Owlflight's Kits (Book One)

Chapter Eighteen

Winter followed Robin's scent trail easily. He didn't think that the little grey cat had possibly gotten into trouble, but he'd gone to look simply to calm Cloud's anxiety.

But when he got to the gorge, there was nothing but Robin's scent still hanging in the air. He was nowhere to be found; but his scent trail led to a branch that crossed that had fallen, creating a bridge over the drop.

Winter crossed it easily, not hesitating to dash over the rotting wood. Robin's scent led to a clearing where Winter had only been once, to catch a snake. What is he doing there?

As he crept closer, he heard voices up ahead. He couldn't understand what they were saying, but he recognized Robin's voice, along with that of a she-cat. Confusion flooded Winter.

Then a cat barreled into his side. He was thrown off balance, crashing into the ground. He twisted and hit his attacker with his forepaw, sending them backing away with a wail.

"Holy StarClan, Winter!" The cat hissed. Winter recognized the pain in Robin's voice and was filled with guilt.

"What?" He snapped, shaking the dirt from his pelt. "You attacked me!"

Robin ignored him. "Why did you follow me?"

"Who were you talking to?"

"I asked you a question!" He growled.

Winter rolled his eyes. "Cloud was worried that you'd fallen in the gorge while getting a drink."

"Oh." Robin looked guilty. "So you were just making sure I'm okay.....?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I am. Bye!" He turned to head back to where they had created their camp, but Winter stopped him.

"Who were you talking to, Robin, really?" He flattened his ears. "How can I trust you to come back if you're secretly meeting with some cat we don't know?"

"It's just... My friend, okay?" Robin flattened his ears in embarrassment. "Just drop it."

"No. Who is she? What's her name?"

"Firepaw."

"She's a clan cat? You're meeting with a clan cat?" Winter couldn't believe it. How could sweet, innocent little Robin be meeting with a clan cat? Was she even in MudClan? "Which clan?"

Robin looked down at his paws. "GreenClan." He muttered, shifting his feet.

"You couldn't even find an apprentice from your own birth clan to sneak off with, huh?" Winter teased him. Robin lifted a white forepaw threateningly.

"What does it matter? I'm not in either clan anymore!" He hissed. "She's no threat to you, so just drop it!"

"Let me meet her then, and I'll never tell anyone." Winter proposed.

Robin looked furious, but to Winter's surprise, he merely dipped his head. "Tomorrow. She's already gone home."

Winter nodded. "Okay, tomorrow."

*

The next night, Robin brought Winter to his meeting spot, as promised. Robin was beyond angry that Winter had demanded to meet Firepaw, but he brought him anyway, as he didn't know how Owlflight or Stone would react to her. Cloud would no doubt support him; she was like that.

If Winter tells anyone about Firepaw, I'll tell everyone about the kits. Robin decided. A few nights ago, he had overheard Cloud admitting something to Stone. She would be having Winter's kits. He wasn't sure whether or not to be happy or angry. One one paw, he was glad that Cloud was happy and would be having kits. On the other paw.. Could he really trust kits that descended from Bloodshed?

"Where is she?" Winter growled. "If you lied to me, Robin, I'll-"

"Shut up." Robin snapped. "She'll be here. Just wait." Tonight was a gathering for the clan cats, which meant that Firepaw would be late if she had been chosen to attend.

Winter kneaded the ground impatiently. Robin felt a sudden urge to just claw out his throat. Why was he so angry about Robin seeing Firepaw? Was his relationship with Cloud really all that different?

Robin's ears twitched forward as he heard a crackle in the bracken. A moment later he smelled the earthy scent of GreenClan, then Firepaw appeared, her pelt glowing silver in the moonlight.