Ocean lay in the sun, her blue fur warming in the golden rays. Splash, her mate, was out in the forest, hunting. The bushes rustled, and she raised her head. The calico and white fur of her mate pushed through the trees, almost smothered by the large pigeon hanging from his mouth. Purring, Ocean rose to help him drag it into the clearing. Splash dropped it with a satisfied grunt and licked his lips. “The prey’s been running really good this season,” he commented, glancing back at the forest. “If this keeps up, we'll be well fed even in winter.” Ocean swished her tail with pleasure. “Although I did run across some fox scent, but it was pretty stale.” He frowned.
“What's wrong?” Ocean asked, pausing with a mouthful of prey.
“Have you seen Lily lately?” He turned his green gaze on hers. “She-” A shriek cut him off, echoing through the forest. Ocean quickly swallowed her mouthful, and Splash pricked his ears. They exchanged a glance, and wordlessly shot off into the forest. Ocean strained her ears for any sound of something not normal. The dank reek of fox hit her nose, and she almost tripped. Splash waited for her to catch up, then took off again. Ocean could hear bushes crashing ahead, and slowed. There was no use rushing into a battle recklessly. Together she and Splash crept closer, bellies brushing the ground. Ocean screwed her ears back to block out the wailing. It was obviously another cat, and from the sound it was badly hurt. The unmistakeable snarling of a fox reached her ears, and she quickened her pace. A metallic tang hit her nose, and Ocean froze. Blood. Glancing at Splash, she gave a yowl and leapt into the fray, him by her side. The fox was at the other end of the clearing, crouched over something. It turned when it heard them and narrowed its eyes. Giving a yip, it took a step toward them. Ocean hissed, fluffing out her fur, before leaping at the creature. Hooking her claws in its red fur, she heard a satisfying rip as clumps of fur flew out. The fox shrieked, and Splash raked his claws down its muzzle. Blood sprayed the ground. Ocean leapt and latched onto its back, biting down hard on its shoulder. Splash ducked under and pummeled its belly with his hind paws. The fox bucked, and Ocean flew off, landing neatly on the ground. Stepping back from Splash, the fox gave them one last glare before turning tail and loping away into the forest, blood still flinging from its muzzle. Luckily, none of them had gotten hurt in the battle. The cat! Ocean suddenly realized, was still laying on the ground, not moving. She bounded over and hissed in alarm. The creamy spotted lump of fur struggled to breathe, its flanks heaving unrhythmically. Her eyes fluttered open, and Ocean saw they were clouded with pain.
“The-the k…” She broke off, and Ocean thought she was dead. But then she continued, “They-they're all alone...I...left for...food…” Her breathing slowed, then stopped. Her eyes dulled. Splash padded up and pressed his warm pelt to Ocean’s. She pushed her head into his fur, before pulling away. She padded closer to Lily’s body, and froze as a sweet smell tingled her nose. Milk. Ocean felt her paws shaking. She had always wanted kits, but many mates had left her when they realized that she was barren. Kits were the one thing that Ocean wanted more than anything in the world. Sniffing Lily’s pelt, she picked up two individual scents.
“What is it?” Splash asked as he padded closer. His tail swished warily. Ocean was so enraptured in the scents that she hardly heard him.
“Kits,” she murmured, eyes longing. “Kits.”
“What?” Splash asked. Ocean startled.
“The kits!” She turned tail and dashed off into the forest, her mate struggling to keep up. Ocean crashed through the trees, following a very faint scent that seemed to always just be detectable. She forced her pawsteps to go faster, heart thumping with anxiousness. She burst through the trees and skidded to a halt. The warm scent of milk hung in the air, and the kit smell was stronger here. Ocean padded forward cautiously. “Kits?” she called out, straining her ears.
“Who's there?” a tiny voice wavered out of a nearby bunch of roots. She padded closer, peering into the dim. Two furry heads poked out. A ginger she-kit walied, “Who are you? Where's mommy? I want my mommy!” Gently, Ocean drew her closer with her tail, along with her darker colored brother. They struggled, sharp little claws pricking her tail.
“Your mommy’s...busy right now,” she soothed. “She sent us to come get you.” The kits stopped struggling, but glared at them warily.
“When will she be coming back?” Ocean paused. How could she make them understand that their mother never really was coming back?
“Come. I'll tell you a story if you like.” The kits eyes shone, and they nodded eagerly. Ocean glanced at Splash and he bent down, picking up the tom. She gripped the scruff of the she-cat, and they padded off, back to their den. Somehow, Ocean would find a way to care for them.
“What's wrong?” Ocean asked, pausing with a mouthful of prey.
“Have you seen Lily lately?” He turned his green gaze on hers. “She-” A shriek cut him off, echoing through the forest. Ocean quickly swallowed her mouthful, and Splash pricked his ears. They exchanged a glance, and wordlessly shot off into the forest. Ocean strained her ears for any sound of something not normal. The dank reek of fox hit her nose, and she almost tripped. Splash waited for her to catch up, then took off again. Ocean could hear bushes crashing ahead, and slowed. There was no use rushing into a battle recklessly. Together she and Splash crept closer, bellies brushing the ground. Ocean screwed her ears back to block out the wailing. It was obviously another cat, and from the sound it was badly hurt. The unmistakeable snarling of a fox reached her ears, and she quickened her pace. A metallic tang hit her nose, and Ocean froze. Blood. Glancing at Splash, she gave a yowl and leapt into the fray, him by her side. The fox was at the other end of the clearing, crouched over something. It turned when it heard them and narrowed its eyes. Giving a yip, it took a step toward them. Ocean hissed, fluffing out her fur, before leaping at the creature. Hooking her claws in its red fur, she heard a satisfying rip as clumps of fur flew out. The fox shrieked, and Splash raked his claws down its muzzle. Blood sprayed the ground. Ocean leapt and latched onto its back, biting down hard on its shoulder. Splash ducked under and pummeled its belly with his hind paws. The fox bucked, and Ocean flew off, landing neatly on the ground. Stepping back from Splash, the fox gave them one last glare before turning tail and loping away into the forest, blood still flinging from its muzzle. Luckily, none of them had gotten hurt in the battle. The cat! Ocean suddenly realized, was still laying on the ground, not moving. She bounded over and hissed in alarm. The creamy spotted lump of fur struggled to breathe, its flanks heaving unrhythmically. Her eyes fluttered open, and Ocean saw they were clouded with pain.
“The-the k…” She broke off, and Ocean thought she was dead. But then she continued, “They-they're all alone...I...left for...food…” Her breathing slowed, then stopped. Her eyes dulled. Splash padded up and pressed his warm pelt to Ocean’s. She pushed her head into his fur, before pulling away. She padded closer to Lily’s body, and froze as a sweet smell tingled her nose. Milk. Ocean felt her paws shaking. She had always wanted kits, but many mates had left her when they realized that she was barren. Kits were the one thing that Ocean wanted more than anything in the world. Sniffing Lily’s pelt, she picked up two individual scents.
“What is it?” Splash asked as he padded closer. His tail swished warily. Ocean was so enraptured in the scents that she hardly heard him.
“Kits,” she murmured, eyes longing. “Kits.”
“What?” Splash asked. Ocean startled.
“The kits!” She turned tail and dashed off into the forest, her mate struggling to keep up. Ocean crashed through the trees, following a very faint scent that seemed to always just be detectable. She forced her pawsteps to go faster, heart thumping with anxiousness. She burst through the trees and skidded to a halt. The warm scent of milk hung in the air, and the kit smell was stronger here. Ocean padded forward cautiously. “Kits?” she called out, straining her ears.
“Who's there?” a tiny voice wavered out of a nearby bunch of roots. She padded closer, peering into the dim. Two furry heads poked out. A ginger she-kit walied, “Who are you? Where's mommy? I want my mommy!” Gently, Ocean drew her closer with her tail, along with her darker colored brother. They struggled, sharp little claws pricking her tail.
“Your mommy’s...busy right now,” she soothed. “She sent us to come get you.” The kits stopped struggling, but glared at them warily.
“When will she be coming back?” Ocean paused. How could she make them understand that their mother never really was coming back?
“Come. I'll tell you a story if you like.” The kits eyes shone, and they nodded eagerly. Ocean glanced at Splash and he bent down, picking up the tom. She gripped the scruff of the she-cat, and they padded off, back to their den. Somehow, Ocean would find a way to care for them.