What if Mapleshade's kits lived

Chapter 12

Larchkit's new surrounding was massive and terrifying. Threatening pine trees towering over the tiny kit, a constant intimidating presence. All sight of the pale sky above, almost completely blocked out, reduced to nothing but blue specks. The only bright colour came from the melting frost, now mushy slush in the midday sun, turning the earth muddy. The pines cast a seemly unnaturally dark layer of shade over the bare damp woodland floor, in a thick black sheet. The eery chatter of mischievous crows echoing throughout the spiked canopy looming above.

Black shapes moved as the crows idly hopped from one branch to other, peering down at them with those large round unblinking eyes. Judging if Larchkit and Mum was a pental meal in this unforgiving season of Leaf-bare. A low growl thumbed in Larchkit's throat. He'd send them all away screeching before they even had the chance to peek out their eyeballs. You didn't past Larchkit, the greatest warrior in all the Clans!

Seeing his badly-bleeding mother limping and having enough, he pressed himself against her flank, "Here, rest on my shoulder.", he suggested with a positive voice. The only response he got was a quiet grunt as she accepted his offer, leaning against him. Ok, that was quite worrying actually. Mum never accepted his offers of help, saying how it was always weak. It didn't matter now. All he needed was focus on getting out of this creepy place, find a good patch of bushes and rest. A good sleep always worked for him back in the nursery, of the few memories he still had of that place. His mind briefly flashing to Tulipfur. Was she ok there?

However, over time, he becomes quite exhausted. His walking becoming slower and slower as the weight of Mum's weight increased. It was like trying to carry a pile of boulders! But he pressed on, Mum wouldn't give up if this was him and neither would he. Yet, the weight continued to increase as Mum began to completely slump over him. It soon became almost impossible to stand, gasping, "Mother please, try to walk for yourself a bit more, I can't carry all of you.". However, he was then forced to duck away from her collapsing not wanting to be crushed under her.

He rushed to Mum's side, desperately shaking her, "Mother?", he asked, "Get up. We can't sleep here, we need to get out of here.". Yet no response. He shook her again. Yet nothing. Growing frustrated, he climbed to other side of her. Rearing up onto his hind legs, he jabbed down onto Mum's soft exposed belly. This had to get a reaction! Yet, all it did was make Mapleshade twitch a few times before going limp again. Panicked breaths escaped from his mouth.

What did he do? Out of desperation, he turned to the empty space surrounding him, shouting out into the gloom of the strange forest, "Help! Someone, please! My mother- I think she's sick!".

His cries carried one through the trees, echoing for a long time before eventually fading into the lingering silence. "Hello!?", he repeated, "Help me! Anybody!".

Just then his ears pricked as he heard the distant sound of a twig snapping and leaves rustling. A new, foul scent clung to his nose. Worse than the Thunderpath he'd been fighting next to just a few heartbeats ago. Swift shapes darted from one bush to the other, too fast to catch. Like flashing shadows. But they weren't the crows from earlier.

Slowly, Larchkit turned around to see the distant figures of cats coming out from the darkness. And they weren't friendly. Lean builds, worn down pelts and paced muscles. Their lips were drawn back to show dastardly-looking teeth. Teeth that could some serious damage to him or Mum. He shrunk down into his mother's thick fur, somehow expecting to be hidden from them.

Four cats were now gathered around him, snarling, their eyes gleaming.

The patrol contained to frantically pace around the helpless cats, like crows circling a rotting corpse. They chattered to each other with sharp tongues, but the fear that consumed Larchkit, was so much, their words were only muffled meaningless babble. All he could do was hung onto Mum slightly tighter, burying himself in a mass of long fur like a forest of ginger stems. A large black tabby she-cat with white muzzle stepped forward, the tips of her fangs showing threatening through her lips. She leaned in right into the kit's face, so much, that he could feel her breath on his thin whiskers, "What happened to Mapleshade then?", she slowly mewed, menacingly.