Being Replaced

Part 7

I blinked open my eyes, yawning and glancing around groggily.

The den was empty.

I jolted up, scanning the den again. Nothing. I scrambled to my feet and bolted to the entrance, hoping she was just getting water to see that tom, Mint, pawing at her as she ran around him.

Staring in confusion, I watched for a moment before they noticed me.

"Maple! You're awake! Finally, I thought you'd sleep forever!" Howl purred.

"Good afternoon." Mint greeted. I glanced up, noticing it wasn't dusk yet.

"Hello, what are you doing here?" I asked him causiously.

"Well, I was thinking. I don't get many visitors so it gets quite lonely here sometimes...and was wondering if you'd mind me traveling with you to the clans?" He mewed, tilting his head as he asked.

"I thought you didn't like the clans. What did you call them? Stuck up and secretive?" I purred in amusement. He smiled sheepishly at me.

I wasn't sure if I could trust Mint. He hadn't shown any reason to not, but I still didn't know him very well. On the other hand, he had been on his own a lot longer than me so he could help me defend Howl if I needed.

"Fine. But we are leaving after we eat" I mewed. He nodded.

"Meet back here?" He mewed.

"Sure. Come on Howl" I called, I definitely wasn't going to leave her alone when I was gone. And I don't trust him to watch her yet.

"Yay! Will you teach me to fish?" She mewed. I nodded as we padded to the river.

"Hey, instead would you mind me learning as well?" He mewed.

I felt a strange uncomfortablness, the feeling you get when you "teach" someone more skilled than yourself. Like I could feel he didn't need to be taught but asked for some reason.

"Sure" I muttered, heading over and taking steps into the water.

"You start by standing deep enough in the water for fish to swim around your paws. Then you need to be as still as possible as you wait for the fish to forget you are there" I explained, mostly to Howl but loud enough for Mint.

They both padded in, and I took note of how big Howls gotten. Where I stood up to my belly it was up to her mid belly, the occasional wave splashing over her back. Of course Mint was much taller than us and he only had wet legs.

"You ready yourself by lifting a single paw, and then you wait for a fish to be close enough and....." Then I swiped out with my paw sharply and hooked a fish with my claws. I reared back on my hind legs and tossed it to the bank.

Howl looked at me in excited awe, like she does each time while Mint just watched calmly.

I saw him look back at the water then, quick as a viper shot a paw out and hooked a fish.

I blinked in surprise, hoping it didn't show on my face. Do I praise him? What if he thought I was treating him like a kit? But like, he did do a good job?

"Nice job!" I said aloud, hoping he wouldn't take it as me coddling him.

"Wooow! Why did you ask for help when you are already so good?" Howl asked innocently.

"Beginners luck, probably." He purred.

He pulled it out of the water. He settled on shore, glancing at me for a moment before tucking into his fish.

Howl splashed in the water a bit, tryna catch a fish but was unsuccessful and padded soggily over to me. I groomed the water out of her fur while she dug into the fish.

I finished off the fish and we headed off, Howl actually walking for once.

I walked in silence, listening to Howl and Mint chatting back and forth. This was the most energy I've seen this kit have in a while, considering how sickly she had been before.

We walked, watching the sun set and the moon rise high in the sky.

"Do you guys always travel at night?" Mint asked.

"Yes, it's easier to....tell my path in the dark" I replied, glancing at the foggy figures reflected in the water next to us, an extra figure shown.

I wasn't quite sure if I believed in the star cat clan yet but I knew that cat was leading us to the clans.

"Really? Do you read the star patterns or something?" He asked.

"Ya, something like that." I said bluntly, glancing at Howl who seemed asleep on her feet.

"Howl come here" I mewed.

She didn't even respond and just padded over, and I helped her up onto my back.

Mint looked at us strange, I'm sure we were a sight to see now that Howl had started a growth spurt. Her legs dangled down a bit and I'm sure it looked awkward.

"What, never seen a kitten back ride?" Howl muttered to Mint. He just smiled back and we continued walking.

"So, wanna teach me how to tell directions from the stars?" Mint purred after a bit.

I pinned my ears back in embarrassment, he was going to think I'm crazy.

"Well the thing is....I can't read stars either.." I mewed uncomfortably.

If he was going to join the clans, he was gonna hear alot about Starclan anyway. So if he can't handle thinking a dead cat can guide me, then he won't be able to handle their entire belief.

"What? But you said that you can tell your path at night? Do you actually have no idea where you are going." He mewed.

"No! I know where I'm going!" I mewed defensively "Well...I suppose I actually don't know where I'm going...but I'm following someone who does!" I explained.

"You are following someone? I haven't seen anyone but you guys pass by." He mewed, confused.

"Well...the thing is, I'm following a dead cat. A ghost." I mewed.

"What? Like a Starclan cat?" He mewed and I pricked my ears in surprise.

"You know about Starclan?" I mewed in surprise.

"I mean not much but I know that's what clans think their dead go." He mewed.

"Well...Howls mother is showing me the way to the clans." I explained.

"Howls mother? You aren't Howls mother?" He mewed.

"No, I'm not Howl's mother? I'm only 9 moons old!" I mewed. He shrugged in a 'you never know' manner.

"I thought you were pretty young to have kits but I wasn't about to pry" he mewed.

"No, Howls mother was killed. I'm bringing her back to the clans so they can protect her." I explained.

"Oh, is her father there?" He mewed.

"No, her father is who killed her mother." I mewed quietly, glancing back to make sure she was asleep.

"Oh." He mewed, ears flicking back a moment before letting the conversation die.