Fallen Holly Leaves (Storm)

The injured eagle soon seemed to know it was defeated and attempted to escape. Fallen Leaves, however, was not having any of that, and latched onto the Eagle’s leg with his teeth, snapping his jaws around it. The eagle was still able to fly upwards, however, and took Fallen Leaves with it for several heartbeats.

As Chasing Clouds, Jagged Lightning, and Stone Song went to help Fallen Leaves, Broken Shadow went to help Holly Leaves out of the snow and back to the group, wincing at the sight of her injuries.

The tom hissed at the eagle after being clawed a few times himself, but managed to slash his own claws across the eagle’s chest. The massive bird screeched and began beating its wings curiously to try and fly away. However, a few other warriors broke ranks hesitantly to leap on the bird with Fallen Leaves.

Holly Leaves’ eyes widened when she saw Fallen Leaves getting attacked instead of herself but her shredded back wouldn’t let her move.

Fallen Leaves leapt up to attack the eagle just as it was about to take Holly Leaves away in its horrible talons. The eagle screeched and attacked the tom instead, it’s wings beating furiously as it attacked the tom with claws and beak.

Holly Leaves whimpered softly in pain before she could cut it off, paws slipping as she frantically tried to pull herself out of the pile of snow she’d fallen in after flinging herself away from the eagle.

The eagle beat its wings in an attempt to slow down enough to get a solid grip on the cat, but seemed to scream in frustration as it overshot her. The massive bird of prey gained altitude and flew away from the group, but soon began to loop around for another go, its beady black eyes focused hungrily on the cat he’d injured in the first pass.

“Form a circle around the kits!” Commanded Stone Song, The sharpclaws quickly obeying him and grouping into a protective mass of fur around the youngest cats and the expectant mothers.

Fallen Leaves, however, broke ranks, dashing desperately through the thick snow to try and get to his mate before the eagle did.

Holly Leaves’ sense of danger went off too late and she didn’t have time to do anything but let her green eyes widen in alarm and fear before talons sliced into her back. The black she-cat let out a screeching yowl of pain, trying to throw herself away from the eagle before it could grasp her enough to carry her off even as her back screamed st the movement.

The eagle had chosen to instinctively dive in front of the sun, making it invisible to its prey until it was too late. One of these strange pieces of prey had separated from the group, and as the eagle swooped down on them it chose to eat her first. It finally became visible as it swooped low enough to no longer be in front of the sun, but by then it was essentially too late for anyone to react. The eagle spread its wings wide to slow itself down and struck, its dangerous talons slicing the She-cat.

Holly Leaves looked up, pinning her ears back when she couldn’t see the eagle anymore. She doubted that was a good sign.

(Next of your posts?)

(Alright!)

Stone Song cast a concerned glance upwards again, but the eagle seemed to have disappeared. The gathered cats squinted towards the sun.

Holly Leaves bristled with anger and fear. “I’m serious! Please listen to me!” She pleaded, glancing desperately up at the eagle. Cats had started to stop and stare at them.

(The eagle should totally go after Holly Leaves. She can get scars out of it.)

Stone Song glanced up at the eagle, not having seen anything like it before. “It doesn’t seem to be bothering with us, Holly Leaves,” Mewed the leader of the band, without much concern in his voice. All the while, the Eagle’s swooping loops got tighter and tighter, the bird of prey zeroing in on the exposed cats.

Holly Leaves skidded to a halt next to Stone Song, sending flow flying. “Look up!” She panted. “Eagle. Large enough to kill a cat!”

Fallen Leaves’ eyes widened as his mate suddenly stuffed his mouth with kit fur, but he took the tiny thing by the scruff and stopped walking, wondering what had triggered his late to bolt across the snow towards Stone Song.

Unlike Fallen Leaves, Holly Leaves had been in the mountains before, if only once, and at the shadow on the snow she looked up reflexively. Her eyes widened at the sight of an angle and she thrust the kit at Fallen Leaves for him to take (gently, of course). Once she was sure he had her, she bolted to reach Stone Song.

Fallen Leaves saw a shadow pass over the bright white snow before them, but didn’t think much of it. Just a Bird.

With her long fur, Holly Leaves was slightly warmer than her mate, but not by much. The group of cats hadn’t made as much progress as Stone Song would have liked in the last moon, having had to stop frequently for the kits and elders.

Fallen Leaves pinned his ears back the first two times he was rejected, but by the third he’d just shrug and continue walking. He wasn’t trying to imply that she couldn’t do it. He just wanted to help.

Either way, The dappled tom glanced across the valley they were walking through, seeing nothing but more and more snow before them. He already couldn’t feel his paws thanks to the numbing cold of the white powder, and it seemed relief was still some ways off.

Holly Leaves didn’t let her mate take the kit any of the times he asked, giving him an annoyed stare.

Fallen Leaves walked on the other flank of his mate, keeping close to her and offering to take the kit that Holly Leaves was carrying every once in a while.

Holly Leaves was carrying one of Rising Moon’s kits that the queen had birthed shortly after their journey started for her, walking near said queen. Dark Whiskers had died half a moon ago, but considering she’d been expecting more than just him to die, that was better than expected. Not so great was the fact that Shy Fawn was pregnant.

A moon later, and the entirety of the group of cats was nearing exhaustion. While the sky was clear on this particular day, the deep snow lining the mountain pass was bringing their progress to a near standstill.

(You do the skip this time)

(Ok!)