Foxgaze's Haunting

Chapter 13

(Cat above is other kit found in the woods)
Lightning split through the clouds and thunder rumbled like a mountain was falling over. Foxgaze blinked her eyes open and looked around. I need to get the dawn patrol she thought groggily.

Stretching she got to her paws. One moon had passed since Willowfur had given birth to her ill-fated kits. The queen had been delighted when the adopted kit had 'survived'. The tiny grey and white she-kit was named Starkit. Foxgaze chuckled to herelf That will be interesting if she gets made leader.

Foxgaze poked Glazepool with her paw .The fluffy she-cat rolled over and meowed groggily "Foxgaze? Is that you?"

"Yes Glazepool. Hey, now that you're up, can you and Cloudpaw come on the dawn patrol?" the deputy meowed "Firefur! Spottedbreeze!"

The two warriors lifted their heads groggily. Firefur yawned "Can't I get any sleep theses days? I was on the dawn patrol yesterday".

"Oh come on Firefur. You don't think MountainClan cats don't care about borders do you?" Glazepool mewed.

The tom grumbled "I'll go get Rabbitpaw". and got to his paws. Spottedbreeze stretched and shook out her fur.

Once Rabbitpaw and Cloudpaw were woken up, the patrol prepared to set out. Dawnstar shook out her fur and stepped out of her den and meowed "Can I come too?"

Foxgaze nodded and shivered. Cold droplets of water slid down her fur and dripped onto the ground. With Dawnstar leading the way, the patrol set out. The forest was wet and cold in the morning rain.

Okay, borders set. We'd better hunt, the freshkill pile was ruined by the rain last night and Stormfeather and Grassblade don't like to be hungry. Foxgaze stopped in a clearing and turned around to the patrol. She meowed in a low voice, not to scare away the prey "Go hunting for a while and bring back as much as you can".

The cats nodded and padded off into the forest. Foxgaze flicked her ears to get the rain out of them. Any sensible prey would be hiding from the rain but we should hunt anyway. Foxgaze opened up her mouth and took in the scents of the forest and hopefully prey. She paused as she heard a rustling in the rotten leaves. Creeping forward, Foxgaze saw a drenched rat cowering at the roots of an oak tree. With a quick lunge Foxgaze broke the rat's neck easily. It squeaked feebily before falling silent.

It was a large rat, nearly a tail length long from whiskers to tail. The crooked yellow teeth bulging from its mouth glinted menacingly in the light. Foxgaze carried it to where the patrol was carrying their prey. Cloudpaw fluffed up her fluffy tabby and white fur and huffed "I've never seen a day this wet during leafbare".

Foxgaze nodded and looked at everyone's catch. Dawnstar carried a fluffy squirrel and its tail nearly brushed the muddy ground. Foxgaze gestured with her tail towards the marked path and meowed "Let's go".

After a just a few moments of walking Foxgaze smelled something that made her narrow her eyes. The reek made her feel an oncoming sense of dread. Fox. Fresh scent.

Cloudpaw bumped into Foxgaze when she stopped abrubtly. The fluffy apprentice hissed in annoyance "Hey! What was that for!"

Foxgaze growled through clenched teeth "A fox was here". Her fur bristled half in fear and half in fury "Looks like we have company".

Just as the apprentice was about to reply a loud bark split the air. Dawnstar screeched and jumped towards the fox "There's a kit too! I can hear mewling!".

The pine needles crunched under the cat's paws as the patrol burst into the clearing. A big fox was snarling at them with cold yellow eyes. Foxgaze felt her anger resurface again like a fish from the mud of a pond. Shrieking in fury she through herself at the fox and hissed at it.

It was an easy fight. When the fox got a few scratches on its nose it yelped in pain and retreated into the forest.

Foxgaze nosed the tabby she-kit gently to see if she was alright. The brown tabby and white she-kit looked unharmed but she reeked of fox and crow food that masked her sweet kit scent. She felt a stab of pity towards the young kit.

Firefur narrowed his eyes and hissed in anger "Some rougue must have had this kit and left it here to die!"

"How terrible!" Glazepool cried as she licked the tiny kit. She looked younger than one moon.

Foxgaze was unsure. "Now, we don't know for sure" she turned her gaze to Dawnstar "Can we take it in?". A kit this young would die by itself.

Dawnstar stared unblinking at the kit as she rasped "Yes, of course".

The young she-kit squeaked and opened her kit blue eyes. Foxgaze purred in pleasure I'll take care of you little one. You'll be an amazing warrior.

*************
Foxgaze let her tail brush over the grass. Her fur was on end and her claws unsheathed for this was were she had last met Brightmoon, the insane medicine cat.

As if on cue a cold mew hissed behind her "Looking for someone Foxgaze?"

The deputy whipped around and saw the bright white she-cat slinking around her. Foxgaze hissed "Who...or what I should ask what are you?"

"Foxgaze, you are foolish. Look at my paws, look at my ears, look at my eyes you rat brain" Brightmoon snarled. Foxgaze studied her shape and saw that something was oddly framiliar about her. Foxgaze gasped She has my same features.

Brightmoon chuckled darkly "Even a trout could see what you failed to see. Darling, I am you".