AN: To Arika: No worries! I tend to ignore troll reviews. Thank you for your review!


Nineteen

For once, life was running smoothly for the cats of LakeClan.

The fox cub had been keeping everyone on edge over the last couple of weeks. Dovestar listened carefully for any signs of retaliation against the cub or the cats keeping an eye on it. Luckily it seemed as though they were wise enough to heed Hollyleaf's warning. Patrols gave the cub a wide berth whenever they needed to cover that part of the territory. She knew Nightfire and Perchfang were doing a good job of keeping an eye on the cub. More importantly, they started seeing signs of progress regarding the health of said cub. Mothwing had warned her that it could take more than a moon for the cub to make a full recovery, so the fact that it started hunting on it's own was a good sign. What really surprised her though was that the cub hadn't once seen the cats as a target. It went for smaller prey like mice, voles or rabbits.

She often found herself wondering if the time spent with Nightfire and Perchfang did more harm than good for the cub. It was obvious the two young cats were growing affectionate towards it. It seemed as if the feelings were entirely mutual from what she could tell. She hoped that didn't backfire on them. The last thing she wanted was to hear that they were attacked by the cub when it grew up, or that their hearts were shattered the moment it became an adult.

Then there were her kits.

Her kits had finally opened their eyes after a moon of careful watch. She was pleasantly surprised with this news, until Mothwing explained that such progress was normal among kits. Dovestar nearly rolled her eyes at the prospect. Though she couldn't deny the affection she felt towards all three kits, especially when she saw their eyes for the first time.

Mudkit shared Tigerheart's characteristic dark amber eyes. Leafkit had green eyes much like Whitewing. Whitekit had blue eyes like her aunt. Dovestar was especially fond of the fact that the kits took after their family. She knew it was a possibility, and she was grateful that she had a form of memory in them.

Their personalities had also begun to develop after their eyes opened. Unlike when they were first born, Mudkit had begun to follow his sisters around once they had enough strength. Whitekit was the quiet one. She always seemed to stay by her mother's side even as Mudkit and Leafkit encouraged her to leave and explore camp. Dovestar hadn't missed how nervous Whitekit was to leave her side, and that left her feeling guiltier than ever when she realized why that was the case.

They were born into a world of fear and uncertainty. With threats like Lightning and the Dark Forest looming before them, the kits knew nothing other than fear. She knew that was likely her fault for being so nervous about the next battle, but that didn't make her feel any better. She wanted her kits to grow up in a world where they didn't have to worry about their next meal, or where the next battle wouldn't happen. They deserved that much and so much more.

"Mamma, you're licking my fur the wrong way!" Mudkit complained as she started grooming them.

One of the downsides to letting her kits venture out of the den was that they were constantly getting into trouble. Whether it was playing in a mud puddle or tripping over adults, the kits had boundless energy. So she took time to groom each kit after they were finished with their games. They started playing with Flosspelt's kits as well. Even though Flosspelt's kits were twice their size, they still enjoyed playing a game of mossball with the younger, smaller kits.

"Why are you complaining? Your fur sticks out everywhere anyways," Leafkit retorted.

"At least you have long fur," Whitekit grumbled under her breath.

Dovestar hadn't missed how Mudkit shared his long fur with his great grandfather, Cloudtail. She supposed that trait would inevitably get passed down. It made grooming a bit more tedious, especially since Mudkit loved getting into all sorts of trouble. He and Leafkit were often the instigators when it came to the trouble they got into. Whitekit was smart enough to stay out of their games, though it also led to some teasing on their part. She knew that was what all siblings did at some point, but she wished it didn't occur so often.

"Whitekit, you have beautiful fur," Dovestar reassured her daughter as she nestled between her paws. "It reminds me a bit of Ivypool's fur when she was a kit."

"Can you tell us more about our family?" Whitekit pleaded.

"Yeah, how come we've never met them?" Leafkit put in.

A knot formed in the pit of her stomach when Dovestar realized what they were asking. She knew the question would pop up sooner or later, though she dreaded answering it. She wasn't sure where to begin when it came to the fact that Hollyleaf was the only kin they had left. It was hard enough coping with the loss of her family. Thankfully she recovered from survivor's guilt, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt when she thought of her family.

"Your grandmother and grandfather were known as Whitewing and Birchfall of ThunderClan," she explained after taking a deep breath. "And from ShadowClan, your grandmother and grandfather from there happened to be Tawnypelt and Rowanstar. All four of them were brave, wise cats. They knew how to protect their Clanmates and honor the warrior code."

Unlike myself, she added silently.

She wouldn't tell the kits that it had been forbidden for her and Tigerheart to consider themselves mates. Breaking the warrior code when it had been an issue was difficult enough. Knowing that what she did was wrong at the time made it worse. Luckily the kits didn't seem to mind. If anything, they were even more curious about their family.

"Our grandfather is a Clan leader?" Mudkit asked in surprise. "I wonder if he's proud of us?"

"I'm sure he is!" Leafkit boasted. "Our mother is the Clan leader after all!"

Dovestar stifled a purr over their antics. It had been far too long since she experienced something so carefree. She wished she could share such innocence. Before she became an apprentice, her life had been that way. She and Ivypool would often get into some kind of trouble, and usually Birchfall was the one to drag them out of it.

She had fond memories of her time as a kit in the nursery. Things had been simple back then, with little to worry about. She often found herself wondering when life had taken a dramatic turn for the worse. The Clans had always been full of tension before the Dark Battle, but things got worse when the Dark Forest launched their attack. She knew now that the peace wouldn't last, and the Clan needed to be prepared for whatever threats loomed ahead.

"Technically speaking, you're related to several Clan leaders," she deadpanned. All three kits stared at her in surprise. She stifled another purr, knowing full-well that would only boost their egos. Kits weren't supposed to act that way, but they did deserve to know their heritage. "Firestar was also your kin, along with several other leaders."

"I can't wait to meet the rest of our family!" Whitekit squeaked in excitement.

Her normally reserved behavior was forgotten in a heartbeat as the stories of their ancestors were told. And all at once, the knot from earlier returned in full force as realization dawned on her. These kits truly believed that the rest of their family was alive. She knew it would shatter them if they realized that their families had been killed in battle.

It's best not to tell them just yet, a voice warned her.

And what happens when they find out on their own? she demanded. That's only going to crush them.

Better to wait until they're ready.

She closed her eyes for a moment and willed those thoughts to dissipate. The kits were still tussling around in the den, unaware of the inner turmoil happening within their mother. She knew sooner or later she would have to tell them the truth. She just dreaded the moment she had to share that news with them, because she knew then and there that they would see her as nothing more than the coward that she was.

...

The fox cub had been regaining strength every day since Mothwing treated it's injuries. Nightfire would often play games of 'tag' with the cub. It seemed aware that if it used it's teeth, that would hurt it's companions. So to his surprise and relief, the cub resorted to using it's muzzle to tag them. He made a game of it by ducking in and out of the undergrowth that surrounded them. Every now and then he could hear the cub chirping in confusion until it picked up his scent. When the cub finally found him, he would often reward it with words of praise or fresh-kill.

Of course, the cub had also grown into an avid mouse hunter. To his surprise and relief, the cub was more than capable of fending for itself. Though that didn't stop him from making sure that it was well-fed. He knew if they wanted it to make a full recovery, the cub would have to maintain it's strength. That was the main reason behind these 'games'. That and the fact that he was bored out of his mind didn't help.

Admittedly the games of tag reminded him of when he and Pepperfoot were kits. They would often play outside the little den their mother made to pass the time. Aspencreek had always been worried about an ambush, so the rare moments they spent outside were used to their full advantage. He was only just beginning to understand why Aspencreek had been so worried in the first place.

"You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" he asked when the cub nestled beside him.

Another long day went by with him wrestling with the cub. Perchfang joked around that the cub was like a kit to him. And in a way, it was. Nightfire was only just beginning to realize that those emotions he felt earlier were affection and something akin to love. He knew now that the cub had won him over, in more ways than one. Of course he was still cautious around it, but it seemed as if the cub was aware of how to control itself.

The next surprise that followed was the fact that he finally knew the cub's gender. It took time for him to register that the cub happened to be a female. It was with that notion that he finally named the cub 'Pyre'. In spite of everything Hollyleaf warned him about, Pyre was different from any fox he could've dealt with. She had an intelligence about her that he noticed. More importantly, she hadn't once acted aggressive towards him or Perchfang.

He knew just how quickly that could change. The cub might not have displayed any threats or shown any offense towards them, but Nightfire was well aware of how dangerous Pyre was. He tried keeping his distance from her at first, but he was slowly losing a battle with his emotions. This cub was different from anyone he'd ever met.

"Mothwing thinks that she's getting big enough to be on her own," Perchfang meowed after reaching them. Nightfire's eyes widened in dismay at that. A shudder swept through him at the prospect of being involved in that kind of relationship, not that he had anything against it. "I'm not sure about you, but I'm ready to go back to my regular warrior duties. I miss hanging out with Olivelight and the others."

Embarrassment swept through him as he realized what Perchfang was implying.

They had been spending more time together after the cub was found. He knew what that must have looked like to the other cats. They likely saw the two of them as if they were together, and that thought alone left his stomach twisting in disgust. He certainly wasn't interested in Perchfang that way, and the feelings were mutual.

"I'm not sure if that's going to be easy," he let out a heavy sigh.

He glanced at the cub's sleeping form, suddenly aware of how much bigger she was after a moon of being cared for.

"That's what we both wanted for the cub," Perchfang pointed out. "Now that it's big enough to care for itself, it won't need us anymore."

Nightfire's ears flattened at the thought of giving up everything he worked for over the last moon. He knew Perchfang was right. Keeping the cub around would only lead to trouble. Yet, that didn't stop him from picturing the way it was stuck in that trap. Or the fact that it almost died because of said trap.

"What if she gets stuck in another trap?" he asked warily. It was Perchfang's turn to look at him in confusion. "I'm just saying… if we let her go then there's a chance she could get stuck in another trap. And we won't be around to save her that time. What if she dies alone?"

Perchfang tilted his head to one side in surprise.

"If I didn't know any better, I would think that you actually like being around it," he quipped. Then his eyes widened with disbelief as realization dawned on him. "You actually do like being around it?"

"I wouldn't say that," Nightfire muttered crossly. "But… Seeing as she hasn't tried hurting either of us once, maybe getting rid of her would be a bad idea. She seems to know not to hurt cats she knows."

"And what about the rest of the Clan that's avoided it all this time?" Perchfang asked. "What if the cub sees them as a threat or a snack?"

He thought back to how the cub picked up on the scents of passing cats. The cub had been curious about those scents, but she generally stayed close to where he and Perchfang found her. It was risky to ask someone to test their limits. He knew what would happen if the cub tried attacking anyone else.

"I don't know," he admitted. He glanced at the cub guiltily, knowing full-well she wouldn't be safe if the Clan saw her as a threat. Or if the roles were reversed. "But I do know that she's different. I'm willing to work with her if it comes to that."

Perchfang merely shook his head in disbelief, "I can't believe you're actually putting your trust in a fox kit. And mom thought I was the mousebrained one. If they see an opportunity they won't hesitate to attach us or anyone else for that matter. I may only be a couple moons older than you, but I do know a bad idea when I sense one."

Nightfire's hackles rose with unease when Perchfang left it at that. He sank down to the ground and looked at the cub guiltily once more.