Chapter 3:

"When will Brenna get back?" Freya whimpered. "Do you think Vanessa will do something about it?"

 Just then, Brenna sprinted towards them. "She didn't believe ya."

 "Oh."

 "Don't be upset, Freya. This won't be your only sign," Eve meowed gently, wrapping an arm around her friend's slumped shoulders. Turning back to her mother, she asked, "What is she doing now?"

 "Sleepin'. You know your aunt, Eve. Those blasted nightmares that visit her every night... Now, run along. The feast is starting," Brenna nudged her daughter forward, seeing her worried expression, she added, "Oh, come on. I'll catch up later!"

 ***

 Running back to the tree, the breeze whooshed by, tickling her ear, with no care in the world. Sighing, Eve slowed down her face, letting Freya catch up. Her friend was panting, sweat trickling down her face.

 "Do you know where Chris is?" Eve asked a random she-cat nearby. The stranger shook her head.

 "No, sorry kid," She sighed. "Look here, kid, I ain't be havin' time for all this."

 "No, no, no," Eve groaned. Chris was nowhere to be found when she needed him the most. She really needed to have a talk. "I need him... I need my emotional support..."

 "You sure? By what I can see, you need food, air and water," Freya chimed in, trying to lighten the mood. "Awe, come on Eve. Your favorite's waiting!"

 At the mention of food, Eve's ears perked up. She sniffed and bit her lips. The smell of fish was kind of good. Taking one step at a time, she made her way towards the campfires. Delicious smells flooded her nostrils, combinations of roasted pigeons, fried fish and lovers settling down with a cup of fresh lemonade. How far had they come? Up above, the moon, like a bright, shining orb, hung low in the sky, taking its place in the starry night. But then, amidst all the nostalgia, in the shadows, something rustled. Eve whirled around, her claws unsheathed and stalking towards the sound.

 "Where do you think you're going, Eve?" A voice asked sternly from behind her as she stood up.

 "I was going on a walk, Apollo," Eve answered, rolling her eyes. She expected something harsh from him, of course.

 "With a broken rib? Yeah, right."

 She gave him a fiery glare and he relaxed his shoulders and the flame in his amber eyes died down.

 "Fine. Just... come back soon, okay? The Elders are pissing me off."

 Eve held back a small snicker at his unusual behavior and even Apollo himself wasn't oblivious to the obvious fact in front of him. That went off for a few seconds when his brow creased and he poked her in the forehead.

 "I can see what you're doing, fluffball," He frowned and Eve made a face.

 "I'm going!!!" She let out an exaggerated sigh and flashed a smile. She strolled on the path, plucking a wild daisy that was burnt to almost a crisp. Her whiskers twitched and she spun around, taking a glance at the dark shadows by the forest. Huh. In the corner of her eye, she thought she saw silhouettes, scurrying behind the pine trees. Not even a split second later, an explosion, followed by a wave of burning heat, washed over her. Sparks flew everywhere, and everywhere it touched caught on fire. As the flames spread, Eve froze at the scene. Another bomb went off and Life fell down with a loud thud, crushing everything in its way. In its place was a giant pit. Amongst the screeches of pain and fear was a terrifying howl, and on an enormous boulder, wolves lifted their heads and let out an eerie serenade. 

 "Wolves... FREYA!!" Eve let out a scream and darted towards the burning forest. A paw grabbed her wrist and pulled her back as she fought and clawed at it. "Let me go!"

 "EVE! Look at me. You cannot die," Apollo snapped at her. "What would they think?"

 What would my friends think? What would my mom think? she asked herself as tears streamed down her cheeks and Apollo wiped them away.

 "Sky! Come here," The tom yelled and a young cat, black fur spotted with white. "Gather any survivors you see no matter what. I'm counting on you."

 Sky nodded and ran off again. Apollo swung her onto his shoulders and carried her off into the wilderness. Eve's eyes were glazed, gazing into the burning flames, flickering violently as shrieks amongst the howling filled the forest. They didn't deserve this, her innocent clanmates. Clenching her teeth, she sunk her claws into Apollo's fur in a fit of rage as the forest slowly faded into a blur of orange.