"Kits gather round." The gray elder rasped. "Would you like to hear a story?"
"Yes!" The kits cried out.
"Okay then..."
Once upon a time when a warrior named Brightdream found a fox cub that had been abandoned by its mother. Being the caring loving creature she is, she found an abandoned cave and hid the fox cub there. She would spend many nights out of camp with the cub and bring it food before she broght prey to her clan. It never ate though. She spoke about it to her leader Greystar, his deputy Ruinedface, and the medicine cat Echosong. They told her she could bring the fox cub into the camp and they would raise it as an clan member.
Echosong gave her borage and told her she would have to nurse the cub as it was much too young for solid food. After naming the cub Redkit, Brightdream took her place in a cave away from the nursery because no other queen wanted the fox cub near their kits. Brightdream dealt with the cubs sharp teeth as it suckled and cared for it day and night. When the fox began eating regular food and was able to become an apprentice, Brightdream had to hunt for the cub and mentor it. She tried day and night to mentor the cub to be a warrior, but the communication barrier was strong, she wouldnt give up though. Brightdream always had one eye on the cub when doing any task. Her clanmates refused to be with her because she smelled of fox.
One night, many moons later, while Brightdream had her fox apprentice out in the woods hunting they met a badger. By this point she had managed to teach the cub a few fighting moves and to bring food back to camp instead of eating it after a hunt. Brightdream's first instinct was to protect her apprentice and cub. She jumped in front of the fox cub, whose name was Redpaw now, and snarled at the badger. She slashed out with her claws at its face and then ducked as it swung its huge body around. The badger made badger noises and bit down on her tail. Redpaw came out of the undergrowth where Perfectstar had hidden him and growled at the badger. The badger let go of Perfectstar's tail and faced Redpaw. The fox cub jumped at the badger and clawed at its eyes, not quite as nimble as its mentor but it worked, blood welled up on the badgers face and it turned to run off. Brightdream was so proud of her apprentice that she got up so she could ask Greystar to make Redpaw a warrior. Redpaw blocked her path, baring his teeth. Brightdream realized now that a fox was a fox, and no matter what it would have a taste for cat blood. She dashed around her cub and ran to the camp knowing she had very little precious time left.
"Echosong! I need deathberries!" Brightdream had already made a plan for if anything like this ever happened.
"What for dear?" The medicine cat turned towards her.
"Redpaw." Brightdream had said.
"Here" Echosong two red berries across the floor to her. Brightdream took the berries in her mouth and went to the fresh kill pile. Grabbing a squirrel she stuffed the death berries inside the squirrels mouth and down its throat. Then she took the squirrel to the cave she shared with Redpaw. She always brought their meals to the cave, she grabbed a mouse for herself. She could smell fox and knew her cub was in the cave.
"Redpaw! I brought you a squirrel!" She went into the cave and dropped it at Redpaw's feet. "You get your own whole squirrel tonight since you saved me from the badger! Now hurry up and eat because Greystar is going to make you a warrior tonight!"
The cat was cunning, but the fox was better. He could smell the berries but knew that there weren't enough to kill him. Brightdream ate her mouse silently, a pit growing in her stomach. The fox had finished the squirrel and was waiting silently. Brightdream began grooming her adopted son and waiting for the berries to take their effect. The fox gave her a sad look as he began whining. She knew his stomach probably hurt and wished she could help. It was all a fake though, the cub laid its head down and "died". Putting a paw on his side she wept as she left the cave.
Echosong was outside the cave. "Is it done?"
"Yes" The she-cat turned and ran. Echosong would get a warrior to clean up the body later, for now she needed to get back to her den.
The fox waited until nightfall and then snuck out into the main camp. There was no guard posted. He could smell his "mother" in the medicine den. He snarled quietly and crept into the tunnel leading to the medicine cave.
Brightdream could smell Redpaw outside and heard his snarl. "Echosong. Keep everyone in their dens. Redpaw is not dead and I know what I must do. Where do you keep your death berries?" The old cat awoke and then hearing this got up and found the red berries in her herb store.
"Here. May Starclan light your path Brightdream." She watched the she-cat leave, not knowing what would happen.
Brightdream met Redpaw in the tunnel and they stood glaring at each other. After several minutes Brightdream dashed between Redpaw's feet and under his stomach. The fox gave chase, and she led it out of the caves that the clan made its home in and down the mountainside. Brightsky scrambled up a lone tree and gulped down the berries, knowing that Redpaw would kill her and eat her. She hoped for the least painful death possible and to hopefully kill her cub too. She leapt out of the tree and brought the fox to the training hollow where she faced him.
"Redpaw. You are my son, and no matter what I hope Starclan takes your soul. Even if they wont take mine." She threw herself at the fox and began clawing his chest. The berries were beginning to take effect and she was growing sluggish. Redpaw was leaving deep wounds on her and she knew she had little time left. She cried out as the fox tore her flesh from her bone. Through blurred eyes she watched the fox gulp down the meat he had torn off. She knew her plan would work and threw herself at the fox again in one last attempt. She made claw marks in his pelt and heard one of his eyes pop as she dug her claw into it. Redpaw grabbed her by a leg and threw her to the ground before sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her stomach. She gasped as the fox bit into her stomach and then did something she had wanted to do. Give her son his warrior name.
"By the power of Starclan" she began as the life ebbed from her body. "I name you Redberry. May starclan light your path as a warrior." She died there in her sons jaws. Her eyes glazing over and her body going limp.
Morning came and Echosong followed the scent trail. She came to the training hollow and saw what she expected. The dead fox, and the remains of the she cat who raised him. She touched her nose to each of their foreheads and left. Warriors would clean it up later.
"And that is the story of Brightdream and the fox cub" The elder ended. "Now there was a cat who put everything before her clan. Her life, her child, everything."
"She wouldn't have died if she hadn't brought the cub to the clan in the first place." One kit said.
"How do you know that story is true?" Another whined.
"Because, before I was known as Raspingvoice I was called Echosong." The elderly she cat smiled down at the kits and then curled up and fell asleep. As the kits left a cat with a transparent pelt stopped them and called them to her.
"It is said, that whenever a warrior kills a fox or dies fighting one, Brightdream and Redberry come to take them to Starclan." She told them.
"Yeah right" the kits said. "They would never let a stinky ol' fox into Starclan."
"They would too." A transparent furred fox slid into view. "Come on mom, lets go back home."
"Lets" The cat stood to leave. "Kits, not all other creatures are enemies. Never forget that"
The fox and cat walked away and faded from view as the kits watched. In death Brightdream was truly happy. There were no language barriers in Starclan, he cub had forgiven her, and she could watch over and care for the cats of generations to come.