My Entry For The Short Story Contest

My entry for the Short Story contest

ah, well i didnt get chosen, oh well! guess I'll share it with you all, even though it's not Petalkit's Shadow related, haha :] it was quite hard to write a whole scene in just 500 words. Hope you enjoy!

plain text under cut for accessibility!!

Adderfang pushed his way into the nursery, his amber eyes gleaming with warmth.

“Grandpaw!” Tigerkit squeaked, bounding forward.

“Good morning, little one,” Adderfang purred, bowing to touch his nose to Tigerkit’s head. Then, he turned his gaze to Leopardfoot, his daughter. “How are you this morning?”

“Pinestar hasn’t come to visit them today,” Leopardfoot dodged his question, drawing her tail in closer. Two more kits sat at her belly; tiny, sick, and barely strong enough to feed. 

“No cat’s seen him,” Adderfang tried to comfort her. Tigerkit wriggled his haunches and pounced on Adderfang’s long, thin tail.

“Yee-owch!” Adderfang yelped, jumping dramatically away from Tigerkit. “Great StarClan, look at his claws. He’s got the makings of a great warrior for sure!”

Tigerkit puffed out his chest proudly, and Leopardfoot felt a spark of affection. Once as weak as his sisters, Tigerkit now stood strong enough to pounce and play like a proper kit. But despite Tigerkit’s miraculous recovery, she couldn’t suppress the worry that Nightkit and Mistkit would never follow in his pawsteps. 

Tigerkit was the weakest, Leopardfoot told herself determinedly, watching Tigerkit dart after Adderfang’s tail. If he survived, so will his sisters. 

A commotion outside the den roused Leopardfoot from her thoughts. 

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here for a clan meeting!” called the unmistakable voice of Pinestar. Leopardfoot and Adderfang exchanged a glance. 

“Need help getting the kits out?” Adderfang asked. Leopardfoot nodded graciously. Nightkit and Mistkit were so weak, Leopardfoot always worried each opportunity to see their father would be the last.

When Leopardfoot and Adderfang managed to get the kits into the clearing, Pinestar stood at the base of the highrock, the cats of ThunderClan crowded around him.

What’s going on? 

“Sunfall will make a good leader,” White-eye nodded to the deputy. Slowly, Leopardfoot pieced the situation together, watching Pinestar turn towards the gorse tunnel. Dread and disbelief settled in her belly like a cold, hard stone.

He can’t be-

Desperately, Leopardfoot surged forward, bundling her kits along. At the last moment she slid in front of Pinestar, blocking his path to the gorse tunnel.

“Pinestar, what about our kits?!” she pleaded, gazing into his eyes. She searched them for something, anything to show that he might change his mind. “Won’t you stay to watch them grow up?”

Nightkit and Mistkit mewed pitifully. They sat at her paws, next to Tigerkit. Pinestar flicked his tail uncomfortably, and Tigerkit followed it with wide, alert eyes. 

“They’ll be fine with you, Leopardfoot,” Pinestar mewed, looking away.“I’m not a father they could be proud of. But I will always be proud of them.”

Unable to speak, Leopardfoot’s blood turned to ice. She watched numbly as Pinestar bent down, addressing Tigerkit in a low voice. “Especially you, little warrior. Be strong, my precious son. Serve your clan well.”

Something unknowable flashed through Pinestar’s eyes as he gazed at his son.

Then, he turned to the gorse tunnel, and was gone.