Autumn's World

Epilogue

Autumn watched as three young Atorinas played in the grass of the clearing.

"I gotcha!"

"You're it!"

"You bit my tail!"

"Hey watch it!

Autumn chuckled. "Tiger! Summer! Fall! It's time for dinner!"

All three kits ran up to their mother just as Maddy padded up with two mice and a vole in her jaws.

The golden she-kit, Summer, yanked on one of the mice. "I'm hungry!"

The tabby kit, Tiger, pushed her out of the way. "I'm getting the first bite!"

The runt, Fall, stepped up to his mother and nuzzled in her belly fur, his leafy wings catching the sunlight and bringing back memories of the cat Autumn once loved, hence naming the kit Fall Junior.

Maddy placed the fresh kill down and let all three kits dig in. "It's a nice day. Prey is abundant."

Autumn nodded. "Fall would have loved to hunt in this weather." She looked towards Junior. "He's so much like him."

Maddy looked where Autumn was staring and agreed. "Yes. Just like his father."

Tiger looked up. "Mama, can you tell us the story of Papa again?" he said with his mouth full. The other two kits nodded vigorously.

"Yes! Please tell us?!"

"Alright." Autumn stood up as her three kits sat around her, eager to cling to every word.

"Your father was brave and also very smart, living with the humans and all."

She continued her story, making it as funny and enjoyable as possible, except for the sad parts. Maddy listened in, just as eager as the kits, even though she had heard it a million times before when Autumn would tell it to the kits as a bedtime story.

Autumn looked at her three kits, happy, bright, beautiful. This was her new mission: to raise them, complete Fall's legacy, and hunt down Scarlet. But for now, they had a long way to go before any more blood would ever be shed.