Mini leopard ~ and the thunder road

She was cold, her siblings had long since stopped squirming and their cries had quieted down, where was mom? The milk scent was gone and she couldn’t feel her warmth or soft rumbling purr, the killed her to sleep. She wiggled around in a nest of bracken and moss and two leg pelt scrap. They were kept a few fox lengths away from the thunderpath under a brush . The kit let out another loud mewl her cries growing weak as she got tired .

Featherstep had decided to lead the dawn patrol that morning, his thick fur fluffed up against the chilly late Leaf-Fall air. His steps were quick and light as he and his patrol made their way across the moors to check and refresh their borders along the Thunderpath. He turned towards the cat nearest to him with a playful twitch of his whiskers. “I’ll never get used to that stink,” he chuckled, giving the Thunderpath a slight nod. “I can scent a rabbit two tail lengths underground, but how any cat can scent anything over that smell is still beyond me!” He slowed his pace as he drew nearer, his pawsteps becoming much more measured and careful.

Thornpaw was on the patrol excited to be protecting his territory and patrolling with warriors, he wrinkled his nose against the smell of the thunderpath, his ears pricked for anything . “Won’t that make it easier for other clans to sneak up on us if they use the thunderpath to mask their scents?” He asked with a swish of his tail. He paused for a moment . “Did you hear something?”


The little kit, could vaguely hear pawsteps her ears having just started to open as well as her eyes, she mewled again trying to be louder where was mother and the milk scent? Her siblings weren’t moving at all anymore and they had grown cold .

Featherstep beamed at Thornpaw’s question, giving the apprentice a nod of approval. [color=#87CEEB“That’s absolutely right, Thornpaw! You’re starting to think like a warrior already.”[/color] Before he could dole out anymore praise, Thornpaw’s next question was punctuated by the faintest mewl before the rumble of another monster drowned it out. His ears perked and he began scanning the undergrowth. “Good ears, Thornpaw,” he mumbled, creeping closer to where he thought it had come from, spotting the faintest movement from underneath a nearby bush. He stood up, flicked his tail towards the bush, and moved forward.
As he drew nearer, the makeshift nest came into view-- and the kits inside it. “Stars! There’s kits here!” He gasped and rushed forward. It only took a glance into the nest to see that only one of the kits was still alive. The scent of milk was stale-- what mother would have her kits this close to the Thunderpath, only to abandon them? He shook the thought away and plucked the lone kit from the nest. Featherstep gently placed her down and wrapped his fluffy frame around her to keep her warm. “Poor scrap…”

Thornpaw beamed his fur fluffing out as he basked in his mentor!: praise, his happiness was cut short when he followed Featherstep towards the small nest, “.. the others aren’t moving .” He gasped sadly, brushing some leaves over them so no foxes could find them. He looked down at the small mewling kit, “her eyes seem to barely be open .. what happened?! “ He asked nosing the small kit.

She was suddenly picked up and wrapped in warmth, mewling loudly she burrowed into the fur but couldn’t find any milk, her small spotted coat fluffing up a bit as she kneaded Featherstep’s belly . “We should take her back home” Thornpaw said growing anxious .

Mistyheart gasped at the sight of the kits. Seeing them there abandoned made he heart feel like it was cracking, although she would never admit it. The tabby had originally tagged alone on the patrol to help distract her busy mind. Ever since her mother had died, she found herself thinking a lot more often, and she now felt more grateful for the cats around her. She had started to get over some of the pain from losing Brindlestar, but looking at this kit, it opened fresh wounds. She at least had the privilege of having a mother her whole life, but this poor kit would have nobody.

Standing still, eyes set on the one remaining kit, she zoned out, everything around her becoming insignificant. All she knew in that moment was that she... she wanted to care for the kit. She wanted to be it's mother, she wanted to be there for it, to give it what she didn't have. "I... I think want to take her in." She blurted out, still staring at the kit. Looking at her, she felt a warmness begin to fill the cracks in her broken heart. She really didn't care about the responsibilities she would face, all she wanted was for this kit to have a loving family.

Thornpaw has gently tried to poke the kit with his overly large paw, licking one of his overly long fangs , “she’s so small can’t believe I was ever that small—“ he was interrupted by Mistyheart’s outburst staring between the two. “You want to spend time in the nursery ?” He asked surprised.

The kit mewled pitifully, her cries growing weak as she tried to find some milk, she pressed closer to Fearherstep’s warmth the sun lighting upon on her golden spotted coat .

Featherstep looked between his patrol and the kit now burrowing into his flank. “Of course we’ll take her in,” he said simply, giving the spotted she-kit’s tiny head a comforting lick. “Mistyheart,” He nodded to the gray she-cat. “Take Thornpaw and the kit back to camp. See if you can find one of the nursing queens to take her in for now. I’m sure she’s hungry.” He chuckled, turning to look over his shoulder at the small nest. It wasn’t right to just leave the rest of the litter behind like that. His tail twitched uneasily as he began to wonder yet again where their mother had disappeared to. “I’m going to give her littermates a proper burial.”

At the sound of her name, Mistheart raised her head, he pale eyes locked with Featherstep's. Once she had received her orders, she gave the deputy a curt nod and waked toward the kit. She lowered her head to pick up the kit, being careful to not hurt her. She pulled the she-kit closer to her, trying to keep her warm. Beginning to walk away, she turned over her shoulder and spoke. "Let's go, Thornpaw." The words came muffled by the kit's scruff, but she made her message more clear by flicking her tail in a gesture for the younger tom to follow. Walking down the path, she kept her eyes focused on the path ahead. 'I promise i'll keep you safe, i'll never let anything bad happen to you.' She made the silent promise as she pushed through a bush, protecting the kit with her paw.

Thornpaw huffed he wanted to stay with Featherstep but decided that the kit did need to get home first, “ she looks like a small leopard from those stories the elders tell .” He told Mistheart. Walking along side her, his tail held high with excitement .

“Wait till the rest of the clan sees her .. you think she’s a rouge?” The apprentice was full of questions.

The kit mewled again as she was picked up and carried was being taken to her mother? She opened her eyes trying to adjust to the moving earth as she was carried .