Nutmeg was awoken by soft murmurs and paw steps. She blinked her eyes open and saw bright yellow paws pad pass her. She nearly panicked until she remembered she was hidden in the bush. “Smells like… were there two… fox..” she heard the cats say. She flattened her ears and backed away, not knowing what might happen if she got caught.

She turned to leave when a sudden weight on her back caused her legs to collapse. She hissed in pain as her injured shoulder was shoved into the ground. She glared up at her attacker, a pale tom with sharp green eyes, a black tail and paws. “Who are you and what are you doing in our territory.” He hiss

She flattened her ears as the rest of his patrol joined in, hissing and lashing their tails. She snarled and then shut her mouth, knowing the odds of her winning the fight were very low. She shook her head and looked at the tom. “I mean no harm I’m just passing through” she mewed. The tom narrowed his eyes. She hissed in Surprise as he grabbed her scruff and was flipped onto her other side, her injured shoulder exposed.

His eyes flashed with sympathy and Surprise for a heartbeat but then his cold gaze returned. “What happened to your shoulder” He mewed. Nutmeg flattened her ears. She didn’t want to tell him, nothing could be done now so she simply responded “Accident”

He narrowed his eyes “And accidents have claws” he mewed. She growled in her throat as he turned to the rest of the patrol. They murmured something before she felt the weight of his paw lifted off of her. “We will take you back to our camp. Your shoulder is injured pretty badly and most likely infected. We cant have you attracting scavengers into our territory.” He mewed

The fur along her spine bristled as two other cats padded to the side and back of her, blocking off any chances of her escaping. Flattening her ears she reluctantly followed them. Her tail flicked uncomfortably as she could feel the strong wave of hostility from the patrol, cats often shot her angry or annoyed glares. But what confused her the most was the that she sensed no hostility nor anger or aggression from one cat, The cat who found and attacked her. … End of chapter