Rise of Our Clans: Book 1: Parting Gift

3

  It didn't take much to fill the belly of a tribe cat, but Valley River could sense most of the tribe would go hungry as the one measly mouse the patrol caught would be going to Reed Flower.
  A few days ago, a blizzard had rolled in, making prey rather scarce. Everything was buried under the snow, hidden hibernating in their dens. And now..
  Starseer was crouched over Reed Flower, who was shrieking as thought she were being mauled by a sharptooth as her contractions increased. When a queen kits in the tribe, it's a tense moment for everyone. There's no guarantee that the queen or the kits will survive the ordeal. Like Wolf Fur.
  Valley River thought with a glance at Fire Stripe. His eyes were wide with anxiety, and he flinched at every noise Reed Flower made. His own mate, Wolf Fur, died giving birth to their kits, and they were cared for by Rabbit Scar until they were just old enough for prey. That was why Yellow Flower and Sharp Needle were so small for their age.
  She had started kitting around sunhigh, and she was nearly done now. Already, one kit was nestled at Reed Flower's side, it was so tiny and beautiful. The joy of the kitting being done was something that flooded through every cat.
  A second kit slipped down into the mossy and feathery nest. Instinctively, Reed Flower began grooming the kitten. Tangle Tooth let out a proud purr as Starseer said that she was done now.
  The only cat that didn't look happy was Narrow Cliff. Seething hatred lit her eyes as she watched Reed Flower with the kits. Valley River shimmied her way over. "Hey, are you alright?" She mewed. Narrow Cliff turned away from Reed Flower and Tangle Tooth. "Yeah, fine." She grunted and walked away.

...

  Leaf Claw pounced on a vole and killed it. He dove into a bush, leaving it out in the open. Today the tribe was having better luck hunting. The snow had melted away a bit, as it should be.
  Near half a moon had passed since the kitting, although Reed Flower's new kits still remained unnamed. Valley River watched the sky, and eagle soared above the mouse, before diving down. Right before it's talons locked onto the dead mouse, Leaf Claw, Furry Paws, Sharp Needle, and Valley River all pounced onto it.

  While Leaf Claw, Sharp Needle, and Valley River weighed it down, gripping its massive wings in their paws, Furry Paws delivered the killing blow. This and the mouse would be enough to feed nearly everyone today.

After everyone took a moment to catch their breath, Leaf Claw suggested they hunt a bit more. "Now that Reed Flower's kits are getting bigger, they should be eating more." He explained. The other hunters agreed and decided to hunt a little bit longer.

...

  The ground rumbled under Valley River's paws as she pounced for a mouse, making her miss the catch and the mouse nearly escaped into a crevice between the rocks. But Sharp Needle cut it off and delivered a nip to the back of the skull. "What was that?" Valley River looked up and around. There was probably a rock slide somewhere.
  "I dunno, it was scary!" Sharp Needle puffed up his fur as best he could and let it settle. "Probably just a rockslide." Leaf Claw commented. "I hope the cave is okay." Furry Paws flattened her ears and her eyes were round with worry.
  "Okay, now let's go back to camp." Leaf Claw and Furry Paws carried the hawk and the vole together, Valley River and Sharp Needle each carried a mouse and Sharp Needle also carried a wren.
  Valley River noticed she was pulling ahead of Furry Paws and Leaf Claw. They were staring at something in a gorge. Valley River headed over and set down her prey. "What is it?" She asked. "Look, down there." Furry Paws gestured with her head into the gorge.
  Inside the gorge, partly submerged by gravel and rocks, was a sharptooth. It smelled so fresh, Valley River could tell it was female. She was inclined to believe it was dead, until it twitched a paw, trying to stand. It merely shifted the rubble covering it. Even if it was alive now, it probably wouldn't be for long.
  "We need to tell this to Starseer." Valley River blinked in disbelief as the sharptooth lay there, resigned to its fate. She had heard stories of them killing cats, in fact she even heard one was responsible for the death of the very first healer of the tribe. The one two healers before the current one.
  But instead of scared, Valley River was saddened by the sight. How could such a pitiful creature hurt anything? It let out a mournful cry, making Valley River even more sad at this.

...

  Starseer had a thoughtful look on her face as the four who saw the dying sharptooth explained what they saw. "Tomorrow I want one of you to lead a patrol to where you saw it to check that it's dead."
  "I'll go." Valley River and Leaf Claw said at the same time. "You'll both go, and take three other cats with you. Some of the stronger cats, like Moss Pelt or Narrow Cliff." Starseer instructed. "Thank you, Starseer." Leaf Claw bowed respectfully, Valley River and the others copied him before leaving Starseer be.
  "I'm glad you didn't get hurt!" White River gasped as Valley River explained the story over supper with Mossy Oak and Hawk Dive. "I wish I was there! That sounded awesome to see!" Hawk Dive's tail flipped around like the tail of a playful kit. It hit Narrow Cliff in the face as she walked by, making her hiss at him and run off.
  "What's her deal?" Mossy Oak frowned. "No tom is ever going to want a cat who behaves like her. So shrewish." He grumbled. Valley River nodded to show her assent. Although she didn't entirely agree with what Mossy Oak said about Narrow Cliff needing to find a tom, she did need to learn to be less abrasive.
  "Well, Hawk Dive, it wasn't really cool. It was actually rather sad." Valley River mewed to get back on track.
  "If it wasn't injured, I'd have protected you." Mossy Oak wrapped his tail around Valley River and licked her ear. Every cat in the tribe knew it wasn't a question of if Valley River would have Mossy Oak's kits, but when.
  "If it wasn't injured, it would have leapt out of the gorge and shredded the whole patrol!" White River countered. She was a lot more pessimistic than Valley River. "The gorge wall was too high for it to jump to the top. We would have been able to hide before it got out." Valley River argued.
  "And besides, it wouldn't have shredded the whole patrol, Leaf Claw would have given it a good score across the eyes and lived to tell the tale!" Hawk Dive boasted about his father. It was hard to believe Fire Stripe and Hawk Dive were siblings, especially since they weren't from the same litter. White River rolled her eyes, unconvinced.
  Valley River yawned, sensing the light fade from the outside world. "We should all get some rest. I'm getting tired." She stretched up, extending her claws into the stony earth.  "You're right, it's really dark out." White River looked up at the cracks in the roof of the cave, standing as well.
  As White River and Valley River retreated to their nests, Mossy Oak stopped in front of Valley River, not letting her pass. "I was thinking you could sleep in my nest tonight?" He suggested with a friendly flick of his tail. Valley River's heart beat harder and faster once again, could Mossy Oak hear it. "Oh, of course." She nodded.
  Mossy Oak brought Valley River to his nest near Moss Pelt and Dappled Fur. Valley River curled into the nest, and Mossy Oak curled around her, warming her with his thick brown and cream pelt. She leaned into his warm touch, happy to sleep with him tonight.