It was the middle of leafbare and the sky was beginning to darken. A terrible blizzard was approaching and was getting worse as each moment passed. A young she-cat was stranded in the awful weather with her mate and their kits. The tom was very weak from starvation and everyone of his ribs were showing. The she-cat had to fall behind because he couldn't keep up with her very well. He collapsed beside a tree stump and stared up at his mate. He was breathing heavily and didn't look like he would live for much longer.
"Poppy.." breathed the tom, "you have to go on without me. Take the kits and get to safety; I am not going to make it."
"I am not going anywhere without you," stated Poppy, "we will have to find a pit-stop, and-"
"No! There is no time," said the tom, "I am dying, and you must make sure that these kits survive. Look at me, I am a mess, I won't be alive for much longer. Go now, I won't take no for an answer!"
"But Parry," meowed Poppy sadly, "you cannot leave me, I love you."
"I love you to, but I cannot drag you down especially in a blizzard as bad as this," mewed Parry, "now go, before it gets worse."
"Goodbye," meowed Poppy. She left Parry lying in the snow next to the tree stump. Her eyes filled with sadness as she thought about never seeing him again. The kits were letting out pitiful meows. "Do not worry, we will be in safety soon enough."
Poppy awoke to see herself lying in a small den, her kits were snuggled in beside her and she felt very warm. She looked around and saw a skinny black and white tom sleeping nearby that she had never seen before.
"Hello?" called Poppy, arousing the cat from his slumber, "where am I? Wheres Parry?"
"There was no other cat with you," mewed the cat with a large yawn, "my names Joseph. Who might you be?"
"My name is Poppy, and these are my kits, Coal and Ice. Parry was my mate, but we were seperated in the blizzard," meowed Poppy sadly, "we must be going. I cannot thank you enough for rescuing us."
"Whats the hurry?" asked Joseph, "is there anywhere you have to be? I haven't had company for a very long time, and I am getting very lonely."
"I must find Parry," meowed Poppy, "he has to be out there somewhere, he was to weak to come with us and he collapsed by a-"
"I don't think that he could have survived that storm if he was to weak to walk," said Joseph apologetically, "you and your kits were lucky to have fallen into my den last night, otherwise you probably wouldn't have survived either."
"But I owe it to Parry to find him," said Poppy, "would you come with me? I could use some help with the kits."
"Yes, of course," said Joseph, "but you should come back here afterwards. You are still pretty weak from last nights events."
"Alright," said Poppy, "lets go."
Poppy and Joseph went out into the forest to find that there was a thick layer of snow covering everything in sight. A few fox-lengths from the den was a cliff. Poppy looked over the edge and could see trees with snow covering them growing far below. Joseph pointed out which direction Poppy had come from and so they left to find Parry. The kits began wailing and Poppy thought it best if they were carried. They had walked a fair distance and even walked by the stump where Poppy had parted her mate the night before, but Parry was nowhere to be seen. Poppy was extremely worried and hoped that he had at least gotten somewhere safe.
"Stop," whispered Joseph cautiously, "I smell badger."
"Badger?" cried Poppy, "oh no, my kits.. We have to go back."
"I agree," said Joseph, "we can look for Parry later, right now lets worry about our own safety."
As Poppy and Joseph were making their way back to Joseph's den the scent of the badger kept getting stronger and stronger. Poppy let out a wail of terror when they caught site of the badger growling at them just a few fox-lengths ahead. It was right outside of Joseph's den and looked as if it hadn't eaten in moons.
"Poppy, you protect the kits," meowed Joseph bravely, "and I will fight off the badger for as long as I can."
The kits began to get scared and were quivering beside their mother, Poppy should have ran but her paws wouldn't let her, she couldn't let this loner die defending her. The kits were becoming restless and ran towards Joseph's den. Poppy let out a wail of terror as Coal and Ice ran straight for the badger. The badger knocked Joseph to the ground and ran towards Poppy's kits.
Poppy ran forwards and jumped over her kits onto the badgers back. She was biting into the badger's neck as it flailed around trying to get the she-cat off its back. After Poppy had broke the badger's skin and made it bleed, it went berserk. To her horror it began to run towards the cliff. Poppy let out a final scream of terror as she and the badger plummeted off the cliff and into the distant forest below.
"No!" cried Joseph, "Poppy!"
Joseph began to weep and looked at the two orphaned kits quivering in the snow beside him. "I will look after you," he said sadly, "I will make sure that your mother would be proud to have you both as her kits."
The kits looked up at him still quivering. Joseph took them into his den so that they could be warm. It would be their new home; he would mentor them, and pass down the survival skills that he had learned many moons ago.