The Cat and the Fox

Chapter 2

            Stonekit rushed behind his mother as they made way to the medicine cat den. Stonekit trembled. What if his father had died? How had he become injured? What would happen now?
            But Stonekit was relieved when he walked inside the den to see Pebblefoot alive. Sandnose licked him affectionately. "Daddy!" Stonekit said and ran to his father. His father smiled at him.
            "How is he, Fishclaw?" Sandnose asked the medicine cat.
            "He had a nasty wound up his leg, but I've been caring to it, and he will survive. I expect Birchstar will be sending out more patrols," Fishclaw said.
            "Why?" Stonekit asked.
            No cat replied to him but instead looked away from the kit. What had Stonekit said that had made them not want to answer? He wasn't even sure how his father had become injured in the first place!
            "What happened?" Sandnose asked nervously.
            "We were leading patrols as always and I saw him. He recognized me immediately
and-," he was cut off by Sandnose's words.
            "Stonekit," she began, "why don't you step outside for a moment and go play with the other kits?"
            "Why?" Stonekit grumbled.
            "Daddy and I have to have an adult talk."
            Stonekit sighed and padded out of the den. What was with all these secrets? Stonekit had only been alive for a day and secrets were already being kept from him. Something was not right.
            Stonekit padded over towards Tawnykit and Lionkit, but the two almost-apprentices rolled their eyes and padded away.
            Stonekit sat down by the den, sighing. It was Leopardpaw who approached him.
            "What's the matter, Stonekit?" the spotted she-cat asked.
            "Sandnose and Pebblefur aren't telling me something," he said.
            Leopardpaw almost showed the exact same face that Sandnose and Pebblefoot had made when Stonekit asked questions, but it quickly turned to a smile. "Oh, I'm sure they're just trying to keep you safe."
            "Safe from what?" Stonekit asked.
            Leopardpaw pondered for a few moments. "Well there's all sorts of danger in the forest. They probably were just making sure you didn't wander in there yourself."
            "Oh," Stonekit said. He was about to speak again when Sandnose padded out of the medicine cat den and called Stonekit towards her.
            "Bye, Leopardpaw!" Stonekit waved his tail and padded off leaving the spotted she-cat behind.
            Soon, the sun began to set. Sandnose curled up in her nest while Stonekit curled up against her. He quickly fell asleep to the warmness his mother brought upon him. Glancing at the den one last time, he curled up closer to his mother, and slept.

Stomp stomp. Stomp stomp. Stonekit opened his eyes to see he was no longer in the den, but in the forest. The sky was dark and no stars shone. The trudging of a cat carrying him had woken him up.
            Curious to know who it was, Stonekit quickly realized it was his mother carrying him around the woods at night. But why? Why was she carrying him?
            "Mommy?" Stonekit asked.
            Sandnose sat Stonekit down. "Oh, you're awake. Here, let me put you on my back." She lifted the tom on her back and Stonekit clung to his mother's fur in the cold air.
            Stonekit was about to ask why she was walking in the woods, but he was tired. He nestled into his mother's fur and fell asleep once again believing it was only a dream.

Sunlight caused Stonekit to open his eyes. He knew it. It was just a dream. He was back in the den in ForestClan. Yawning, he suddenly realized something. The nest he was in was empty. None of the smells were familiar.
            He quickly noticed the white she-cat, pregnant with kittens with a white and gray kit lying beside her. Her eyelids were closed, and she slept soundly.
            "Where am I?!" he yowled and sat against the wall.
            The pregnant she-cat opened her eyes, awoken by the kitten's yowl. She yawned loudly and then spoke. "I was wondering when you would realize. You're in SnowClan."