The Formation Of Butterflies

Chapter 2

Butterfly padded across the clearing following her mother. She'd spent the past few days learning about prey hiding spots and Flower was adamant that she needed to learn more. Butterfly was pretty sure they'd explored every possibility but her mother was determined to find every way possible to prevent her from hunting. And the most annoying part about it? She was proud of it. Oftentimes Butterfly could spot the she-cat bragging and boasting to her friends about the lengths and precautions she was willing to make for her dear,dear kits. She'd criticise Sunrise and Squirrel as well, telling her friends about all their mistakes and missteps. It was infuriating to listen too.
"Flower," a yowl echoed across the clearing and her mother stopped her eyes rolling in a massive circle.
"What does he want now?" she muttered. Flower's tail flicked and swayed with aggravation behind her. 
   A large powerful golden tom was padding up to them. His large green eyes pierced into them, his emotions conflicting. He had long fur that trailed along his leg and tail. His mere presence could embark a sense of power...but not for all.
"Well?" Flower asked as he got closer, her tail flicked with impatience.
"Have you seen Forest today?" He asked, ignoring her impatience. There was a rather anxious edge to his mew. Her mother's eyes narrowed.
"You mean youhaven't?" Butterfly recognised that tone, it was the brewing before the storm. She wondered if Sunrise was beginning to regret even asking the question.
The leader shifted uncomfortably on his paws before making his reply. "I think he must have just gone out for a wander." It was clear that Sunrise wanted to drop the conversation there but Flower persisted on her long tail giving subtle irritated flicks behind her.
"He's a father now! He can't just go off on walks whenever he feels like it!" Now that tail was lashing like a snake desperately trying to leap for its prey. Her words came out with so much fury and disappointment that they could have rattled even the stars.
  To his credit though Sunrise didn't back away, in fact he stood still letting Flower scream at him hysterically. Slowly and carefully he spoke his tone, taking on that of a mother trying to comfort her kit. "He's still a cat, he must have just gone for a little wander. I'm sure he'll be back." The Tom even seemed to be so comfortable in his form of leadership in arrogance that he ran his tail along his back in further comfort to prove that
  Flower shook him off, glaring at him. "You better find him," she snarled. Butterfly was sure that she was about to stalk off again before Sunrise opened his mouth. She couldn't help but wince in anticipation of what he may say but she was taken off guard in pleasant surprise.
"Are you finally going to start taking her hunting?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.
"I'm just going to carry on showing her the basic hiding spots," Flower answered curtly, this time actually starting to walk away.
"It's about time you actually started teaching her. She's 7 moons old," Sunrise persisted on, calling out from behind her.
"Yeah," Butterfly piped up as well "I think it's about time I learned." She felt a lot more confident and sure in her words having the leader back her up. 
  Flower's head whipped round, her green eyes skipping over her kit and landing on Sunrise once again.
"Quite frankly it's non of your business," she snapped.
"Oh but it is. I think it'd help if I came along as well. Soon she's going to be a young cat and not even know how to hunt. I'd like to start making progress with her." He explained calmly. Butterfly's paws tingled with excitement and hope.
"What about Forest?" Her mother asked.
"I'll arrange for a couple of cats to go and find him," he said, calling over two cats who'd been lazing around in the camp watching. One was a pure snowy white tom, with long ruffled hair. Mice The other was someone Butterfly instantly recognised, a dark ginger she-cat only a bit older than her mother.
"I see you've lost him again," she mewed coldly. Her frostbitten eyes intent on Flower.
"Poppy," she greeted her. It was the only time Butterfly ever heard desperation in her mother's mew, the only time she ever seemed to stumble. "I hope you find him. I trust you to be the best cat for it."
Poppy snorted "If only you thought so highly of my kit."
"It's not that I don't like her she's just really too irresponsible to be around-" Flower broke off. The she-cat had already walked off with Mice following her.
"You really need to just say sorry," Butterfly told her.
    The feud between the pair of them had been dragging on for moons now. Butterfly could hardly remember a time where they were friends and Flower wasn't just groveling in front of her. She knew it pained her mother for them to be so separate but at the same time she had no one else to blame but herself. She'd managed to make her daughter Squirrel the most isolated cat in the group by constantly spreading rumours of her awful parenting skills. Butterfly didn't even think she was all that reckless and half the time she wasn't even sure where Flower even got her exaggerated theories from,yet she still remained too stubborn to let go.
    Unfortunately, Flower ignored her just shaking her head and moving on, her tail signaling for the rest of them to follow. Sunrise padded up next to her making Butterfly feeling rather left behind as she padded along after them.

It wasn't long until Sunrise asked what was going on. His voice was serine and curious.
"What's been going on between you and Poppy?" He asked.
"Nothing." It was clear that she wanted to end the conversation right there and then but Butterfly answered for her. He may be able to convince her.
"She's been convincing everyone that Squirrel is a highly reckless young she-cat who shouldn't be allowed anywhere near kits." Butterfly sighed a little, this whole thing had been going on for way too long.
"Oh is that so," Sunrise mused, his head tilting in thought "what exactly has she done?"
Flower let out an exasperated sigh, it was clear that despite herself she still aches desperately for somebody to talk to about it.
"She's been letting the kits tackle each other to the floor and chase each other to wherever they may please." She explained.
"So normal kit games?" Sunrise didn't sound much impressed by her answer yet his voice still managed to hold little judgement. Butterfly couldn't help but be impressed with just how open minded the clan leader may be.
"Not just that though. She also tried to teach Vole to hunt just outside the camp!"
"A couple of inches outside of the camp," Butterfly corrected her. She wasn't going to let Flower paint Squirrel to be a worse cat then she actually was.
Surprisingly, Sunrise didn't scorn or lecture instead he simply once again placed his around Flower's back. This time she didn't shake it off.
"I know it must have been hard losing your first litter," he began. Even from behind she could see Flower's whole body begin to tense. Butterfly's eyes widened, she hadn't heard anything of this other litter. I guess I just always assumed we were her first. "But kits need to be given the space to grow up and play. You can't can't take out all of your grief and anger on Squirrel." Flower mumbled something inaudible and Sunrise ran his tail down her back one more time before lightly letting it sway behind him once again.

"Right, Butterfly, show me how you'd go about finding prey." Sunrise prompted. They'd come across an open clearing of luscious green meadows. Flowers bloomed in the grasses radiating all different colours, red, orange, blue, violet. It was a rather marvellous sight and the sun beaming its illuminating reflection onto it only made it all the more beautiful. Her mother sat a bit off watching her with concerned eyes but her posture remained uncharacteristically relaxed,probably due to her conversation with Sunrise.
   "Well I suppose first I look for possible places then I smell," she replied,her eyes already scanning the fields.
"And what sort of things do you look for?" He asked.
"Burrows, bushes, the sort of places where prey might hide."
"Do you see any?"
Butterfly scrutinised the fields until her eyes finally landed on something. A small dark whole in the ground hidden between the grass. "Over there," she pointed out, excitedly flicking her tail towards it. Am I really going to get to hunt?
"Good, now can you smell any mice?" Swiftly, Butterfly raised her nose up desperate in excitement to catch a whiff. She nodded.
"Right then let's creep up on it. Follow my lead," He instructed, dropping into a soft padding crouch. Obediently, Butterfly followed mimicking his every paw step until they finally reached the mouse. It was a small little creature, brown body with wiry fur and a long winding pink tail. Its charcoal black eyes were fixed on its foraging and its tiny pink nose continuously twitched. Butterfly didn't even bother to ask what to do before just going for it, to overcome the excitement of the hunt. Carelessly, she pounced on the creature swiping it up with her claws.
Sunrise chuckled behind her. "Aren't you going to make a fine little hunter." Butterfly grinned,her eyes glistening with pride.
"Well done Butterfly," Flower praised, nuzzling her on the head.
The moment of joy was abruptly broken up by a yowling cat bolting across the meadows. Flower's gaze snapped around as the cat came to a halt.
"Just where have you been?!" She growled. It was her father,Forest. His eyes were wide and frantic.
"The upwalkers, they've destroyed all of the meadows on the east!" He was gasping for breath, his sides heaving.
"What?Overnight?" Sunrise questioned, while his voice slightly wavered his face betrayed nothing.
"All of it's gone. What do we do?"
Everyone turned to the leader in wait of an answer. "We'll wait it out. Hopefully that's all the land that needs to be taken."