Being Replaced

Part 4

I bolted back to Violet's den, repeating the steps to get to the clans in my head like a mantra.

"Kit? What are you doing back so soon?" He asked as I pushed my way in.

"Where's Howl?" I asked frantically.

"She's sleeping in the back of the den, why?" He asked, confused.

"I need to move her, we are leaving. It's not safe for her here." I told him.

"Wait what? What's wrong what happened? He asked.

"Mottles been killed. Her mate, Thyme, stole her other two kits and is apparently on his way to get Howl with his mother. They want to brainwash them into practically worshipping them." I explained readily.

"What? Oh no, I-i didn't know her mate was Thyme. Oh gods. You need to leave. One second." He said, suddenly ruffling through his herbs. He wrapped some herbs and seeds into a large folded leaf. He took that leaf and tied it carefully around my neck (like a necklace) before explaining to me the herbs.

"I put Poppy seeds and Feverfew in that bundle, it should be enough to see Howl through her cold. She's been given enough poppy right now to have her sleep till morning. She should only get one seed a day, two if she gets worse. The feverfew should be half a leaf in the morning and the other half at night. Make sure she eats plenty. She'll have to switch to prey immidiatly, though ideally she would be on milk for another few weeks. But this isn't an ideal situation. Now go, she can't have twoleg food. It will need to be fresh prey. Go, before they follow your scent here!" He hissed after his rambling.

I padded over, grabbing the kit and padding out of the den, I noticed the sun setting and took of at an easy jogging trot, hoping to find the river before it got too dark. I didn't want to fall in.

I sniffed the air, trying to find the river by scent. I'd never been far enough from the park to find a river. Was it beyond the fence?

I had reached the fence, just some wooden stakes with wire along the top. I causiously padded beyond it, almost expecting to get immidiatly attacked.

I didn't.

I breathed a sigh of relief, before heading off in a random direction past the fence. I hoped to eventually hear or smell the water. I've never seen a river, but I'd heard about it.

It was apparently like the stream of water in my old home, it came from a hard metallic branch. But larger and across the ground.

I heard a rustling and froze, listening.

The rustling didn't seem to be getting closer, so I causiously crept towards it, making sure to not let the kit hit the ground as I held her. She hasn't even stirred but I could tell she was alive by her steady breaths.

I made my way through the unfamiliar forest until I finally came to a clearing.

With water. Flowing water.

I stared in amazement, setting the kit down as I padded forward causiously. I stopped at the edge, sniffing it causiously. I noticed a reflection in the water and my head shot up to the other bank.

Nothing.

There was no one there.

I looked back into the water and looked at the cat. They were white, or grey? It was hard to tell in the dim light.

They seemed to not have eyes, just white sockets. That's when I noticed I could see through them.

"A...a ghost?" I whispered.

It tilted its head before nodding. It stood and turned in the direction the river flowed. It stood, stepping a bit before waiting for me. I jumped up, running and grabbing Howl. I don't know why I was going to follow this cat but I just felt I had to.

I carried the kit after the ghost as it broke into a run. My soft untrained legs struggled to keep up, but nonetheless I continued to run.

I ran and ran, until the sun began to peak above the trees and as soon as the sun hit the river, the ghost cat disappeared. All I could see was my reflection at that point and I sagged from exhaustion.

I set the kit down, drinking some of the water from the river. I also felt the call of nature and went off to make dirt briefly. After finishing my business I noticed a little bird pecking in the bushes.

I crouched, hoping to catch it for Howl. I crept forward, before jumping at it. It flew up in a scatter of feathers and a scream. I jumped after it, clumsily catching it and killing it. I sighed, padding back.

I set it next to the kit, noticing her stirring. She blinked blurrily.

"Auntie?" She rasped. That's what the kits had taken to calling me.

"Here, you should try this bird." I suggested quickly.

"Where mama?" She asked, just as scratchy.

"I'll tell you after you eat the bird." I insisted. She sniffed at the bird before biting and chewing it uncertainly.

"Ish gud!" She exclaimed, digging in. Afterwords I gave her the feverfew.

"Where mama?" She asked again.

"You mom...isnt..... she's...you aren't going to see her again for a long time." I tried to tell her.

"Is she with Stars clan?" She asked.

"Starclan?" I responded confused.

"Mama said one day she leave, like her papa. She said she go to Starclan when she gotta leave!" She explained chirpingly. Then she pointed to the sky.

"She said Starclan is there. Always. I can't see but she can see me, right?" She asked.

"Yes ..yes that's right." I responded, unable to believe her mother already taught this moon and a half old kit about death so well.

"Sissy and brover there too?" She asked.

"No...no your siblings were taken. The cats that took them are the ones who sent mama to Starclan. They aren't good cats. They want you too, but I won't let them take you." I told her confidently.

"Bad cats have brover and Sissy?" She asked. I nodded.

"Gotta help!" She exclaimed.

"No! They will hurt you! I couldn't help your siblings but I can help you. I will eventually get Poppy and Alder back. But I can't do that now. My first priority is to keep you safe. And to do that, I'm bringing you to your grand-cats. You mother asked me to bring you to her clan." I explained. They nodded, seeming to accept it.

"But first, I need to sleep. I've been running all night." I explained.

"I sleepy too." Howl mewed.

I picked her up and glanced around, noticing an old owl den. I buried the remains of the prey and headed towards the hole. I set the kit down to check it out, seeing it empty and hauling the kit in with me. Together, we fell into an easy sleep, despite the unfamiliar surroundings.