The Pickle Clan

        Dedicated To Marshmellow

               Chapter 3

 Strawberry was frozen with fear, peering out from a snow-covered bush,her fur bristeling in alarm. There was a dog on the other side of the bush,its mouth full with fresh-killed sparrow, a rare hunt in the winter.

what should i do?! im too scared to see!

Strawberry could hear the creature sniff the bush she was hiding in, but Strawberry was too scared to move.

Finally,the strange dog talked.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" the dog barked, backing away from the bush as if expecting something to jump out and attack. Strawberry didn't move.

"I said show yourself!" The dog repeated loudly,clearly alarmed.

I guess I have no choice...

Slowly, Strawberry crept out,one paw-step every 8 seconds. Finally, Strawberry was completely out of the bush, her tail facing the demanding cat.

Just turn around...only a dog...only a dog... just like me...

Very slowly, Strawberry turned around, facing the dog. She was a pure creamy white, packed with mud and fur stuck in random clumps. By now she had put the dead bird down. She was very muscular and lean, a very pretty she-dog if you took away the mud,dirt, and un-groomed pelt.

"Who are you?" She demanded once again, studying Strawberry from head to paw.

Gaining confidence, Strawberry perched herself on a tree stump, about 3 feet from the mysterious cat.

"Strawberry.... And who are you?" She asked challengingly.

"Puppypet,probably..." The un-known dog mumbled haughtily under her breath.

"Your askin me?" the mystery dog said, leaping to a branch about 4 feet higher than Strawberry, as if trying to annunciate her power over her.

"Marshmellow," She called out loudly, telling the whole forest who she was.

"Leader of the Pickelclan."