Cats of the Rain
ENJOY!
Rain dripped from the leaves, dripped onto the long black fur of a lone she-cat, her belly round with her unborn kits. Her dark green eyes searched the undergrowth for shelter, her legs aching from walking. Walking from the Thunderpath that cut through this forest. As the sky grew darker yet, as dusk approached, the black cat drew beneath a broad-leafed bush, ignoring the droplets of cold water that still broke through the leaves. She would have to make it work. At least she was away from her old life, with the twolegs that hurt her. The same twolegs that had brought her here, to this unfamiliar forest, and left her here to fend for herself. The strange name those twolegs had called her, she left it with them. Never would she use that name again. An old name, from old friends, from old family, here it awoke from its long slumber.
"Fern," the black she-cat murmured softly, "Fern."
Her unborn kits stirred, as if in agreement.
Fern closed her eyes, and drifted into a troubled sleep, underneath this unfamiliar bush, among these unfamiliar trees, in this unfamiliar forest.
…
The sun was just peeking over the horizon, touching the tips of the leaves, when Fern awoke. She groomed her ruffled fur, brushed it down flat and clean. Then she set out again, where she was headed was unknown, but farther into the forest, farther away from the Thunderpath and the memories of her past. She would still have the scars, of course, in her mind, and beneath her fur. The scars the sharp-heeled boots had given her, upon her leg and upon her flank. But she could leave the past behind. Or at least try.
The song of early-morning birds overhead tugged Fern onward.
Pausing beside a fallen log, she heard the scuffling of tiny creatures. Mouse!
Silently, Fern slid into a crouch, and quietly, quietly crawled forward. A small mouse scurried from hiding. Fern pounced, catching the prey beneath her paws and swiftly finishing it off with a nip to the spine.
Thank you for this prey. Fern didn't even know whom she was thanking, yet she didn't feel it right to take this small life without giving thanks, to someone.
So with that, Fern bent down and took a bite of her catch. Warm, earthy flavors seeped into every corner of her mouth. This mouse tasted different than the mice she had caught among the Twolegplace, after her twolegs had skipped her meal. Those mice always stank of the acrid Thunderpaths and Twolegs, the flavors dull and the meat stringy.
Fern finished the mouse in a few bites, and buried the remains among the roots of a huge aspen tree.
"What are you doing here?"
A strange voice sounded from the bracken that crowded the trees nearby.
"What do you mean?" Fern's tail twitched uneasily. She hadn't prepared to meet another cat. But a cat slid from the fronds of bracken, tail swishing.
"I said what are you doing here?" This cat was a tom, an orange tom with long whiskers and amber eyes.
Fern remained silent.
The tom stalked around her in circles. "Stealing prey?"
"Stealing?" Fern repeated, confusion edging its way into her voice.
"Yes, you're on ShadowClan territory. You're a kittypet, aren't you?"
Kittypet. The phrase was a strange one.
Upon her silence, the tom explained, "Cared for by a twoleg."
"I guess you could call me that."
"You've gotten far into the forest for a spoiled kittypet."
"Oh? I think this is a bit far into my business. Why don't you run along now… do what you ShadowClan cats do." Fern began to take a step forward, but the orange tom slipped in front of her.
"Well it just so happens that what we ShadowClan cats do is protect our territory. Which you are in."
"And I'll be on my way now; I won't be in this territory much longer now."
"Or I could bring you back to my camp…" The tom's tail swept through the air. "And see what my leader wants to do with you…"
"You could do that. But I would rather just keep going. I mustn't be delayed by your silly customs." A touch of humor slid into Fern's last words.
"Oh, would you?" The tom smiled, "Well I better let on your way then… On one condition."
"And what is that?" Fern's fur prickled.
"You meet me here, at this aspen," The tom flicked his tail toward the large tree, "Tonight."
Fern blinked. "Fine."
With that, the orange tom vanished among the shadowy trees, leaving Fern alone, her fur standing on end.
There's the first chapter! Please review, and constructive criticism is very welcome, I'm always working to improve my writing! Thanks for reading, please keep a look out for chapters to come! :)