Newcomers

These new cats were strange; that much was true. They were not too far removed from the typical Clan cats of Fawnbreeze’s early moons, but they were odd in their own way. They each had a different way of speaking, a different way that they carried themselves, a different look in their eyes.

It was weird to think she had something of her own Clan now. She didn’t want to be leader--she would probably give that role off to Frigid, or something. Those cats needed rest, though, and she didn’t want to shove off the role of leader so quickly on him. For now, he could sleep. But in the morning, she was going to take him straight to Lilystar to get this all sorted out.

“You are Fawnbreeze, yes?”

The gentle voice still startled her, and she felt some of the fur lining her spine go on end. Her hazel eyes turned to pierce the newcomer, who looked suddenly uncertain, but they took a few steps forward anyway. Fawnbreeze watched as the she-cat sat beside her, her tail curling neatly over her paws.

“I’m Redripple.”

“Hm. Yes, I’m Fawnbreeze,” the older she-cat said. “You need help with something?”

“No… I just wanted to speak with you. She-cat to she-cat, and all that.”

The ginger she-cat was certainly soft-spoken. Her voice was elegant but quiet.

“About what?”

“Well…” she sighed. “Are you alright with us moving in? I mean--you’re a lone cat. Surely you don’t want five extra mouths to feed.”

“Well, I imagine you can feed your own mouths.” Fawnbreeze’s voice had a tint of amusement in it. “And besides, it was getting a little boring with just me and Briar out here anyway. I’d welcome a little company.”

Redripple looked skeptical. “We are just company. We might be a whole Clan, one day.”

“All the better. I used to be a Clan cat.”

“Oh!” she gasped, startled. “I didn’t mean--”

“It’s fine. Although, you couldn’t tell from my name?”

Redripple looked away, slightly embarrassed. “I mean--I figured. But I wasn’t sure. Anyway, though, uh… that’s not all I wanted to talk to you about. There’s something else.” Redripple hesitated and the tip of her tail flicked this way and that. She seemed uncertain to press on.

“What is it?”

There was a long beat of silence, then Redripple blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

Fawnbreeze blinked. “You’re pregnant? And you came all this way? And you’re telling me?”

“I-I don’t know who else to tell! Thunderheart is--frankly, scary--and with the way Eaglewind and Rivertail look at each other, you never know…. I just, my thing is, I don’t want the kits. We need all the paws we can get! But… I’m not ready for them, not yet.”

“I’m sure you’d be a great mother.”

“I wouldn’t.” If nothing else, Redripple seemed certain of this. “I need… I’ve got to do something with them when they’re born. They can’t stay here.”

Fawnbreeze stared at her for a second with such a piercing gaze she could see Redripple’s fur starting to prickle. Finally, she sighed, flicking her tail. “Come. I’ll show you a cat who will take them off your paws.”