Rise of Our Clans: Book 1: Parting Gift

11

  Asp brought Valley River and her new friends away from the scrap yard, pausing at a thunderpath. He opened his mouth, tasting the air and listening for monsters. He looked both ways before deciding it was safe and barreling across. His three followers chased after him into the woods on the other side.
  Valley River watched a bee buzzing around some dandelions on the side of the thunderpath before hurrying to catch up with Shard, Whiskers, and Asp. She kept her senses open, keen on finding where the others went. She smelled cat, and smelled the spot where it came from. "This is Hawk Dive! It's fresh!" She trilled excitedly.
  "Who?" Shard questioned. "Hawk Dive, one of the cats in my group." Valley River followed the trail, she found a buried mouse and realized he must be hunting. By himself or with a partner, Valley River did not know yet.
  "Valley River?" A familiar voice sounded just ahead. Valley River pressed forward through a bush to see a dark ginger tom with a thrush dropped at his paws. "Hawk Dive!" Valley River purred, running up to him and pressing her head into his fur with a purr. It felt good to see something familiar in this strange environment.
  "After Mossy Oak told us how a two legged creature captured you and placed you in a large monstrous beast, we all thought you must be dead!" Hawk Dive purred. "But you're alive! And have company..." His yellow eyes looked behind her. "I wouldn't have found you all again without these four." Valley River flicked her tail to signal her companions forward.
  "Greetings," Hawk Dive bowed down and stretched out a forepaw. "My name is Hawk Dive. And who are you?" He asked. Valley River then introduced her companions to Hawk Dive and described her escape from the twolegs and journey back to the forest.
  He showed he was paying attention by nodding his head and asking questions. "Let me just gather up my mouse and I'll bring you to the camp. There's a few things that happened while you're gone that I think Mossy Oak should explain." He said solemnly, and Valley River wondered what he meant.
  "And this is where we depart. If you need me, you know where to find me." Asp padded back where he came. "See you!" Shard meowed.
  After gathering his prey, Hawk Dive led Shard, Whiskers, and Valley River through the forest to a clump of brambles, under was a hollow in the earth with crevices where a few nests lay. It was empty aside from a white and gray tabby. "White River!" Valley River purred, rushing up to her littermate.
  "Valley River! We thought you were dead!" White River stood up. "I thought I was too! But I survived, and I escaped the twolegs. Where are Mossy Oak and the others?" Valley River flicked her tail. White River hesitated, glancing at Hawk Dive. "Mossy Oak will tell you when he gets back." She said, giving Valley River a sinking feeling. What happened to the others in the group?
  The uneasy feeling persisted when Mossy Oak appeared over the hollow carrying a squirrel. "Mossy Oak." Valley River meowed. His eyes widened in shock and he nearly slipped on his way into the hollow. "Valley River! You're alive!" He cried with joy. "Yes! I'll tell you what happened tonight. Where's Rabbit Scar, Starry Night, Little Pool or Eagle Flight?" Even though she looked around the makeshift camp, she could not spot her tribemates anywhere.
  "We split up." Mossy Oak stated bitterly. "When we found this place, Narrow Cliff and I had a disagreement on where to live. Rabbit Scar, Starry Night, and Little Pool stayed with Narrow Cliff, while Hawk Dive and White River went with me." Mossy Oak looked at the campmates. He also looked at Valley River's extra companions with a wary expression.
  "And Eagle Flight?" Valley River pressed. "I don't even know how to describe it," Mossy Oak sighed. "We were attacked by a red creature with a long snout and a bushy tail. It looked like a small wolf with larger wars and red fur. It injured Little Pool and killed Eagle Flight." Mossy Oak's head bowed in respect for the lost tribemate.
  "A fox..." Valley River breathed. "A what?" Mossy Oak blinked. "A fox. A kittypet named Sunflower told me about them." Valley River repeated. "What's a kittypet?" Mossy Oak's tail twitched.
   Seeing how she had no way of explaining what a kittypet was without explaining her journey, Valley River began to tell Mossy Oak of how she was captured by twolegs, how she escaped with Shard, and how they were soon joined by Whiskers, a former kittypet herself. "Kittypets can't all be that bad if there's some of them like Whiskers." Hawk Dive meowed with a glance at the calico.
  "But you don't want to be one!" Shard warned. "You can't catch your own prey, or run in the forest. And they take you to the cutter so you can't have kits!" He exclaimed. Hawk Dive and White River gasped in surprise. "I don't want to have kits, but to not even have the option?" White River bristled.
//
AN: please spay/neuter your cats and keep them indoors
//
  "I know, it's horrible." Shard agreed. "I haven't been to this so-called cutter, and I'm a kittypet." Whiskers stated with a twitch of her fluffy tail. "Well, most kittypets go." Shard countered.
  "Well. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, so long as you contribute to the group." Mossy Oak decided. "Right. I'll go out and get bedding. Valley River, do you want to come with me?" Shard questioned. Before she could respond, Mossy Oak did so for her.
  "I think she should rest a bit. She's traveled farther than any of us, and she's expecting kits." The brown and cream tom stated. Valley River bowed her head. "I'm sorry, Shard. I'd love to get fresh bedding with you, but Mossy Oak is right. I'm tired and I need rest." She said, joining her mate in his soft mossy nest.
  It felt good to once again snuggle into Mossy Oak's soft fur. She felt the kits inside of her stirring once more as she sank off to sleep.