A fight breaks out

The next day, Whiskers went looking for Kitty.

"Hi Kitty!"

"Oh, hi Whiskers! How are you doing?"

"Good, and you?"

"The same. Are you still a bit sad about yesterday?"

"Nope, it's okay that some cats just don't like me!"

"Well, nice to hear! So, what village did you come from?"

"I'm not sure you know it, but it's called Fernwood. And you?"

"Oh yeah, I don't know that, but it sounds nice. Mine is Silverbrook. It's a bit bigger, so you might know it!"

"Oh yeah, I've heard of it. Isn't it named after the sparkling stream that goes through it?"

"Yep! I always loved fishing there. I even learned to swim."

"Swim!?"

"Yep!"

"I didn't know cats could swim!"

"Well, with a bit of practice, you can."

"That would come in handy for fishing."

"It is indeed. But now that you've mentioned it, I'm hungry. Let's go fish!"

"Great idea."

They both walked to the river and started fishing.

"Man, this water is even colder than yesterday," Whiskers said with a sigh.

"We're on the mountains. What did you expect?" Kitty let out a small laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But it seems eve—" Suddenly, he got pushed into the river by Grim and his followers. "AAH! HELP!"

"Whiskers!" Kitty immediately jumped in the water and pulled Whiskers out. "What was that for? He could've died! You heartless monsters!"

"It was just a joke. Relax!" Grim's group said while laughing.

In the meantime, all the cats realized something was happening and all gathered around.

"Whiskers, is that you? Oh my, what happened?!" Tessa and her friends ran up to him.

"Those stupid bitches pushed him into the water!" Kitty snarled.

"Calm down, little housecat. You don't want to get into any trouble with us."

"Oh yeah? Or what's gonna happen then, huh?" Kitty unsheathed her claws, and Tessa and her friends did the same.

"You want a fight? You can get one!"

"Bring it on!"

The two groups of cats lunged at each other. Claws and fur flew as they battled fiercely. The sounds of hissing and growling filled the air.

Whiskers tried to stay out of the fray, but he couldn't help but watch in horror as his friends fought to defend him.

Kitty pounced on one of Grim's followers, knocking them to the ground and delivering a swift swipe with her claws. Tessa tackled another cat, rolling in a tangle of fur and claws.

Grim himself faced off against one of Tessa's friends, their claws clashing in a flurry of strikes. The fight raged on, with neither side willing to back down.

Just as it seemed the battle might go on forever, an old-looking cat put himself between them.

"What is this?! Why are you fighting on peaceful ground like this? This is supposed to be a place where we can all chat and be peaceful, and then you start a fight?!"

"We're sorry, Eldercrest. We were defending our friend Whiskers. They pushed him in the river," Whiskers' friends said, looking ashamed.

"Is that true, Grim?"

"He deserved it because he isn't even a wildcat. He's just an annoying housecat!"

"That's no way to talk about a cat! This was the last time. You're banished from these gatherings. The rest of your group are on their last warning."

"But tha—"

"You're BANISHED! Leave now and never return!"

Grim glared at Eldercrest and then at Whiskers, but he knew he had no choice. With a final hiss, he turned and ran off.