Swift Clan : the Rouge

Jaguarpelt sniffed the air. Ever since Quickpaw, now Quickstar had left, she had been uneasy and skittish at the slightest sound. No one can blame me, she thought. They are scared too, she assured herself, looking at the kits. They were rolling around, play biting and tackling. She looked fondly at the kits. Sadness filled her heart at the thought of the forbidden mating of medicine cats. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted fiercely. A strange cat scent filled her glands. The hissed and spun around. She found herself looking into a pair of scared amber eyes. She almost snorted at the sight of a white and yellow she-cat, obviously weak and hungry. Fear and hunger scents came off her in waves. She noticed the cat was carrying a kit. It was ominously still. She growled, “What are you doing here?” The other cat, sensing she was in danger, mewed, “You must understand! I’ve come so far with this kit, and when I smelled cat-scent, I knew you were the only hope!” Obvious fear in her eyes, she squeaked as the kit dropped from her mouth. “Oh please help my kit!” she wailed, her eyes welling up with tears. Surprised by the other cat’s actions, kindness overtook Jaguarpelt. “Ok, but stay where you are, and don’t move.” she mewed strictly. Picking up the kit in her mouth, she asked, “What’s it’s name?” The mother dried her tears and answered timidly, “She was my youngest kit, so her name is Small.” Without saying another word, she stomped off to her den, keeping one eye on the small she-cat. In her den, she gently dropped the kit on some warm, soft moss she had gathered the day before. The kit stirred and let out one high-pitched mew. “It’s ok, it’s ok, Smallkit. Your name is Smallkit.” She rubbed some herbs on Smallkit's stiff and cold body, and the kit opened her eyes. They were icy blue, but warm at the same time. Bringing the kit outside, she was not surprised to see the white and yellow she-cat still there. Smallkit, seeing her mother, ran to her and wailed in her squeaky voice. “She will be ok if you feed her. But first, come and feed yourself.” Jaguarpelt mewed in a friendly tone. “Oh,” she mewed suddenly, “What is your name? Small's name is now Smallkit, if you wish to stay with the clan. if you don’t mind. It’s our clan’s rule.” The she-cat looked at her in a funny way and answered, “Patty. Smallkit is a name to be proud of. Thank you. And I wouldn't mind staying here, it looks... safe."