A Traitor's Shadow

Chapter 1

"Patchkit! Get away from the fresh-kill pile! You've already had your fill today!" Frecklewish snarled from behind Patchkit, making him almost jump out of his fur.

He quickly turned around to see her furious golden eyes piercing and burning into him from the camp entrance. He could see her lips were drawn back as well, but this was nothing new to him. Frecklewish was determined to make him, and his littermate's lives difficult and to make them feel as unwelcome as possible.

Patchkit was about to back away and race towards the safe and warm Nursery to avoid her, but suddenly Mistpelt trotted out of the Nursery with her green eyes blazing, her gray tail fluffed out. She gave Frecklewish a hostile glare, curling her lip right back at her before leaping to Patchkit's defense.

"Leave him alone, Frecklewish... He shared a thrush with his littermates, and we all know Larchkit eats most of it," Mistpelt reminded her with her fluffed up gray tail now twitching angrily from side to side, and Patchkit felt a twinge of embarrassment that she had to fight this battle for him.

'Well... Frecklewish scares me... If I dared get in her face or say this she'd probably tear my ears off!'

Frecklewish sneered at them and looked away. She just began trotting away towards the Warriors den, her head held high... But, Patchkit knew she would be back to torment him later or would go complain to Oakstar about this...

His heart suddenly lurched at the thought, and he looked nervously towards the heap of prey in front of him... Not even the whole pile of prey was worth making Oakstar upset with him.

'Maybe she's right... Maybe I eat too much... I should just eat what they give me and be happy...'

He was then lifted out of these sad thoughts as he gazed up at Mistpelt, who rested her gray tail on his shoulder. He could see the wise, kind glint in her soft, green eyes, and his worries and sadness melted instantly into the ground beneath him. He remembered when his mother used to look at him just like that...

'Mistpelt... She was forced to be our foster mother but... She didn't complain and loves us all like we are her own...'

Patchkit felt a purr beginning to rumble in his tiny throat at that thought, but he tried to keep himself under control as she spoke.

"Don't worry about Frecklewish says, remember...? Here..," Mistpelt murmured quietly to him before turning away and plucking a mouse by its tail from the fresh-kill pile quickly, and Patchkit could see it was very fresh. It was probably caught by the dawn patrol on their way back.

"Here... a fresh mouse! It's all yours, Patchkit..," Mistpelt cooed through her teeth before laying it at his paws and grinning down at him. As always, she was looking out for him.

'And I'll always be grateful even if she's not my real mother...'

Patchkit nervously shifted his little white paws, and he prodded the mouse with one of them. It looked so big... How could she possibly expect him to eat this alone...? This would make a better meal for a full grown apprentice!

"A whole mouse... for me...? I couldn't... I'll share it with my littermates," he quickly suggested, picking up the plump mouse quickly by its tail and turning his back in an attempt to scurry off.