The morning was cool, the rain drops dripping from only the leaves now. The gray clouds had passed sometime in the night, leaving blue skies above. Inside the nest, 5 kits mewed and whined.

"Shh!" Their mother hissed, little patience with the litter. "Hush!" Her white tail thrashed in annoyance, ears pinning back with irritation. "Phinx! Lola! Sahara!" The middle aged kitty pet didn't bother to say the name's of all five kits, finding it useless as they moved themselves around the hard floor. Her tail curled over her body, resting lightly on her paws as she glared at the wandering kits. "Would you all come here NOW!" The hiss in her throat was suddenly much louder then her previous warnings and all but one kit turned their attention onto their mother.

"Sahara."

A small black kit looked up at her name, turning toward the white and brown she-cat who eyed her with an angry glare. "Pay attention. Stop exploring and come here."

Frowning, the small she-kit pawed herself out from the dusty corner and toward her mother and siblings. Her black ears pinned back as she gazed up at the large she-cat, a bit of worry in her.

"You won't be staying here much longer." The she-cat stated simply. "You will be taken to different homes, each very far from here. You're new twolegs won't allow you to see one another or myself." she gazed down at her only son, a black tom, the twin of Sahara. Her pink tongue stroked his forehead gently meowing "I will miss you."

The other kits took this in as a goodbye to each of them, but to any older cat it was obvious the only one she was to miss was Phinx.

"Phoenix" Phinx meowed after a long yawn, "Why must we be taken away? I like it here!"

Phoenix gazed down at her son with gentle eyes. "Twolegs cannot care for so many cats. There are many cats in this world, but more twolegs. Trust me, it's best this way." Phinx pouted, and lowered his gaze to the ground, obviously hurt by his mother's words.

"But Phoenix." Sahara meowed slowly. "Why don't we all take care of ourselves? I heard Tabby talking about last sunhigh. He said cats lived out in the woods, a whole group of them! Bigger then our family, and probably Sarah's too!"

Her mother's hiss made her flinch back words, bumping into her sister. "The four clan's are wild. Ruthless. They would rip off your face if you tried to join them. A fate I wouldn't mind seeing you in." Her mother's emerald eyes glared down, dislike fuming from everyone of her hairs.

Sahara stared up, speechless. "I… I didn't know." She managed to mumble.

"Of course you didn't know!" Phoenix spat with fury. "Because you never listen!" Phoenix parted her jaws, obviously about to say more when she suddenly swerved around to see a twoleg approaching. The twoleg said something, before opening the large entrance that was normally blocked by wood. The kits let out meows of delight as they charged out of the twoleg nest, Phoenix trailing behind slowly, the bell around her collar ringing.

Sahara bounded toward the fence, and attempted to jump up, only to ram head first into it and fall backwards. She let out a meow of pain before drooping her head. She glanced around to check w hat her siblings were doing. Most of them were hanging around the bushes, sniffing around and play fighting. Phinx stood only a rabbit hop away from Sahara, dark green eyes narrowed.

"What are you planning to do?" He meowed, trying not to hiss.

"I'm going to go into the forest. Are you coming?" Sahara replied simply, ears twitching with excitement.

"Of course not!" Sahara flinched away as her mother jumped in between Phinx and Sahara, eyes narrowed in anger. "Phinx would never go into such disgusting area's, especially not with a disgrace like you!" Phoenix glared down at Sahara, making every fur on her body prick up with fear.

"But… Mother-"

"Sahara, leave." Phoenix spat, anger swelling through her. "I never want to see you again! You are disgusting. I am sick of trying to teach you how to behave! You want to be eaten out there? Then go ahead! Listen to Tabby's stories about how sweet the clan cats are. I will not be taking you back when you come crying about them hurting you!"

Sahara's deep green eyes widened, pain slipping through them. She stared at her mother's hard face, body trembling. She was sick of this! Why was her mother always so… So cruel?! Sahara had done nothing to deserve this! Her small black paws took a step backwards, before she turned around completely and darted beneath the fence post, dashing toward the dark depths of the forest. She ignored the hiss coming from behind her. She was done with that! There had to be a better life in the forest!

--

I gazed at Abyss, but his blue eyes were drifting toward the dark night sky. For a moment, he didn't realize I had stopped speaking, and he turned his attention onto me. "Keep going." He meowed, more an order then a request.

"This is where Hiddenwing comes in." I meowed quietly. A frown came onto his expression but he only nodded and meowed "Good. I've been curious about how you met him."

A sigh pressed its way out of my nose and I meowed "I'm thirsty. Get me some water."

Obediently Abyss rose and started off into the shadows. I didn't doubt he would find moss and water. Even if it was muddy liquids, he would come back with something to quench my thirst. I lowered my head onto my paws as I waited, the bugs making it impossible to shut my eyes. I wished Abyss was less curious about my life, and more wiling to keep it going. I needed something to ease the pain, and help the wounds not get infected. Ah, were was a medicine cat when you needed one?

His tan body appeared in front of me, a clump of moss dangling from his jaws. He dropped it in front of me, and I slowly started to lick away the water drops. "So, keep going." He ordered when I stopped licking. My dark green eyes gazed into his blue ones, an urge running down my spine to claw them out. He had no right to give me orders! Who did he think he was?

Pressing my eyes tightly shut I meowed quietly "I was starving before two sunrises had passed."