Underpaw

Chapter Two

Marigold's heart sank at the sight that treated her.
Her mother's white tortoiseshell  striped pelt was stained crimson with her own blood. "Mama!" Marigold yowled as she ran to wards her mother.
The tom growled, "that's what you get when you disobey the queen". What queen?! Marigold was so confused.
As the tax patrol strolled away, the small black tom called Lightning looked back. As if he almost was sorry for marigold.
Marigold's tortoiseshell and white fur was darkened by the flickering street light next to the abandoned car. Her eyes bore tears.
Her mother, killed in front of her, and innocent kit kill- no murdered in front of her. Marigold sunk her muzzle into her mothers tortoiseshell and white striped fur.
"Come back to me" the kit whispered on the lonely street. "Don't leave me"
That night Marigold had pushed Juniper, and her mother's bodies behind a bush, she really didn't want to leave their bodies out in the night, still sour with the tang of fresh blood. Marigold shuddered.
As she crawled into her makeshift nest she thought about what she would do. Her mother was gone... How would she get food... How would she cope with the fact that every time she walked out of the car she would remember the blood stained floor, with Juniper's black furred body and her mother's soft fluffy, striped pelt dead still fresh in her mind.
She sheathed and unsheathed her claws into the damp moss that warmed her nest. She couldn't sleep, she wouldn't! Suddenly the were paw steps coming to her den.
What if it was the tax patrol coming back! What if the tom was coming to kill her! Marigold's tiny body was filled with fear from top to bottom.
"Hello? Mars? Marigold?" A voice called from the night darkened outside. Suddenly Marigold recognized the voice, but also shuddered at the hearing of her mother's name.
"Auntie Dapples?" Marigold asked hopefully. A calico she-cat padded in, her belly swollen it's kits. "Dapples!" Marigold meowed running over to her aunt.
"Hello Marigold... Where's Mar's" Dapples asked. "Um... She's gone"
"What do you mean?" Dapples mew was thick with worry. "Mommy was... Killed" Marigold whispered.
"What! No..." Dapples meowed sorrowfully. Marigold pressed against her mother's sister. "A tom from the tax patrol killed her for not having the tax prey" Marigold meowed. Dapples touched noses with Marigold.
"Darling... You know I must go home soon to have my kits... But then you'll be all alone..."
"I'm strong, I can learn to hunt. I already know the basics" Marigold lied.
"You mist go to them... It's the only option." Dapples meowed padding out of her den, motioning her tail for Marigold to follow. "Who are they?" Marigold asked.
"The Snowset Colony of Underpaw" Dapples said. Marigold didn't ask anymore questions. She wanted to... But didn't.
Dapples lead Marigold to a tunnel at the edge of the city and the begging of the woods. "Marigold. You must go down, and the cats there will take care of you. And also remember this. I would only bring you here as a last resort." Dapples said firmly. Marigold opened her mouth to protest but Dapples grabbed her scruff and placed her in the shallow tunnel that lead on. "Be safe, and only run if you have to" Dapples said licking Marigold's head and slowly walking away.
"Hello?!" Marigold called into the tunnel. She trusted Dapples, and knew that one day she would come back to find her. She had hope and that was all she needed.
"Who goes there?" A she-cat's voice called back. "Um... My name is Marigold. I was told to come here for protection" Marigold meowed back trying to sound as grown up as possible.
A white she-cat padded out from the shadows. "I'm Snow, queen of the Snowset Colony, and if you want protection, you've come to the right place".