The Cat and the Fox

Chapter 6

            It had taken a moon or so for Cottonkit and Ivykit to start playing again. Stonekit would ask them every day if they wanted to play, but the two would refuse, still depressed by their mother's death. Longtail would rarely visit them since he was in shock too. But after a few weeks, they would toss a mossball around and let Stonekit join in. They would chase each other's tails. Soon enough, their laughter filled the nursery again. Stonekit's friends were back.

            Stonekit awoke. The leader's den was empty. No doubt that Icestar was already performing duties. He slept in her den every night now. Icestar told him that once he became an apprentice, he would have to sleep in the apprentice den. As much as Stonekit didn't want to leave her den, he agreed.

            Stonekit padded out of the leader's den. A chill ran down his pelt, causing him to stop in his footsteps. Leaf-fall was almost here.

            "Hi, Cottonkit!" Stonekit waved his tail at the white tom.

            "Hi, Stonekit! Wanna play?" he asked.

            "Sure. Where's Ivykit?" Stonekit asked.

            Stonekit had grown a crush on the mute she-cat. They were only friends for now, but maybe when they were older, they would be mates.

            "She's still sleeping," Cottonkit said.

            "Well let's wake her up!"

            The two padded inside, careful not to wake Skycloud, who was watching over the four kits. Ivykit slept by Skycloud's side, curled up in Skycloud's gray fur. Cottonkit waved his tail in front of Ivykit's nose. Ivykit let out a large sneeze and her eyes opened up.

            Cottonkit laughed and Ivykit rolled her eyes. She stood up and shook her pelt off, which was covered in moss.

            "Let's play!" Stonekit said.

            Ivykit nodded and the three padded outside. Warriors and apprentices were already busy patrolling and hunting. The camp had cleared and left only a few cats left.

            "So, what do you want to play?" Cottonkit asked.

            "Do you guys want to play the leader game?" Stonekit asked. He and Ivykit adored that game, although Cottonkit found it a little boring.

            "I guess," Cottonkit sighed.

            Ivykit put her tail on Cottonkit's shoulder and smiled. "You really think it will?" Cottonkit asked.

            "Um...who are you talking to, Cottonkit?" Stonekit asked.

            Cottonkit looked at Ivykit, and Ivykit let out a nod. "Well," Cottonkit began. "Ivykit and I can read each other's minds. That's why we have such a good relationship. I can understand what she says."

            "That's so cool!" Stonekit exclaimed.

            "Sorry if you've heard me talking really randomly. That was actually me talking to Ivykit. StarClan gave us the gift of reading minds because of Ivykit's condition. I'm her mouth, I guess."

            Ivykit laughed and nodded.

            "Let's play!" Stonekit said.

            "I'm Stonestar!" Stonekit proclaimed. "Ivykit, want to be my deputy?"

            Ivykit nodded.

            "Well I'm the evil Cottonstar!" Cottonkit laughed. "I'm going to attack your clan, Stonestar!"

            "No you won't!" Stonekit growled. "StoneClan! Attack!"

            Stonekit and Ivykit leapt onto Cottonkit. Stonekit gently bit his ear, while Ivykit pawed at his belly.

            Cottonkit laughed. "Alright! Alright! I surrender! You win for now, Stonestar!"

            Stonekit and Ivykit jumped off Cottonkit, who was still laughing.

            "Great job!" Stonekit said to Ivykit.

            Ivykit dipped her head as if she was saying thanks.

Night had begun to fall, and Icestar was in her den. Stonekit padded inside, smiling. He laid down next to her on the nest.

            "There you are!" Icestar said. "Did you have fun today?"

            "Yes!" Stonekit said. "Cottonkit, Ivykit, and I played lots of games! Being a kit is so much fun! I can't wait until we're all apprentices."

            "You realize that once you are an apprentice, you can't play anymore. You have to learn to be a warrior," Icestar said.

            "But we could train together!" Stonekit suggested.

            "That's if all three mentors agree. I'm sure Cottonkit and Ivykit will train together since they are siblings, but you might just be trained on your own, Stonekit."

            "No more playing?" Stonekit asked.

            "When you become an apprentice, you have bigger responsibilites. Once you become a warrior, you have even more responsibilites. There is no more playing. Cherish the memories now," Icestar said.

            Stonekit frowned. Being an apprentice didn't sound like much fun now. He would barely get to see his friends.

            There was a long silence before he spoke again. "Why are you acting like a mother to me, Icestar?"

            There was another pause. "Well, I never had kits of my own, so when you came, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to raise you."

            "Why didn't you have kits?" Stonekit asked.

            "I decided to become a leader. Kits and a mate would...would get in the way," Icestar said, hesitating while speaking.

            "Do you know who my parents are?" Stonekit asked out of the blue. It was an odd question, but Stonekit was curious.

            "No," Icestar said. "Your mother didn't tell me her name or where she had come from. She just told me to keep you safe."

            "Safe from what?" Stonekit asked.

            Icestar didn't reply. "Why don't you sleep?"

            Icestar had fallen asleep in a few minutes, but Stonekit couldn't let go of the conversation they had had. His mother was just trying to keep him safe? Stonekit was confused. He gasped, thinking of a distant memory, more like faces, of cats who had been keeping secrets from him.