The Loner
A harsh life was about to open up a world of possibilities for a stray cat.
Prologue
Lightning cracked in the rainless sky. Thunder boomed before it. The barn was dark. Nothing was heard but the pitiful mews of three kits. A mother lay there, heaving, letting her kits suckle.
Faint paw-steps were heard outside, in the background of the storm. Lightning struck, erupting the shadow of a tom cat. His claws sheathed, digging into the dry ground beneath him.
He walked quietly over to the she-cat, trying very carefully to be silent. He reached the mother, and instantly raised his paw, his claws outstretched. Forcefully, he struck the she-cat.
A yowl was drowned out by the roar of the thunder.
The she-cat fought valiantly to protect her kits. She bit the rogue many times, eventually growing weary. The cat fiercely grabbed one of the kits and dug his claws into its chest. A shuddering wail sounded in the skies.
Another was killed. Both their bodies were thrown in the corner of the barn. All the mother could do was watch. The tom was ready to kill the last kit. A body thrown itself at the attacker. It bit its throat and tossed it aside, letting it suffer. She looked back pitifully at the she-cat and her kit. She knew the mother would die before morning came.
She stalked out, her tail swishing. Lightning revealed a gray-brown cat, whose eyes were green like the leaves in green-leaf. They sparkled, showing understanding and pity.
"Good luck." She meowed. With one last look at the remaining kit, she left.
"Don't worry, little kit. I will name you Chief. You will be safe." The she-cat mewed, and swept her tail around the young kit.
Her icy blue eyes stared out the barn; it had stopped thundering. She let out a sigh, and her body went limp.
There was a strange feeling in the air. It was damp and sticky. Chief looked to the sky, shivering. He looked back at his mother. Oddly enough, he felt safe.
He inched himself closer to his mother's face. He stared into her cloudy eyes. He instantly realized he was alone.
He nuzzled himself into her chest fur. He began whining. His brother and sister were gone, too. He began to wonder how his life was going to get worse.
It was finally morning. The air was humid and heavy, and rain drops were still hanging onto the almost-abandoned barn. Chief had woken up early, nightmares haunting his dreams.
Visions of last night crawled through his head; how that black tom had barged into the barn and killed his mother and siblings. He had already dug his siblings' bodies next to the barn.
Chief was shocked to find that the killer's body wasn't where it had been carelessly thrown. He shuddered, heading back inside; the feeling of the outside was beginning to feel different.
He saw his mother's body lying where it had been all night. Lifeless and cold, he dragged it outside. He expected it to be heavier; it was like he was getting help lifting the body. He looked to his left and saw a faint outline of his mother's ghost. He wasn't afraid, for he knew that she only wanted to help him.
They both carried it to where his kin lay. Groggily, he buried the body, digging a big hole for her to fit. He gave one last lick on the gray she-cat's forehead and patted the dirt on top with his tiny paws.
He stalked back to the entrance of the den, and there he saw his mother, whose back was facing him.
"Mom? Is that you?" He whispered. The cat turned around and smiled at him.
"I'm sorry for being weak. I know you are only a few weeks old and cannot defend yourself very well," she looked down, sighing, "but, whenever there is trouble, I shall return and help you in your time of need."
"Where do I go? I will need food, right?" He asked, his eyes focused steadily on his mother.
"You need to head east, to where many cats live in groups. You will learn to be like them. You will fight, hunt, and do their ceremonies. It is a long journey, Chief. But, nevertheless, I believe you can do it. You were built strong, like your father." Her voice trailed off at that last word. She looked at her paws again. Shaking her head, she looked at her son again. "Just remember, young Chief. I will be with you always. I will guide you through your journey. You will be with the cats safely. You just need to be strong."
Her image began to fade. "Begin at sunset. Remember, Chief. I love you, and I know that you can reach any goal." She whispered.
Chief didn't beg her to stay; he knew she had to go. She had already given him enough encouragement to go on. He stared ahead of him. It was almost sunset now.
"Get ready, cats of the forest. Here I come." He whispered, his eyes set to the east.