Shining of the Four

Chapter 13

            A month or so had passed, and Salmon had been getting along well in her tribe. Her father had been recovering, and though he hadn't fully gotten over his mate's death, he was beginning to treat Salmon more like his daughter.

            In other news, Storm, Honey, and Mouse had all caught prey, and they were training to become good fighters and hunters. Salmon knew that in a short amount of time, she'd be able to train too.

            Her paws tingled as she thought of training. If she was to be leader of the rogue pack someday, she had to be good hunter and fighter. When her mother had died, she promised herself that she would be the best hunter and fighter there ever was.

            Salmon still thought of her mother's words. She did not know what her mother had meant when she said Salmon was not the kit everyone thought she was. Maybe she meant she was stronger than the other kits. She still had no clue what the words had meant, and she had not told anyone else, not even her father, about the words.

            Salmon padded out of the birthing den, finding her father speaking to other cats. At the sight of his daughter, his eyes lit up.

            "Hello, Salmon."

            "Hi, Father!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing?"

            "Just sending out cats to get prey," he told her. "How are you?"

            "Good," Salmon replied. "I'll be training soon!"

            "Not yet though," Oak told her. "You still have another month. You still have to pass the ceremony."

            "I can pass it," Salmon argued. "I'll catch the biggest piece of prey in the forest."

            Oak laughed at this. "I'm sure you will, but just because you are of royal descendent doesn't mean you'll be a good hunter and fighter."

            Salmon frowned. "You don't mean that."

            "I do. Sometimes, we expect so much from someone, only to find that they aren't who they say they are."

            You are not the kit everything thinks you are. The words echoed in Salmon's head. She shook the thought away, continuing her conversation with her father.

            "But I will be the next leader, right?"

            "We'll see how your training goes," Oak told her.

            "But, I'm your only kin," Salmon complained.

            "That might be so, but what if I get another mate?"

            "You're not going to forget Mother, are you?"

            "What? No!" Oak argued. "What I'm saying is that there have been circumstances when the only kin is not fit to be leader and a new family rules."

            "Oh," Salmon said sadly, looking down at her paws.

            "I'm not saying that will happen to you."

            "How were you chosen?" Salmon asked.

            "Well, normally the male of the litter is automatically leader."

            "That's not fair," Salmon complained.

            "These are our customs," Oak hissed. His anger faded, and he continued to speak. "Anyway, I had a sister and a brother. My sister was automatically out of the running. As for my brother, my father had to choose between us, and he chose me because I was the better hunter and fighter, and I could lead."