Warriors: Deserve's Beginning (Short Story) (COMPLETE)

Chapter 8

Deserve slowly padded around through the field, sniffing for prey. Come on, there has to be a mouse around here somewhere! He sensed something and turned his head sharply. There in the grass was a little gray mouse, nibbling on a seed. Yes!  He dropped into the hunting crouch Dice had taught him and slowly began stalking toward it. 

It was early morning. Four days had passed since Dice's death. Life in the barn was becoming more and more difficult. Their father had been the only cat providing food for them, and yesterday they'd eaten the last of the mice he had caught before he died. Deserve had been ready to take on the responsibilities of hunting for his family, but Velvet refused to let him. She'd been trying to figure out how to hunt, but she was making little to no success. She couldn't crouch or leap properly.

Velvet didn't know he was hunting now. He snuck away very early this morning while she and his siblings were asleep. He sprang at the mouse and trapped it in his claws, swiftly biting into it's neck. The mouse squeaked and went limp.

It's small, but it'll feed some of them. Maybe Boost and Song if they share. He picked up the mouse and ran back toward the barn. He slowed his pace as he passed a patch of dirt outside the barn, his heart aching. It was Dice's grave. I'll take care of Velvet, Boost, and Song. He told him silently. I promise. He forced his gaze away from the grave and hurried to the barn entrance. 

He saw that everyone was awake now. Boost and Song were padding around slowly, pawing at pieces of hay on the wooden floor. Deserve's heart sunk. The barn used to be such a happy, fun place, full of laughter and love. But now, all of that had been replaced by sorrow and sadness. He noticed how thin his siblings looked. He guessed that he was beginning to lose weight too. They had only been eating one meal a day to make the last of the mice last, up until last night, when they'd run out. They hadn't eaten since yesterday afternoon.

"I'm so hungry!" Song was meowing sadly, looking around desperately. "Isn't there something left? Anything?"

Boost shook his head, his ears drooping. "No." His stomach growled. "I'm starving too."

Velvet sat hunched over in her nest, staring at her kits helplessly.

Deserve's heart broke seeing his brother and sister so hungry. He padded into the barn and hurried over to them, dropping the mouse in front of them. "Here, you guys can have this." He meowed.

Boost and Song stared at the mouse in surprise, delight flickering in their eyes. They crouched over it, but hesitated. Song looked up at Deserve. "Aren't you hungry too?" She asked quietly.

Deserve's stomach rumbled at the scent of the mouse. He was starving. But he needed to put his family first. He shook his head. "I'm fine." He lied. "You two share it."

Song let out a purr and eagerly dug into the mouse. Boost looked at Deserve, his usually playful yellow eyes dull and saddened. "Thanks, Deserve," He murmured and shifted close to Song as he took a bite out of the mouse. Deserve sat down and watched them.

"There you are!" Velvet stared at him. "I told you not to go hunting!"

Deserve stared up at her. "I had to!" He insisted. "I can't let you all starve!" He stood and started back toward the barn exit. "I'll go catch something for you."

"No!" Velvet called, and he paused, turning back to her. "I won't let you become the hunter for this family."

"Why not? I can do it!" He protested desperately. "I can be just like Dice and provide for you all! I know how to hunt, and-"

"Deserve!" His mother's voice cracked as she spoke, her blue eyes filled with sadness. "Your father didn't show it often, but his job to hunt and provide for us day and night caused him a lot of stress. He was always exhausted." She hung her head. "You're only a kit. I won't let you take on such responsibilities. I won't put that kind of pressure on you."