Warriors #6: A Kittypet's Destiny

Chapter 3

Swiftflight's POV

"Great StarClan, I cannot believe what I am hearing right now!" I hissed before whipping my head back towards the golden tabby pelt of my mother, whose hard, gray gaze was burning into me. "You've lost your mind!"

Goldenshine's eyes widened at my words. "I've lost my mind?" she exclaimed, her tail lashing up in surprise. "You've got to be joking!"

I let my head fall to the ground as I shook it slowly. "This whole conversation is a joke."

"I second that!" Goldenshine meowed after a contemptuous snort. "Goodness, I can't believe that I've ever called you my son."

"And you my mother!" I replied, raising my voice once again. "I can't even fathom the fact that I'm kin to someone that thinks this way."

"You're one to talk!" Goldenshine meowed, and when I simply responded with a sniff, she shifted herself closer to me and hardened her gaze. "This is really how you feel?"

I returned the look right back at my mother. "Yes, it is how I feel."

"Shrew is the best type of prey?"

"Undoubtedly!" I insisted, nodding to the small piece of fresh-kill at my paws, and then glancing towards the one in front of Goldenshine. "And even if it wasn't, it'd still be better than a thrush!"

I tried to suppress a purr of amusement as my mother let out a feigned offended gasp. "So not true!" she breathed, her demeanor tense, as if she had truly been taken-aback by what I had said.

I finally released my purr before pulling my shrew closer to me, flashing a gaze full of mischief towards Goldenshine. "Hm, it must be rough living in so much denial..." I teased. "You must know that this is a pointless argument."

"Oh yes, I'm aware," Goldenshine murmured, her eyes narrowing as a smirk emerged on her face, "because thrushes are the best type of prey. Deal with it."

I rolled my eyes and let out a conceding huff. "Fine. We'll agree to disagree."

"Oh, sure," Goldenshine replied, her tail lashing back and forth happily now. "That's code for 'I surrender'."

"Your name is code for 'I'm an idiot'," I purred back at Goldenshine before taking another glance down at my prey, not being able to help but lick my lips. "Okay, but in all seriousness, I am very hungry."

I then looked back up at Goldenshine to meet her warm, loving gaze. "I'm with you on that!" she meowed cheerfully, then bending down to take a bite of her very, dare I say... mediocre catch. "Let's eat!"

I stared back at Goldenshine, returning the warm gaze that she had given me. "Let's eat," I then repeated as I felt my heart almost physically grow. And as I began to eat my most excellent piece of prey, I couldn't help but think, if I had known earlier how wonderful it would feel to reconcile with your mother earlier, there's a possibility that I would have left the Dark Forest long before I actually did.

I then let out a quiet sniff. But unfortunately, I don't think Ashfur would have made that very easy, I thought bitterly, even just the thought of the gray-speckled tom that had manipulated me for so many moons making me want to slash at the ground in rage.

He had been the reason that I'd lost my relationship with Goldenshine, my own mother, who I'd been so close to before I'd begun training in the Dark Forest, in the first place. That fox-heart had jeopardized that, among many, many other things as well.

The night that my eyes had been opened for the first time still sent chills down my spine every time I thought about it - me fighting the cat that I had practically been walking on thin ice with, Snowstorm being the one to pull me out, and the fact that the trap I had been under was... gone. Completely gone.