Lilly blinked tiredly at the dark form that approached, its miss-matched colored eyes, one blue, one silver, looked down at her.
"Mother?" Lilly mewed tiredly.
"Lilly, you naughty kitten," her mother teased, licking the kits black and white fur. "You realize how dangerous it is to have wandered all the way out here by yourself? You could have been hurt," Lilly's mother mewed between licks.
Though Lilly's mother was very soft spoken, the kitten couldn't help but know that she had stuck her paw in it this time. Lilly let herself be washed, and told her mother about what she had found in the soft, green grasses outside the big two-leg nest.
"Really, mother!" Lilly exclaimed excitedly to her mother less than a minute later, "I almost caught the green moth! It was so pretty! I thought I'd catch it, but..."
"Really," Her mother interrupted, "you run off, and all you're worried about is catching a green moth? Really, now, Lilly, you should be more thoughtful! What if I had not found you? How would you have eaten?" Her mother sighed. "By the Great cats! I'll never understand you kittens!" She mewed with laughter.
Lilly purred, relieved that her mother didn't seem too disappointed in her. Her mother cuffed Lilly's ears lightly. Lilly was astonished to think of a day without food, though.
Surely that could never happen to any cat?
She padded on obediently after her mother, her tail drooping from the thought. That would be horrible. As she continued to follow her mother, Lilly's ears perked when she heard the sound of a not-so-far off yowl. It sounded angry, she thought. Her attention focused sharply. Confusion ran through the kit, as her mother hissed a curse, her ears went back in anxiousness and her tail flicked from side to side. Lilly stared at her mother, knowing she almost never cursed. This must be bad.
"Get behind me," Her mother mewed quietly. Lilly did, afraid of getting into trouble.
"Intruders!" Yowled a fast approaching cat. Lilly's ears went back, afraid. Who was this?
"Intruders! What are you doing here?" A grey tom growled as he appeared, bounding into view. Lilly never remembered moving. Lilly just leapt back, hissing, every fur on her tiny kit body fuzzed. He meant to hurt them, she was sure of it! Why, if he so much as touched a whisker on her mother...! Her mother cuffed her with her tail, though she wasn't happy to be spotted, either. Lilly lessened her fury, startled.
The grey tom hissed threateningly. Lilly's mother crouched closely to the ground quickly, her eyes wide and her ears back, looking worried, her tiny Kittypet collar tinkling as she did so. 'We're not intruding; we were just leaving to wood now."
"Liars and thieves!" The tom accused threateningly. Lilly hissed, pressing closely to her mother.
"We are not liars or thieves!" Lilly objected, her fur fluffing up in anger of the accusation. It was a good thing she hadn't caught the moth, she guessed.
"Don't attack us!" Lilly's mother exclaimed, seeing the tom unsheathe his claws. "Please, my kit just wandered into the forest, she meant no harm, and nor do I-" but she was cut off by a huge, orange tabby tom that jumped up after the smaller grey tom. He hissed as soon as he saw them.
"Your kit looks fine and strong, for a Kittypet," the new, larger tom growled. "You've invaded this territory too often for your hunts, she-cat." He mewed quietly. When her mother didn't object, he went on, a threatening gleam in his eyes. "You have a choice, you can leave your kit here, or you can die," He growled, unsheathing his claws.
Lilly was quickly grabbed up by her mother, but Lilly wriggled free. She had a plan. "Let me stay, Mother! I'll run to their nest with them."
Her mother looked pained. With a look to her kit to the large tabby tom, she seemed to grow determined, but turned and ran, the larger tabby tom sneered and lunged at her aggressively to make her run faster, spooking her. Lilly watched her mother leap out of sight, only to disappear. Lilly cowered, suddenly terrified. What would she do without her other? But stayed where she was. The large tom looked at Lilly scornfully as she looked to him helplessly.
"Crow food! You dare think you're coming with us, do you?" The large tom sneered. "Run!" The other, closer cat hissed quietly, barely loud enough for her to hear. At that very moment, Lilly bolted, afraid for her life.
"Catch her! Don't let her and that blasted kit get away!" The larger tabby tom yowled, irritated. He gave chase, taking long, fast strides in his running to catch her. But before long, she'd lost him and shocked herself to find her mother. After a brief moment of recognition, mother and kit were in the woods farther than they'd ever been, surrounded by unfamiliar territory. The chase was far behind them by the time they'd stopped. The pursuing cats could no longer be heard, and Lilly and her mother were thoroughly exhausted. They went as far as they could. Exhausted and scared, Lilly fell asleep by a cool running river, completely drained, and fell asleep.
Time went by quickly for the slumbering cats, curled together for warmth in the chill that passed as night came and went. When Lilly's mother did finally wake up, it was to another, lighter gray tom with longer fur, who looked more concerned than anything else.
"Wake up." The cat said, prodding them with a gray forepaw. "Ivyfoot?" he pressed, prodding her more. "Ivyfoot!"
Ivyfoot blinked awake, looking up to her friend from one of the forest clans. "What…?"
"Why are you here? What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?" The tom asked, sitting down as the mother, Ivyfoot, sat up.
They talked softly, and after awhile, Lilly, too, woke up. She was still exhausted, and after a day of so much fear and running, with no food, it was very hard on her. She had an empty stomach that churned and ached. She got up, her back arching, like it would help her ease the aching in her stomach.
"Mother?" Lilly asked, looking pained and hungry, "I'm so hungry... is there anything to eat here?"
With a sigh, the grey tom stood. "I suppose I'll get you something to eat, you two, but you have to get moving after that, or else you run the risk of getting caught. Move on to sunning stones, Ivyfoot. There's a hollowed log there that should help shelter you both… and get rid of that collar. I'll bet the two-legs can hear you for miles with that thing on."
The tom turned and disappeared into the forest with a faint rustle of grass and leaves. "He'll be back with food," Lilly's mother said. "When he does get back, you must thank him generously. He's taking a big risk to feed us at all." her mother mewed, licking Lilly's head with soft, sure swipes.
Lilly's head swam. She flattened her ears and looked up at her mother as she cleaned Lilly. How could things suddenly be so calm? Lilly wondered. She looked to a bird in a tree, then the sky behind it where the stars were slowly disappearing.