A Night's End

For Their Mother

[i]"What was that?" Nightkit flattened herself to the ground as her heart pounded in her chest. Her eyes darted around wildly, but she couldn't see anything other than the long strands of heather-grass that encircled her. Lack of daylight took away much visibility, and Nightkit's kit-eyes were still getting used to adjusting to the dark. That made the grass blades that much blacker, and the shadows that stood between them that much scarier.

[i]Beside her, her brother remained standing, unfazed by the sudden noise that had startled his littermate. "A cricket," he answered with a roll of his eyes. "This is the fifth time you hid. Do you want to just turn back?"

[i]"No!" Nightkit replied instantly. "We have to talk to StarClan."

[i]Neither Nightkit nor Sheepkit remembered their father. Nightdrift, who Nightkit was named after, died only a day after they were born. Though Hawksplash had put on a brave face for them, the kits knew that their mother was deeply pained.

[i]They hadn't really noticed it until they had woken from their nap earlier than expected, and found her crying behind the nursery. She hadn't seen them, didn't know they saw her. And when she returned, she put on a bright smile and asked them if they wanted to play a game.

[i]After that, Nightkit and Sheepkit could always see it. The smile that didn't always reach her eyes, the way her eyes glistened with pain, how she sank into herself when she didn't think they were looking. They had asked their uncle, Rabbitshade, why Hawksplash might be upset, and he told them about their father.

[i]He had told them that Hawksplash needs time, that she will be okay so long as they love her with everything they have. But the kits couldn't bare the idea of simply waiting out their mother's pain. They had to do something about it. They had to....get StarClan to bring him back. Surely that was something they could do? So that night, when everyone fell asleep, Sheepkit and Nightkit snuck out.

[i]Unfortunately, the fields of meadow were much, much larger than the camp that they were used to. They grass was long and brushed against them like cold tendrils.  Strange, new scents overhwhelmed them at every step. They had to stand on their hind legs just to see where they were going–but even then it was easy to get lost.

[i]"Okay," Sheepkit conceded, "but try not to be so scare–"

[i]"Eep!" Nightkit squealed when another cricket chirped. In her defense, it was very close to her ear.

[i]Sheepkit sighed. "Maybe we should split up."

[i]Nightkit stared at him. "You can't leave me!"

[i]"I'm not leaving you," Sheepkit replied in what could best be described as exasperated gentleness. "But we can't help mom at this rate. Do you want her to get better or not?"

[i]Nightkit looked at her paws. Sheepkit was right. Hawksplash getting better was worth being scared and alone for a little bit, right? "Okay," she agreed hesitantly. "But–"

[i]But Sheepkit had darted off before Nightkit could finish. "...Don't go too far."