The Cost of Division || A Novella

PROLOGUE

Plover Flight carried the mewling bundle of curly fur in her mouth, crinkling her nose at his stench. His eyes had barely opened, and his ears were still pressed flat against his head. She wondered if she was doing the right thing. She knew that the kitten's presence would at least displease Snake Fang and that, depending on how well Snake Fang received him, the kitten may be thrown to the mercilessness of the wild anyway. Still, Plover Flight felt that she had to try to give him a fighting chance. She planned to take him to Tall Flower, who was more than halfway into carrying a litter, and would hope beyond all else that Tall Flower would miraculously have the ability to nurse him, if Snake Fang allowed it.

Snow-covered branches pulled at Plover Flight's coat as she pushed through the shrubbery into where the Coastline Colony gathered. Some of the cats in camp gave her a look of disdain, the unpleasant scent of the kitten having immediately drawn attention to her. Things are already not going well. Plover Flight thought, her heart sinking.

Bramble Berry looked up from an eel he was eating. "You've got a domestic cat?" He questioned, recoiling in disgust.

"The poor thing was alone and shivering." Plover Flight protested through the kitten's scruff. "Taking him in won't cause any harm."

"How could you bring him into our colony? We won't get the smell out of our pelts for days!" Complained Honey Branch, who had previously been sunbathing, but had sat up in alarm upon hearing Bramble Berry.

Plover Flight's eyes flashed with irritation and she glared at the tan tabby. "It's funny that you're whining, seeing as your mother is a Scrubland cat. Your heritage is no better than the kit's, you know. But you still make a good Coastline big-claw, so why can't he?"

"That's different." Honey Branch snapped. "At least Laurel Petal is a part of some colony. Domestic cats are soft and lazy. It's in their blood."

Being a heartless idiot seems to be in your blood. Plover Flight thought, but held her tongue.

Drawn out of her den by the commotion, Snake Fang padded up to Plover Flight, her tail lashing madly and fur bristling. She had immediately caught on to Plover Flight's antics, and she was already furious. "What is the meaning of this?" She spat out, her face crinkled with revulsion. "How dare you bring this creature to us?"

"He is only a kitten." The brown tabby retorted. "I found him some feet away from my territory with no queen in sight and the scent of her was stale. I was hoping that Tall Flower would suckle him."

"Tall Flower will not suckle him." Snake Fang hissed. "And I am shocked that you have the audacity to think so. Put him back where he was and leave him. Perhaps his queen will return. Or maybe a Scrubland cat will find him." She did not seem convinced of that, despite her suggestion.

Plover Flight shook her head, appalled by Snake Fang's indifference. "You know that's not true. If I put him back, he will die cold and alone. You can't be that cruel, Snake Fang."

"Then let him die." The brown tabby growled. "Our colony is not a refuge for domestic cats."

"You're absolutely horrible! Any decent sovereign would not let a defenseless kit die!" Plover Flight shouted passionately, her heart breaking in a million pieces at the thought of leaving the kitten to freeze to death. However, she immediately regretted her outburst, as she had only managed to make Snake Fang much more outraged.

"How dare you suggest that I am a bad sovereign?" Snake Fang challenged, her words laced with venom. Her ears pressed flat against her head, and she raised a paw with sheathed claws to strike the she-cat for her insubordination.

Plover Flight recoiled, anticipating the blow. She knew that Snake Fang was quick to anger, but she was surprised by just how infuriated the she-cat was. She had never seen her sovereign so irate before.

"Snake Fang." Foam Brook, the colony's oracle, cried out, a warning in his cool tone. "Allow the kitten to stay, so long as Tall Flower is willing to care for him."

"Why do you say that?" Snake Fang pulled her paw back and whipped around to stare at him as though he had grown another head. "The kitten is domesticated."

"I see a good future ahead of him." The white and ginger feline stated, his eyes misty and full of knowledge that he would not reveal.

Snake Fang would look foolish to go against the oracle in front of her Colony, so she reluctantly complied and called for Tall Flower. It was clear, though, that she thought Foam Brook was losing his clarity in his old age.

Upon being summoned, the black and white queen emerged from a fallen, hollow tree and made her way to the group of felines. Now that she was more than a month through her pregnancy, she had recently temporarily withdrawn from her big-claw duties . The situation was explained to her, and she gave it some thought. "I will see if I can feed him." She decided. "Bring him here."

Plover Flight padded over to her and plopped the mewling bundle onto the ground as the lanky she-cat rolled onto her side. Plover Flight saw now that the queen's belly was exposed that it was very large with kittens and appeared almost painfully engorged. Briefly, Plover Flight thought to herself that she was glad she had never been pregnant before.

Tall Flower regarded the kitten with pity and frowned, then looked up to meet the hesitantly hopeful eyes of Plover Flight. "It probably won't work. I'm too far from having my kits to begin producing milk. Please don't get your hopes up." She warned her regretfully.

Plover Flight nodded in understanding and watched the squirming tom-kit intently as he made a sad attempt to latch. She gently pushed him closer to Tall Flower with a soft paw, and he mewled pitifully at her touch. Plover Flight's heart melted with adoration and compassion. She was already so attached to the tiny kitten, she could have birthed him herself. 

As he struggled, she could not take her gaze off of him, willing him to at least muster the strength to latch on. The kit finally did so, and Plover Flight held her breath in anticipation. When he was finished with suckling both Tall Flower and Plover Flight were amazed to see the milk on his little muzzle.

Plover Flight cracked a smile and let out a giddy laugh of disbelief. The kitten would be safe for now, but she knew that he would face many adversities in his future as a Colony cat. She gazed curiously at Foam Brook, whose eyes were sparkling with satisfaction, and wondered what he had foreseen for the tiny tom.