My kits, thought Robinear, are the best gift the Sun and Moon have given me.
Yellowkit and Whitekit lay at her side, slumbering peacefully. The moon's rays shone into the den, framing Yellowkit's peaceful form, and all seemed happy. The den was quiet and roomier as well, Gingerfur's kits having begun Testing.
All in all, it was wonderful.
The sound of pawsteps outside the nursery caused Robinear's ears to perk up in curiosity. She turned her head slightly to see the entrance.
A small grey cat poked his head in, and Robinear stood up slowly, careful not to touch her slumbering kits. "Greyfur?" she asked. In her time living in the nursery, she'd perfected the art of speaking in barely a whisper.
Greyfur's eyes nodded, gesturing outside with his tail.
Robinear blinked and padded out of the den. "What is it?" she asked curiously.
Greyfur glanced around cautiously. "Can you keep a secret?" he breathed.
Robinear nodded, curious. "Of course! You're my brother, Greyfur." She tilted her head slightly to the side. What could he be so cautious about?
Greyfur swallowed. "I've...I've joined the rebellion."
A jolt of fear shot through Robinear, and she backed away from her brother. Had he brought her here to kill her? To kill her kits?
Greyfur's expression fell. "No! I don't want to hurt you!" he assured her. "I just wanted to ask...would you like to join as well?"
Robinear shook her head. "No, no. I'm happy here. I have two kits, Thrushnose, and friends...I don't have a death wish."
Her brother sighed. "But don't you want to fight back against the cats who killed our brother? Who let Willowbranch take you without batting an eye?"
Robinear blinked, a bit of hesitation entering her tone. "N-no. I'm fine."
"Fine," sighed Greyfur. "Just...just don't turn me in, right?"
Robinear nodded. "I promise."
Greyfur's tense muscles relaxed slightly. "Thanks, Robinear." He began to turn away before pausing. "If you change your mind, though..."
Robinear shook her head. I won't, she thought, but with a bit of doubt.
"...then you can meet us in the Great Field."
The Great Field...
Robinear's mind flashed back to the rogue she'd met in the woods, the one she'd been convinced would kill her. "Do...do you know a she-cat named Primrose?" she asked hesitantly.
Greyfur spun around, surprised, and nodded. "What about her?"
"I met her in the woods," Robinear admitted.
Greyfur tipped his head, interested. "Hm, interesting."
Robinear waited for him to continue, but he said nothing more. "I guess I'll see you later," she mewed.
Greyfur nodded. "Until then," he mewed, crossing the tree-bridge quickly.
Sighing, Robinear curled back up in her den, her slumbering kits beside her, and feel asleep, her mind still whirling with the conversation she'd just had.
~----------------------------------------------~
That day, Sunpaw came to recite the legends.
It was a common event, something that happened every quarter-moon. It kept Yellowkit and Whitekit quiet and entertained and let Robinear rest, something she was eternally grateful for.
Unfortunately, the story and rules today weren't ones that were nice for her to listen to.
The small grey Healer Trainee wrapped his tail around his paws and began speaking. "Come, future of FloraClan," he mewed. "Come and here the words of those from long before us. Come here the stories of long ago. Come and hear the rules that keep us together. Listen, young ones, and take these lessons to heart."
Yellowkit darted over almost instantly to sit as close as she could to Sunpaw, her eyes shining with excitement. Whitekit padded over a little slower, but just as eagerly. Quailwhisker's kits joined as well, their tails swishing in excitement. It would be their last day in the nursery.
Sunpaw sat up a bit straighter. "Today, young ones, I tell the story of how the claiming rules came to be."
Instantly, an image of Willowbranch shot through her mind, and she winced. Her kits, on the other hand, cheered in excitement and leaned forward.
They don't know what this really means...
Robinear blinked, suddenly realizing something. They don't even know they have a father...
The Trainee Healer began his story, his words eerily similar to the ones told to her, so many moons ago, in her own kithood.
"Once, when FloraClan was young and small, there were no claiming rules," began Sunpaw, voice clear and rich. "But one day, a terrible disease swept through the Clan, killing almost all of the kits."
As he spoke, Robinear suddenly saw her darling kits drop dead, and shivered violently. Quailwhisker looked just as disturbed, and reached out her tail to Robinear in comfort.
"So, to prevent the Clan from dying out, FloraClan established rules."
Whitekit tipped his head curiously. "What were they?" he asked the Healer Trainee.
Sunpaw dipped his head. "All in good time, young one," he mewed before continuing. "For the first time, FloraClan opened voting for all cats to decide how to save the Clan. The vote was almost unanimous-- any she-cat without a mate could be claimed for two moons, or until she became pregnant, by any tom. This would ensure a lot of kits, and would make sure FloraClan lived on. Cats in love, however, could institute a permanent claim to prevent this."
Yellowkit's tail swished energetically on the ground. "That's a good idea!" she mewed brightly.
Sunpaw purred. "I'm glad you think so."
No...Yellowkit, it's NOT a good idea...
Yellowkit, however, spoke up again. "But isn't the icky sickness gone?"
The young cat nodded, confused. "Yes..?"
"So then why are the rules still there?"
Sunpaw froze, his mouth open, and looked curiously down at the small yellow she-cat. She blinked innocently up at him as he tried to form an answer.
Robinear's heart stopped-- a question like that, a challenge of FloraClan's authority could easily get you killed.
Yellowkit...stop talking!
Sunpaw, however had an answer ready quickly. "Well, we don't know when the sickness will come back, do we?" he mewed. "We need to be ready."
Robinear knew very well that that was a blatant lie. They'd just never bothered to get rid of it-- the rule benefited the Male Leaders and didn't affect the Female Leaders, so no one saw fit to change them.
And look where that got me...stuck with Willowbranch.
Robinear's gaze found her kits. But maybe...maybe it's not all that bad?
Sunpaw quickly purred and concluded his story. "Remember the story, young ones, as long as you live, and remember why the rules are in place." He ducked out of the den as fast as he could, paws thudding loudly.
With the young Healer Trainee gone, the kits immediately darted outside to play something. Sighing, Robinear padded over to the entrance to watch them.
She suddenly felt Quailwhisker sit down beside her. The tortoiseshell queen sighed and glanced at Yellowkit, who was attacking a piece of moss. "You'll have to be careful with that one," she mewed.
Robinear blinked. "Whatever for?"
Quailwhisker looked at her incredulously. "It's up to you to teach them what to say and what not to in this Clan. And you know what Yellowkit is saying now is sure to get her killed in the future."
Robinear winced at Quailwhisker's harsh words, but knew she spoke the truth. "You're right," she sighed. "I'll teach her not to do that." After all, she didn't want her darling daughter to be hurt.
Yellowkit suddenly leapt on her brother, yelling, "DIE, Clan scum!"
Robinear winced. "Yeah, I'll definitely talk to her." She turned to Quailwhisker, eyes questioning "Should I teach them the greetings?"
Quailnose nodded. "That would probably be a good idea. I should've taught mine that," she mewed regretfully.
Robinear opened her mouth to call them back in before pausing and turning to her companion. "Thank you," she mewed with sincerity. "I hadn't noticed..."
"We're all blind to our own kits' faults," snorted Quailwhisker. "It's fine. Hey, Mottledkit!" she suddenly yelled. "Get off your brother!"
"You aren't," purred Robinear, before her tone turned serious again. "Honestly, I don't know how I'll make it up to you."
Quailwhisker flicked her tail. "I don't need anything," she mewed, before shifting her gaze to her kits and lowering her voice so low Robinear could barely hear it. "I don't want any kit dead."
Suddenly, her greatest wish suddenly manifested itself in her head. She hadn't truly realized that her wants were, honestly, simple.
I just want my kits to live.
That, Robinear prayed, wasn't too much to ask.
Here it is...the second to last chapter of Blossom...
It's so close!
So, what did you think about this chapter? How about the origin of the claiming rules? What do you think about this book in general?
Thanks to YearlyAquariAce for editing this chapter for me!
Oh, and I might be sending a letter to the Erins to ask permission for this to be published...
*cough*
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter :)