Clan of the Eclipse by Amanda and Tabitha (read an ebook week txt) 📕

/> “Maya! Sneak over to the pebbles and kick them up at the cats! That will break them up!”
She didn’t hesitate to obey the quick-thinking she-cat now. Maya zipped over – in a hunter’s crouch – and kicked at the pebbles hard with her hind legs, sending them flying at the fighting cats. At once the clash broke apart, all three cats hissing dazedly.
“Run!” Eclipse yowled as she saw some of the shadows detach from the others. She made a b-line for the town. The other cats were hot on her tail. The ground began to feel wet and cool, and she heard water roaring instead of the wind.
The river!

She made a sharp v-turn and bounded toward the river. She glanced back to see the others changing direction just before a black tom with red eyes soared from the brush. She pushed harder. Her companions soon were with her, running just behind her.
Dragon had found them.

Chapter Four: Ritual River

The sound of the rushing water made Eclipse press harder. The sound was reassuring. She glanced back to see her friend’s bewildered faces. But they ran with her. Pepper turned and bared his teeth. Raven whirled. Terrified for her friends, she turned and bit Raven’s tail and yowled angrily “Run, fools! We’re nearly there!” and sprinted again. They were baffled, but fled with her just before Dragon and Lion caught them.
Her yowl had brought attention.
A gray she-cat hurled herself toward them. Eclipse saw her nod, and flicked her tail with a thunderous “Now!”
Instantly, Raven, Maya and Pepper swerved and pounced in union on Dragon. Bear whirled and, in step with the gray cat, rounded on Lion. Scratch tried to help, but was shoved out of the way by Bear. He dug his claws into the soil. A white cat showed herself from the bushes, and waved them over, though she looked confused – and curious. Bramble, Ghost, Misty, Scratch and Eclipse raced into the brush and followed the cat to a rock bridge, which they swiftly vaulted across.
“We can’t leave them!” Eclipse growled as the white she-cat tried to lead them farther than the river bed on the other side.
“Then why aren’t you fighting with them?” She asked, looking bewildered.
“We can’t fight!”
The she cat paused, looking back. “We’re not leaving them behind! My friend will bring them to our den.”
Eclipse hissed furiously “I’m no coward! I will see who lives through this!”
Ghost and Bramble agreed wholeheartedly.
She looked toward an oak tree raised over giant rocks. Shaking her head, the white cat sat down. “I can wait with you, then. I’m no coward either.”
The four looked back to see Dragon and Lion high-tailing it. They could hear the cats cursing their friends. The moment they were gone Eclipse rushed out, flicking her tail to signal the others to follow. The gray she-cat was licking blood from her paws. Bear began to walk around the other clan cats who'd fought. He stopped to bow his head thankfully to the gray she-cat who'd helped them.
“Bramble! Fetch cobwebs, golden seal and comfrey!”
He limped off along the river as Eclipse examined first Bear, and Raven since the black she-cat was beside him. He had a bite on his paw, tail and flank. Raven had a split ear and scratches on her shoulder.
“Lick the blood away. I’ll put some horsetail on those later. Keep an eye on those bites, Bear.”
“Okay.”
“For now, just make sure to keep them clean, you two. I don’t want infection.”
Then she turned to Maya. The black and white queen had wrenched a claw. Her flank had a bite that could go nasty. “Cobwebs for that, and comfrey for the claw. Lick both clean. Stay right here; Bramble will get to you.”
The two began to clean their wounds.
Pepper had a deep shoulder wound. Raven was there with cobwebs she’d managed to collect. The two applied it to the wound. About when they were done Bramble was back.
“Raven, you should rest. Bramble, I need you to apply golden seal to this bite first. Then cobwebs and comfrey on Maya.”
The two cat who’d helped them watched with confused yet amazed eyes. After she was sure her friends were alright, Eclipse came over to the gray she-cat.
“I know this is your territory, and I have no right to tell you what to do, but I think it’d be a good idea to rest. We’ll clear out of here as soon as we’ve rested enough.”
“No, no. It’s fine. All of you look exhausted. What’s that tom doing to your friend?”
She was staring at Bramble like he’d lost his mind.
“He’s making sure her wounds are cared for. That’s comfrey he’s applying to her wrenched claw. And cobwebs to stop the bleeding on her bite wound. Speaking of, I see several scratches that will need tending. Clean them well, if you don’t want infection. Are there any serious wounds?”
“Well, the orange cat bit the back of my neck before the tom pulled him off. It stings a bit.”
Eclipse examined it. She was shocked the bite hadn’t killed the tough she-cat.
“You’re lucky Pepper pulled him off; the wound is deep. Have your friend clean it.” She turned to Ghost. “Ghost! Get me more cobwebs! I have a bite wound over here!”
She nodded and spun to search the branches of the near-by undergrowth. Just as the two cats were lying down the white-calico queen returned. She limped after her Shaman.
“I’m going to apply these to stop the bleeding.” The silver cat warned just before she did. Then Bramble smoothed in comfrey and golden seal.
“That should help it heal and keep out infection.”
“Uh…thanks.”
Eclipse looked over Bramble’s work, and thanked him. “You did well.”
He began to apply comfrey to his own injury. “There’s no blood, thankfully. And there’s no puss, either. I think it’s healing.”
“Do you need something for pain?”
He shook his head. The others lay close-by, lying down and grooming one another. Raven meowed quietly. “We’ll need to hunt, Eclipse. We’re all hungry.”
“Not here.” She growled. “We’re on another cat’s territory, and it won’t be long before the snow falls.”
The other two seemed to hear them.
“We don’t mind. I was going to hunt for you anyway.” The white she-cat replied.
I can’t have her hunt alone.

“Ghost. Go with her; you’ve not hunted or fought today.”
She rose and greeted the white she-cat.
“Do you mind if I hunt with you?”
“Sure. I’m Frost.”
“What a nice name.” She replied. “I can’t really fish, but I’m good at hunting rodents…”
The two stalked off, talking about prey. The remained she-cat watched Eclipse and Bramble.
“We’ll need horsetail for those scratches Raven has.” Eclipse told him. “And maybe some catmint will be useful to gather around the river.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s good for respiratory problems and tummy aches.” The healer replied. “It only grows in high light and soft, fertile soil. So we’ll have to look hard.”
Finally the gray host rose and plodded over. “You talk a lot of plants. Is that all you do?”
“No. I heal these cats and lead them.”
“So you’re all together?”
She nodded. “Most of us know one another very well. We’re traveling to get away from the bully who was attacking us.”
“I see. He never seems to leave the forest, so you should be safe here until you’ve decided to move on.”
“Thank you. And thank you for helping my companion hunt.”
“It’s no trouble at all. You guys needed it!”
Bramble purred his thanks. “I hope it’s no bother feeding us all, with frost so close!”
“No, not all. The river is too fast to freeze. We still hunt rodents when the fish swim too deep to catch.”
“Is that wound hurting?”
“Not much, thanks to you.”
She then barreled up the rocks to await Ghost and Frost’s return.
Scratch shyly approached Bear. "Why did you push me out of the way, Bear? I could have helped."
He looked at the cat. "I didn't want you hurt, kit."
The tabby hung his head. "Maybe I should go home..."
Bear sighed. "Even I got hurt, Scratch. But if you want, I can show you a couple of things."
The tom's eyes spread wide. "Really?"
"Yes. Then you can get stronger."
"Oh, thank you Bear! Thank you so much!"
"Shut up and listen for once, kit. Now watch this..."
Eclipse watched her brother as he showed the kitten the first moves his mentor had demonstrated. Scratch repeated his every move, then they practiced - without claws - on one another. She was impressed. And more importantly, so was River as she watched from her post.

“Trout!” The gray she-cat’s excited meow started Eclipse awake.
She wasn’t the only one to have fallen asleep; everybody else was lifting sleepy-eyed heads. Unease trickled through Eclipse.
What if something had happened? Dragon may have come back.

“Hey! Look at all the prey!” Pepper was up and bounding toward his sister. Eclipse yawned, stretched and followed him more slowly. The others gathered around as the two hunting cats deposited a large fish, three water voles, a water snake and a robin on the rocks.
“Wonderful work.” Maya told them. “Did you find all that by the river?”
“Most of it, yeah. There’s a small pool not far from here that stays pretty sheltered all year.”
Misty danced around the two hunters, wide-eyed.
"Wow, that's a big fish!"
“Did you see any plants that were familiar, Ghost?”
She shook her head. “I was busy hunting, sorry. I don’t really think about plants.”
Eclipse nodded, disappointed but understanding.
“Anyway, since you guys are staying for a while, I’m River. That’s Frost.”
Eclipse hesitated. Then she licked a paw and said “I’m Eclipse. This is Bramble.” He bowed his head. “That’s Raven.” The she-cat flicked her tail, examining the prey with a hungry look. “Ghost, Pepper and Maya. Bear is my brother. Those two are Misty and Scratch; they're still...in training.”
They all looked up in unison.
“Right. Can all of you hunt as well as Ghost?”
The healer looked at her hungry friends. “Why don’t we eat as we talk?”
River shrugged. Her and Frost split the fish. Bramble and Eclipse grabbed the snake to share, while Raven took the robin. Pepper and Maya took a vole each. As they ate, their healer and leader explained.
“We’re traveling together to get away from the tyrant who overran my ancestors. I’m teaching Bramble to lead and heal the group; I currently do. I’m a Shaman. Neither him nor I can hunt or fight. Ghost, Raven and Maya can hunt. Pepper, Raven and Maya can fight.”
“Why do you lead? Why not Raven or Maya, who can hunt and fight?”
“Because I gathered the group together, and am the only cat who knows herbs.”
“Can’t they learn?”
Maya snorted. “That sounds like a waste of