-[ Warriors: With The Fallen ]-

Part One: Chapter Nine~ Rose'kit

  So, the group started off for Large Tree. The gathering-place of the four clans. More like three, since Cave'clan unusually disappeared when she was a kit.

  "To be honest, I don't really want to go to this," Night'paw confessed to Rose'paw, "I kinda just want to be with my family right now, because, well you know..."

  Rose'paw draped her tail over her back. "I get it — It's okay, this thing will be over in a heartbeat,"

  She gave a small nod back. Rose'paw was a little excited. She very much appreciated what Feather'paw did, so this would all just be a waste of time if she did not enjoy herself.

  Cloud'clan had shrunk quite a bit. Hopefully the ill cats will get better soon. Who knows what will happen if another clan just attacked them!

  Rose'paw chatted up a storm with Night'paw on some stupid fluff-topic after a couple heartbeats of just walking. What position is the best to sleep in, or something.

  She gazed around the changing forest. Rose'paw had not come over to this section too much. The new terrain scared her a little. Everything out of the known scared her a little,

  Her eyes accidentally locked with Cackle'flame's small green ones. She immediately gave a smile.

  "My love, come over here," She continued to smile, but the ends of her words slurred a bit.

A constant reminder of what would happen if she spoke out.

~*~

  ' The queen shoved her into the rough bark of a tree. A strong paw pressed against her much smaller frame. Snarls flared up the night air. She struggled loosely to break free.

  Rough coughs broke loose from the stress. Like her throat was trying to close in on itself.

  "Stop making those noises, you foxdunged-kit," She growled in a low hiss.

  She couldn't talk back a reply. Her mind grew a bit foggy.

  Loosing her will to fight back for a release, she stopped pushing back. Cackle'fire let her slump down onto the mossy Green'leaf floor. Looking around, Rose'kit didn't know where she was. Somewhere deep, deep in the forest.

  "How could you do that to me?" She snapped. "Crying so loudly — They'll think I'm a monster!"

  Rose'kit coughed out a reply; her throat sore and burning. "I— I so... sor.." It broke off in a wheeze.

  "Shut it. If you say anything about this, or anything else, you disgraceful brat," The 'queen' leaned closer to her, and spat into her ear, "it won't end well." '

~*~

  "Rose'paw?" Night'paw's soft mew sounded, "Rose'paw, are you alright? I don't think I'll be able to handle it if you go... distant too," She used 'distant' in the same tone Leopard'dream had when he had spoken about little Brown'kit and the other ill cats.

  She snapped out of her daze. Rose'paw turned to grin at her. She shoved away those bitter memories. Those things only brought one down.

  "I'm still here! I just was, like, out of it for a second," She bumped into her, "Remember? We're always going to have each other! Always!"

  Night'paw gave a smile back, "Always."

  Then, there opened up the wide valley of Large Tree.

——

A/N: This is completely random, but I'm changing Rose'paw to being born in April, and it's currently February of the following year.