Baby of mine, I'm so sorry.
Your mother doesn't love you.
The dilute tortoiseshell feline had been numb for moons, the loss of her kits and her mate had cut her deeply. So naturally, when she heard of the young BlazingClan apprentice who had led the great escape from The Legion, she had begun to rejoice. But her daughter's eyes were cold and unchanging upon seeing her. She only seemed to greet her because it was the polite thing to do. But the warrior couldn't say much other for herself. She was outraged that her daughter had even bothered to return home without her brother.
Brightfur blinked her golden yellow gaze. Darkpaw had always been a different cat. She was quick, quiet and didn't like much of anybody. As a kit she refused to play with the others and even then she'd get snappy and irritated when they pestered her. She had always been a smooth talker and very, very clever. Upon being made an apprentice she excelled, coming out of her shell more and only seeming to bond with her brother and upon occasion, making conversation with Sparrowpaw. Aside from those small and trivial interactions, Darkpaw had always avoided crowds and interactions like they were a blight among the forest.
Her son, however, her precious son was the opposite. He was kind and strong and brave and he never shied away from his short comings like her daughter did and he was always the first to help. He was adored by the clan as a lively. energetic and compassionate young tom. Darkpaw literally thrived inside of her brother's shadow and went out of her way to be the opposite of him, even further tearing their family apart with her childish tantrums and frustrated outbursts. She never grew up. Not like Shadowpaw did. Brightfur had no idea where she went wrong.
Of course, there was some form of affection for her daughter, but shame came to the BlazingClan warrior in knowing that she had borne StarClan's mistake. She knew it the moment she locked eyes with her daughter, that she was starless. She looked black and sickly, tainted with shadow and evil. In her early moons Darkpaw had always been a frail and sickly kit. Brightfur should have listened when StarClan told her to abandoned Darkpaw when she was a kit. The dilute tortoiseshell warrior had been weaker then tainted with a mother's love. But not now.
The two felines hadn't shared much of a word, other than Brightfur's gentle 'welcome home' and Darkpaw's hard, calloused eyes. Swallowing hard, the amber eyed feline knew what she had to do now. She understood it perfectly. StarClan had shown it to her in many visions before now.
The she-cat would wait. These things take time and her daughter was no fool. It wouldn't be an easy task but StarClan had entrusted her to it many moons ago and she had failed, and because of it, terrible things had happened.
"Brightfur?" A familiar voice echoed.
Turning, the she-cat locked gazes with Mosspelt who's amber eyes were narrowed with concern and other hidden thoughts, masked behind a clouded copper gaze.
"Yes, Mosspelt?" Brightfur replied in a cool tone.
"Is everything alright?" The vitiligo feline asked, a slight frown furrowing her features.
The dilute tortoiseshell nodded, her gaze unchanging. "Yes of course! Everything is fine."
Mosspelt nodded, gaze uncertain but taking Brightfur's word for it. "Alright." She started. "I know that losing your son to The Legion is... hard to understand, Brightfur. None of us-"
"He'll come home." Brightfur interrupted sharply, her voice deepening slightly, a heavy seriousness overcoming her words. "A son is loyal to his mother. Especially my son. I know he'll come back to me." Mosspelt said nothing more. Brightfur could feel the sympathy in the wretched felines eyes and right then and there she wished to whip around and claw at her nose. But she remained chemically calm, drawing in a breath. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to speak with Darkpaw."
"Your daughter?" Mosspelt mewed, a deeper frown furrowing her gaze.
Brightfur didn't look back at the deputy. "Yes." She replied through gritted teeth, swallowing hard. "My daughter."
YOU ARE READING
THE SURVIVORS || Warriors
Fantasy---------------------------------- SEQUEL TO "THE STOLEN" ---------------------------------- Safe. Alive. Home at last. But nothing is the same. The world these young cats once knew is now plagued with betrayal, heartbreak, loss, vengeance, war and...
