“Ruby! Ruby! Are you okay?” Leaf yelled as she skirted to a stop behind her startled friend. The pretty, ginger feline stood frozen, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at a hazel bush. “Is everything okay, Ruby?” Leaf asked her again, checking the air to see if she could detect what Ruby was so stricken about. Leaf’s ears flew up as rustles came from the bushes. Three shapes emerged from the undergrowth, their mouths curled into a snarl and teeth bared. They kept their ground as they shot hostile glares at the two felines. Ruby whimpered and stepped back, flicking her tail with weariness.

The front one started laughing, “Twig! Rose! These two are just wimps, lets keep going, they can’t do anything!” They laughed. A calico spotted she cat chuckled, “What are you so scared about? Three unknown cats? Get used to it!” She cackled. Leaf hissed at them, but before she could do anything, a shape crushed onto the lead cat, making them yowl in shock and pain. It was Drop.

The quiet she pinned them down and glared at the other two mysterious cats. She turned her gaze back to Ruby and Leaf, “Go get the others! I got them handled from here…” she whispered, an unsettling tone flowing through her voice.

Ruby leaped away into the forest, sprinting back to the others. Leaf watched as the calico lunged at Drop, but the dark pelted feline flung her unsheathed paw over her and into the ground, unmoved by the calico’s sudden attack. leaf turned and ran after Ruby, her tortoiseshell paws skimming the earth as she flew over the overgrown ground.

Scared and panting, the two she cats reached the other’s sides. “What happened?” Owl shrieked, with Dazzle right behind him. Ruby gasped for air, “three intruders on our territory! Drop is attackng them!” She answered. Owl and Dazzle pelted off into the forest, Leaf and the shocked ginger feline behind them.

As they reached Drop, the dark feline had two of the most hostile intruders on their sides, with their eyes wild from fear of their attacker. The last cat was fightened and small, they huddled next to a tall tree, whimpering as it’s two companions lay wounded on the ground. Drop turned to face the others, “everything has been taken care of” she breathed. Leaf watched her leap off her opponents, her pretty pelt only had a few scratched and bites.

The three Mist Runners picked the two wounded cats up, “lets bring them back to Mist that Covers Sky,” Dazzle meowed, “he will know what to do.” Ruby looked hesitant, “why bring them back to camp? They’re clearly hostile!” She whined. Owl shrugged, “they seem scared of Drop. Leaf, fetch that other cat, bring them back aswell.” He ordered.

Leaf made her way to the stricken cat, she pulled at their tail to get up. They were a light brown cat with dark brown spots, they looked up at Leaf with wild eyes. “P-please don’t hurt me…!” He whimpered. Leaf sighed sympathetically, “I won’t hurt you!” She told him, helping him to his paws.

The group set out back to camp, with the intruders stareing at Drop with fearsome eyes. She glared back at them, but didn’t say anything.