Training

    "Wow, you actually caught it." Kodiak's deep voice resonated through the trees as he appeared out of the casting shadows. Sitka turned his head, prey dangling from his jaws as the black and white tom pranced over to his friend.
    "Surprised?" He asked slyly, dropping the vole at the tabby's paws. Sitka had been practicing his hunting since Kodiak finally convinced him. He had never needed to hunt, they had always found food by scavenging or Kodi could just catch something for them. Sitka didn't like having to wait so patiently for the small creatures to come out of their burrows and be distracted enough that he could pounce on their unsuspecting bodies.
     "A little." Kodi joked, giving his friend a shove before scooping up the prey and dashing off. Sitka regained his balance quickly and bolted after him.
     "That's mine!" The black and white tom was nimble on his paws and could run faster than his shorter friend. It was moments like this Sitka could forget where they were. He could forget that they belonged to a band of murderous rouges who selfishly took whatever they wanted, disregarding the lives of the cats they took it from. The trees faded to rocks and Sitka realized they'd ran to the border.
      Kodiak stopped, skidding rocks around him and dropped the vole at his paws. "I thought you were supposed to be faster than me!" Sitka didn't stop until he tackled him.
     "I am!" The two cats jostled in a mix of black and cream tabby fur. A soft murmur from the trees startled them and they broke apart. Kan had been crouching in the shadows and now padded out of the tree line and through the rocky path to meet them. His blue eyes were friendly and almost amused.
     "Having fun? You caught some prey I see." The ginger tom pawed at the vole, bending down to take a bite. He didn't ask. He didn't have to ask. Neither Kodi nor Sitka would dare tell him he couldn't. Sitka watched with a burning feeling in his stomach. It was leaf bare and prey was scarce. That was the first meal he had seen in days and now Kan was gulping it down without having done any of the work. Not to mention that was Sitka's first successful hunt. Kodiak seemed just as irritated and the two tom's flexed their claws but made no movement to stop their leader.
     "We were just training..." Kodiak said, shifting uncomfortably. Sitka shared a glance with his friend and they both worried whether this was a punishable offense. We shouldn't be out here playing like kits. Kan sat up, licking his muzzle with satisfaction in his blue eyes. He hoped up onto a boulder and settled down into a crouch, tucking his paws beneath him and wrapping his tail around them.
      "Oh, Im sure you were. Training to be kitty pets?" His tone his switched to harsh in the mere seconds that had followed him changing positions. "We don't play fight here. You know that. Or maybe Ive underestimated how mouse-brained you are." Sitka ducked his head, focusing on his paws as the scorn washed over him. Kodiak kept his head up and met his leader's eyes, if a bit unevenly.
      "We're sorry. It won't happen again." He mewed, his ears swiveled back as he waited for Kan to unexpectedly pounce. It wouldn't be a surprise if he did, yet it always somehow seemed to throw the tabby off guard.
      "I know it won't." Kan said after a moment of staring the two cats down. "It seems I have to remind this group what true training is, huh?" Sitka felt his fur begin to stand on end. Training was the worst thing besides the constant battle about being apart of the rouge group. Kodiak seemed just as unnerved. "Let's get back to camp." The three cats headed back, Kodiak and Sitka trying to ignore their growling stomachs and mounting fear.

***

      "Thanks to your friends Kodiak and Sitka, I've decided today is as good a day as any to train." Kan sat upon his boulder den, the sun washing over his pelt and lighting up his ginger pelt like a forest fire. His blue eyes scanned over every cat with a harsh gaze. His light mood was gone, replaced with an unpredictable anger. The cats in the clearing didn't say a word, but in a silent protest they all looked down. Sitka felt guilt sear through his black and white pelt. Kodiak was next to him, his expression looking just as guilt stricken. 

       "Get in groups of two."

The Target

    "It's a matter of destiny." Kan spat to Kodiak, who flattened his ears and cowered slightly. The fiery ginger tom paced his den, which used to be the tribes place to speak with their ancestors. It was a gap between two huge boulders, where the moon would shine through a small opening in the top and light up the grassy den with silver light. Now, the grass was torn up from sharp claws and the sides of the boulders streaked with blood from the battle warn cat coming in and plopping down after a fight.
     "I..I don't understand."
      "Of course you wouldn't!" Kan lunged forward, bowling the stalky tabby over and pinning him with sharp, curled claws. He knew he could easily kill the other tom, a swift bite to the neck and it would all be over for him. His ignorance would be punished. Kodiak shook as he struggled to get free, writhing and hissing in his effort. His pale green eyes lit with fear as he looked at his leader, the ginger tom's hot breath swirling around his muzzle. "We can't stop with this tribe. We have to continue on and take other lands, other cats!" This time, Kodiak knew better than to respond.
      Kan let him up, sheathing his claws and shaking out his pelt. His mood immediately changed, as wasn't surprising. "You've been in this group long enough to know this, c'mon don't be a mouse brain." His tone was humorous. Kodiak stood on shaky paws, bumping his shoulder in his quick effort to stand. Blood dribbled from his shoulders, matting up the fur there.
      "Sorry...I understand, its..its a matter of destiny." He didn't understand, but he repeated what his leader had said to appease him. Kan turned, licking a paw with his bright blue eyes focused on the other tabby tom.
       "Exactly! Now you're getting it kid. So, we attack this Twilightclan next. They have a nice forest to live in with plenty of prey and they're strong cats. I want them and their territory." Kan licked his muzzle as if he was thinking of a satisfying piece of prey, his blue eyes staring past the other cat as he day dreamed about it. He'd be leader of more land and more cats. The swelling ambition in his chest never seemed to be satiable.
        "But, if they're strong cats won't they be hard to conquer?" Kodiak asked, careful not to sound too questioning or undermining. Kan shrugged, unnerved by the thought of battle against powerful opponents.
        "I like a challenge. Now, go tell the others. And Kodiak," Kan set his paw down, sweeping his tail around them. "You are a good fighter and a good member to this group." Kodiak lit up with the praise. "Don't question me again." Again, Kan's tone quickly changed to a threat. The stalky tom nodded earnestly and bound out of the den before he could take another beating. Kan was left alone in the den to day dream about his kingdom. The kingdom that would be his, filled with vast territories and loyal followers. He would be unbeatable and it was his right. The fiery ginger tabby crouched down, looking outside the cave with his blue eyes just slits. The moonlight broke through the gap above the den and washed over his muscled silhouette. It's a matter of destiny.