If you haven't checked out my new story, Inconsistency, you definitely should! The main character will make you go "MUHAHA", I promise you.

Kits! And more Serenity! Yay! Enjoy :)

Chapter 7

Cedars towered over Mountainkit. He had never been in a forest like this before. Gnarled limbs with soft, bud-like leaves stroked his sandy fur. The darkness was deeper but welcoming in a strange way. It just felt… right. The wide stream flowed in the opposite direction on his right and a silent Sanddune padded forward on his left.

Mountainkit studied his father. He seemed a bit better now that he was moving and had gotten some of his confidence back. But his eyes had returned to the dull, unseeing state that Mountainkit had seen in the two days of nothing after Dewkit's death.

His thoughts wandered to Dewkit and tears stung his eyes. He shook them away, and thought about his mother instead. He had always promised himself that he would ask Sanddune about her when he could speak. He had had so many distractions though! Maybe now it was time. He looked once more at his father and worked up the courage.

"Sanddune?" Mountainkit inquired.

"Yes?" He didn't look at him.

"Can you tell me about my mother?"

Sanddune looked startled. "Your mother?" he inquired blankly, as if he hadn't actually heard what he had said.

"Yeah," Mountainkit answered, eyes wide with curiosity. "What did she look like?"

Sanddune gave a long sigh. "She looked just like Dewkit," he murmured softly. "Beautiful blue eyes and silky gray fur." He turned to Mountainkit, his eyes warm.

He must really love her.

"She had the sweetest scent," Sanddune continued, "You could recognize it anywhere." He opened his mouth, as if he could still taste it. "She was a better hunter and fighter than I am." Mountainkit closed his eyes, drinking Sanddune's words. "She trusted more easily than I did. She loved more easily than I did. She didn't always notice everything, but she was always there for me."

Mountainkit slowly formed a mental picture of his mother. He wished he could still remember her voice. Suddenly, though, he realized something. Everything Sanddune said about his mother was in the past tense, as if… No…

"Where is she?" Mountainkit asked softly, not wanting to know the answer.

Sanddune looked up at the stars. Words weren't necessary.

Mountainkit blinked back tears for a cat he barely knew. "What happened?" His voice was barely audible.

Sanddune shook his head. "That's for another time."

Mountainkit wanted to protest. What right did he have keeping things from his own son? Especially about his mother?

Before he could say anything, however, Sanddune stopped and spoke again in a louder voice. "You can show yourself." He sounded slightly angry.

Mountainkit looked around, confused.

There was a moment of silence. "How did you know I was here?" a voice demanded. Mountainkit jumped. It was Serenity!

"It was a guess," Sanddune said boredly, "Never reveal yourself until you truly know that they know."

There was a scrape of claws on rock and Mountainkit watched as the dark brown she-cat carefully crossed the stream. When she got closer, he saw that her hazel eyes were mutinous. "How dare you act so superior! I heard every word you said! You probably can't fight! I could easily kill you!"

Sanddune remained completely calm. "But you wouldn't."

He had angered Serenity even more, if that was possible. "And why not?"

"You heard every word I said. You know that Mountainkit's sister and mother have both been taken away from him. You wouldn't take me away too. You're not a cold-hearted killer. We saw that."

Serenity fumed but said nothing. Every word had been true.

"I'm guessing you didn't actually leave to go hunting. You stayed nearby, knowing that a true cat would never let another hunt for them in that circumstance?"

Serenity just glared at him.

"Once we had left, you went to the river, knowing that's where we had gone to hide our scents. Then you followed on the opposite side so that you were downwind. Once you had caught up, you just watched and listened to learn a little more about us. You were going to wait until we settled for the night before coming and surprising us. You couldn't wait to see the looks on our faces."

Mountainkit could tell that Serenity couldn't stand the look on Sanddune's face. This was one of the first times that Sanddune had shown another cat up using his logic and he was enjoying it a bit too much.

"Well," Serenity muttered, "At least I have no secrets."

Mountainkit knew what she was doing. She was finding his weak spot. For the first time, he spoke to her, partly to protect his father and partly out of curiosity. "You've never made any mistakes?" he inquired innocently.

Serenity was different when she looked at the sandy brown kit. Her gaze instantly softened. "I haven't really done anything," she murmured, "Good or bad." She looked back up at Sanddune, the glare returning. "I couldn't say the same for you, could I? Come on; you can tell me. Murdered anyone lately?"

Sanddune attempted to hide his emotions, but his gaze had hardened. "I can't fight, remember?"

"Oh, that's right. I can kill you whenever I want."

"But you never will, because you feel bad for him and we're the only exciting thing in your sad life."

"Sad? Sad?" Serenity snarled, "My life is sad? You're the one wandering around with no place to go, with a fear of the past and no clue how to even fight infection!"

Sanddune closed his eyes, tensing. "Don't. Don't you dare."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Have I gone too far?" Serenity growled mockingly. "Well, there's nothing you can do about it. Go on. Attack me. See if you live. At least you would die in battle rather from pitiful infect-."

Sanddune barreled into her before she could finish the word.

.

8 Days before Rainy Night

Sanddune watched Tidepool pace in front of the nursery. He didn't know who was more worried: a mate waiting to become a father or a brother who knew the kits weren't his. These tiny newborns could be the beginning of the end of OakClan or maybe something good could come from those terrible lies.

A golden she-cat emerged from the cave, her white-tipped tail trailing on the dirt.

Tidepool whirled around, instantly tensing. "What? What is it?" he demanded. "Is something wrong?"

"Five kits." Tidepool's dark blue eyes widened with delight, but she wasn't finished. "Two of them stillborn." The gray tom's tail drooped to the ground. "One is very, very tiny. I'm not… I'm not sure…"

"What about the other two?"

"Healthy. A she-kit and a tom."

"Can I...? Can I see her?"

"Yes." The golden tabby watched the deputy pad uncertainly into the cave.

Sanddune waited until he was gone. "Goldenmaple?" he inquired.

Goldenmaple turned to him, hazel eyes hard. "One of them is light brown," she stated. It was neither a question nor an accusation.

Sanddune struggled to look pleasantly surprised. "It looks just like me?"

The medicine cat looked uncertain. "Yes… I guess it does…" She studied him for a moment, debating in her head. "I guess that's possible…"

"Can I go see them now?" Sanddune asked quickly, before she asked any questions.

Goldenmaple nodded slowly and he made his escape.

The cave was dim and cool until it thinned and suddenly widened, leaving a small, dark cavern that was warm from Tidepool and Riverbend's body heat. The two cats were rubbing noses and talking quietly. Riverbend was on her side on the moss that covered the stone floor with three suckling kits at her belly. Sanddune immediately noticed the sandy brown fur of the kit on the far left, followed by two gray kits, one pitifully small.

"I guess that one really does look like Sanddune," Tidepool was murmuring, then snorted, "Hope he doesn't fight like him."

"Tidepool!" Riverbend snapped, causing the tiny gray kit to give a heart wrenching mew. The queen quickly licked its fur and nudged it back to suckle.

Sanddune breathed in, controlling himself, before entering the cavern. Riverbend looked up, her eyes sparkling. "They're beautiful," her brother breathed.

"Do you want to hear their names?" Sanddune nodded. "We've decided that this one-" Her tongue gently brushed the light brown kit. "-will be Mountainkit."

"Perfect," Sanddune whispered, causing even Tidepool's eyes to warm with pride.

"And the next one's Mistkit," Riverbend murmured. Then she looked at the last gray kit sadly. "And this little one is Dewkit."

"She's a fighter," Sanddune stated warmly. He stayed with the new family for a while, talking quietly with Riverbend and congratulating both of the parents over and over again. He watched each kit carefully, wondering what they would be like when they could see and speak.

He imagined Mountainkit in his father's position, as deputy of OakClan. Cats may wonder about the moss green eyes he developed, but they would respect him so much that it was a fleeting thought.

Mistkit would be exactly like her mother. She would be feisty, caring, and sweet, and she would fall in love with a handsome tom and be happy for the rest of her days.

Dewkit was the kit, however, that drew most of his attention. She had melted his heart. He knew that if she lived past these first crucial days, he would never let anything happen to her.

.

Sanddune had launched himself clumsily, being that it was out of anger and that his paws never seemed to work with him anyways. Surprisingly, however, Serenity wasn't able to dodge out of the way. He barreled into her, managing to hit the target he was going for: her right front paw. The weight that had been on it suddenly found nothing to hold it up and the dark brown she-cat fell forwards, smacking her muzzle on the ground.

Sanddune scrambled away, confusion swirling in his pale blue eyes and the anger fading. "You… You can't fight?"

Serenity shakily got to her paws, nostrils flaring. "You surprised me!" she spat.

Sanddune blinked, as if seeing her for the first time. "You use your brains too..."

"What are you talking about?!"

Sanddune looked like he had just made a breakthrough. "Reaction time! You have a slow reaction time! You can only fight if you can predict what cats will do next! But I surprised you…"

Serenity was defiant, although she already seemed more small and vulnerable than before. "I don't know what you're talking about," she growled.

A part of Mountainkit's appreciation for his father was rebuilt again. He was so smart. He could see the tiny little details and piece it all together in a way Mountainkit never could. And now he had found a cat with the same strength and weakness.

"You're lucky. Your paws will actually work with you. I can't seem to do anything right."

Serenity backed away. "You have no idea," she growled, "It's a curse. You can't defend the ones you love unless you're ready and you can't be ready every second of your life."

For the first time, Mountainkit felt his father more fortunate than another cat. At least he had a son to keep him going. Serenity was alone. How could she bear it?

She's a fighter.

And that was the reason for Sanddune's next words.

"Come with us."