Listen to Me
Listen, listen to me,
Hear me as I cry,
I'm waiting for you to come,
Waiting, waiting.
"I'm sorry, Speckletail – Snowkit is deaf."
Speckletail hissed and kneaded the ground in front of her with her paws. She could feel anger and sadness welling up inside of her, until she thought she would burst. "I know he's deaf!" she snapped at Cinderpelt. "I'm his mother, do you think I wouldn't know?"
"White cats with blue eyes are often deaf," murmured Dappletail, who was standing by Fireheart. "I remember one of my first litter…"
Please, listen, listen,
Can't you hear my sigh?
All alone in the dark,
I sit in grief, waiting.
Speckletail gathered Snowkit close to her, watching the other cats. "Well, a fox won't get this one," she snarled. "I can look after him."
"I'm sure you can," meowed Bluestar. "But I'm afraid he can never be a warrior."
Speckletail felt something inside her break. Never be a warrior… How could this happen? "Why can't he be a warrior? There's nothing else wrong with him. He's a good, strong kit. He gets on just fine if you signal him what he's got to do."
"That's not enough," Bluestar mewed softly.
All alone, pausing for something
To tell me that you're fine.
But all I hear is silence,
Listen, listen to me.
"Snowkit, watch me." Speckletail nudged Snowkit as he rolled in the dust. She was trying to teach him to fight and hunt, but the kit wasn't really paying attention. He was batting at his mother in a play fight, though not attempting to copy Speckletail's moves.
Speckletail sighed. Why did her kit, probably her last kit, have to be deaf? The she-cat looked up and saw Brackenfur staring at Snowkit. She snarled at the warrior and he backed away, then ran to Fireheart.
Oh, listen, listen to me,
Hear my voice, my laughter,
As each heartbeat passes,
You are farther away.
There was a yowl. Speckletail emerged from behind the nursery, and saw a hawk swooping down from the sky. Instantly she looked down, where a white kit was still playing, unaware of the danger he was in.
"Snowkit!" Speckletail yowled desperately, lunging for her kit. In the same moment, the hawk plunged towards the kit, grabbed him, and rose back into the sky. The she-cat leaped up and snagged her claws into Snowkit's thick fur in a last attempt to save him. But the hawk let one talon free and scored it across Speckletail's face. She howled and let go. The bird soared upwards, and Snowkit's terrified crying died away.
"No!" screeched Speckletail. "My kit! Oh, my kit!"
Please listen to me,
Your voice is fading,
All happiness is dying,
I'm waiting, waiting.
"I'll never have any more kits," Speckletail croaked hoarsely. "I'm going to join the elders now."
"And they'll welcome you," mewed Sandstorm softly. Speckletail lapped up the poppy seed that Cinderpelt had given her. The she-cat's head gradually lowered into sleep. "Oh, Snowkit…" she murmured.
Listen, listen to me,
Hear me as I cry,
I'm waiting for you to come,
Waiting, waiting.
Okay, that was my first songfic! I think the next one will be about Leafpool. Sorry if the song text is kinda weird because this thing keeps changing it around.