She is Lost

## **PROLOGUE**

*"Only three kits? What a waste."*

*"Oh stop it! They're still as beautiful as their mother!"*

*"Everyone shut up! Frostbite is tired and she needs fresh kill and new bedding! This old stale moss isn't going to cut it for our new family members."*

*"You're right! Perma and Coldy, you stay here and care for her."*

*"Why do I have to-"*

*"She's your mate mouse-brain!"*

Frost huffed, looking up at the two cats who stayed. Her mate, Perma, was eyeing the kits with a harsh and serious look on his face. Frost layed her white-tipped tail on his paw. "Why so serious Darling?" She asked gently.

Perma snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at his mate. "Nothing. I'm just thinking of names for our kits." Frost smiled softly and looked down at her three kits who layed at her belly, suckling.

"She's the mom! She gets to choose the names!" Coldy said, batting her paw at Perma. He hissed quietly at her, though the she-cat couldn't hear it.

Frost chuckled at her mother and her "traditions." One kit mewled, he was a gray tom. "That kit doesn't even look like me!" Perma exclaimed, his tail pointing at a blueish-gray she-cat. Coldy rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, mouse-brain! She looks like me! Color and all." Coldy explained.

As the two "talked," Frost's father, Timber and his hunting party, had come back and was carrying all types of prey and moss. He set the prey down in front of Perma and Frost. It was a delightful sight for the two. Before Perma could've dug into the big and plump rabbit, Coldy has batted his head. "Save your hunger for another time! This is for you, Frost and your kits! Selfish tom!" She scolded. Perma growled under his breath lifting his head up again. Frost chuckled and grabbed a little mouse. Timber shook his head in disapproval, taking the little thing and switching it out for the plump rabbit Perma was going to eat.

"What are their names?" Coldy asked.

Before Frost could speak up, Perma had already named one of them. "Bristle." He said. Everybody gasped, looking at him wide-eyed. Frostbite was the only one who stayed silent until she hummed in agreement.

"And the she-cat is named Snowflake. This tom is named Hail." Frostbite named. Perma didn't seem. to like the names but, he kept those feelings to himself although his face said otherwise. Everybody else was cheering and commenting how "beautiful" and how "nice" those names were.

Silverpelt was now shining on the get-together. Everybody was now heading back to their territories, bidding the family goodbye. Frost yawned, setting her head down on her paws. Perma was tired too. She looked over at her mate and purred, still feeling a little bit excited.

The two soon fell asleep and so did Bristle and Hail... But Snowflake.

Snowflake stepped out of her mom's tight wrap and her brother's tight squeeze they gave her.  She looked out at the moonlit territory. Her fur pricked as a cold leaf-bare breeze came through the cave. "*So cool.."*She whispered, her eyes shining in curiosity. She heard her mother groan and she quickly scrambled back to her spot in the middle.

Still looking out at the territory, she smiled widely.

*Will I be able to go out there someday?*

*{ **END OF THE PROLOGUE**}*

## **CHAPTER ONE.**

*"Snowflake! Catch up or we're leaving you behind!"*Hail had yelled out, Bristle right beside him.

Snowflake glared at her brother, speeding up her pace then jumping up to pounce on him and doing so successfully. A yelp was heard from Hail and a little one from Bristle when he moved out of the way. "Snowflake! Get off!" Hail yelled at her, hitting her head with his paw. Snowflake laughed, staying on top of him.

"No! This is fun!" She laughed. Hail, who was fed up with her, kicked Snowflake in the stomach and she went tumbling back. She crouched down, hiding the pain she had in her belly.

"Just because you're older doesn't mean you have to pin me down." Hail spat before turning around and padding away. Bristle shot a glance at his little sister before turning around and padding with him. Snowflake glared at the two. *It was a joke...*

She trudged back to the territory. where her mom and dad were at. Snowflake instantly hid in her father's side, pressing up against him. Perma looked down at Snowflake, confused. "What's wrong?" He asked. She hid her face in his fur, shaking her head. Frostbite lifted her up by her scruff, placing her in the middle of the two.

"What happened?" She asked softly. Snowflake looked down, shuffling her paws.

"Hail kicked me in my belly while I was just playing with him... I didn't mean to make him do that!" She explained, looking up at her mother. Frost smiled reassuringly and nodded, her face telling her, 'I'll talk to him.'

Snowflake huddled up in her mother's paws. The leaf-bare doing none of them good. Especially not today.

They all looked up when they saw Bristle running in, a fearful look at his face. "Hail- Hail passed out!" He yelled. The three stood up, Snowflake the scared of the three. "What are you doing standing there!? Let's go!" Perma yelled. Bristle nodded, turning around and running. Perma and Frost followed while Snowflake stayed behind.

*What if he dies? What if he's hurt?* Snowflake crouched down, looking around the grassy and icy territory. After what felt like moons, the three came back, Frostbite carrying a limp Hail. Snowflake perked up, running up to her mother as she set him down. "What happened to Hail?!" She frantically cried, looking at her brother.

Bristle padded up to her, nudging her harshly. "Why would you care?" He hissed in her ear. Snowflake whipped her head toward him. "Because he's my brother!? Should I not be scared of him!?" She hissed back. Bristle didn't reply, only giving her a harsh glare before looking back at their brother.

Frostbite looked up at Perma, saddened. "He's sick. Very badly." She informed. Perma narrowed his eyes at Hail before looking back up at Frost. "Can you do anything about it?" He asked. Frost shuffled her paws, sighing sadly.

"I don't know how to. I'm not very skilled in herbs..." She replied in a hushed tone, going close to Perma, "He'll die..." She sobbed quietly, pushing up against Perma. Of course, he wasn't going to have that and pushed Frostbite away.

"I won't let it! Can't you give him to your mother and let him heal him?" He yelled. She felt taken back, gritting her teeth in frustration.

"She can only heal wounds Perma!"  Frostbite replied.

Perma grumbled in frustration. "Fine. Care for him yourself." He growled, flicking his tail and padding back into the cave.

Frostbite turned around, wide-eyed. "You can't just leave your own kit to die!" She yelled though she heard no response from him. She growled before bending down near Hail and wrapping around him, trying to warm him up. Snowflake watched disheartened while Bristle had followed his father into the cave. She curled up with Frost and Hail, trying to help.

"Mama- I feel sad..." She mewed, looking at Hail. Frostbite nuzzled her head reassuringly.

"Hail will be alright dear, he'll get better."

But sadly...

That wasn't the case.

{***END OF CHAPTER 1***}

## ***CHAPTER TWO.***

***"Oi, Snowflake! Hurry up!"***Bristle called over his shoulder, carrying a limp rabbit. Snowflake scrambled to pick up the dead mouse from the grass and scurried to get to her brother's side. The two were doing hunting lessons, following their father through a dirt path in their large territory. They were both 6 moons, the appropriate age for teaching. It was still leaf-bare though. Their mother, Frostbite, was still saddened by the death of Hail even though everybody else had forgotten about the kit's death and moved on with their lives.

"Pe-Dad, when are we going to take a break?" Snowflake complained, her paws tired from walking on the cold dirt every day. Perma shook his head, humming back a 'Nuh-Uh" in response. Snowflake lowered her head, groaning. Bristle nudged her in his normal harsh manner, the action telling her to "Shut up and stop complaining."

Snowflake already knew all the cricks and crannies of their territory. They were already reaching the border. She smelled the air. They definitely would have to re-scent those damn trees. What a tedious task. As the border came to sight, the three caught a whiff of a new scent- It wasn't their own.

"Stay here. I'll go investigate." Perma ordered, dropping the prey he carried and bounding away.

"He didn't say which one of us had to stay... I'll go with him." Bristle shrugged, dropping the rabbit before going after his father until Snowflake tripped him by pushing a stone in his way.

"Nuh-Uh, you're not going with him! He was clearly referring to both of us!" Snowflake argued, "It's probably not even safe to go now. Who knows what cat or dog or... Two-Leg could be there?!"

Bristle rolled his eyes, huffing in defeat as he sat down on the ground, a chill going up to his spine. "Fine. This is the last time you'll ever win Snowflake," He retorted. Snowflake snorted as his little threat before sitting down next to him. *Sure... Are you positive this isn't the last time you'll ever win?*

Perma came back through the bushes, shaking his pelt out from the twigs that stuck to him. "There are other cats outside our border. I did most of the scent marks, you two go back to camp. I'll stay and do the rest." Perma informed, tossing his prey to Snowflake's paws. She grumbled and took the prey into her jaws, standing up and waiting impatiently for Bristle but he had other plans.

"How were they like? What did they look like? How many were there? A lot? A few?" Bristle asked excitedly, speeding through the questions in his mind. Perma pushed Bristle away, telling him to "Follow Snowflake."

Bristle lowered his ears and padded back to his prey and padded over to his sister, grumbling under his breath. She giggled and started padding through the dirt path. The strong scent of the unknown cats faded away as they walked. The dirt path was a secluded area, hardly anyone would be able to find this path unless they looked hard enough.

As they walked, Snowflake whipped her head to the side as she heard a rumble in the bushes nearby. Bristle has noticed this too, his eyes darting around the place. After stopping and looking around the place for a minute, they had declared the area safe and kept walking.

After just a minute of walking, they saw a black figure zoom past them. Snowflake yelped and jumped back, craning her neck afterward to at least catch a glimpse of the unknown black figure. They looked around again before they continued walking, through each step they took, they would always look around with caution.

The black figure came back, halting in front of the two. It was a black she-cat, she looked like no one they knew. "You! Get out!" She hissed, unsheathing her claws and stepping threateningly forwards to them. Snowflake and Bristle were nowhere near battle training yet, though Bristle seemed up to the challenge.

"Really?" He hissed back, baring his teeth, "This our territory! You don't belong here!" Bristle yelled. Snowflake stepped back, definitely ready to scoot her toosh and run back to camp.

The she-cat laughed before pouncing upon Bristle and digging her claws into his shoulders. "Stop acting tough! You look like a kit!" She spat. Bristle growled, though the insult was true, he *knew* he was ready to fight. He unsheathed his claws, raking his hind leg's claws on hers. She yelped in pain but she kept on, her eyes burning into Bristle's head.

He raked his hind leg's claws again on the same scratch, going deeper than the last- it would definitely leave a scar. The black cat finally hopped on, the pain was a little *too* much for her. Though the she-cat was much more skilling in training, she was also 6 moons old and handling pain wasn't her forte.

Bristle got ready for a pounce, taking the chance as the she-cat checked her gash, he pounced onto her, digging his claws much farther into her shoulders and his hind claws lightly scratching her sides. The she-cat winced in pain, Snowflake cringed as she watched.

"Is this enough for you?" He spat, "Or do I need to go more intense than this?" Bristle threatened. Snowflake growled and head-butted her brother in the side, him falling off.

"Stop! We can settle this peacefully!" She yowled. Bristle growled at her sister, sending her daggers with his eyes alone. She was taken back. The she-cat wobbled herself up, looking at the two but mostly at Bristle.

"I'll get you too back! Just you wait!" She yelled before scrambling off. Bristle laughed at her weak remark and started to pad away.

"Aren't you going to come to get your prey?" Snowflake asked.

"Can't you carry it for me? I'm injured..." He whined sarcastically. Snowflake grumbled under her breath, picking up all the prey with her tired jaw and padded quickly forward, passing her brother in the process. "Hey! Aren't you gonna help me!?" Bristle called. Snowflake tried to retort towards Bristle but failed to do so, the only thing coming out of her filled jaw was a '*Boo hoo!'*

Bristle glared at her as they walked.

Finally reaching the camp, they saw Perma was back and arguing with a tired Frostbite.

"But can't you see?! This would be best for all of us! Leaf-bare is hitting us hard these moons and joining them would be a big benefit!" Perma argued. Frost shook her head.

"No... I'm not going to let my kits and I join some stupid group," Frost argued back.

"Stupid?! Do you know how good this is for all of us!?"

Frostbite grumbled and stood up, glaring at her mate. "Perma! You only want to join this group because it'll give you more prey to eat and more cats to do things for you! It's just for you and it's not for us!" She growled. Perma felt taken back before growling back at her.

"I spend day and night caring for our family! You sit here in camp and do nothing! That'll give you a chance to show how real cats work and not just sitting and laying down being a lazy b-!" He cursed. Frostbite gasped.

"At least I don't treat our kits like slaves! You say you work day and night but they are the ones doing all the hard work!" Frostbite yelled.

"I teach them!"

"I care for them!"

Snowflake had set her prey down and Bristle was just listening to the two. Snowflake cleared her throat loudly so their parents would look at their kits and notice... They were there the whole time.

"Excuse me... Can we eat now?" She asked. Bristle nodded in agreement.

Frostbite gasped and shot a glare at Perma before coming forward to the two. "Of course dear. Dig into whatever you like. You deserve it." She said softly. The two nodded, taking the biggest pieces of prey and gobbling it down.

"You spoil them," Perma mumbled loud enough so Frost would hear. She turned around and padded up to Perma.

"I love them. From the day they were born- I knew you hated them! The only kit you liked was Bristle because he looked like you. Right?" She growled lowly. Perma rolled his eyes.

"I love my kits equally."

"You lie."

{***END OF CHAPTER TWO***}

## ***CHAPTER THREE.***

***"Are you saying that you're leaving?"*** Frostbite cried, looking at Perma fearfully. He nodded, turning his back on his mate. "B-But you can't! You'll leave your family behind!"

"I don't want to be a part of this family anymore."

Frostbite gulped back a sob. She gritted her teeth. "But don't you love me? Don't you... Don't you love your kits?"

"I only love one of them. And that's Bristle. Oh- And I'm taking him with me."

Frostbite ran up in front of Perma. "You're not taking him anywhere," She growled, "Not over my dead body." She lunged at him, pinning him down, baring her teeth at him.

A fight broke out at camp. And where was Bristle and Snowflake at this time? Well...

"Bristle! I think it might snow. We should get back."

"Shut up! I'm trying to catch prey!"

Bristle finally twisted the neck of the mouse and pranced over, all prideful. "You could never," He taunted. Snowflake growled and dropped the prey in her jaws. *I'll show you never...*

After a minute of looking around and trying to hunt. Snowflake finally caught something bigger than her future. A big, plump rabbit. She bounded out of the forest, dropping the rabbit at Bristle's paws. "I'd like to see you try," She teased before picking up the rabbit and starting to pad back to camp. Bristle growled as she padded past him, glaring at her harshly as if Snowflake would notice.

As they stepped into camp, they heard a loud hiss and a low growl. Snowflake peeped out behind a tree and almost fainted. She dropped her rabbit and looked around to see Bristle coming in the distance.

She ran over and stopped him in his tracks. "Bristle! Mama and Dad are fighting!" She cried. Bristle pushed past her.

"And? They fight all the time, you're just never there to see it," He said with a shrug, acting like it was no big deal. Snowflake growled and bounded over to his side.

"But they're all bloody! They looked look like they might kill each other!" Snowflake argued, "You're lying if you say this happens all the time!" She growled. Bristle's gaze snapped towards her.

"I'm. not. lying. Haven't you noticed Frost's been going to her family's camp a lot now? And how she always takes you with her?" Bristle asked,

Snowflake looked down at the frosted-over ground. "Yeah..." She looked back up, "But that doesn't mean they've been fighting a lot! She just wants me to see family more since Dad won't let you go! They're not fighting! We-"

Bristle stopped in his tracks, his gaze boring into Snowflake's skull, "It means that they're always fighting! They always are! That's why dad is limping all the time and ma is always gone! They fight when you're out hunting because they know you can't handle seeing what goes on between them!" He yelled. Snowflake pinned her ears back, looking at her brother with wide eyes.

"I can handle it!"

"No! No, you can't! Look at yourself! You look like a deer in the headlights!" He yelled. He sped up his pace and padded past her. Snowflake watched his brother enter the camp, carrying her kill before he entered.

A cold breeze rushed past her fur but she didn't react, not even when it started snowing a few minutes after did she move. She only stayed. Standing and looking at the entrance of the camp like she didn't even know where she lived anymore. She looked lost.

Snowflake was lost.

{ ***END OF CHAPTER THREE***}

## ***CHAPTER FOUR.***

**"*Why is it taking Bristle so long?"***Snowflake asked, gulping down the last of the little mouse. Her mother chuckled weakly, smiling at her daughter softly. Snowflake wished to keep that smile embedded into her head forever.

"Sweety, it's almost the end of leaf-bare, it'll take much time to figure out where we get our bedding from now," Frostbite explained. Snowflake nodded

"And what about Dad? He said he was going on an "adventure," but he hasn't come back in 10 moons! Where is he? Do you know where he went?" She asked, worried about the disappearance of her father. Frost stiffened a bit before forcing a smile.

"He will come back in time. For now, let's not worry about *him,* okay?" She replied, hissing the word 'him' under her breath. Snowflake nodded before standing up, Frostbite followed her gaze.

"I'm going to go search for Bristle! That okay?" She said. Her mother nodded and Snowflake bounded away.

She walked around the dirt path, calling her brothers name. As she walked, she started to feel paranoid, as if something was watching her every move. Snowflake kept her sealed to looked forward while her ears were perked high and alert. Her claws were unsheathed. She had to be careful. *Clan* cats were around.

A rustle in the bushes was heard from her side. Snowflake turned her head and as soon as she did, a cat jumped out, paws forward and ready to strike.

Snowflake hadn't had much battle training, not since her father had left. She felt frozen in place. The cat neared. It felt like everything was going in slow motion. She lifted a paw and struck the cat before they did and quickly stepped to the side. It felt the time had stopped when she noticed. Snowflake had hurt her brother.

"I-I'm s-s-sorry... Bristle...? Are... you okay...?" She stuttered, too scared of what she had done. Snowflake stepped back, her gaze fixated on her brother.

His eyes snapped towards her and he lunged at her, teeth bared and growls low. His claws sunk into the ground. Snowflake struggled under him, trying to get out of his hold.

"B-Bristle! Stop! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Snowflake looked up his face and felt a shiver run up her spine. A wide, scary and evil smile ran across his face, a scratch on his cheek with blood soaking his fur. His pupils were wide. He looked so *dangerous.*So *blood-hungry.*

"**Do you remember Hail?**" He asked, a growl rumbling his throat.  Snowflake stopped breathing for a moment at the mention of her dead brother.

"W-What...?"

His paw suddenly pressed upon her throat, his claws sinking into the side of it. She started to choke, struggling to suck in as much air but she failed. Snowflake started to feel even more scared. She shut her eyes. Snowflake nodded her head only slightly. The paw pressed on her throat suddenly softened.

Snowflake started to suck in as much air as possible until the pressure started to build up again.

"***I remember him too... I remember how you bullied him... How you thought you were just playing. Hail told me he didn't like you. He hated you."***

He hated you.

He hated you.

*He hated you.*

*He hated you.*

***He hated you.***

***He hated you.***

***HE HATED YOU.***

***<fontsize="4">HE HATED YOU.***

***<fontsize="5">HE HATED YOU.***

Something snapped in Snowflake. Not her throat. Her **heart.**

Snowflake bared her teeth and growled, hitting him in the belly. Bristle stumbled back and looked at her with a harsh glare as he tried to regain his balance. Snowflake ran towards him and clawed his neck. Bristle lunged towards her, pinning her against the ground again. Blood trickled down his neck, some hitting Snowflake's underside.

She felt disgusted. Angry. Fear and Sadness. But none of that mattered, she was clouded by adrenaline.  She craned her neck and bit his shoulder. Bristle yowled in pain and shock. She took that moment of pain and flipped them.

"He didn't hate me! You're lying!" She growled, lifting a paw to land a fatal wound on his neck. Bristlefur smirked.

"You're the reason Hail is **dead.**"

Snowflake's breath hitched. Her paw started to come down, aiming for his neck. To cut and kill him. She was about to before she heard a cry from up the dirt path. Both of them narrowed their eyes to see Frostbite standing in the distance, obviously stressed, sad and scared.

"DON'T! Please, don't Snowflake. I can't- I can't lose another cat I love!" She cried out, stepping forward. Snowflake was stunned in place. She looked at her mother in shock.

Snowflake looked down at Bristle. An evil smirk plastered on his face. She growled and jumped off him, looking back at him with a glare.

Frostbite ran over to the two but she was turned to Snowflake. "What were you thinking?! Killing your brother!?" She scolded, "Look at how many wounds you left him with!" Her tail flicked over to Bristle who was pretending to be the victim.

"I am so mad and disappointed in you! Most of the herbs I need to help cure his wounds are wilted and you're just making more problems!"

Snowflake looked down at her paws and shuffled them. Anger bubbled up inside of him but so did fear. *What if I do kill my brother? What if I'm the cause of another death?*

She looked up again and saw Frostbite caring for Bristle. She caught his eye and he smiled evilly at her when Frostbite's back was turned before he quickly shifted his gaze towards his mother to whine and cry on her shoulder while she hushed and licked him. Snowflake was infuriated.

The two left her behind. Snowflake stood, looking down at her paws. She thought back to when she was about 8 moons old when she found out about her mother and father's daily arguments that resulted in bloodshed. That was the time she found out the truth but even then... Snowflake is stuck in denial. Wishing reality would let her live in wonderful ignorance. In a facade of a perfect family that wasn't actually so perfect after all. All she wished was to get along with her brothers, be cared for by her mother and be taught to be strong by her father.

*How old am I again? To be honest, does that really even matter? My age only makes me remember the bad. And I don't want to remember the bad, do I? My family is in shambles so nothing matters. Nothing. Matters.*

Her head rose up to look out to the treetops of the forest as the camp stood and stayed on a mountain. The sky was an icy blue, cloudy, it seemed like it was about to snow again. Maybe it would be a light flurry this time, that would be a huge relief to the once-great family.

Snowflake sighed, looked down at the dirt path. She started to head down or... limp down. She didn't see where she was going as time went by. Her gaze was fixated on her paws, too saddened to figure out her surroundings. Snowflake suddenly felt herself bump into something or... Someone.

Her eyes narrowed up, she only slightly rose her head up. A firm she-cat stood in front of her, looking down at her with a harsh stare. Two other cats stood behind her. They towered over Snowflake like dogs. The three looked all strong and bulky and definitely taller. If she provoked them and got into a fight, she would surely lose and be ripped to pieces! And when Bristle finds out about that, he'll be laughing his tail off! Oh! What about Frostbite? She would surely be so depressed! Snowflake would *not* let that happen.

"Who are you?" The she-cat asked, her voice strong and loud like a leader.

Snowflake gulped silently and rose her head to look her in the eye. "I-I'm Snow... Snowflake... I, uh. Um... I live around here... With my family," She said, stumbling on her words. In the corner of her eye, she could see the two other cats quietly snickering and laughing at her.

"Yeah, you're on Woodclan territory. Round up your family and get lost," She said. Snowflake furrowed her eyebrows, feeling taken back.

"What? No! We're not leaving! If anything, we've been living here longer than you have! "Woodclan" or whatever should leave. Your prey and herb stealers, things *my* family needs to survive," She argued, stepping forward.

"You take everything our clan needs to thrive,"

"What? Your *precious* moss? Oh! I feel so ***bad*** for you," Snowflake mocked, a mischievous smirk spread on her muzzle, "Does it look like I care? Sleep on the frozen ground for all that's good! A cold den isn't going to stop your *"thriving"* clan from surviving!"

A growl rose up in the she-cats throat, a warning for the smaller she-cat in front of her but Snowflake didn't care. Her carefulness was fully out of the window.

"So I'm gonna give you a warning. Get **your** cats out of here. No rouge in this forest gives a flying fu- about you or your cats! Let's leave it at that," She smiled before padding away.

As she was farther away, anxiety started to set in. *Oh gosh... Why did I say those things? Now those cats are going to come after us! There's no doubt about it!*

She saw something in the distance as she got closer to camp. It was Bristle. His wounds were bandaged. Snowflake stopped in her tracks and her brother started padding forward. She got scared again from just the look on his face. They couldn't fight again! Nor her or her mother would be able to bear it and Bristle would most definitely die if it escalates like last time!

"Did you see them?" Bristle asked as he neared. She felt confused. Very confused.

"Who's them?"

"The Woodclan cats."

{ ***END OF CHAPTER FOUR***}

## ***CHAPTER FIVE.***

***"I'm gonna seriously hurt you if you don't shut up."***She growled, struggling to get up only to get pushed down again. He snickered.

"Or what? You're going to go back and whine and cry to Frostbite? As if. I thought you were a strong girl!" Bristle laughed, the pressure on her side getting harder. Snowflake gasped and gritted her teeth.

"W-when did you become so *evil*?" She choked out.

Rain pitter-pattered on the mountain. It was April. She was struggling.

Her coat was covered in mud. She whimpered. Mama was getting old and Dad never came back. What Happened?

Dirty man. Dirty cats. I'll never trust them again.

"Get up! Fight me like a big girl!" Bristle said, padding backward, his chest puffed out. She got up, her legs wobbly before she finally regained balance. Her claws unsheathed and she pounced weakly at him. Too slow. He dodged and hit her side, making her fall. Bristle laughed.

*Weak.* She heard. *Weak.*She felt. *Weak.*She was.

"You're weak because Dad never came back," Bristle pointed out. Snowflake nodded. That was the exact reason why she was so weak. Dad never came back and she was stupid. I was so stupid.

"You're an idiot? Why didn't you try looking for him?"

"B-Because, he's dead," Snowflake said, confident in her words. Bristle laughed.

"He's not dead silly! He ran off! He didn't like us no more!" He said. Snowflake choked back a sob.

"He didn't love us?"

"He didn't love *you.* There's a difference."

Snowflake pursed her lips and looked over at her brother again before looking down at her muddy paws.

"Where did he go?" He had to at least have told Bristle. Just like he said, he didn't love me, Bristle was the favorite child.

"To the shabby old clan nearby," He replied.

No. He couldn't have! Perma couldn't have left his kits and his wife to a clan and never say shit! Snowflake loved him! She adored him! Admired him! Why did he leave her so heartbroken? Why did he? Why...?

She turned around and ran, slipping a few times but she ran. Ran to the stupid clan. Ran to her father.

She crossed the border and heard yells.

*"Snowflake?!"*

Familiar.

That familiar voice she loved.

"You *bastard!"* She cried, looking over at him, "Why did you leave me?"

"Get out!" Perma ordered.

"No! Dad, please come back!" She cried out. Snowflake started to hyperventilate.

"No."

No.

"Snowflake!" She heard her brother's voice call out.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a she-cat run up to him.

"Bristlefur? Who's that? Why is she talking to Permaclaw?"

She heard him purr.

Fucking purr.

"A nobody. Don't worry, love."

Love?

LOVE?!

Snowflake whipped her head around and ran towards the she-cat that stood beside her brother. Paws out. Claws out. She tackled the bitch and clamped her jaws over her neck like she was some kind of mouse. Another prey she could catch. Something she can eat and throw away.

Blood filled her mouth. She tasted iron on her tongue. The taste disgusting until she would later become addicted to. Screams, yells, cries filled her ears. Snowflake lifted herself up from the carcass. Oh, how a delightful sight that was.

She was knocked to the side and saw her brother towering over her.

"What the fuck, Snowflake?" He snarled.

Snowflake smiled and licked the blood off of her muzzle. "If you're gonna take away everyone I loved, I might as well do the exact same to you."