Fluttering Bird's Farewell -Warrior Cat fanfiction

Chapter 1

"Please, can we go hunt? We're hungry!" Jagged Peak whined to Quiet Rain. Fluttering Bird surpressed her joined purr. She was famished, her belly growling like crazy. Anything to eat would do her good, her yellow eyes clouding as her mother shook her head.

"Your too young to leave the cave. A hawk could swoop you into the sky faster than you could say 'Hare'!" She meowed, licking them behind the ears. With a yowl of joy, Gray wing padded into the cave, he and Clear Sky carrying a mouse and a hawk. Clear Sky padded over, dropping the mouse at their paws. Before she even reached it, the other kits and Jagged Peak wrestled over it.

After heartbeats, they were seperated by Quiet Rain's grey paw.

"Sorry, Fluttering Bird. You can have my share next time!" Jagged Peak squeaked, racing after his mother's paws. She looked at the mice, only enough left on it for one mouthful. Her tail drooped, and she gulped it down slowly. With a low mumble she followed after her brother slowly. He and the other kits were always getting the first bites, and she was left with the scrap. Quiet Rain wasn't giving Jagged Peak milk any more, which made it slightly better for her. Her belly growled, hungrily.

"I'll get to eat tomorrow." She told herself, her tail high in the air. She tackled Jagged Peak in the nest. He shrieked, and they wrestled playfully in the feathery nest.

"See? We can take each other on, and were five moons. Please, can we go hunting?" Jagged Peak pleaded, his earing flickering. He sighed when Quiet Rain's eyes hardened into a stern gaze. She tried to pull them close, but Jagged peak tugged away.

"I'm going to go practice hunting moves with Gray Wing. I'm not tired." He hissed, stepping over her paws. Quiet Rain sighed, lying on her side.

"Come here, Fluttering Bird." She mewed, flicking her tail on her shoulder. Fluttering Bird came close, settling against her to nap.

"Fluttering Bird, I'm sorry that you didn't get any of the mouse. You'll get some as soon as you can, dear. You have milk for now, my love." She purred, pulling her close. Fluttering Bird knew she had save the milk and only have some to fill her belly once, so she suckled carefully. Closing her eyes, Fluttering Bird purred as she drifted to sleep.

     
"This has to be one of the worst cold seasons we've had." Shaded Moss meowed with a sigh, Rainswept Flower sitting beside him. Lion's Roar was crouched beside a gnawed on bone from a hawk, and even stoneteller sat in front of her den with silence. It had been a half moon since Gray Wing had returned with the hawk and mouse, and the most any body got to eat were what was left on the scrapped bones.

"..It was a good catch, but the others decided they were hungry, and finished it before we got back." Gray Wing growled to Bright Stream, Clear Sky, Dewy Leaf, and Cloud Spots lay on the back with there bellies bloated with prey. Fluttering Bird was disappointed their wasn't any prey brought back. She wouldn't get to eat till later that night.

"Lets go outside!" Jagged peak whispered in her ear, and she almost jumped in surprise.

"You scared me!" She squeaked, but gave a nod soon after. Following her brother out quietly, the snow lay so thick, it almost took her in completely.  Luckily, it was firm. She looked around with her jaw gaping in awe. The mountains were huge.

"Let's see if we can find any prey!" Jagged Peak mewed, racing ahead. Fluttering bird ran after him, excitement flowing through her. Maybe if she caught a mouse she would get to eat it instead of the other kits. Jagged Peak squealed and raced back towards her with excitement. Soon she spotted a mouse, scurrying away from him with panicked squeaks.

She froze, waiting for it to come closer before she pounced. With a swift bite, she killed the mouse.

She snatched it up with a purr, nuzzling her brother. She had caught her first piece of prey and it was thanks to him.

"Lets head back before Quiet Rain realizes were gone." She meowed, guiding her brother back. His tail was drooping as they padded in, the mouse dangling from her jaws. The other kits raced forward, her eyes wide.

"You caught something!" The golden one squeaked, staring wide eyed.

"Unlike Jagged Peak! He must suck at hunting!" A she-kit squeaked frkm the back. Soon the other kits joined in with their agreement. These kits were her brother's friends. She met his eyes, embarrassment and sadness in them as she set the mouse down.

"Actually, Jagged Peak caught this. I just wanted to carry it in." She stepped aside, watching her brother take the first bite with his tail high in the air. All the sudden, Misty Water stalked over and grabbed the mouse.

"Hey!" The golden kit squeaked, trying to pull it back.

"You kits all had a meal a few days ago. I haven't eaten in a quarter moon!" She snapped, carrying it over to Lion's Roar.

The other kits when crying to their mother, only to be shooed away with an irritated tail lash. She noticed Jagged Peak was staring at her with anguish in his eyes.

"I promised you would get to eat my share of prey today, but i got the only bite.." His mew died away, and she pressed her nose to his ear.

"It's alright Jagged Peak. Quiet Rain promised me something to eat as soon as prey came in." She purred, padding away. She didn't have friends like Jagged Peak did, but she was very close to her brother. she would do anything for him, even if it meant giving up her prey to make his friends stay with him.

"There you are. Your ear tips are frozen and your fur is covered in snow! You two sneaked outside, after you were told not to. Come inside so I can dry you off." She meowed, her voice growing stern. Fluttering Bird padded inside, her mother beginning to lick her fur.

She wanted to protest, but she honestly was grateful for the new dryness if her fur. She felt warm, and her belly had been growling, but she was too sleepy to mind it.

She curled up against her mother, her soothing licks lulling her to sleep.

      
Fluttering Bird stalked forward quietly, the hare nibbling on a bush collectively. She readied her haunches for the leap, but a screech slunded from above. A hawk dived down from the blue sky, it's claws outstretched to grab the hare.

As sokn as it got ahold of it's prey, Fluttering Bird leaped from the snow and onto the back of the bird, scrarching at its throat. The bird went limp, it's claws dug deep into the rabbit. With a purr, she began to drag the prey back to camp.

"Stop kicking me, Fluttering Bird." A mew cut into her dream, and suddenly she could see the den walls again and her brother lying beside her. It had only been another half moon, and still there were no signs of the blizzard stopping.

"You woke me from such a good dream, Jagged peak!" She growled, batting at his muzzle with a swipe.

"I dreamt I had taken down a mighty hawk and a hare to feed the whole clan." She meowed, stretching her legs. A few more moons and she could catch her own prey as well as everyone else's.

"Lets go play Hop the rock!" Jagged Peak suggested with a yawn. Her brother's belly growled, but she could smell the slight prey on his breath. He had eaten today, and not woken her. With frustration, she narrowed her eyes.

"You can go do that. I'm going back to sleep." She mumbled, watching her brother shrug and race out the den. She nuzzled close to her mother's warm belly, suckling. There wasn't as much as there was before.. and it didn't taste warm. She guessed it was just her senses out of control from her wild dream of hunting.

"Rest up, Fluttering Bird. I want you and your brother strong and healthy until you can learn hunt." Quiet Rain mewed, half asleep. She licked the top of her head, then lied back down on her side. Her snores told Fluttering Bird she were asleep again.

"Don't worry, Quiet Rain. I'm going to be the best hunter in the mountains!"