Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors or any related content. Those belong to Erin Hunter. I only own the characters and the story.
Also, there is such a thing as a cat that looks like a fox (not exactly like one, though). Its breed is the Somali, and its nickname is 'foxcat'. Look it up and you'll see why. ;P
"Hurry up, you lot! We need to get this over with so we can head back to camp!" Badgerfang yowled as he turned his head to face the three other cats in single file behind him. He then continued to plow through the thick, wet blanket, keeping his head bowed against the wind.
"I mean no disrespect to ThunderClan's deputy, but this is insane! We need to head back or we'll freeze to death!" Silverfoot, a young silver tabby she-cat yowled back.
This time, Badgerfang made no attempt to face her, even though she was right behind him. "I know, but this was an order from Snowstar. We must complete this patrol." Silverfoot huffed irritably, but it went unheard through the raging blizzard.
"Badgerclaw, Silverfoot's right. It's hard enough to pick up scents along this thunderpath without the snow. I think we should just head back, and say we didn't find anything." Cougarfur suggested, her light brown pelt clinging to her underfed frame due to the wet snow.
Badgerfang sighed. He turned to face the others. "Guys, I know you're cold and wet, but what if there's a ShadowClan cat lurking in our territory, picking off what little prey we might have? What if they're heading to the camp? If we turn back now, and those possibilities turn out to be real, then we would've failed the clan. Now, let's finish this patrol without complaining like a young kit." The group began to trek through the storm yet again, but everyone stayed quiet.
After some time, Lizardscale, the pale ginger tom who was in the very back, stopped dead in his tracks. Badgerfang sensed some was amiss, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I think I heard something… and it sounded like a like a kit." He had a confused look on his face.
"Yeah, now that you mention it, I think I heard it, too." Cougarfur mewed loudly.
Without a word, Silverfoot started to sprint ahead of the rest of the cats. "Silverfoot!" Badgerfang yowled. Soon enough, the rest started to follow her.
Once they caught up, she was huddled around a dull orange bundle of fur. She was wildly licking at the scrap with a fearful look on her face. "It was a kit! She's soaked, too." she meowed, urgency heard like an alarm from her report. "We need to take her back to camp; she'll freeze!"
Badgerfang nudged his way past Cougarfur and Lizardscale. He bent down closer to the kit and sniffed her. His nose wrinkled with disgust. "She smells like the muck along the thunderpath. She was probably abandoned by her twolegs instead of a ShadowClan cat."
"But she doesn't smell of kittypet. She only smells of the revolting monsters." Silverfoot confirmed, saying the last word with much disgust.
"Silverfoot, can you carry her back to camp?" Badgerfang's words came out in a hurry.
"Of course." Silverfoot then grasped the kit by her scruff. The kit mewled weakly in response.
"Right. Listen up, guys," Badgerfang stood as tall as he could in order to inform the whole group. "We have a kit's life in our paws. It's part of the warrior code, so we have no choice but ensure that this kit makes it unharmed back to ThunderClan. Does everyone understand?" Everyone nodded eagerly in response, except for Silverfoot, who smiled through the kit's dirty fur. "All right, let's go!" And with that, the patrol took off through deep snow, desperately trying to save the small kit's life.
The storm was slowly letting up as Snowstar made her way into the camp clearing. It was still snowing heavily, but it wasn't nearly as windy as it had been. A few warriors came out as well, stretching their legs and checking with everything and everyone. Among them was a queen named Tawnystripe, who padded over to Snowstar. She took her seat next to the white she-cat as she bowed her head respectfully.
"How are your kits doing?" the ThunderClan leader asked, sitting with her.
"Very well. You know, Wolfkit looks like a miniature me; a sleek black coat and everything." she purred. "I was surprised, actually; if anything, I thought there would be mini-Lizardscales!"
Snowstar stiffened. Hollyfire's ominous prophecy crept into her mind. "Well, congratulations, Tawnystripe. I'm sure they will grow to be fine warriors indeed." Snowstar meowed, smiling faintly.
"Thank you, Snowstar. It's an honor for you to say that." Tawnystripe purred. "Now, if you don't mind, I need to tend to my kits. They're calling for me." The jet black she-cat then padded to the bramble bushes and squeezed through them. Snowstar continued to stare blankly at the falling snow, lost in her own worried thoughts.
"Snowstar? Snowstar, is something wrong?" Willowtail mewed while prodding Snowstar with her front paw.
"What? Oh, no, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking about the weather. Hopefully, that cursed storm is over." Snowstar replied, keeping the anxiety out of her voice.
"Okay. I was just making sure; you zoned out there for a second." Willowtail purred, her pale blue eyes filled with humor. The snow flakes sticking to her made her look like she had white flecks on her long, grey pelt. She turned to her littermate, Spottedfawn. "Why don't we go visit our mother? I want to make sure Robingaze is well. She's too old for this kind of weather, and so is Bramblefoot."
"Hey, mother's not that old!" Spottedfawn protested. She always defended her clanmates, family or not.
Willowtail just stared at her sibling.
"Okay, fine, she's old." Spottedfawn huffed as the two sisters padded over toward what was left of the freshkill pile. "Snowstar, can we take this mouse to the elders? It's the biggest piece left, besides this vole." the calico she-cat asked while Willowtail held up the mouse by its tail to show Snowstar.
"Yes, that's fine." Snowstar approved. After a few minutes, the clan leader decided to take the vole to the nursery. She poked her head into the warm den and dropped the freshkill at the entrance. "You two need to try to share this freshkill, but let Lillyfur have most of it since her kits are the youngest." The two queens nodded. Darktail, Lillyfur's mate, was unexpectedly curled up around her. "Darkstripe, can you meet me outside, please?" Snowstar said softly, acknowledging the sleeping forms of the two kits curled at the new mother's stomach. The clan leader walked over to empty freshkill pile.
The smoky grey tom scrambled out of the nursery. "Yes, Snowstar?" he asked politely.
"Can you go hunting for the clan? We've no more freshkill for the elders and queens."
At the mention of 'queens', Darktail's amber eyes blazed with determination. "I will." And with that, he took off toward the camp entrance.
I'm glad he has responsibilities now, Snowstar thought. Or else he'd still be as lazy as a hibernating bear! The she-cat gazed up at the sky. It was snowing lighter and lighter now. She smiled. Thank you, StarClan. she prayed.
Suddenly, Silverfoot, followed by three others, barreled through the ferns guarding the camp. "Snowstar, we found a kit!" Lizardscale meowed quickly. His blue eyes were wide with excitement, and his chest heaved from the effort of the race the patrol just endured to get back to the camp. His looks were echoed through the other three, too.
As Snowstar examined the kit, she padded forward. The kit's fur looked like a dirty, dull orange, and it was clumped from the moist snow. "Where did you find it?" the ThunderClan leader asked quietly.
Badgerfang approached her from the back of the group. "Lizardscale was the one who heard her mews first, and then Silverfoot found her beside the thunderpath. We suspect that she was abandoned by her twolegs because we caught no scent of ShadowClan from her."
"But we didn't catch any scent of a kittypet, either. The snow on the thunderpath is like slush, so I think the monsters that ran through it managed to soak her with their filth." Cougarfur was always good at figuring things out. Snowstar was grateful for this.
"You don't say?" Snowstar said thoughtfully. "Silverfoot, take her to Hollyfire, please. If he's busy, ask Cloudflower. I'm sure she has enough experience to check up on a kit." the she-cat ordered, her voice gentle but firm. Silverfoot nodded and obeyed. The kit managed to draw the attention of most of the clan cats as Silverfoot walked past them.
"Are you two feeling well enough to go on a hunting patrol? I know you guys just got back from fighting a blizzard, but we've no food, and we won't get much with only Darktail hunting." Snowstar asked as she turned to the other three cats. "Lizardscale, you may stay with Tawnystripe. I'm sure she worried about you." The young tom nodded and quickly padded over to the nursery and squeezed through.
"I think we'll manage; it was tiring, but if there's no food…" Cougarfur shrugged. Badgerfang nodded his agreement. Then they took off to join Darktail's current patrol of one.
Snowstar then padded toward Hollyfire's den. Just when she was about to enter the medicine den, Lionflight walked right into her.
"Oh! Sorry Snowstar! I didn't see you there." Lionflight apologized, his meow clear.
"It's okay, Lionflight. I see you're feeling better."
"I feel like a newborn kit." the golden warrior purred. "Just in time, too; it seems the blizzard's gone. How is the clan?"
"Everyone is fine. We're out of food, though. Ah, no, you're resting in the warrior's den for now; I don't care how well you feel! I don't want to risk it." Snowstar purred right before Lionflight offered to hunt. "I know you're as worried as everyone else, but you just recovered from greencough. You need rest."
"Okay, okay. I know. Oh, and that kit in there… she's not from any of the clans, is she?" the tom asked in monotone, raising an eyebrow.
Snowstar shook her head. "Why do you ask?" she mewed softly.
"She looks… unique. Her pelt looks like it came off of a fox." he whispered, his green eyes wide. "Well, I guess I'll talk to you later, Snowstar." Lionflight bowed his head respectfully before quickly padding over to the warrior's den.
Her pelt looks like it came off of a fox.
Snowstar's expression was a vague one as she walked into Hollyfire's den. She passed by a sleeping Cloudflower in one of the nests. "How is the kit?" she whispered when she found the old tom in the back, licking the filth off of the kit's fur. Her true colors confirmed Lionflight's statement; she was an orange with dark paws and a dark tipped tail. Her face had lighter orange colors that ran down her neck and continued on her belly.
"She's fine." Hollyfire's expression was an exact copy of her own.
"You know… I thought that the… discovery of the fox and the wolf would be… slower."
"Wolfkit?"
Snowstar nodded.
Hollyfire sighed. "StarClan works in mysterious ways, old friend. Some ways come sooner than expected." he said. Dropping the subject, he added, "Who's going to nurture her? She's only two moons old."
"She's the same age as Tawnystripe's kits, but she hardly has any milk. Speaking of which, you need to give her some… ah…"
"Borage seeds. You don't need to learn the herbs like a medicine cat, Snowstar. That's why you're clan leader." the tom purred, amused.
"I know, it just makes me feel better, though."
"Anyway, I think we should assign the kit to Lillyfur; she is actually producing enough milk for four kits."
"Lillyfur it is, then." Snowstar meowed. She bent and picked the kit up by her scruff, and padded toward the nursery.
And so it begins. Hollyfire thought as he searched for borage seeds. StarClan, help us.