Warriors: Calling Wild

Chapter One

The tiny black kitten stared wide eyed at his mother's motionless body. It lay idly in a makeshift nest of nettles. He tried to new, yet the sound couldn't seem to be able to make it past his throat. That was the thing he saw when he opened his eyes after being born. Now realizing that she was dead, a wail escaped his jaw. He quickly shut his mouth when more whimpering occurred from close by. Turning his small skull to the right, he noticed for the first time he was not alone. Beside him were two mounds of fur: One gray, one black and white. They were both whimpering and shivering from the cold. He, too was cold, but he wouldn't let anyone know that. It was something the weak did. So he huddle between the two and fell asleep.

•••••

The tiny kit was awakened by the cries of a cat. He jumped up, terror rising in his throat and took up the most terrifying look he could muster, ready to fend off whatever beast lurked in his home. He saw no movement from behind the kits, and turned towards his mother's body. There sat a large gray cat licking her fur. His eyes had a look of sorrow, as he would soon find out. The kit managed to growl at the stranger, to which he whipped around. The stranger got to his paws and began towards him, and he hissed in return. The tom, who he would soon learn to be his father, turned his face into one of false happiness, "Aren't you a fighter," He still continued to come closer and the kit found it was no use trying to stop him. He crouched next to the first bundle, the gray one, and sniffed it. He did the same to the black and white one, and then to the conscious one. He smiled to himself and murmured, "Two toms and a she-cat. You did very nicely Sarah."

The kit picked the last part up and decided he should speak, "Sarah? Is that what her name is?" His voice wasn't as vicious as he hoped it would be, but it would do. The older tom's face turned hard. "Was." With that, he turned his back on the kits and circled his body around Sarah's.

Deciding the stranger was no danger to him or the other kits, he cuddled next to them once more, letting his mind sink into darkness as he fell asleep. He found himself in a dream.

A rancid smell hit his nose and he could feel his heart pounding in his ears. He could hear the shouts and cries of many cats around him, along with different smells. It was all very overwhelming. Sootfur! Sootfur! The cat next to him wailed in his direction. Is that my name? He didn't have time to think about it, because just then a sharp sensation went through his flank, radiating through his body like fire. He whipped around to find the black and white cat attacking him. He then realized that it was the kit he was lying next to right now. But he wasn't a kitten anymore, he was scary. And attacking him! He unsheathed his claws and quickly sliced through his neck fur. He watched as the once gentle kit flopped over, and blood seeped onto the ground. He tried to yell for help, by instead slipped in the slimy stuff and fell into a puddle of blood. The last thing he remembered before waking up was drowning in the red liquid.

He awoke in a cold sweat, and shook his fur to warm himself up. It was only then did he realize how badly his stomach hurt. Then he started to worry. The two kits were gone! He turned all around, and found that the body was missing, too. Starting to panic, the black cat tried calling out to the two cats, but with no reply began to grow stressed. He flopped himself back to the dirt and tried to close his eyes, but memories of blood kept rising back, and he forced himself to keep his eyes open.

Within a few heartbeats, the bushes on the far side of the nest rustled and the stranger from earlier came through, followed by two squealing kits. His eyes widened in surprise and he sauntered calmly over to them to greet the two of his litter, he was still ignoring the older cat, as he refused to be treated in such a way that was unfair.

The gray kitten mewed in a tiny voice, "Klaus took me and Flash out hunting! I think I did a much better job, but Flash did okay, what did you do while we were away?"

The black kitten's head turned in confusion. "Flash? Klaus? Is that their names?" In return, the gray striped cat laughed. "Of course it is silly, and my name is Willow and you are Soot. Klaus says he is our father and will take care of us. Isn't that right?" She aimed the last part at Klaus, their father. He nodded curtly before dropping the furry animals he had in his mouth at the kittens feet. When all three of the young cats turned their heads away in disgust, he pushed it closer and gave them a nudge, "Go one, take a bite. It's just a squirrel. It will stop the hunger, I promise."

Is that what this pain was called? Hunger? Without another word, Soot took a swift bite of the animal, getting mostly fur, but the meat underneath was warm and moist, and tasted great. And Klaus was right, after three bites his hunger went away and he was left full. He licked the excess fur of the squirrel that had fallen on him out of his coat, and he cuddled up next to the large tom, joining his brother and sister. He didn't quite understand why, but he felt something when they were all together. He didn't know what it was at the time, but it felt warm and soft and left a feeling of numbness throughout his limbs. And he loved it.