Chapter Text
Icefoot trotted through the snow going up to his ankles. Sure, it was cold, but he was used to that feeling by now. To his left was the long Wooden Fence of Twolegplace, separating his old Home from the Forest, his new Home. But Icefoot wasn’t here to relive old memories. No, he knew his destination. He had visited her often in the last few Moons.
The decrepit Twoleg den at the edge of Twolegplace came in sight. Despite its broken windows, scabby walls and leaky roof, it somehow filled Icefoots heart with warmth seeing it. But that was mostly because he knew who would be inside it. He slipped through one of the many holes in the Fence and made his way through the overgrown garden onto the stone porch. “Mom, I’m here!” he called out into the abandoned den.
An Old Gray She-Cat came into view inside the building. Her Fur was Matted and ungroomed. Her eyes had a pained but loving gazed as they met Icefoot’s. She quickly approached the shattered door that once separated the Den from the outside. “Oh Tiny, I knew you would come back!” she affectionately rasped as she stepped outside to meet him. Icefoot felt a slight prang of annoyance at his mother. Quince had never quite gotten used to his new name. Not since she had learned that he was alive, and not dead as she had assumed for so many seasons.
Icefoot had found her walking along the edge of the Forest a couple of moons ago. He had almost chased her away, before realizing that she was the cat that had given birth to him and his siblings. Things had apparently been hard for her since he had last seen her. Ruby and Socks had left, and her Twolegs had moved away, leaving her behind to fend for herself. She had taken up residence in an abandoned Twolegden, living off scraps and the occasional Mouse. And now, she was pregnant.
But looking at her now, icefoot realized that she looked... Thinner. She wasn’t very Chubby before, but her pregnancy had given her a larger belly than usual. And then, the realization hit him like a Monster on the Thunderpath. “You’ve… You’ve Kitted!” he exclaimed happily. Quince look changed to a Solem, almost Mournful expression.
“Oh, Oh Tiny… they... t-they…”. Tears started to run down her cheeks. Icefoot went cold. Quince had been weak when he found her.
Very Weak.
Too Weak.
Too Weak to bear Kits.
Despite the prey that he had Hunted for her, she hadn’t significantly recovered. And now... “Did they… Did they not make it?” he asked carefully, trying to not upset her further. “Tw-Two of them…” she finally stammered “Two survived. The others…” the last part hung unspoken in the air between them. Icefoot looked her in the Eyes, seeing them filled with the pain of a Grieving Mother.
“Some, Some Twoleg Kits came and took Princess away, but-“ She cut herself off, just as his mother seemed to have somewhat calmed, turned around and disappeared back into the Den. Icefoot was left to process what she had just. Her Kits, his sibling, dead, and another, kitnapped by Twolegs. An emotion overcame him that he did not know. It felt cold, sad, depressing, like nothing in the world was ever gonna be alright again.
Was it… Grief? He had never really grieved anyone before. Not Ruby and Socks, his Littermates who had always picked on him, not Sunstar, who had allowed him into Thunderclan, not Thistleclaw, who almost killed him. Just then, Quince emerged from the Shadows, snapping him out of his emotional trance. His eyes widened when he saw that she held a small, ginger Kit by the scruff. Its eyes were still closed, it couldn’t be older than a few days.
Her last surviving Kit. His Brother.
“I want you to take him”
“…What?”
“Tiny please, I-I can’t take care of him. I..” the words seemed to pain her as she spoke. “I don’t have any Milk for him”. Icefoot was silent, trying to find a rational thought in the whirlwind of emotions that was his Mind. “Mom I… I can’t. The Clan won’t accept him. And even if, he probably wouldn’t make it through Leafbare!”. Quince frowned through the Kit in her Mouth.
“Icefoot, I’m begging you!” she screamed, having put the kit down to talk. “Hes as good as dead with me! I’m not making this decision easily, but you have to take him!” She was almost crying again. “Please, Icefoot… Give him the Life I can’t give him… that I couldn’t give you”
Icefoot was silent. He couldn’t say not to his mother. Not when she was at the end of her ropes. Not when a Kits life was at stake. Not like this. “Alright” he finally said exhaustedly, “I’ll take him to Thunderclan”
A smile dawned Quince’s face. The sight of it let a prang of Hope flair up in Icefoots heart. “Oh, Thank you Tiny, Thank you! I will never forget you this!” Icefoot remained silent. He had not seen her so happy in a long time. He couldn’t break her heart with the truth. “Goodbye Mom” he said, a slimmer of repressed sadness in his voice, as he picked up the little Kit by its scruff. He wasn’t very heavy, but his fur felt weird in Icefoots mouth. He turned around to leave, but was stopped by his Mother. “His name is Rusty” she told him. The Kit, no… Rusty, let out a small mewl at hearing his name.
Icefoot just looked her in the eyes. The decision to give up Rusty, the last Kit she had left, really had been hard for her. That much was clear from the way she had said his name. Without responding, Icefoot hurried through the Garden and out of the fence. He slowed down at the edge of the Forest. He turned his head and shot one last look at the dilapidated Twoleg Den. He turned back, and walked along the long Fence of Twolegplace towards where Thunderclans territory started.
When he had crossed the scent markers, he stopped at Tree close to the edge of the Forest. The dense foliage above had prevented much of the snow from amassing underneath it, leaving a small patch of green. Icefoot carefully put Rusty down on the grass. The small Kitten squirmed a little upon touching the cold ground and curled up into an orange furball.
Icefoot breathed in the cold air. He needed his head clear. He needed to think. Afterall, he couldn’t take Rusty into Thunderclan. They would never accept another Kittypet, especially not in Leafbare. And if he showed up with his Kittypet Half-Brother, then they would never let him forget it. The hackling and the bullying would start all over again. No, he couldn’t risk his position in the clan for this.
And worse, what if they did accept him? Could Rusty learn how to survive in the Wild? Of course not, he was a Kittypet! So were you once A voice in the back of his head told him. But Icefoot knew that he wasn’t like other Kittypets. No, he was different! I might have been born a Kittypet, but I’ve always been a Warrior at Heart! He had always despised his Kittypet life, except maybe the time with his Mother.
But what to do about Rusty? He couldn’t just leave the Kitten out here to die! Maybe drop him off with some friendly Twolegs? But what if they didn’t want Rusty? He would get thrown into the river, like all unwanted cats. Could he maybe find some amicable Loners and have them take him, Yeah, maybe Barley could-
Icefoot was snapped out of his thoughts by a long, weak Mewl. He looked down to see Rusty stretching his feeble little body, looking for the Warmth and comfort of his mother’s belly. Icefoots heart ached at the sight. And it brought back memories, memories of his own Kithood. Of Ruby and Socks, who relentlessly teased him for his small size, of his mother, who hadn’t done enough to stop them, and how it had eventually forced him to flee into the Forest. They had let him down. And now, he was about to let Rusty down, for something that was entirely out of the little Kit’s control.
No.
No.
Icefoots chest filled with a warm feeling he hadn’t previously known. He was not going to be like them! He was going to be the Sibling he had always wanted for Rusty! He was going to take care of him, and bring him through Leafbare. He was going to protect him, and teach him how to protect himself. And I will take him into Thunderclan! No matter what the other Cats said about them, he was gonna convince Bluestar to let Rusty stay!
Reenvigored, he picked a surprised Rusty up by the scruff and quickly strode into the Forest. The snow and ice were starting to hurt his paws, but he had no time to worry about that. But on the way to camp, his confidence started to ebb away, and doubt started creeping up again. Was this really the right coice? Yes, yes it was! But will they accept him? I’ll make sure they will! And who will Nurse him?
Icefoots thoughts stopped at that. He hadn’t thought about that. What if there was no Cat in Thunderclan who could Nurse Rusty? What if no cat wanted to nurse him!? No Queen would leave a Kitten without a mother! He told himself, although it only reassured him slightly. But for the entire rest of the journey, thoughts like that would continue to plague his mind.
Without fully realizing it, he had made the entire journey from Twolegplace to Thunderclan’s camp, and now stood before the Gorse Tunnel that protected its entrance. There was no turning back now. Your new home, Rusty… hopefully. Icefoot closed his eyes, trying to mentally braze himself for what was about to. His legs were trembling. They weren’t supposed to do that! I’m a warrior, for Starclan’s sake. I shouldn’t be this afraid of my own Clanmates!
Icefoot opened his eyes again. He gathered up all courage he could muster and steadily strode through the camp’s entrance. This was it. The moment of truth. Icefoot tensed as he stepped out into the clearing. All around him, Cats were going about their day, sharing tongues and getting ready for patrols.
Whitestorm was the first to notice him. He was one of Icefoots few friends, never degrading him for his Kittypet heritage. He will understand. “Hello Icefoot, How was your-“ The words died in Whitestorm’s mouth as his gaze locked upon the kitten in Icefoots mouth. His expression changed from friendly to concerned. “Icefoot… what is that?”
“A Kit?” Icefoot responded somewhat sarcastically. He didn’t have the nerve right now for stupid questions like that. More cats started to notice him, and a circle of cats quickly started to form around him, slowly starting to bombard him with questions.
“Is that your kit?”
“Where did you find him?”
“Who’s the Mother?”
“Why does it smell so weird?”
All the noise was starting to make Rusty uncomfortable, causing him to wiggle around, which in turn made Icefoot uncomfortable. He wasn’t prepared for all this commotion. Just as he was about to put Rusty down to try and explain himself, a Large Tabby Tom with Long claws stepped forward from the crowd. Tigerclaw.
Icefoot and Tigerclaw had been rivals since they’d first met. Tigerclaw, then Tigerpaw, had been ordered by his Mentor Thistleclaw to attack Icefoot, then Tiny, for trespassing. Icefoot had barely been older than a Kit, but Tigerclaw hadn’t cared about that. It was only thanks to Bluestar that he hadn’t been killed that day. Tigerpaw had been punished by cleaning out the Elder’s Den for two Moons. Since then, their relationship had been a very antagonistic one.
And now, Tigerclaw approached Icefoot and Rusty, who was still dangling from Icefoot’s mouth. Tigerclaw bowed his head and inhaled Rusty’s scent, immediately recoiling with his face warped in disgust. “This Kit is a Kittypet!” he hissed, placing an emphasis on the word Kittypet. Icefoot didn’t know why, but for some reason Tigerclaw had a burning hatred for Kittypets.
The mood of the crowd started to turn. Some hissed and yelled, while others shot him weary glances, but almost everyone seemed hostile. Yowls of outrage echoed through the clearing, the loudest from Tigerclaw and Darkstripe.
Icefoot bristled his fur and arched his back. If they want to hurt Rusty, they will have to go through me first! With a hiss, he curled his tail around Rusty. All the commotion was starting to wake up the Elders and Queens. “I knew It!”, Tigerstar yelled, “I knew you would one day turn on us you-“
“SILENCE!”
The camp went dead silent at the howl of their leader. All heads turned to Highrock, where Bluestar had emerged from her den and was now making her way to the cluster of cats in the middle of camp.
The cats around Icefoot stepped aside as Bluestar made her way through the crowd. She came to a stop a Mouse length before Icefoot, looking him dead in the eyes. Despite being only a little taller than Icefoot, she somehow Towered over him. Bluestar didn’t look angry, more… disappointed – which somehow made Icefoot feel worse.
“Icefoot, what is this?” she said calmly. Icefoot felt the blood rushing through his body. His mouth was dry. Slowly, he put Rusty down before his paws. Looking back up, he saw Bluestar looking down at Rusty. Was that a glimpse of sadness he caught in her eyes? Whatever, that doesn’t matter now.
He briefly considered lying to Bluestar about the kit’s origins. But he knew it would be useless, Bluestar always saw right through him when he lied. His former mentor just knew him to well. Finally gathering enough courage, he finally spoke up.
“This Kit… is my brother”
Shocked Gasps came from the cats around him.
“Your Brother!?” Tigerclaw exclaimed shocked, yet just as angry as before.
“Where did he come from?” asked Mousefur
“The same place where this Rat came from, the Twolegplace!” Icefoot let out a low growl as Tigerclaw continued his tirade. “I bet he has been sneaking back to his Twolegs behind our backs! We should immediatly exile this-“
“I said silence!” Bluestar snarled at the Large Tabby. Tigerclaw resigned himself with an angry look on his face. Icefoot couldn’t help but feel a prang of Triumph at Tigerclaw’s public dismissal. But when Bluestar’s gaze returned to him, that feeling quickly evaporated.
“Is that True?” asked Bluestar. Icefoot hesitated for a second before responding. There’s no putting it off now. “Well Yes, but it’s not how you think! My Mother gave him to me because she wanted me to take him into Thunderclan.” Icefoots throat was sore. What will Bluestar do, now that she knows I broke the code?
Bluestar raised an eyebrow. “And why would she do that?”
“Because…Because…” Icefoot felt exhausted “Because she can’t take care of him. His littermates, they… they didn’t make it.” Just thinking about his Half-Sibling again made him feel that strange deflating feeling from before again.
Bluestar carefully scanned Icefoot and Rusty, her face unreadable. When she finally spoke up, her voice was commanding, but carried a note of warmth. “Icefoot, I am disappointed in you. You went behind the Clans back and brought in a Kittypet kit.” Icefoot felt his heart sinking. She will exile us! Behind her, could see Tigerclaw with a smug grin on his face. “However, I believe that you meant no disloyalty to the Clan by visiting your Mother. As for the Kit, well… I can’t exactly force you to return it to what would surely be certain death. He may stay, but you must take care of him.”
Icefoot’s heart flared up with Hope. “You can’t be serious!” Tigerclaw’s snarl echoed through the clearing “Do you really expect this weak Kittypet to make through Leaf bare?!” Icefoot was about to spit a retort in Tigerclaw’s face, when Whitestorm spoke up. ““If it carries Icefoot’s blood, it’ll make a good Clan cat.” Icefoot gave his Friend a thankful look. Whitestorm gave him an understanding glance in return.
Tigerclaw meanwhile was bristling with indignation. “Besides, it looks much to small to survive without a mother. And I can guarantee you, no honorable Thunderclan Queen would let that thing anywhere near them!”
“I would”
Everyone turned their heads toward the Nursery. There, at the entrance of the Den, stood Willowpelt. The Gray Queen gave Tigerclaw a challenging look. “Willowpelt, are absolutely sure you want to take this extra Burden upon yourself?” asked Bluestar.
“Yes Bluestar, I am sure” Willowpelt responded firmly. Icefoot’s heart went warm. He couldn’t have been happier and more relieved. Tigerclaw let out a deep growl, but said nothing. Slowly, the impromptu clan meeting started to disperse, with some cats shooting Icefoot hostile glances as they went back to their tasks.
Icefoot picked up Rusty and trotted over to the Nursery. Willowpelt turned and gave them an affectionate look. “Thank you. Thank you so much.” said Icefoot as he came to stop in front of the Queen.
“Don’t mention it. No Kit should suffer because of its heritage.” Willowpelt said warmly. “Besides, I’m sure Graykit will appreciate the company. Now, we should probably this little guy inside before catches a cold.” Willowpelt turned back towards the nursery, indicating with her tail for Icefoot to follow her.
Icefoot walked behind her through the Nursery entrance. Inside, he was greeted by the warm scent of milk and the sounds of mewling Kittens. Despite the comfort, he felt somewhat out of place here. Willowpelt sat down in her nest on the far side of the den and curled up around Graykit. The little grey ball of fur let out a squack and started to suckle at her belly.
Willowpelt beckoned Icefoot to put Rusty down next to Graykit. He complied, and the little Kit meowed happily at the warmth and comfort his new Mother provided. Willowpelt let out a long purr as she snuggled the two kittens into her thick fur.
“You never told me his name.” said Willowpelt, without turning her gaze away from the two Kits. “His name’s Rusty, although we probably have to change that. ‘cause, you know… not really a clan name.” Willowpelt chuckled a bit at his stammering. “Well, you got any suggestions?” she asked.
Icefoot thought for a moment. Rustkit would be the obvious choice. No, that name is too unusual. Dawnkit maybe maybe, or Brightkit? But that doesn’t feel right either! Great Starclan, ia this how our Mother felt when naming me, or was it so obvious that I was the runt?
Just then, a ray of sunlight broke through the roof of the nursery. It basked Rusty’s fur in a bright light. He almost looked like a little fire.
Fire…
Yes, that’s It!
“I think we should name him Firekit.” said Icefoot.
“That sounds lovely, dear.” responded Willowpelt with a smile. She turned back towards the Kits at her belly. “Welcome to Thunderclan, Firekit.” Whispered Willowpelt to her new son. Firekit was too young to hear her, but that didn’t matter. It was more symbolic than anything else.
Icefoot looked fondly at his Brother, kneading the belly of his adopted Mother, and getting the first proper meal he probably had his entire short life.
And Icefoot knew, whatever scrutiny his clanmates would give them, it was worth it.
For Firekit
For Quince.