Fire Clan: Foxkit's Destiny

Chapter 20:

Foxpaw felt as if she had been dumped into freezing water and then slammed into a flat rock. "Wh-wh-what?" she asked, her voice low in pure shock. "... How?"

"She was attacked first, only makes sense to take her away if they had it planned in the first place to take the one nearest to them, unfortunately, that was your mother."

"N-n-noo! That can't be right! She wouldn't have let them take her so that they could use her for leverage! She'd die fighting before she'd do that! I want the truth noww!!" she screamed, her eyes shut tightly, fur bristling.

"Hush Foxpaw! Calm down. There are others who need to heal as well around here and if you disturbed them, they'll get startled and jump to conclusions."

"But then again, who wouldn't? A fake attack only to be lead again by the same clan at the same night and taking a hostage?" Timberpaw said, speaking again. "They have every right to be, we all do."

"Just wait a minute! We're getting off topic. How did they take my mother?! I don't believe that she'd just willingly go with them!" Foxpaw prodded, heart thumping hard in her ribcage.

"Owlstar and Falconwatcher's guess is that she got injured then knocked out, alerting the clan that they were here and then carried her away when the battle broke out. Pretty clever if you ask me."

"I don't care if it's clever! They took my mother and I'm going to get her back!" Foxpaw hissed determinedly, struggling to get up but her legs gave way, partially because she felt her side stretching, threatening for the wound to open again. She was afraid that they would have to waste more herbs on her.

Frostecho sighed, sounding very tired and defeated all of a sudden. "You can't get her back on your own. Owlstar promised a rescue party once we are all in tip-top-shape and able to face their clan once again. Now can't we all just get some rest for now? It's been a long day."

"I just have one more question," Foxpaw said, now sounding very serious. "How can you be sure that they took her? For all we know, she could be in the forest, alone and scared, trying to get back to camp."

Frostecho shook her head. "No, that's not possible."

"And why not?"

"Because Cloverstar announced it herself. She said as they fled that they'd taken her hostage. They wanted land, as if they don't have enough already!" she scoffed. "Owlstar just threw some insults as we watched them all flee our camp, some of our own cats trailing after them to make sure they're gone. After that, Owlstar sent out a search party to make sure that the deviled she-cat of Clover Clan wasn't bluffing. She wasn't. We checked all the nooks and crannies possible around our camp but she was nowhere in sight. And when we tried to sniff her out, her scent got mixed in with the other Clover Clan cats. It was no use, they took her and we weren't nearly fast enough to help."

"Noooo!" Foxpaw wailed, covering her head and ears with her front paws. "That's not possible!"

Frostecho sighed sadly. "I'm sorry Foxpaw, we really are. Cloudheart took it against him the most, the poor guy. He refused to stay in the Medicine Cat den and goes out on border and hunting patrols as much as Owlstar allows him. Sometimes, I'm afraid that he might go out looking for her on his own, only then to get back to my scenes knowing he wouldn't be that foolish... But still, he needs some comfort. I'll ask if he could come by tomorrow. I had banished anyone from seeing any of my patience today so that they'd all be able to get some peace and quiet."

Foxpaw felt a pang of sorrow and pity for him. Being him and loving Sunheart so much, he would take it out on himself. She then tried hard to squash the queasy and swirling feeling in her stomach as she tried to focus on a simple question for now. "Today? Isn't it morning?" she asked breathing out.

Timberpaw shook his head. "No, you slept throughout the whole night and day, which was good. It gave your body some well-needed rest and time to heal."

"Exactly," Frostecho butted in as Timberpaw looked as if he was trying to sniffle a yawn. "Now go back to bed Foxpaw, you need it."

"Well so do you."

She nodded as she hung her head a bit looking more sleep-deprived than Foxpaw'd ever seen her before. "Yes, I know, I will sleep as soon as Timberpaw's had his fill. I had a short nap in the morning while he stayed up to tend the injured, now it's my turn to do the favor. Go on Timberpaw, I'll be fine," she said, turning towards he apprentice. He frowned as his eyes held doubt but a deep longing for sleep.

"A-a-a-are you sure?" he asked, struggling with his words as he struggled to hold in another yawn. "You look equally as tired as I do."

"I do not! You're imagining things," she said sharply but had a smile in her eyes. "Now off to bed younin' you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

He purred, touching his nose to hers respectfully. "You're the best mentor an apprentice could ever have."

She purred back, "Happy to help," she said as she watched him pad away. After that, she turned back to Foxpaw and nuzzled her into lying down more comfortably. "Now you go get some rest you warrior, you need to get better and stronger quickly so that you can help rescue your mother soon. She needs a strong cat like you, as well as your other siblings as well, and father."

Foxpaw then felt a flash of fury go through her.

How dare Clover Clan take my mother, my mother! They're gonna pay.

She settled herself gruffly into her usual sleeping position. She closed her eyes tightly and waited for Frostecho to leave. She did so a few minutes later, and when she did, Foxpaw relaxed, and that's when it all came out. She cried and cried silently, not wanting to disturbed her clan mates or for them to see her in her current state. She missed her mother's soft and silky-smooth fur, she missed her mother's quiet and gentle voice, she missed her mother's motherly love and affection, she missed it all. She wept and wept until she didn't have anything more to weep. Then she finally whimpered herself to sleep, seeing the bright, waning moon's glow reflecting off of the cold and hard stone in the den. She then wondered to herself: if all the stars in the sky were to vanish, who would the moon have then?