Legacy (Book 1)

Chapter 12: New Responsibilities

Chapter 12: New Responsibilities

Moons pass, changes come, whether you want them or not. Night became leader, receiving mingled support. One thing to understand is that the new leaders have usually never proved themselves capable before, so they have to earn their respect as leaders.

Rainstone was a credit to him though, making his path smoother at first, her quick wit and unmistakable confidence in her skills that managed to keep up, kept the fighter's from panicking as sickness broke out. She cured every single cat that got sick with a new mixture of herbs she'd discovered worked.

Now she'd been the leader's mate for three moons. Leaf, Night's mother, had been given Pebble as a new mate, as no she-cat could live without a mate. As well as that change, Crisp, her former trainer, had kitted, having just one tom, which Snake seemed pleased with.

It was a stocky little tom, would obviously be a perfect fighter, and looked much like his father. A black tom with large dark brown eyes. The only difference was that instead of brown hairs speckling his pelt, they were orange, like his mother's fur.

His name was Fish, which Rainstone had found an odd name, but Snake had really wanted that name, so be it. The tom had inherited his father's pride and his mother's quiet confidence. The only reason Rainstone had really paid so much attention to him was that he was the first kit she'd helped delivered.

Nothing could come close to that sense of wonder as she watched the new life take its first gasping breath and then instinctively go to its mother. She'd also enjoyed the flash of pure affection Snake had showed for his new son, his eyes softening from their usual hard, suggestive look. He'd even purred and nudged Crisp gently with sentiment in his eyes. It'd just made her want kits of her own more.

She licked her paw and drew it over her ear, cleaning out a bit of herb juice she'd gotten on her pelt while helping Sun put some yarrow in Fox's food. Not enough to make him throw up, but enough to make him feel ill.

She glared as she saw the old lanky tom. His two she-kits sitting silently in the entrance of the fighter's kit-den. Their eyes hollow and they shivered against each other. The poor little kits, she thought sadly.

Squirrel was dead, the only death since Night's leadership. Fox claimed she'd fallen down a steep cliff while they were on a walk. But Rainstone had studied the body while getting it ready for burial, she'd seen the fresh claw marks. Fox had attacked his mate, angry about the two she-kits, and had either accidentally or purposefully killed her.

Night, of course, had believed her when she told him, but he decided not to punish Fox. Wasn't enough evidence, even if it had been against the rules, he told her. But he promised her Fox would never have another mate. She took comfort in that, but the daughters Squirrel had left behind wouldn't be able to.

She flicked her tail as she watched, her paws cold and her nose damp from sniffling. She had a little cold, nothing serious, but she'd been weakened by spending so much time with the sick cats. So she was stuck alone in the herb-den until she got better.

She almost was well again, she'd be moving back in with Night before a few nights more had passed. But Half's training wouldn't wait. The black and white kit was becoming a trainee at three moons, to become Cliff's mate, who was the youngest fighter. Flower would be Fish's mate when he was five moons.

She glanced as Stick trotted across the stone floor hurriedly, pausing by Pepper. The trainee had recently become a full hunter and was eager to show off his new position by talking to the future leader whenever he could.

Her mind drifted again, Sun and Blizzard would become trainees today as well, her paws itched. She wanted to train one of them! She knew just as much about hunting as Pepper, and no cat would say he was incapable of training!