Torn

Squirrelflight purred as Rainkit and Flamekit batted at her tail with curious paws. They have just begun to walk, stumbling every now and then. They already were causing trouble for the nursery queens. Sorreltail, a gray queen who just moved into the nursery, found them a pawful to watch.

Squirrelflight's mind drifted as she thought about their future. Which kit should be sent to Stormfur? Would the kit who stays with Stonefur ever remember her? Would she ever tell the kit who its father is?

A sharp pain made Squirrelflight jolt out of her thoughts. Flamekit's tiny claws caught her tail, he was about to bit it but Squirrelflight snapped it away from him. He feel to the ground but jumped right back to his paws to chase after her tail again. Rainkit stayed back, greens eyes flickering as she watched her tail. However, she shook her haunches from side to side, ready to string. Rainkit gave a small yowl and leaped, landing straight on Flamekit. They tussled playfully around as Squirrelflight drifted back into deep thought.

Sorreltail's sharp yowl made her look up. Rainkit woke up Sorreltail by biting her ear with her tiny thorn-sharp teeth. The she-cat gave a small hiss but a playful glint in her eye betrayed her admiration for the young kit. Rainkit shrank back but Sorreltail mewed a 'sorry'.

"She surprised me," Sorreltail purred to Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight nodded her head in understanding.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'll be able to handle them when they're older," Squirrelflight replied with a hint of good-humor. She gave a single flick with her tail for Rainkit, "Rainkit, come here."

Rainkit padded over on unsteady legs and gave a small mew of determination as she jolted away from Sorreltail, who tried to help. Finally, Rainkit made it over. Squirrelflight purred a soft praise; she couldn't hind it any more. Rainkit reminded her of herself, stubborn and independent. Her mind instantly reeled to the question that hung over her head, Which kit will stay? If she kept Rainkit, Stormfur would be less likely to be accused as Flamekit's father than Rainkit. For Rainkit's gray pelt looked almost identical to Stormfur's pelt.

It was decided, tonight Flamekit with become a RiverClan kit.

xoxoxo

The moon was nothing more than a sliver floating in the night sky as Squirrelflight nudged Flamekit along. He didn't ague as she nudged him along, he was too tired to even mew. However, the trip took twice as long for Squirrelflight scouted ahead to make sure no WindClan patrols were in range before she dared to bring her beloved kit along.

Once in RiverClan territory Squirrelflight relaxed. She hid the tired kit in the roots of some brambles in her eyesight as she waited for Stormfur. Stormfur must be on the look out for her now. It's been about one and a half moons since the two cats have seen each other. It wasn't long before Stormfur appeared under the bush Squirrelflight waited under.

Stormfur gave a mew of happiness as he rubbed his cheek against Squirrelflight. Squirrelflight gave a couple of licks in-between his ears in return.

"I brought someone," Squirrelflight purred as she slipped out of the bush.

Stormfur waited patiently but nothing could stop his purr of delight as she carried the tired Flamekit forward. He slipped out form the protection of the bush and gave the small bundle a couple of sniffs. "Is this our son?"

Squirrelflight sat the kit on a soft pile of grass as Stormfur stared at him warmly. "Yes," Squirrelflight purred. "I want him to be the one to stay in RiverClan."

Stormfur looked up for the bundle of fur that began to fall asleep, "I will protect him with my life but are you sure? What will you say to the Clan?"

Squirrelflight shook her head, eyes still focused on the kit, "I'll tell Leafpool; she will know what to do."

Stormfur said no more as he gently began washing Flamekit's pelt, washing any traces of ThunderClan off it. Squirrelflight looked at his eyes, they were full of affection now but deeper inside was a hint of sorrow that Squirrelflight had felt since the lost of her two kits. Turning away, she began padding back to ThunderClan. He would never remember her as his mother, a RiverClan queen will be a cat that he will say is his mother. She might have to fight her kit one day in rivalry of the Clans. But Squirrelflight knew it was for the better for both of them. With one last glace at Flamekit she mewed her last goodbye.