Chapter 1
“Mama?” She looks around, searching desperately for her mother’s warm scent. But she can’t find her.
“Mama?” She asks again, looking around. Suddenly, Robin lets out a squeak of surprise. She looks up. Another squeal. A tom with a large scar above his right eye has just dropped some foul smelling thing on top of her. She looks up at the tom with questioning eyes. Why did you just drop this... this, thing, on me?
“Whaaat?” The tom looks at her, his expression hardening.
“You just dropped... something... on me!” Robin exclaims weakly.
“What, that? Be thankful, you ungrateful kit! That thing is your food!” What? That’s my food? Robin looks down on the old, moldy glob. She looks back up at the cat.
“That’s all I can give you, so deal with it!” The cat growls. Robin jumps back, the cat’s hostility surprising her.
“But...” Robin starts.
“No buts! Eat it or starve, either choice is fine with me!” The cat snarls at Robin. Robin sniffles, holding back a tear. She looks at the prey, then up at the cat again. The cat is staring at her, his expression unreadable. Robin leans down toward the prey, and slowly takes a bite. She wrinkles back in disgust, her tongue begging for mercy. That is the most disgusting thing I’ve ever tasted! Where did that thing even come from?
“Well?” Robin looks up at the tom.
“What?” Robin asks him.
“Well how did you like the taste of prey?” The tom replies with an eye roll. That was prey?! Everyone says it tastes good! “Well?”
“It was horrible!” Robin replies honestly. She looks at her paws.
“That wasn’t the best prey around. Its scarce, you know.”
“Oh.” Robin looks around. Now that I think about it, I don’t know what this world is even like. And where’s my mother?
“Where’s mom?” Robin asks the tom. His eyes harden.
“You would know,” he growls harshly. Robin takes a step back.
“Wha-what do you mean?” She asks. How would I know?
“Don’t act like you don’t know!” The tom snarls. He unseathes his claws and swipes at Robin.
“Ow!” Robin cries. Blood drips from her side. She cries out in pain.
“You stupid, stupid kit! Everything is your fault you ungrateful furball!” Robin yowls again as pain floods through her other side.
“Please stop!” Robin cries. His claws start to scrape at Robin’s side but she jumps back in perfect time. But her eyes widen as the claws aim at her neck, and Robin shuts her eyes and prepares for the pain.
“Stop!” A yowl pierces Robin’s ears. After a few seconds, she opens her eyes. Robin gasps. A beautiful light brown cat with a tiny bit of orange in her pelt is holding the tom off. She has her mouth back in a snarl, her front legs meeting the tom’s.
“Stop it, Ash!” The tom snarls. He backs down and challenges the she-cat with a fierce gaze. The she-cat replies with a mew.
“You can’t blame your own kit for this, Dark. It wasn’t her fault, and anyways, you never blame her brother for the unfortunate incident.” Ash’s words comfort Robin. Wait, I have a brother?
“Sharp will be a strong warrior, unlike Robin. She is weak and doesn’t even like the taste of prey!”
“You can’t blame your own kit for this, Dark.” That horrid tom is my FATHER?!
Her father’s words stung Robin with a force she’d never felt before. Tears began to stream down her face once again.
“That prey tasted bad!” Robi squeaks. Ash looks at the dark gray tom, then down on the piece of prey Robin is next to.
“You fed her... this?” Ash asks worriedly.
“Well, duh! What did you think I fed her, grass?” Dark replies sarcastically.
“Dark, that piece of prey is rotten! Did she eat any!?” Ash’s words startle Robin. Is there something wrong with it?
“I ate a bite,” Robin says to Ash. She looks down at the small kit.
“Dark, I’m going to borrow Robin for a second. That prey could make her sick,” Ash says.
“Let her die for all I care.” Dark pads away into the forest. Robin looks at Ash.
“I’m sorry, Robin. You are a beautiful kit and you’ll grow to be a fine hunter one day. Pay no attention to your father. He’s not a nice cat,” Ash says as Robin follows her.
“But what did he mean by it was all my fault?” Robin asks Ash. What could I have possibly done? Ash sighs.
“Your mother died after you were born. She was a great but foolish cat, and was sick that day.” Robin looks at her paws after Ash closes her mouth.
“It wasn’t your fault, Robin,” Ash says quickly. Robin just nods. If it wasn’t my fault then why would Father be mad? Speaking on that topic, where is my brother?
“Where’s my brother?” Robin asks Ash. Ash shrugs.
“I don’t know. To be honest, if I weren’t the medicine cat I wouldn’t know you have a brother. If you’re a good kitty when I give you your medicine, we can go look. But we’ll have to be quiet.”
“Okay!!!!” Robin squeals. This is great! We can go look for my brother! “Where to?”
“To my den. Remember, medicine first,” Ash replies. Robin sighs.
“Alright,” she mutters. “Where’s your den?”
“A little ways, away from all this rotten prey.”
“A little ways?”
“You’ll see.” Robin follows Ash around and out of Dark’s den, and into the forest. She looks up at the tall trees, the tallest she’s ever seen. Soon, a roaring sound rings in Robin’s ears.
“What’s that?” she asks Ash. Ash laughs.
“That’s a waterfall, little one. Follow close behind me; we’re close to me den.” The trees clear up, and beautiful, crystal clear water sparkles in the distance. Crisp, bright green grass litters the clearing, and plants circle around a small bush.
“Here we are,” Ash says. She pads over to the plants. Robin gasps. The bush opens up inside to create a small but cozy hollow den big enough for a few cats to sleep in. Behind the den, small not yet full grown tree with wide branches protects a wide bed of moss. Plants ly all around the den in small holes to protect them from wind in small piles, others with roots dug in the ground.
“Whoa!” Robin sighs. This place is beautiful, much prettier than Father’s den. “Can I live here?”
Ash laughs.
“I’m sure Dark will be okay with that. But first, let’s get you your herbs.” Ash pads over to one hole and picks out a so called herb.
“This is yarrow. It will make you throw up the rotten prey so you don’t get sick. Eat it and swallow,” Ash instructs. Robin laps up the yarrow like Ash told her to.“That’s a good kit,” Ash says. Suddenly, Robin feels sick. She vomits up the rotten prey.
“Oooh,” Robin groans. She looks down at the gross glob of junk.
“Nice job, Robin. You did very, very well. I’m sorry your first piece of prey was that bad.” Ash’s words comfort Robin. I’m not alone in this world.
“Thank you so much for your help, Ash. I really appreciate it,” Robin says. Ash just smiles.
“Of course, Robin. No harm done. Ready to go find your brother?”
“Oh yes!” Robin says excitedly. Ash laughs.
“Let’s go,” Ash says.
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