Torrentclan Challenge! Many Forms of Comfort

by Shadowdapple

Comfort comes in all shapes and sizes. Whether it be a mother licking a sore paw or a shoulder to cry on. Minnowtail has done a deed that she can't forgive. Can she find the comfort she needs to forgive herself and return home? Rated T for safety

2. Talking with Brownie

I glanced at the cat wandering what she was thinking. The she-cat heaved herself to her paws and walked over. "I've done something unforgiving too. Want to talk about it?" I nodded mechanically. "My name is Brownie by the way." She beckoned me to follow her into the den. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw five tiny kits curled in a nest. The brown and white she-cat licked each one tenderly before settling down in her nest. "Tell me what happened." She instructed.

"I was walking along the shoreline because I wanted to meet my friend again. She was a Thunderclan cat and recently had a litter of kits. I can't remember what happened next except me standing over her dead body. I knew that I was the one who did it and I begged her spirit if she could forgive me and fled. I was almost caught by Thunderclan warriors and their leader but I fled the territory. I forced my brother to secrecy and made him stay at home. And now here I am." I finished my story, silent tears dripping down to wet my paws. Brownie reached out and touched me with her tail. "I'm so sorry. I can't ever imagine what it would be like to do that." I nodded. "So, um, what did you do wrong?"

Brownie looked at her paws. "Well you see, I was born to a farm cat family who had too many kits. So my sister, brothers, and I was banned from ever mating and having kits. There was this tom that caught my eye. We started meeting and before too long I found out that I was expecting kits. So I ran away, like you, until I found a den miles away from home. I had my kits here and I will raise them here." She finished and glanced at her babies. I head butted her comfortingly. "What are their names?" I asked. She proudly touched each of their head and rattled off their names. "The black and white one is Storm, the brown one is Feather, the gray and white one is Rabbit, the white one is Snow, and this little one," She nuzzled a small she-kit with gray spots dotting her brown tabby fur. "Is Petal." I mewed congratulations and she beamed with pride.

I stayed with Brownie for the rest of the night and the next day. "Is it alright if I stay here with you for a while, Brownie?" She looked up from licking one of her kits. "Sure." I smiled and laid my head down on my paws and watched the kittens. I wonder if this is how I should feel if I was being forgiven.