Falling Down

Chapter One
A dark tortoiseshell she-cat limped forwards through the snow. Her sides were stained scarlet and as she struggled on she left little drops of blood behind her. As she came into a pool of moonlight it became visible that she only had one eye. The other eye had been ripped from its socket. She looked odd in the darkness, with only one glowing amber eye, but that was an old injury. It had happened moons ago when she had first met Aidan. She had been stalking a mouse by the lake when she had heard rustling in a nearby bramble bush. Turning around she had seen two glowing green eyes and then a well-muscled tom stepped out. Her eyes had lingered on his missing front leg but she managed to ignore it. “Who are you?” she snarled. “This is my territory you know.” The ginger tabby hissed, the fur on his back rippling, his claws unsheathing. The she-cat stared for a second as his lips curled to show his teeth. He looked terrifying. “I go where I want, thank you very much,” growled the tom, taking a step forwards. The she-cat moved closer too. Her fur was on end now, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, ready for battle. She crouched down to the forest floor, studying him closely. The tom copied. She leaped to the side, an instant too late. The tom had pinned her to the ground and was raking her belly fur with thorn-sharp claws. She let out a cry of pain and tried to throw him off. He was surprisingly strong, despite his missing leg. She tried again and again, but it was half-hearted. She was beginning to tire. The tom could sense it. He became more gentle and was about to back off when she leaped upwards. His claws slipped and slashed her eye. The she-cat howled in agony as her eye was taken out. Dizzy with pain she staggered around for a bit until the tom pressed against her side, supporting her.