The Fall

Chapter 1

     "Pardon me, are you Lime, ma'm?"

     "That depends, who's asking?" a grey and white queen replied cheerily to the other cat.

     "You're needed in a hunting party for the next four days."

     "Wait, you can't be serious! My kit is-is going to be in the Apprentice Games tomorrow! I can't just-just leave them!" The queen said defensively, stuttering a bit.

     "It's not my choice ma'm, you can go say goodbye to your kit before you leave, but you're needed by sun-high." The other molly then turned and left, leaving a sputtering queen in her wake. Lime took a deep breath and hurried back into the den she shared with several other queens.

     The molly quickly maneuvered around the kits and queens in the den, ending up at her nest with her soon-to-be-apprentice kit. The kit was snow white, and a bit on the smaller side, which worried Lime almost daily as of late.

     Lime carefully pads over to her kit, Willow, and nudges them awake.

     "Sweetheart, wake up, we need to go over your knowledge and moves." Lime said to them, other queens we're already quizzing their kits on herbs, fighting, and hunting.

     "Hmm? But Momma, the games are tomorrow!" Willow said sleepily, sitting up and stretching. Lime smiled sadly.

     "Momma has to go on a hunting party during the games, and I have to leave soon. I need to quiz you before I go," she said gently. Willow's eyes widened at what she said.

     "But Momma! You can't leave!" the white kit cried. Lime shushed them, not wanting to get into a fight with one of the more overprotective queens. Willow lowered their ears, remembering not to be too loud. Lime quickly used this opportunity to drill her kit on their lessons before she has to leave.

     "Let's start the drilling sweetheart."

     "Do you remember what the Games are? And what happens each day?" Lime chimed to Willow

     "The Apprentice Games were made by the Council when the prey started leaving. It's a series of tests that was supposed to assign apprentice and mentor easier."

     "What happens on the first day?"

     "On the first day, we hunt from sunrise to moonhigh. We are not allowed to eat or drink during this time. This is to test our hunting skills, and see how long we can go without food or water."

     "The second day?"

     "The second day we battle against each other with our claws sheathed. This is to test our fighting skills and to determine our strengths and our weaknesses."

     "Third day."

     "The third day, we are to collect herbs and then assign them into groups based on whether they make you sick, are poisonous, or heal you in various ways."

     "Fourth."

     "The fourth day is a mixture of the last three days, we are not allowed to team up with anyone else, and are completely on our own until sunrise the following day." Willow finally finished. They spoke the words as if they had been drilled into their mind, which they probably were.

     "Remember, it is dangerous now these days, do you remember why?"

     "Because, a lot of cats are more hungry, so most are really hungry on the first day, and the other cats get excited and stuff, so they use their claws on the second day. Some eat the herbs we collect with no regard because they're so hungry. It's the same but with all of the stuff that goes wrong on the last day."

     "Good, I need you to remember this, and please, don't team up with any cat, they could do something bad to you." Lime licked Willow on the forehead gently, reminding herself that her kit is still there.

     After some drilling on techniques in hunting and fighting, Lime checked the sun through a hole in the wall. Realizing she might be late, she nuzzled Willow.

     "Remember to practice and recite everything every night, I'll be back when you get home sweetheart." Lime licked them on the forehead and ran out as fast as she could without bothering anyone.

     Willow stared after their mother sadly, before deciding to quiz themselves.

     "Bird crouch.." Willow mumbled before getting into position as best as they could. The Bird Hunting Crouch was the hardest for them out of their hunting moves.

     "Keep ya tail still kit, or the prey'll hear ya coming from a tree-length away." A queen told Willow, looking away from her own kit to Willow. They weren't very acquainted with the other kits and queens, preferring to stay with their mother.

     "Huh? Oh- Thank you!" Willow said, stilling their tail, and holding that position for a few heartbeats before sitting up.

     "Who're you?" Willow asked the fluffy calico.

     "I'm Eve, but most call me Ferret. These three 'ere are my kits Daisy, Tom, and Fred." Ferret drawled. Next to her were the three in question. Daisy was a pretty tortoiseshell, Tom was a black and white bi-color, along with Fred who's an orange and white bi-color.

     "Hiya!" Daisy said enthusiastically to the other white kit.

     "Are you gonna in the Games? We are too!" She said quickly.

      "Yeah, I am. My momma had to leave though, so I'm practicing on my own!" Willow replied to the other bouncy kit.

     "Don't worry darlin', we'll help ya out." Ferret purred, putting her long and fluffy tail around Willow's neck. The kit in question let out happy mewl as they were tackled by Daisy. Her brothers quickly following her, dubbing Willow as a friend.

     'Maybe things will be okay,' Willow thought.