Chapter 1: Father Dearest

The sky was an endless stretch of blue, with the sun making its daily journey from west to the east. The warm weather urged kits out of their birth caves to play. The sun shone brightly on the camp's earth despite the clouds looming in the distance. The forest teemed with bountiful prey, making warriors' mouths water in anticipation of the kill. It was greenleaf, the season of sunshine and full bellies. Every Clan thrives during greenleaf and ShadowClan was no exception. With plenty of prey, fine weather and new additions to the Clan, every cat was content.

On this particular day, one certain she-cat had delivered two of the most beautiful kits she has ever seen. One had beige coloured fur with snow-white paws and the other was light brown with dark spots speckled across it's back. The mother looked at her own fur, seeing the resemblance between the dark speckled kit and herself. The light one however, was the very picture of their father. The she-cat was anticipating to see her mate, who hasn't seen his kits since they were born. Which was understandable, considering he was of high rank in the Clan.

"Hazelfur! Hazelfur, I came as quickly as I could."

Hazelfur looked up to see her littermate, Russettail trot over to the nursery, her amber eyes wide with awe and happiness. Her copper red fur scented of the forest and the moorland. "Russettail, it is very good to see you!" Hazel reached out to touch noses with the medicine cat. Russettail nodded. "I am so sorry for not being there at your birthing! I hear the medicine cat of RiverClan came to help?" Russettail apologized, her eyes displaying guilt.

Hazelfur nodded, momentarily distracted. The memory of panic and fear swept through her mind. It was rare to have a medicine cat not present when a queen was on the verge of giving birth. Russettail was at Moonstone, sharing tongues with StarClan, as it is custom every halfmoon. Hazelfur recalled the tension and urgency in the atmosphere that night. Everyone thought Hazelfur's kits weren't going to make it. Hazelfur remembered the pride she felt when her mate, Copperwhisker, quickly suggested that they bring a medicine cat from the other Clans. The idea was hastily accepted and Herringclaw of RiverClan showed up in time to help give birth, using Russettail's supply of herbs. Russettail had just come back from her trip from Moonstone that day. "Have you named them yet?" Russettail asked, looking admiringly at her sister's kits. Hazelfur glanced down at the two tiny bundles of fur. A painful memory passed, but she shook it away. "No, in fact I haven't. I wanted Copperwhisker here so we could name them together." Hazelfur explained. Russettail snorted. "He hasn't come to see his very own kits? Honestly Hazelfur, I can't imagine why you ever love him!"

Hazelfur sighed. Her sister has always showed disdain for Copperwhisker. Russettail had said he was too focused in the Clan than his mate and that he was self-absorbed. Hazelfur didn't think Copperwhisker was self absorbed or too focused in the Clan. "Now, you must be exhausted! Take a nap," Russettail exclaimed. Hazelfur nodded, feeling fairly tired. Even if it has been a few days, Hazelfur still felt exhausted and weak from her labour, thought she was used to it. Once her littermate left, Hazelfur rested her head, curled around and closed her weary eyes.

Hazelfur woke to the squeaking of hungry kits. She stretched and yawed, flopping onto her side and feeling the kits latch onto her. "Hazelfur? You up?" A soft mew called through the vines that covered the entrance of the nursery. She sat up at the sound of her mate's voice, hearing tiny squeals of protest from her fur. She quickly tried to smooth down her fur, and her kittens. Copperwhisker appeared, smelling of multiple animals like squirrels and robins. His pale ginger face lit up at the sight of Hazelfur. "Copperwhisker!" She tried to act surprised. "Look at our beautiful kits!" Her mate bent down to see the tiny bundles of fur more carefully. They mewled at him, showing their little pink tongues, before turning back to the curve of their mother's belly. "This girl looks just like you!" Hazelfur nuzzled her little beige kit. "The boy looks rather familiar as well" Copperwhisker licked his mate's ear. Hazelfur smiled proudly. "They're both girls!" The new mother tried to think that it was just a shadow, but no matter how she tried, there was no mistaking the look of disappointment that had flashed across Copperwhisker's face, but vanished as quickly as it came. "Girls? That's wonderful!" He said, nuzzling his nose against Hazelfur's ear. A painful pang reminded Hazelfur how much her mate wanted a boy. After what happened with the other one...Hazelfur shook her head slightly. She couldn't be reminded of that now.

"I waited until you'd come back so we could name them together," Hazelfur said. Copperwhisker brightened. "Yes, of course! You name one, I'll name the other." Hazelfur nodded and looked down onto her daughters. She decided to name the darker one.

There was no need to contemplate, the name came like fast flowing water into her mind. "Brindlekit." Copperfur nodded. "Beautiful," he commented. Hazelfur watched Copperwhisker pace, as if the Clan depended upon what this small kit was named. "Laurelkit." He said suddenly. He smiled down at his two daughters. They had finished suckling and were facing their father, despite the fact that their eyes were still closed. Copperwhisker began telling them a story of a StarClan warrior, one that had been braver than any cat when he had walked the earth. The kits eagerly took in the information while their mother let the sound of her mate's voice slowly lull her to sleep.

The sun had risen to the highest point in the sky when Hazelfur awoke. Copperwhisker had returned to the steady rhythm of Clan activities. As she watched him drop a rabbit off at the prey piled, she wondered if he would ever truly accept his daughters, particularly the dark speckled one. Brindlekit had already opened her eyes and they were filled with wonder. The kit had eyes that reflected wisdom beyond her years, warm and brown like the branches of dark spruce trees, smoothed by endless years in the lake. Close friends came to congratulate and see the newest additions to the Clan.

"They're lovely," said Sparrowfern, a brown she-cat with black and white streaks on a bright morning. The hunting patrols have just been sent to fetch breakfast and every cat was waiting, picturing a neat pile if prey stacked in the middle of the clearing. Hazelfur was the only queen in the nursery; so there was a lot of room.

"What did you call them?" Sparrowfern purred as Brindlekit proudly announced, "My name is Brindlekit!" Sparrowfern glanced over Brindlekit, noticing small, shy Laurelkit. Her eyes weren't open yet, and that had the mother slightly worried. "What about her?" Sparrowfern asked. "Laurelkit. Just like her father." Hazelfur mewed, her tail brushing the back of Laurelkit's pale ginger fur. "Shouldn't her eyes be open by now?" Sparrowfern questioned, a faint note of worry hidden in her voice. "All in good time," answered Hazelfur. As she bid goodbye to her friend as she joined the bustle outside, Hazelfur found herself wishing she could join the streaked she-cat. The queen had been stuck in the nursery once before, but her time only lasted for a few seconds. Now, it seemed to stretch farther and farther. Hazelfur remembered the reaction of her Clan when she announced she was with kits; most of them rejoiced, but she knew there were those very few that doubted.

"After what she's been through?"

"I can't imagine myself doing it again after such an unfortunate event."

"Let's hope StarClan blesses the birthing. Not like last time."

Hazelfur knew it was a long time ago. Sometimes she's get the urge to go looking again, but moons of searching in the past with no prevail withered out any hope of trying to look. She looked down at her two daughters, wondering if she should tell them.

When they're older, thought Hazelfur, her eyes slowly closing. I'll tell them when they're older. With that, she fell asleep.

Brindlekit

Wind whistled at the cave entrance. "Wake up, sleepycat!" Brindlekit prodded her sister awake. Their mother was also fast asleep. "What?" an irritated voice answered back. "Hazelfur says we can go exploring now! We can meet our father too!" Brindlekit said excitedly. Laurelkit opened one caramel-coloured eye. "Really?" She asked.

Brindlekit nodded vigorously.

Laurelkit stood up and started to smooth down her fur. "What are you doing? We need to go out there, now!" Brindlekit was getting impatient. Laurelkit met her gaze and rolled her eyes.

"Don't you want to look presentable when we meet our father?" Brindlekit blinked. She hadn't thought of it before. Quickly, she brisked her tongue over her chest and licked her paw to wipe over her face and straightened her whiskers.

"Do I look good?" Asked Laurelkit anxiously. Brindlekit looked at her, seeing her sleek fur and straight whiskers. "Amazing. Now let's go," Brindlekit stood at the entrance, her sister joining her. Brindlekit took a deep breath and in sync, both littermates stepped outside. The wind swept through their pelts, messing up their fur. Laurelkit whimpered "I can't let Father see us like this!" she mewled uneasily. Brindlekit nudged her sister playfully. "If he really cares for us, he won't mind if we look like a couple of hairballs Spidereye hacked up!" Laurelkit squeaked fretfully. "I look like a hairball Spidereye hacked up!?" The tiny cream coloured kit tried to tame her hair with little success. Her sister huffed, amused by her sister's frantic efforts. Then she spotted her father's pelt among the cats in the warriors den. "C'mon sis! There he is!" Laurelkit looked up, giving up on her fur. Brindlekit bounded towards her father, not caring if her sister was following. "Papa!" She called excitedly. Her father turned towards around and stared at her blankly for a second, then recognition sparked his eyes. "Brindlekit! Where's your sister?" Just then, Laurelkit scampered up behind her sister. "Here Father!" His eyes softened and her nuzzled the creamy kit. "Papa! Show us around camp. Please, please, please?" Brindlekit asked, clambering onto her father's back. "Okay, okay." He shook her off, eyes twinkling. "Laurelkit? Come, I'll show you around." He nudged the kit toward the den entrance. "What about me, Papa?" Brindlekit look at her father expectantly. "I'm taking one at a time, kit. Go to your mother and I'll show you around later." There was a coldness behind his sparkling honey cloured eyes. Brindlekit's shoulder's drooped. "Alright," Brindlekit felt a seed of jealousy as she saw Laurelkit and Copperwhisker walk away, laughing and smiling.

Brindlekit's father never came back for her. She sat at the cave entrance until midday when her sister returned, burning with information about the camp. After her sister had fallen asleep, she went back to her post at the mouth of the cave, waiting for her father to come back for her. Her mother walked up behind her. "Are you waiting for your father Brindlekit?"

Brindlekit nodded, afraid anything she said would come out as a pathetic mewl. "You have to realize, kit, your father is a busy cat. He's not the best at keeping promises, but he'll make it up to you, don't worry." She gave her kit a lick on the head before settling down at the back of the cave and falling asleep. Brindlekit yawned and curled up. Copperwhisker's not coming back for me. She sighed. Might as well accept it and move on. Maybe tomorrow. The dark spotted kit thought hopefully.

He didn't come the next day, nor any other days after that, but Brindlekit always fell asleep with the same thought in her head. Maybe tomorrow.

But even a kit's optimism can shrink and with each day that passed, Brindlekit lost a little bit of hope. Laurelkit became a little distant; every day she'd go out without their mother's permission. When Brindlekit asked about these disappearance to her littermate, Laurelkit would shrug it off and act mysterious about it, never actually answering her questions.

Yet every night Brindlekit fell asleep with the same thought on her mind. Maybe tomorrow.

One day, after Laurelkit had disappeared again and Brindlekit was cooped up with her mother in her cave, waiting for her father who had said that today he would take her meet the other warriors. Night was falling upon the camp and Silverpelt was shining above. Brindlekit was getting very impatient and sad. Finally her vision started to blacken. Tucking her paws in and pressing close to Hazelfur, she slowly lost consciousness. Forget it. She thought sleepily and glumly. Maybe one day… Maybe one day Father will love me.

Brindlekit stirred. She yawned and stretched, her limbs stiff and fatigued. Brindlekit sat up and saw her littermate's bright pelt in the darkness, her flank heaving up and down in rhythmic breathing. Peering through the vines of the nursery, Brindlekit realized it was still night. She didn't really know why she woke up. That's when she realized her mother wasn't in her nest. Brindlekit scented the tangle of moss and bracken; her mother's scent was fresh, just starting to fade. Brindlekit wondered where would her mother would be at such late hour. She knew the sensible choice was to wait until her mother came back, but Brindlekit knew this was her chance to explore the camp, being cooped up in the nursery all those weeks. Brindlekit such out and enjoyed the fresh smell of the night and being under the stars. Suddenly, Brindlekit heard voices.

"I can't believe you!" Brindlekit recognized her mother's furious hiss.

"She doesn't deserve this kind of behaviour from you! She's your daughter for StarClan's sake!" Brindlekit's stomach churned as she crept closer to the voices. She hid behind a bush and listened.

"No, Hazelfur! She is not my daughter, nor will she ever be!" answered a very exasperated Copperwhisker. Brindlekit realized her parents were talking about her. What? Doesn't Papa want me? Doesn't he love me?

"Why Copperwhisker? Why do you hate her so much?" came Hazelfur's desperate plea.

Brindlekit stretched out her neck to see the commotion. Hazelfur was on all four paws, glaring at her mate. Copperwhisker on the other paw, was sitting, his eyes sparking with anger.

He stood up, his legs rigid with fury.

"We end this pointless discussion now." He hissed and stalked into the warriors' den, leaving Hazelfur shocked and vexed. Brindlekit shrunk into the holly bush, but Copperwhisker was too filled with rage to notice. Brindlekit saw her mother turn and gaze after her mate and the kit almost thought Hazelfur would bound after him and stop him, but she did not. Brindlekit noticed tears in those big amber eyes and regret filled her features. Brindlekit's heart swelled with pity and sadness for not only for herself, but for her mother, as the dark speckled queen slowly made it to the nursery den. Brindlekit quickly made sure she made it first and closed her eyes the same time her mother entered the cave.