A Hєαят σf Ƒιяє αηɗ ǀcє ~A WFF World fanfic ~ Chapter 1 up

          Cherrykit lied on the ground next to her mother. Green-tinted sunlight illuminated the nursery, and the leaves that covered the floor were soft underfoot. It was warm and cozy; Cherrykit didn’t understand why her brothers insisted on play-fighting instead of enjoying it.

     The tomkits wrestled on the ground, scattering leaves in all directions. Their fur was ruffled by paws repeatedly slashing at it. Although their claws were sheathed and too small to do any damage anyway, Cherrykit kept expecting to see blood every time a kit hit another.

     Rainfall was oblivious to how terrifying this game was. “Why don’t you join them?” she asked, licking her daughter between her ears. “They’d love for you to play with them.”

     “It’s too scary,” Cherrykit squeaked. “I don’t want them to hurt me.”

     “Why would your littlermates hurt you? Look, none of them are hurt.”

     Cherrykit’s ears twitched. “Yet.”

     Before Rainfall could respond, one of Flightsong’s kits scampered up. “Bluekit!” the brown and white kit called.

     The kits stopped fighting. “Yes, Leafkit?” Cherrykit’s brother asked.

     “Can I play to?” he asked hopefully, looking up at Bluekit with bright turquoise eyes.

     “You’re not big enough,” Pinekit said before before the blue-gray kit could answer.

     “You are two moons younger than us,” Bluekit agreed grudgingly.

     “I’m the same size as Frostkit, and he’s allowed to play with you,” Leafkit pointed out.

     “Yeah, but he’s our littermate,” Pinekit replied.

     “That’s not fair!” Leafkit protested.

     “Here, we can play outside instead,” Bluekit suggested. “Just us.”

     “Can I?” Leafkit ran to the other side of the den, where his two littermates and mother were. “Flightsong, can I play outside with Bluekit?”

     “Okay. Don’t stay out long,” the queen mewed.

     “Yay!” Leafkit cheered. He ran back to Cherrykit’s brothers, and the two kits dashed out of the nursery together.

     “Why would a kit his age want to fight?” Cherrykit whispered to Rainfall.

     “They’re not actually fighting, it’s just a game,” she replied. “It’s fun. I did it all the time when I was your age. It also prepares you to be a warrior. It’s not just a game then.”

     Cherrykit crouched lower to the ground. “I don’t want to actually fight someone.” She quivered.

     “Don’t worry. That’s a long ways off,” Rainfall assured her. She tilted her head thoughtfully. “To tell you the truth, sometimes it seems like you’re meant to be a medicine cat. But we already have two of them.”

     Cherrykit lifted her head. “I don’t want to be a medicine cat! Oakfeather’s mean!” She didn’t understand why he hated her so much. He always looked at her with distrusting eyes, and didn’t like to be near her, and kept his apprentice, Songpaw, away from her.

     “He’s not mean, he just has-” Rainfall seemed to be looking for the right word to use. “…worries.”

     “What kind of worries?” Cherrykit inquired. She didn’t think she did anything that had to be worried about.

     “Oh just…nothing.” Rainfall looked away. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”

     “But I just want to know-” Cherrykit tried to say, but her mother interrupted her.

     “Want to go get something to eat?” she said, standing up. “We’ll see if anyone’s caught any finches.”

     Cherrykit’s ears perked up. She loved finches! “Okay!” she mewed happily.

     Rainfall’s green eyes shimmered with relief. “Okay, let’s go.”

     As she followed her mother out of the nursery, Cherrykit’s mind went back to what Rainfall had said. What was she hiding from her?

     She scanned the branches, looking for Oakfeather. She couldn’t find him.

     I’ll find out someday, the ginger tabby promised herself. They can’t keep a secret from me forever.