𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐰'𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐠𝐞 - seasons of revenge - book three

Chapter 10

A/N: So completely new POV, through the eyes of some loner cats. I've been busy which is why this chapter is so late, but it was my birthday yesterday. This chapter sorta brings a bit of backstory into everything.

A black tom-kit dozed lightly, his chest heaving and falling as he was squished against his three other littermates. His mother, who was a fluffy cream she-cat with the name of Francesca, sat awake.

He jumped slightly when he noticed her kitten-blue eyes blinking down at him lovingly.

"What are you doing awake so soon, Raven?" She asked sweetly, her neck stretching down to lick his ear comfortingly.

It was then that Raven noticed the faded blue sky, not yet light enough to be day-time.

"Erm- I'm not to sure." Raven's ears pricked up, his eyes scanning across the glade.

Too late. Beside him, one of his three sisters, Riley, began shuffling and meowing in annoyance.

"Why'd you wake me up?" She hissed in his direction slightly. Raven turned, slightly disturbed by his sister's outburst, but ignored her. Riley was pretty cranky if woken.

"Didn't mean to." He mumbled back, gazing at Ridge, who gave him a mischievous smirk.

Great. Now practically the whole litter was awake, with Rook still embraced into Francesca's tail. It looked quite sweet, Raven thought with a smile and tilt of his head. The black tom sighed quietly, wrestling the way out of his littermates.

Stepping further away from his mother and siblings, although her blue eyes still trailed after, he noticed now the bleakness within his family. Francesca was weary and thin, her pelt bedraggled over time. Her eyes still possessed the uncanny sweetness she had.

Ridge seemed mischievous, but her smile looked forced heavily. Next to her, lay Riley. The cream and grey-pointed kit seemed to have a constant scowl now. Rook was curled up, her chest falling and rising shakily.

He knew his father was dead. Although Raven hadn't met him much, before the late tom's death. His father was a strong cat, a black tom with white markings. Francesca had once said he was a Clan cat, and that was how they met.

She had been a kittypet at the time, her fur well groomed, pristine and clean. So when Raven's father had stumbled out in front of her, pelt mattered and crusty with blood, she never expected to fall for him.

"Are you thinking about Voleshadow again?" Francesca whispered to him, noticing her son's distraught face. The cream cat sighed, placing a grey paw over Raven's body. "You look just like him."

Raven guessed by the quietness of her voice he wasn't supposed to hear that, but purred back lovingly.

"Can we have a story?!" Ridge squeaked beside him, her kit-fluff poofing up as she gazed at the two enthusiastically. Raven couldn't help but laugh at his sister's antics.

"Hmm, about your father?" Francesca questioned back. Raven and Ridge nodded back. Raven had faded memories of past tales of his father, and wanted them replenished.

I'll start with my story. Since it leads into your father's tale. I wasn't always a kittypet, I had  been born into a family which was broken from the start. Me and my brother and sister, Seed and Russet. Our father was different from us, he never came to see us and barely visited my mother. She discovered he was a Clan cat, and things broke.

He came a couple moons after we were born, demanding they were his kits and he demanded to take them. My mother was terrified. She ran from our den, three kits in tow. The place we left was safe and secure. A small hollowed out log, set by a mossy covered floor and slanted river. It was named the River Slant by the Clan cats after they took the land over. But, the place we went to wasn't nice. We were desperate at this point. Mother's eyes had lost their shine, and Seed and Russet less enthusiastic. Rogues cats were everywhere, and we hadn't a bite to eat in moons. There was the leader cat, a brown tabby with such piercing green eyes, they made me sick. And his front paws were stark white, or formally that colour, since they'd been drenched in blood that much they were now pale pink. He had the same scent as my father, and found us out. Seed and Russet were snatched from Mother. They had no idea of my existence. I was kept smuggled in the back of a box, in the hope that at least one of Mother's kits would be safe.

Then they left. But not before the screams. I could see barely, but I knew the scent of blood as soon as it hit. When the alley went silent, I emerged from the box, Seed and Russet gone. Only my mother's body there, blood flowing from her throat. Her eyes could still focus though, and that look has given me the chills.

She told me, "Be prepared Mouse, for you never know what will strike. One day you will have to fight, and even if there will be days you feel not capable, you will get through this darkness."

Maybe Francesca had gotten a little carried away, as she noticed Ridge's and Raven's awed faces.

"Y-you were called Mouse?" Raven looked slightly starstruck and confused. Francesca could guess he was actually going to ask a different question, but spur of the moment caused him to stutter.

"Yes. Because I was the smallest of the litter." Francesca let off a little chuckle. "I don't know where Seed and Russet are now, but I hope they got away from that terrible cat."

"What else did he do?" Ridge asked, sitting up on her hind legs, tail swooping onto the floor.

"From my memory, his anger and actions was spurred by the betrayal of his sister. She left when they were young, becoming a loner. Ironic, since he became a rogue, but reverted back to his Clan status."

"Did you know her?" Raven asked, referring to the cat's sister.

"Cal?" Francesca asked, looking down, then nodded. "One of the kindest cats I'd met. She was tough, and strong witted. Cream with brown markings. I remember the fight against her brother. Her group was full of loners and former Clan cats who were simply willing to help sort the situation. They thought it would only be a small battle, and maybe a confrontation. So did Cal. But this Clan were bloodthirsty, and the brother lead them."

Raven winced slightly, imagining the poor innocent cats who may have been killed and died in that battle.

"Although some details I don't know if they're correct, and some I've forgotten."

"What was this tom's name?" Ridge squeaked with interest, her small ears perked up, wanting to get every smudge of information. The queen swallowed gazing back down at her daughter.

"Y'know, just to stay safe in the future so we know who it is."

Francesca swallowed again, her eyes looking pitiful as she turned away from her kits for a second. "Dustblaze. His name was Dustblaze."