Frigid Willows

Chapter 1: Reoccurring Dreams

"Run Ripplekit! Hurry, get out of here! If you don't, they'll kill you too!" Ripplekit's mother, Frostlight, yowled. As she spoke, she stared at Ripplekit with pleating dark blue eyes. Ripplekit's little sister, Lynxkit, had been slashed multiple times, her dark crimson blood pooled all around her, her eyes glassy and half-open and her mouth was open in a terrified shriek.

Ripplekit felt like she was going to be sick as she watched her father, Hailclaw, get his sides and paws slashed to the point where he couldn't escape. Her mother's words echoed in her mind but no matter how hard she tried, her stubborn paws just would move an inch. Riplekit screamed for them to stop, to leave her parents alone, but they just laughed and slashed her fathers throat.

When her mother was grabbed, Ripplekit screamed even louder. Tears were cascading down her face like a waterfall and Ripplepaw was forced to watch as they slashed her throat. The group of rogue cats then turned their blood-thirsty gaze onto Ripple's trembling form.

Ripplekit ran as fast as she could, but she was only two-moons-old and she couldn't run very fast or that far. The small white-and-cream she-kit screamed in terror as the rogue cats caught up with her. Her eyes were slashed along with one of her front paws. Ripplekit's back left paw became sprained after she'd tripped over a huge muddy slope. The tiny little kit fought them off of her and clawed at them with a renewed fury. Ripplekit was to scared and terrified to do anything more to her attackers, her paws ached and her chest heaved as she gasped for breath.

Branches and thorns smacked the small white-and-cream she-kit in the face as she continued to run. Ripplekit remembered that her mother had always tod her that if she was ever In danger, she should find FlurryClan and ask them to take her in. The small white-and-cream she-kit knew that it would take quite a while to get there, so she would need to rest and find something to eat.

The only thing that was keeping her alive at the moment was running on fear and adrenaline. Ripplekit stopped under the folds of a tall tree to rest, she was panting heavily and everything ached. But her mind was still on high alert, these rogues killed her family and the young kit knew that they wouldn't stop until they found her. After a few more moments of just sitting under the tree, Ripplekit was finally able to take a full recount of what had just happened. Her parents and sister were dead and here Ripplekit is, injured, lost in the forest, and on the run from a group of blood-thirsty rogue cats.

Tears began running down Ripplekit's face once more as she thought of her parents and younger sister. I would never see her mother's smiling face, nor would she hear her soothing voice when she woke up crying from nightmares. I would never get lessons from her father about how to be a great healer, nor would she get to play with him when he returned from a long day of hunting. Ripplekot wouldn't be able to have mock-battles with her sister, nor would she be able to teach her about herbs like she'd promised. Ripplekit curled up into a tight ball as sobs racked her body. Ripplekit's body hurt, she was scared, tired, hungry, and she just wanted her parents and sister back.

•••

"Ipple! Ripple, Ripplepaw!" The white-and-cream she-cat awoke to her mentor's worried meows.

Ripplepaw shot up with a start, her white-and-cream fur fluffed up and her blue eyes frantically scanning her surroundings.

"It's alright, Rip, nothing is going to hurt you. It ws only a dream."

The older she-cat placed some herbs down in front of Ripplepaw, who bent her head and took a hesitant sniff. "T-thank y-you, M-Minflower," she meowed, her eyes still flocking back-and-forth as she slowly ate the the herbs her mentor had set at Ripplepaw's paws.

Once the white-and-cream she-cat had swallowed the herbs, she looked up at Mintflower with a week smile. . "It was that dream again, wasn't it?" She timidly asked, a hint of worry in her meow.

Mintflower slowly nodded and Ripplepaw gave a quiet sigh. "I'm-I'm sorry, Mintflower," she replied, lowering her gaze and shifting her paws.

"It's ok, Rip, it's not your fault. You can't help the dreams that come to you when you sleep."

Ripplepaw sighed again and patted over to sort the comfrey and marigold leaves. She just wished that these dreams would leave her aline just for one night.