Here's where the real story begins! If you recall, the prologue for Fire and Ice was WindClan - but this prologue focuses on a different side of the story...
Prologue
The night was cool and the sky was clear as Fiona slipped out of her Twoleg nest. The cold cat-flap slid across her back, and she grunted as her swollen stomach took a little wiggling to get free. She took a moment, sitting on the stones leading away from the nest's back door, to groom down her now-ruffled pelt.
Fiona's long, well-kept white fur shone in the moonlight as she padded along the stones and into the grass. She could hear the sounds of the night all around her – crickets, bats, and even an owl's hoot. She could hear the rumble of a housefolk's monster passing by. It swept by, and there was silence.
The she-cat trotted to her fence. Fiona leaped onto one of the posts, her collar jingling at the rush of movement. She sat there a moment, tail wrapped around her paws, looking into the woods.
She had heard the rumors – all the housecats here had – of the groups of wild cats who lived in the forest, prowling about and eating bones. Fiona had no desire to find out whether those rumors were true or not – especially now.
"Out there are savages," purred a voice.
"As if there are none here!" countered Fiona. Her tone was light, and she purred as the ginger tom approached, balancing expertly on the fence. She greeted him with a touch to the nose. "Don't try and scare me like that, Rusty. It's not nice!"
Rusty was purring as he settled beside her. The warmth of his fur felt nice in contrast to the chilly night air. The leaves in the forest were rustling, turning red and falling to the ground in heaps. Soon enough housefolk and their kits would be playing out in the rustling leaves.
"Sorry," Rusty offered. "I couldn't help it – it feels like it's been forever since you and I have seen one another."
Fiona purred. She pressed closer to Rusty, warmth flooding her pelt. She pulled away, bristling, as she felt something wet and sticky pressing onto her fur.
"Rusty!" she hissed. There was a long cut on Rusty's shoulder – it was bleeding slightly. Fiona narrowed her eyes at her mate. "You promised you wouldn't be fighting those alley-cats anymore!"
Rusty's ears pricked, and he cursed. He bent his head to clean the cut, and he panted between licks, "I'm sorry, Fiona – it couldn't be avoided!"
Fiona narrowed her eyes. "Those cats are nothing but brutes, Rusty," she growled. "They'll hurt you someday, I know they will! I don't want to see you hurt…"
Rusty looked up at her, and Fiona could see her own misery in his eyes.
"I'm expecting kits, Rusty," Fiona confessed. "Our kits."
Rusty's eyes widened. For a moment, he was silent. Fiona curled her tail around herself, wondering if she had said something wrong. What if he doesn't want the kits? She thought, trembling a little.
She looked away from him and insisted, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -"
"Are you really?" Rusty asked.
Fiona looked back at him. He looked interested, and she nodded. "I went to the vet yesterday with my housefolk," Fiona explained. "From what I could make out… and what I can feel myself… it's true. I am expecting kits – due when the snows come."
"That's amazing!" Rusty decided, his eyes sparkling. He licked her cheek affectionately, purring. "I can't wait to meet them!"
Fiona couldn't help but look at him in shock. All the other cats Fiona had met who claimed to be Rusty's "mates" had expressed just how noncommittal he was towards them. It had planted a small seed of doubt about their relationship within Fiona's heart.
"You're… not upset?" she murmured.
"Why would I be?" Rusty wondered. "I love kits! I told you about my brother, didn't I?"
Fiona nodded. Yes, Rusty had told her the tale of his runty half-brother who traveled into the forest. Rusty had told her fondly of all the times the two of them had played and all the things that Rusty had taught him before leaving his housefolk. They were close, and Fiona knew that Rusty missed him terribly.
"He was like a kit of my own," Rusty told her. He gently touched his nose to her swelling stomach. "These kits, though… they'll be my kits. Our kits. There's no other cat I'd rather have kits with, Fiona. I love you."
Fiona's heart swelled and she pressed her cheek into Rusty's. The seed of doubt was gone, scorched away by the warmth of Rusty's love. They purred, tails twined, for a long moment. The stars winked down at them, and the chilly air didn't seem to be able to penetrate their love-warmed pelts.
Eventually, Fiona felt Rusty's head move. She could see him staring off into the woods, his eyes narrowed in thought.
"Are… Are you thinking of Shoe?" Fiona asked quietly.
Rusty nodded. Solemnly, he meowed, "He might not get to meet our kits."
"Have you heard anything about Shoe lately?" Fiona asked, glancing into the forest. An owl hooted again somewhere within its depths. Could the little cat still be alive in there?
"I met Smudge not too long ago," Rusty mewed. "He said he'd run into Shoe – but he's called Tinypaw now."
"Tinypaw?" Fiona repeated. "What an odd name!"
Rusty shrugged. "Apparently it's a Clan thing," he grunted. "Smudge said that they had accepted him, and they were training him – but that they weren't too friendly to housecats, and that Smudge was lucky it was Tinypaw who found him."
Fiona shivered. "Those Clans sound so dangerous…" she murmured. With a flash, she narrowed her eyes at Rusty and demanded, "How could you let your little brother get caught up in that? Who knows what they've done to him!"
Rusty flattened his ears. "Shoe – er, Tinypaw… He told me that when he met those Clan cats that they were severe, but strong. His eyes shone like stars when he talked about that meeting. Fiona, how could I stop him from following his heart? He wouldn't try to do that to me."
Fiona sighed. She kneaded her paws against the fence post, glancing into the woods. "I do wish he could meet our kits, though," she sighed. "Do you think maybe we could… ask if he could see them?"
Rusty squared his shoulders and growled, "I don't want you messing with those cats, Fiona." His nicked ear twitched. "They're strong, and they don't hesitate to hurt trespassers."
Fiona frowned. It just felt so strange that Shoe – no, Tinypaw – would never see his kin. Surely he couldn't just forget what his life had been here, with his housefolk? He wouldn't just forget about his brother, would he?
"Let's not worry about that," Rusty mewed. His eyes brightened. "I'm sure someone will see Tinypaw again sometime soon. For now, you and I have some celebrating to do – let's go tell Nutmeg and Princess. They'll be so excited! Princess just had a litter herself, you know – all toms!"
Fiona purred. "Maybe they can give me some tips," she decided, putting her mate's brother out of her mind. "My stomach's already becoming a burden!"
Rusty purred, and then stood. He led the way, balancing expertly on the fence. Fiona followed, but she paused as a chilly wind gusted through the air. She heard it rustling the trees. In the breeze, somewhere far off, Fiona could have sworn she heard a cat squeal.
Fiona lifted her head, ears pricked. What was that? She wondered. The tales of the savage forest cats came back, and she bristled, imagining claws piercing flesh.
The wind died down, and all was silent.
"Fiona, are you coming?"
Fiona blinked at her mate's voice. Must have been my imagination, she thought. She turned and followed Rusty down the fence, her long white fur swaying to and fro.
Just my imagination…
