CHAPTER SEVEN
Wind buffeted against Smoke's fur as she followed her mother down the mountains. Why her mother had chosen to leave their nest during the coldest part of leafbare was beyond Smoke's imagination. She hated the cold weather and wished they were back in their small cave. At least being surrounded by her siblings had made her feel warm. Now they were vulnerable from attacks on either side and the cold.
They were heading towards what Smoke's mother had called the Horseplace. Apparently it was a safer spot than the mountains could provide. Smoke wasn't even sure what a 'Horseplace' was or what it would look like when they got there. All she knew was that she and her siblings had been forced out in the open. And that thought left her feeling uneasy as she glanced over her shoulder at every noise she heard. She knew it was pointless to worry about every little noise.
Predators could be lurking around every corner, she silently reminded herself. Or enemy Clan cats… do they even live in a place like this?
Smoke's lips curled at the thought of the Clans living in a place like this. She could already imagine them doing just that. From what Frost had described them as, they were capable of living in any territory they claimed as their own. They just kicked out whatever cat was living there prior, or they forced their ways upon them. Either way, Smoke didn't entirely enjoy hearing about the Clans from the way her mother explained in stories.
"We're almost there," Frost meowed when she noticed that her kits were lagging behind. Smoke's ears pricked forward with interest. Despite the blustery winds that kept buffeting her fur, she was interested in the new territory Frost had taken them to. "When we get there make sure that you three behave," their mother added after Luna and Dusk began mewling in excitement.
"What's so great about the Horse-whatever anyways?" Dusk muttered after getting pummeled by Luna's paws.
Smoke grinned at her sister thankfully before bounding after Frost. She knew that Luna would always try and put their brother in his place when he got out of paw. Though, Smoke was fully aware that she wasn't much better when it came to crossing the line. Maybe that was why she preferred sticking with her mother. It always felt safer to her knowing that her mother was always there with them.
Our mother would never do anything to hurt us, she thought with a wave of her tail. She's made so many sacrifices already… I know we wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for what she did for us.
"There are groups of cats who live nearby," Frost explained. Her voice was wary as she spoke, as if she was afraid of what her kits would think of her stories. "You see, your father comes from the group of cats that live in a marshy area. I wanted you to meet him but…" She trailed off for a moment when Smoke looked at her curiously. "It doesn't matter, at least you will be safe and warm in the nest," she finished.
Smoke exchanged an anxious look with her sister. Something told her that there was more to mother's story than she was letting on. Who was their father, and why had he abandoned them in the first place? Rogue fathers didn't usually spend time with their kits, but at least he could have been there when they were born.
Her fur brushed against Frost's by the time they reached what appeared to be an odd looking structure. Smoke gazed up at the nest in disbelief. Part of the roof was sagging to one side with piles of snow covering it. Branches jutted out from sides of the nest as if they had been torn in half. Smoke could see what looked like the remains of an old fire that had caught on the nest. Beside the leaning nest was an open field full of wild bushes that had taken over it.
"What is that stuff?" she asked with a wrinkle of her nose.
It smelled weird, like something that belonged in a Twoleg dump as her mother had described them.
"That is grass," Frost purred. "It doesn't smell bad, it just looks different because you have never seen grass." Smoke and her siblings looked at Frost as if she had grown wings. This whole idea of staying in a nest had sounded fun at first, but now Smoke wasn't sure. "Come on, we're going inside," Frost murmured.
She led the way forward towards the leaning nest. An uncomfortable feeling swept over Smoke when they reached the nest's entrance. The wood underpaw made an eerie creaking noise as Frost stepped on to it. Their paws left strange marks on the ground as Smoke scampered after her mother. The last thing she wanted was to be left behind!
"This warm stuff is perfect for us," Frost meowed when they reached a pile of golden bushes. "It's called hay," she explained when Luna gave it a disdainful sniff. "And can you hear the mice? They're scurrying around which means we'll have plenty of food."
Dusk's eyes glowed at the prospect of his first hunting trip. Smoke rolled her own eyes and wondered just how far he would go. Dusk wasn't the best hunter in the world. She had seen him practicing his crouch. He lacked patience and cunning – something a hunter desperately needed. He was more of a fighter than anything else.
"I call this nest!" Luna exclaimed when she jumped onto the highest bed of hay. Smoke watched her sister warily, half-expecting Luna to fall over from the wobbling hay. Instead Luna circled the hay until she found a comfortable spot to lay in. "Now this is more like it," she purred.
"I'll fetch something to eat," Frost told them. "Get some rest, you three, it's going to be a long night."
Smoke lay near the bottom of the hay, still afraid of it falling down. She preferred the ground over Twoleg stuff any day.
Once she was settled in her nest Smoke's eyes began to close. She was exhausted from all of the traveling Frost had put them through. They had started early in the night and Frost had refused to stop even during the terrible storm that still raged outside. Smoke was finally able to rest even though relaxation was impossible for her inside this strange nest.
…
Her eyes flashed open when she heard the sound of paws scraping against wood. Smoke jumped to her paws in surprise when she found herself sleeping near the leaning pile of hay. Beside her slept Dusk and Luna. Frost's scent was still fresh, which told her that mother had left not too long ago. She scanned the nest for signs of her mother after shaking scraps of hay off her fur. Surely Frost could not have wandered too far without making sure her kits were safe?
The smoky black kit stalked out of the nest, eager to explore her surroundings and search for mother. Maybe Frost had done some exploring of her own. Smoke's ears pricked forward for any sounds of danger. Frost had taught her kits to always listen to your surroundings. If there was any danger around, run and hide until the danger passed. Smoke was no coward, but she didn't know any fighting moves to defend herself if it came to a fight.
I'll teach myself when I'm older, she promised.
Smoke raised her chin when she reached the longer grass that Frost had told her about. With the sun out she could see why Frost had described it the way she had. It was a dense shade of green that covered most of the field. A few broken patches of wood stretched out across certain areas of the field. Smoke picked up a faint mysterious scent when her nose touched the ground.
"What are you doing in my field?" Smoke paused in mid-step when a screech sounded from nearby. "This is my territory kit, and anyone caught in it will be flayed!"
Smoke didn't have time to respond as she felt something slam into her ribs. She yelped in surprise at the sudden impact and tried to find out who had hit her.
A tortoiseshell she-cat with spiky fur was standing over her, hackles raised and lips curled in the beginnings of a snarl. Smoke stared at the stranger in alarm. She had made a her first mistake out on her own by trespassing into someone's territory.
"Are you going to tell me what you are doing in my territory?" the tortoiseshell demanded.
She kept a paw on Smoke's neck as she pinned Smoke to the ground.
"I'm sorry!" Smoke squeaked as she tried wriggling free from her capture's grasp.
"I'm going to teach you why cats avoid my territory," the tortoiseshell spat. Smoke winced when a claw was unsheathed just above the fur along her neck. "Next time you decide to hunt here, you'll end up with more than just a scar."
Smoke let out a cry of pain when the tortoiseshell's claw sliced across her neck.
The pain felt more intense than Smoke could have imagined. All the while she could hear the stranger purring in amusement as she watched the kit struggle.
"Let her go!" Smoke's eyes widened in panic when she heard Luna shriek the words. The pressure above her neck lifted as the tortoiseshell spun around. "Leave my sister alone!" Luna repeated herself.
Smoke turned her head slightly to see that Dusk was with her. His eyes were wide with terror as he realized that this she-cat could easily kill his sister if she wanted to. Smoke felt her heart nearly skip a beat with realization as she too understood what this she-cat was planning to do with her.
"Ha, little kits trying to take on a fully grown cat? I'd like to see that day come!" the stranger crowed.
Before she could spit another insult a blur of white and gray fur crashed into her. Smoke gaped at Frost as her mother drove her claws across the stranger's shoulders. The tortoiseshell's teeth clacked in the air, just barely missing Frost's muzzle. With a snarl of fury and vengeance Frost whipped around and slashed her claws across the tortoiseshell's own muzzle. The tortoiseshell stumbled back in surprise at Frost's sudden attack and shook off droplets of blood.
"If I ever catch you hurting my kits again, your pelt isn't the only thing that will be missing!" Frost snarled. The venom in her voice sent chills down Smoke's spine. "Leave now, or I might change my mind now," Frost added in a hiss.
The tortoiseshell's eyes flashed with anger, but she knew better than to stick around. With a final glare at Smoke, she bounded away with her tail tucked between her legs. Frost turned on Smoke in the following heartbeat, her eyes wide with horror when she saw the injuries her kit had endured.
"Stars, I'm so sorry!" she wailed when she buried her nose into Smoke's fur. Smoke ground her teeth and struggled not to show the pain. "I should have taken you with me…"
"Mother, will she be okay?" Luna demanded.
Her voice was shaken with anxiety and fear as she watched them.
"I'm fine," Smoke mewed.
Even that was a struggle as she tried to push her mother off. Her eyes widened as she fought off another wave of pain.
"No, you're not," Frost whispered. "You need a… a special cat who knows about herbs." Her ears flattened in uncertainty as she looked at her daughter. "I must take you to this cat before your wound gets infected."
Smoke was about to argue when Frost picked her up by the scruff. She tried not to cry out in pain as the wound on her neck was stretched. Obediently, Dusk and Luna followed their mother as she led them out of the field.
"Where are we going?" Dusk asked when silence fell upon the family.
"We are going to ShadowClan for help."