At Willow's End : Tales Of Seven

💗Chapter One💗

Finchkit raced around the clearing as snow fell around her, eyes bright, giggling as the white fluff tickled her muzzle.

Everything's so big! And white!

"Hey, runt! Slow down!" called Mudkit with his sister, Willowkit, trailing him.

Finchkit's eyes narrowed.

Why do they always ruin my fun? Ever since Mama went to ForestClan, it's just been worse.

Her fur bristled as she turned to face her older denmates.

"Leave me alone! And I'm not a runt! I'm going to be a great warrior someday! My father says so!"

Willowkit rolled her eyes, her claws digging into the ground as she padded over to loom over the two moon-old kit.

"Oh, give it a rest! You're five moons younger than us and your Mama is gone. Just because you're the deputy's only kit, doesn't mean anything. Our mother and father just took pity on you cause they were friends with your mother. Just because we share a nest, you're not my real sister. She died too so you could take her place. So be grateful!"

The little she-kit had heard of Leafkit from Berrysplash's stories and, with a panic thumping of her heart, wondered if she would have been like her littermates, cruel and harsh...

"Hey, runt! Pay attention to me!"

Finchkit winced at the fire in Willowkit's amber eyes, while Mudkit started to chase after the little gray and white she-kit, but she backed away quickly, running into the first den she saw...

"Oh, for ForestClan's sake! How am I to Heal any cat if I can't get any sleep?!" snapped a she-cat's voice and a pair of huge black paws stood in front of Finchkit's muzzle.

" I-I'm sorry! W-Willowkit and M-Mudkit were being mean to me! I-I had to run!"

The sweet smelling cat crouched eye level to Finchkit and mewed, "No harm done then, daughter of Shadedfern and Owlfeather. Kits will be kits after all. They tease and they taunt, but they don't have any bite to their bark. Yet. No cat can change that. Tell me. Do you believe in fate?"

Finchkit frowned, eyes wide.

"What's fate? How do you know who my parents are? What's your name? Why don't I see you around camp? Are you a spy for FeralClan?"

Her tiny claws slid out, ready to fight as she waited for the she-cat to answer.

The strange she-cat purred, her dark green eyes gleaming, her tail flicking thoughtfully.

"Spoken like a true warrior. My name is Flaresong. I am the sole Healer of our Clan, which means that I take care of sick or injured cats until I take two apprentices to train under me as a Healer's laws are so much different from that of a warrior's... As for knowing your parents, I grew up with them as an apprentice. I was there at your birth or else you wouldn't be here...

"So, no, I am not a spy. As for not being around camp as often as I want to be to be here to heal our Clanmates, I have duties beyond my or my Clanmates control. At Half-Moon, I, along with my fellow Healers from the other Clans, journey a long way to a place where our six territories meet near a round body of water we call the Sunpool, to speak with our warrior ancestors and interpret any signs that I may have questions about."

Finchkit took all this in and asked, looking deep into the she-cat's eyes, filled with so many secrets and wisdom for a cat of her age.

"Can I be a Healer too?"

Flaresong stiffened, eyes blazing.

"I suggest you return to the nursery, little one. The path of a Healer is not the path you will walk."

Finchkit felt hurt.

"But-"

Flaresong's eyes narrowed as she curled up in her nest again.

"I said, Leave! I mean it, Finchkit. I cannot turn the paws of fate."

Finchkit raced out of the den and crashed into a pair of white paws.

"Finchkit! Thank the stars! I feared the worst! Why do you smell like herbs? Were you bothering Flaresong?"

Finchkit couldn't breathe.

Her heart twisted painfully in her chest.

Why does every cat treat me so cruelly? I did nothing wrong!

"Just leave me alone, Berrysplash! Willowkit and Mousekit are right! You're not my mother! You just took pity on me because she's dead!"

"Finchkit! That's not true! Ask any cat. Your mother and I were like almost littermates and I - "

Without another word, Finchkit turned to race out of camp, oblivious to her foster mother's cries.

She had to keep running, to escape Mudkit and Willowkit and the fact that her mother was gone and wasn't coming back...

No matter how much she wanted it not to be true...