Hey Moon here! Lost and I are buds, so I am not stealing from her. xD I have written everything, so all my writing. This is Moonfur's story, a side story to The DarkClan Trilogy. Enjoy!
Chapter 1: The Discovery
The dense fog filled the clearing as a pale grey she-cat padded into it. Her paws were wet from the soft grass that was showered with the early morning dew. The sun had not yet risen, but a dull glow lit up the sky.
As the she-cat padded to the center of the clearing, she tilted her head to gaze at the moon, which had not taken its leave to allow the sun to enter. She sat down and curled her tail over her paws. Although half of the moon was gone she still found it relaxing. The beautiful grey holes that lie on it, intrigued her.
The she-cat who was heavy with kits had already decided to name one of her kits after the moon, they would be the most beautiful. She smiled and excitement filled her belly as she thought of little paws scampering around her, seeing their eyes open, and watching them grow to be powerful cats.
Suddenly she was torn from her thoughts and when she looked up a pure white tabby with a long scar along her muzzle padded out from the cover of the forest. Her aged body looked as if it had seen some rough days, but still she walked into the clearing with her head held high and her pale blue eyes burning with curiosity.
"Shiver," the pregnant she-cat greeted the newcomer.
"Song," she replied. Her voice was not cold, but nor was it warm, as though she had something on her mind. "What are you doing?"
"Watching the moon," Song replied shortly. Shiver walked over and sat beside her, close enough where the hairs on each of their pelts were gently brushing. Shiver tilted her head upward to gaze as well.
"I see a moon," She said, sarcasm dripping from her words. Although it did seem as though her saying that lightened the air. Song even chuckled. Her eyes returned to the moon.
"It brings me peace. I have even decided to name one of my kits after the moon."
Shiver nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, that will be a beautiful name."
A long silence stretched between them as Song felt the air grow thick with tension. Her grey eyes retracted from the moon and came to lie on Shiver's face, which was looking at the ground. The sky had grown lighter and as the world around her awoke, birds were chirping and the two cats were so quiet Song could hear the faint rustling of a mouse in the dead leaves that lay beside one of the surrounding trees.
After the long silence, Shiver spoke, "Song, you do realize that we are rogues and do not have any way we can care for these kits easily. We have no territory, it would be constantly on the move. We also have no shelter in which to hide them from predators. It would be a very harsh life for them, do you think that's fair?"
At her last words Shiver turned her head to the side to look at Song and registered her reaction. Song's face had grown solemn, she had known this would be a difficult situation, considering the two she-cats had not been born rogue they could not reminisce about when they had been rogue's as kits because it had not happened to them.
Rogue's were loners, they did not start families, they were destined for a life alone or with a companion, but kits were not calculated into the picture. Song knew that Shiver was right, but they had no choice and she wasn't going to give up her kits. Not for the world. Irritation trickled down to her paws and suddenly she felt very angry at the white tabby for her words.
"Shiver, I do not care that this life may be difficult! I will do everything in my power to keep my kits safe. I will carry them day after day if that is what it takes!" Song growled at Shiver, the dark grey fur on her neck rising with each word spoken.
Shiver, despite the harshness in Song's tone, remained calm slowly letting her words seep into her. Unknown to Song, Shiver had always had a plan. It hurt her to even think of it, but there was no other choice.
"Song, this is futile. What are you going to do if there are more than two kits?" Shiver paused, waiting for a retort, but there was none to come, "They do not deserve to have to serve their lives as rogues. You and I both know that."
The anger that had once tingled in Song's paws was now extinguished by a wave of sadness, it attacked her heart, and she felt tears swell in her eyes. She looked up to the sky, but the moon was no longer there to bring her comfort. Was everything she had fought for lost? Everything Shiver was saying was the truth, but accepting the truth and knowing the truth are two very different things.
"Shiver," her words came out barely as a whisper, "If I know one thing, it's that no matter what you say, I am not giving up my kits." She looked directly at Shiver, coldness radiating from her being, but Shiver didn't flinch, she didn't even blink, just stared at Song evenly.
"I never said that you had to give up your kits," with that Shiver stood and began padding away to the edge of the clearing. She didn't turn to look if Song was following her, she knew she wouldn't. Arguing just wasn't getting her anywhere. Song had made a lousy decision to fall for that tom and now she was paying for it.
Song sat still in the clearing, not daring to make a move when Shiver took her leave.
'What am I going to do? I can't live like this when they are born, but I don't know any cats that are in the area.' Sighing Song stood and left the clearing, headed the opposite direction as Shiver.
Song wasn't sure where she was going, just as long as she got away from that she-cat she was happier. The forest was alive around her. Prey rustled in the leaves and bushes, while birds flew from tree to tree. She made no move to hunt, her appetite had long gone.
She just kept walking. Before long Song heard the faint rustling of water. Her ears pricked to pinpoint the location of the sound and headed that direction. As the she-cat padded over the hill she saw a rushing river.
The water violently crashed against the sharp rocks that jutted out from the water. Slowly she made her way down the bank, Song even had to dig her claws into the ground to keep from slipping on the wet ground. When she regained her balance, she gingerly retracted her claws and bent her head down to get a drink. The cool and refreshing liquid rejuvenated her parch throat.
The sun was now high in the sky and beating on down on Song's thick pelt as she padded down the river bank. Her breaths became more ragged as she kept walking. The forest that was once a few fox lengths beside her, had thinned out and was now a mere field. Across the river there was some bushed and trees with a heavy coating of shade.
'I need to reach that. I am burning out and do not know how much farther I can go.'
She continuously searched for more stones to step across the river, like the ones she saw earlier, but with no avail. As the sun began to go down, she decided that it would be best to go back to the stones for all that lay before her was moorland. Exhausted, Song found a high patch of grass and clawed the ground in an attempt to make a small nest.
'Please be enough to shield me from the evils of the night,' she pleaded with the falling sun. Song finally laid down and fell asleep under a sky of stars, guarded by the moon.
The next morning, Song rose before dawn, and shook her fur. Before departing a gnawing hunger pressed her stomach.
'That's right I didn't eat yesterday,' Song shook her head vigorously at her own foolishness. Quickly she hunted, all she managed to find was a small vole, but it was enough to satisfy some of her hunger.
She began walking, she could see the trees in the distance. Song constantly smelled different cats, but all of the scents had been faint, so she worried very little. She kept walking, only occasionally darting her eyes over the prairie to make sure she was alone. Suddenly pain convulsed in her stomach and she collapsed to the ground. Her eyes widened as the pain spiked.
'No not now! It can't be now!' Song cried out, her claws dug deep into the Earth trying to relieve some of the pain. Her breath was short and her lungs cried out for air. After a few minutes, the pain began to ease. Slowly Song began to raise herself to a sitting position. Her belly ached and her lungs were greedily filling themselves, but despite the pain she smiled and glanced down at her swollen abdomen.
'My kits pack in quite a kick.'
When she felt as though she could stand again, she did so, and looked into the distance, the trees were much closer now. Excitement filled her chest as she set off again. Finally she reached the outskirts of the forest. Still close to the riverbank, she saw the stones. With outstretched claws, she made her way down to the edge of the bank. As she was about to jump onto the first stone, she heard a voice from behind her.
"Where have you been?"
Shiver.
"Look, I don't want to hear anything from you." Song mewed without turning around. With that she jumped onto the first stone. Song's paws hit the hot rock with a thud. Around her water gushed and sputtered onto the rock and into her face when a wave hit the rock.
"I was speaking the truth. A matter that needed to be discussed." Shiver called to Song, "You are running away from what you can't bear to admit." Shiver pressed on.
"Shiver, I will not leave my kits, I can care for them, I will care for them," Song snapped.
She turned her head to glare at the she-cat and hissed. She continued jumping from stone to stone. The last stone before the river bank stood before her. She jumped, but misjudged the distance. As her forepaws hit the stony surface, but her back legs had nothing to land on and went plunging in the water.
The weight of her back and wet fur sent her front paws sliding toward the cool water. Song extended her claws to stop her from slipping. They raked across the grey rock and finally stopped sliding. She bared her teeth and pulled herself from the wet water. Her rear was soaked and her muscles ached from the heave.
Song shook her fur out, sending water droplets flying. She glanced back at Shiver, who was now at the edge of the river. Worry was coated in her pale blue eyes.
"Song, I hope you find everything you are looking for," she mewed sadly, "I will stay in the area, find me when your kits are born, I would love to see them." Song stared at Shiver. She wanted nothing to with Song anymore. It's not how she wanted the rest of her life to continue. Song acknowledged this and accepted it was time to part ways.
Song turned and jumped onto land. She landed with a thud and immediately laid down. Her body was worn out and she desperately needed rest; however, hunger clawed at her stomach, a small vole could only go so far. The sun was now low in the sky and the stars were beginning to awaken.
Song decided to do a little hunting before settling down for the night. She opened her mouth to taste the air and noted the familiar smell of vole. Her mouth instantly watered. She pinpointed its location and got down into a hunters crouch.
Song made sure she was downwind of the creature before making her move. The kill was easy. By the time it saw her it was already in her paws and she bit the back of its neck to finish the kill. She went back to the space she found in the crook of a bush and settled down to eat.
Once she was finished, she noted the strong smell of cats. Her ears immediately went up and heard the sound of several pairs of paws. Song pressed her fur into the bush in hopes it would offer more concealment.
"What's that smell?" a male voice sounded.
"I smell it too. It smells like another cat, but not one of River Clan's warriors." Another voice, male also.
"Is it any Clan?" This time it was a female's voice who sounded.
"No, it must be a rogue or kitty pet and by the smell, they have been here recently," the first voice meowed. Song's heart froze. Her eyes went wide with fear.
'Please don't be able to smell me,' she thought.
"Track their scent," the female voice commanded. The words hit her like a block of ice, chilled her to her core. Song knew she couldn't run now, she just closed her eyes and hoped that he darker pelt would conceal her enough.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A cold voice taunted. Song opened her eyes slowly and saw a large tom with dark stripped brown fur and a snow white underbelly stood before her. His powerful muscles were easily seen through his sleek coat. His icy blue eyes that matched his voice stared down at her in triumph.
"A rogue. Oh, and it looks like she has made herself welcome to our prey as well," he mewed with a glance at the bones of her vole.
Behind him stood four other cats, who watched her with a mix of curiosity , and hostility.
"Any last words," hissed the tom.
At that point one of the other cats spoke up, as the tom had raised his paw claws unsheathed.
"Wait Hawkfrost!" The tom whose name was supposedly Hawkfrost stopped midswing, but made no attempt to lower his paw. He looked up questioningly at the new voice and gave her a harsh stare for interrupting his slaughter.
"What?!"
"She is pregnant with kits," the she-cat gestured to Song's swollen belly.
"So?! She is a trespasser and shall be dealt with accordingly. I could care less if the kit was already born. She will die." Hawkfrost's words sent a cold chill down Song's spine and into her bones. The thought of her kits dead?! No, she couldn't even manage the thought. She remained silent nonetheless.
"No. She will come back to camp with us and Leopardstar shall decide what shall be done with her." Meowed the she-cat. When Hawkfrost made no move to lower his paw the she-cat stepped forward. "That is an order." When the she-cat stepped forward Song could now see that she was a blue-grey she-cat with blue eyes that burned with rage.
Hawkfrost looked at her once more and lowered his paw. The dark brown tom stalked to the back of the group watching the she-cats every move. Two of the other cats in the group came up to her, one bent his neck down and grabbed her scruff. He pulled her, but she had no choice to get up and remove herself from the safety of the bush.
Once in open space the two cats remained on the side of her and marched back to camp with Hawkfrost taking up the rear. Song looked back at the tom and he bared is teeth at her as if to say, 'This is not the end.'