Bloge o

⭐ The Hunger⭐

By Foxpaw

She tried her best yet she knew that wasn't true. They called her a saint, thanked the skies beyond for her existence. She could not even be flattered. She starved, she roamed, she killed, and it was all for love but it was never enough. Gray Stone Beside Water was not your hero and she'd prefer you forget about her. For her life was full of sins that could never be washed away for eternities.

⭐

"Gray! Play with us!" Shrill mews filled the tabby cat's ears.

She let out an amused chuckle, shaking her head. "Sorry, young ones. I must train."

"All you ever do is train!" White Pebble In Crow's Beak pouted.

"Is being a To-Be *that* boring?" Shining Water Bird meowed bitterly.

"Alright kits, time to leave Gray alone." Feather On Robin's Wing curled a separating tail around her kits.

"It's alright," Gray smoothed her own fur with her tail. "I'm free this sunset. Maybe we could play "Stalk The Mouse." Stalk The Mouse was a little game Gray had invented herself to teach Feather's kits how to pounce on [dead] mice.

"Yay!" The kits shrieked in delight, only to be cut off by their mother.

"Actually, that's enough of that game," Feather frowned disapprovingly. "It's such a waste to use food for anything but eating. I am sorry, but the kits just cannot play this."

"Oh," Gray looked down at her paws, trying to block out the outrageous cries. "is this because of the 'lack of prey'?"

"Gray, of course-"

"Mother, why do you believe in such rumors? Why be all "oh no, we are all going to die without extra, extra precautions" when it's always a false alarm?" Gray snapped and Feather recoiled.

"Gray," The fluffy silver Kit-Mother meowed in a gentle, yet firm voice. "I am only doing what is best for all of my kits. Do not question me again."

With a snort of disgust, Gray turned and ran down to where the other To-Bes were waiting, leaving her stern mother and stunned siblings behind.

If only she had listened.

⭐

"Don't lose focus, Gray!" River Hawk Of Mountains shouted as Gray zigzagged between trees, pursuing a mountain bird. As the bird flapped their snowy wings, Gray surged upwards, almost losing her balance as she swiped at the bird, and she fell back - with no catch. She looked up to see the bird tweeting madly, it's wing busted, and spine cracked as it fell slowly down to the earth. Gray looked up in astonishment, ready to claim her large catch and brag to the others who caught meager mice. As River caught up to her and watched along, a rough breeze blew, and the dying bird swerved direction - and fell into a rotten carcass surrounded by maggots that Gray now just noticed.

"Oh, come on!" Gray wailed, lashing her smoky tail back and forth in fury.

River set his slender brown tail on the To-Be's shoulders. "It's alright," He whispered. "Calm down." He turned and looked at the patrol of To-Bes and Prey-Hunters that were running down towards them.

"Bad luck," River nodded toward the maggoty bird.

Stream By Weeping Willow cried out. "When are we ever going to feed our Clan?"

"Why?" River jumped to his paws. "Did something happen?"

"No prey has been caught since sunrise." Eagle Of Raging Skies meowed grimly, looking down at his paws. "Everything on the prey heap was from the last sunset's outing."

"It *can't* be that bad, right?" Gray chirped, looking brightly at the Prey-Hunters and To-Bes. "We can still try! I mean, I'm sure we can catch *something*."

⭐

But it was that bad.

"Hey, Mama!" Shining meowed. "May I please have milk? I'm so starving!"

Feather hesitated, her face crumbling in despair. "I'm sorry, lovely." The silver she-cat glanced at Gray, who was silently watching. "I haven't eaten much to save food for the elders. My milk is drying up."

"That's nonsense!" Gray barked. "I'm sure-" She cut herself off, knowing that there weren't many options. Her mother had been right. The impenetrable snows of Leaf-Bare had driven most - if not all of the good prey away, save the occasional clumsy mouse. The ludicrous reason was, unfortunately accurate.

"Forget it, Gray." Feather stated flatly. "I'll starve, and then this litter will starve. You will starve and we will die, just like Robin did."

Gray stood still as a statue, wondering how Feather could give up so easily. Then, an idea came to her. She rushed gleefully to the nearest juniper bush and picked five and she rushed back to Feather. "Here, Mother! Eat them, it won't kill you." She almost winced at her last words.

Feather looked at the junipers to her daughter, back and forth. "Gray, don't be so delirious!" She snapped and Gray flinched away.

"I-is something the matter?"

"I am a cat. I do not scrounge leaves and berries like a sky-cursed mouse."

"I didn't mean to offend you, I just-"

"Hey! Why are you stealing herbs?" Stoneteller stalked up to Feather and Gray, and Pebble and Shining flinched away, squeaking.

"She didn't know, Stoneteller. Please, it was an honest mistake." Feather started.

Stoneteller hissed in Gray's face. "You do not take herbs without permission!" She snatched the juniper berries away and stormed down to her nest.

Feather gave Gray a warning look. "Gray, I don't want to see you upbraided again."

"I was just trying to feed you." Gray whispered, a fat tear dribbling down her soft fur.

Feather stroked her daughter with her tail. "I know," She whispered. "But you *can't.*"

⭐