Lila padded toward PurrBox, who quickly ducked back behind the log.

"Too late," she hissed. "I already saw you."

PurrBox backed up slowly. On his own, he couldn't fight the two cats. But if River woke everyone else maybe...
PurrBox raced into the log. Everyone else was awake. River was telling them what happened.

After River finished speaking, PurrBox led the cats out to where Lila and Eclipse stood.

Lila pinned her ears, growling at the injured cats. "You should've ran farther."

Suddenly, other cats appeared out of the trees. There weren't many but PurrBox's group was in no shape to fight.

Nightlight shook her head and growled. "Run!"

The group turned and ran across the plains, Panther's group close behind them. They chased them until they got to a meadow. The grass was covered in millions of flowers.

PurrBox and his group ran further, just to make sure they were far away from Panther. The cats stopped after awhile, breathing heavily.

"I think..." Dot managed. "I think we lost them."

River nodded but didn't say anything. PurrBox looked at him. He couldn't figure out how River felt. He wished there was something he could say but no matter what River would still be embarrassed and probably hurt.

But the problem was, PurrBox did love him.

He just couldn't say anything anymore, now that they'd chosen to forget that day. Neither of them would forget it but they could ignore it.

But what if PurrBox didn't want to?

Even if he chose to tell River, he couldn't tell him now. They were in a bad situation.

Nightlight walked up to PurrBox. "PurrBox, can you look around? See if there's anywhere we can live and where we can find herbs."

PurrBox nodded. "On it."

PurrBox darted into the meadow, happy to have something to get his thoughts off his mind. He searched around every edge of the meadow, which was surrounded by mountains.

He found a cave, a borage patch and a few other areas of herbs.

He made sure to warn Nightlight about the borage, as it was very toxic to the cats.

A little later, the group was in the cave. It was the middle of the night, and PurrBox was guarding the cave.

He figured nothing would happen, seeing as they were so far from the forest, but Nightlight had put him there to be sure.

Rain poured onto his pelt, making him wish he'd stayed inside.

His ears perked as he heard footsteps in the grass nearby. He crouched down, looking around for the approaching creature.

Creatures actually. Two cats. One cat was a chimera with a half gray-half black face and one blue eye one green eye. The other cat was a stormy gray cat with bright green eyes.

He strained his ears to make out their meows.

"You didn't see anything," the gray cat said, annoyance clear in his tone.

The chimera growled. "I did, though! There was a group of cats. They just came through here not too long ago!"

The gray cat shook his head. "You did not see anything, obviously, as there is nothing here."

The chimera hung her head. "Maybe your righ- actually, wait. We didn't check the cave yet."

PurrBox narrowed his eyes. His tail lashed as the cats got closer. He hissed when they were close enough and pounced on them. Rain pattered around them, almost drowned out by the chimera's yowl of surprise as he landed on her.

The gray cat growled and crashed into PurrBox, knocking him off the chimera.
PurrBox hissed. He arched his back as his fur bristled. His tail looked two times it's size.

The chimera, who was smaller than PurrBox, backed up slightly. The gray cat stood partially in front of her, his tail lashing.

PurrBox hissed again. "Go away! Or I can make you!"

A long scratch was visible on his side, as well as multiple others. Some were deep and others not.

The gray cat examined him and narrowed his eyes. His whiskers twitched.

PurrBox cautiously moved back in front of the cave, blocking the entrance.
The chimera weaved around the other cat, approaching PurrBox slowly.

"Where's your group?"

"I don't have one," PurrBox lied. "It's just me here."

The gray cat stared at PurrBox. "Oh, so we can fight you easily."

"Lightning, don't!" the chimera cried. She darted between the two toms, blocking their path.

"Crystal," Lightning purred. "Please, get out of my way. He's in our territory and why would you even care what happens to him anyway?"

"Well, I don't!" Crystal meowed. "But you can't fight everyone!"

Lightning let out a small hiss as PurrBox backed further into the cave. His back was still arched but not as high.

Crystal turned to PurrBox. "I'm so sorry. That was no way to introduce ourselves."

PurrBox squinted at her, tail lashing.

"I'm Crystal," she said. "Lightning is my mate."

Her words reminded her of River but he pushed the thought away.

PurrBox relaxed a little. "PurrBox. I'm PurrBox."

Crystal glared at her mate. "See? Isn't it so much easier to just talk to them?"

Lightning growled and flicked his tail.
PurrBox relaxed a little more. The cold rain pattered against his fur. His creamy orange eyes were clouded as he thought about River and how he could never tell him that he loved him, too.
He sighed quietly, hoping Crystal didn't notice.

He looked back up at the chimera cat. "What do you want?"

"We were going to help you guys," Crystal explained. "You don't look so good after your interaction with those other cats."

PurrBox nodded and hesitantly led them inside to the group.

***

"Thanks!" Hawk exclaimed happily as Crystal put the last of the cilantro on her infected wound.

"You're welcome!" Crystal put her paw in the small pool in the middle of the cave, washing off the herb.

Dot kept sniffing at her wounds anxiously, where the cilantro had been put.

PurrBox licked his paw, pulling it over his head and face. "So," he said between licks. "Once we're healed we're going to fight back again, right?"

Nightlight shook her head. "There's too many cats. Panther's group is too big. We need more cats, first."

"And then we'll fight back?"

"Yes," Nightlight sighed. "And then we'll fight back."

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Note: So, I didn't put it in my notes but I think cilantro isn't toxic to cats (or at least not through wounds). I THINK.

I just realized that I shouldn't put this here, as some of you may try to give it to your cats or something. PLEASE DON'T. I CAN'T REMEMBER BUT I GOOGLED IT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND I'M PRETTY SURE CILANTRO AND CORIANDER ARE TOXIC TO KITTIES (don't take my word for it though, I'd look it up first)