatever.