Seventeen

Almost a moon passed since the kits were born. In that time, Dovestar had already begun to notice how the kits seemed to have their own personalities. Leafkit was the loudest of the litter, always mewling for milk or trying to compete with her sister and brother for a warmer spot. Whitekit had the fluffiest coat out of all of them – most likely a trait from her great grandfather, Cloudtail. Mudkit acted like any other tom. He thought he was the biggest kit in the nursery. In spite of not having opened his eyes yet or not being aware of his surroundings, that didn't stop him from pushing his siblings around.

She watched the scene in amusement. She hadn't had the chance to see Flosspelt's kits leave the nursery yet, but she could hear them tussling around the clearing. She couldn't wait for the day her own kits were old enough to share such experiences. Then again, she didn't want them to grow up too quickly either. She cherished every moment with them.

Her ears angled towards the sound of the fox cub as it started getting stronger with each passing day. Though she was pleasantly surprised to find out that the cub hadn't tried hurting anyone yet. Hollyleaf still had her reservations about the fox cub. In fact, she complained about it's stench as often as she could, making a point to remind everyone that a cub was stuck in their territory.

It wasn't as if Dovestar could blame the deputy for feeling that way. She had her own doubts about letting a cub stay in their territory. Foxes were too much of a threat to the Clan to ignore. She heard horror stories of how cats were killed because they thought they could take on something twice their size.

This cub seems different though, she thought while listening to Nightfire and Perchfang talk. The two cats had become close friends since they were both warriors now. She was grateful for that notion. Olivelight still put up a fuss whenever Perchfang tried spending time with her, though she wasn't as terrible to him as they had been when they were apprentices. Maybe this cub will teach them to respect the younger cats when they get older.

"I don't understand why they're letting a fox cub stay in the territory."

"This is going to be a disaster if they continue letting it stay."

Dovestar couldn't help but feel guilty when she realized how nervous everyone was around the subject. Tigerheart had already formed a plan alongside Nightfire and Pepperfoot to keep watch over the cub. She knew that between the three of them, the cub wouldn't make any bad moves. Or at least she hoped that was the case. She had no idea what the future held in store for the Clan, but rearing a fox cub certainly wasn't part of the plan.

It's still just a cub, she reminded herself. It's defenseless and leaving it to fend for itself would be heartless.

She knew Tigerheart meant well when he agreed to look after the cub. The fact that he wanted to help meant more than she could ever admit out loud.

"I'm ordering everyone to give that fox cub a wide berth," Hollyleaf explained when she finally had the chance to join her. "The last thing we need is an innocent cat getting mauled by a fox, especially one that we're feeding."

Dovestar's ears flattened at the prospect of letting any cat experience that.

She understood why Hollyleaf was so concerned. She also found herself wondering if it was worth the risk. Mothwing said that the wounds on the fox were already starting to heal. That in itself was good news, but it also meant the fox cub was regaining the energy it lost while caught in that trap. She was concerned with the possibility of the fox cub hurting anyone that crossed paths with it.

The Clan had only just begun to reestablish itself after the Dark Battle. She had little doubt of the threat that Lightning and his gang posed on them. Letting a fox cub grow in their territory would make things worse. A shiver of unease swept through her at the thought of letting other cats die because of needless mistakes.

"That's a good thing," she let out a quiet sigh. "I'm not sure what's going to happen once it completely regains it's strength, but we need to be weary of it."

"That's an understatement," Hollyleaf muttered under her breath. "I don't know why the others were so desperate to save it in the first place. Foxes are nothing but trouble as far as I'm concerned."

She agreed with the deputy, though she dare not say anything when she thought of how proud Tigerheart had been of Nightfire and Perchfang. She knew somewhere deep down that Mothwing had been right to treat that cub. Despite her misgivings, she couldn't let another innocent creature die because of Twolegs.

Luckily Hollyleaf dropped the subject and left it at that.

Dovestar let out a sigh of relief as she sank into her nest. Her kits were already protesting that their mother left in the first place. After seeing the way Minnowtail treated her kits, she promised herself that she wouldn't act the same way. Though it also meant doting to them as often as she could, and it also meant taking a step back from her leadership. She was grateful that Hollyleaf had been a supportive deputy. Or that she had the support of Mothwing and Tigerheart.

I know I wouldn't be able to lead this Clan without them, she told herself.

...

Nightfire watched the fox cub carefully as it chewed on the mouse Perchfang brought it.

He wasn't sure what led to the ultimate decision to let the cub survive. He'd never seen a fox until then. His mother used to tell horror stories of how foxes would prey on smaller cats that were foolish enough to wander around at night on their own. At the time, he thought they were just kit tales to scare himself and Pepperfoot into listening to her. Now, he knew better.

He saw the way certain cats reacted to the cub's presence. The deputy's reaction hadn't exactly gone unnoticed by everyone. His own mentor looked less than pleased that he and Perchfang wanted to keep it alive. He saw the disappointed look Tigerheart had given him when he and Perchfang decided that they would keep an eye on it. Maroonpelt's reaction was also something to take into consideration. He doubted the others would appreciate having a fox cub on their territory, especially one as hungry as this one.

"You're gonna cause nothing but problems," he growled under his breath.

The young cat flinched when the fox cub finally looked at him.

For all the fear the others had shown around the cub, he suddenly saw something they didn't.

His heart twisted with pity when he saw a light flicker across those beady black eyes. It was almost as if the cub could recognize the fact that he was the reason it survived. Well, he along with the help of Mothwing, Perchfang and Tigerheart. He agreed to keep an eye on the cub and exchange places with Perchfang for as long as the watch was needed. Now, he was beginning to regret that agreement when he realized something.

The cub hadn't shown any signs of aggression towards them since it started recovering. It had a playful streak that could sometimes get out of hand, but that was to be expected for it's age. What took Nightfire by surprise was how the cub stopped when it realized that he or Perchfang were afraid of it. The cub did something that caught the both of them by surprise. It actually nuzzled them, with what could pass for affection.

For the first time since they agreed to keep the cub alive, he was beginning to understand why. Maybe Hollyleaf had been wrong to accuse it of being a 'killer'. The fact that the cub hadn't shown any aggression or that it nuzzled them showed that it appreciated them. Or maybe it saw them as it's parents. Either way, Nightfire soon found himself wishing that he hadn't agreed with this foolish idea. Because now he was starting to feel those same emotions.

"I don't know why your mother abandoned you, but we won't do that," he reassured it as it curled into a tight ball of fluff beside him. He couldn't help but purr at the sight. The cub trusted him enough that it could fall asleep under his watch, and that stirred something deep within him. "You'll be safe with us for as long as you want us around."

He let out a sigh of contentment as he lay beside the cub.

He was slowly drifting asleep when the sound of pawsteps stirred his attention.

"Are you completely out of your mind?" He flinched at the sound of Tigerheart's voice. "What did we say about keeping an eye on that cub?"

"Don't lose my guard around it," he muttered crossly after sitting up. He stifled a groan when Tigerheart narrowed his eyes at both him and the cub. "You know, that cub hasn't once tried attacking me or Perchfang since we started watching it."

"And what makes you think it won't once it gets older?" Tigerheart demanded. Nightfire kept an eye on the cub to make sure that it hadn't heard them or that Tigerheart's presence didn't alert it. "Hollyleaf was right to feel worried about it. Cubs are dangerous enough on their own, but once they grow into adults, they pose a threat to the entire Clan."

Nightfire couldn't help but look down guiltily when he realized Tigerheart made a valid point. As much as he hated to admit it, the cub would grow up. There was no telling what the cub would do once it was old enough to hunt on it's own. He doubted it would need them once that was the case. A knot formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought of it leaving.

He was only just beginning to notice how attached he was to the cub already. It was clearly an instinct for younger creatures to develop that attachment. Aspencreek had warned him that one day he would feel the same desire when he had kits of his own. Maybe this was what she had in mind, as strange as that seemed.

"I'm sorry," he muttered crossly. He knew better than to argue with his former mentor. "But I also know that keeping an eye on it is the right thing to do."

Even if it killed him inside to watch the cub leave. Even if he already formed some attachment to the cub. He knew at the end of the day, he would have to say goodbye when the time came.

Tigerheart's face softened when he saw how shaken Nightfire was by this. He let out a sigh of his own and closed the distance between them. Nightfire struggled to maintain his composure when his former mentor nudged him gently.

"Look, I know it isn't easy, but the cub is better now," he reassured him. "Just try to avoid getting attached to it, otherwise letting it go will be that much harder."

Nightfire glanced at the cub guiltily, knowing full-well that it was already too late. Still, he nodded in agreement to that and straightened up a little.

Once that was established, Tigerheart let him return to his guard duties.

Relief swept through him the moment the dark tabby was gone. He couldn't help but glance at the cub once again, suddenly feeling the knot from earlier return. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He knew somewhere deep down what those feelings were. As he reached the cub and returned to it's side, he suddenly found himself staring at it's sleeping form.

He wasn't sure where those emotions came from or why he felt them in the first place. The only thing he did know was that keeping the cub alive had been the right decision.