I woke up in the middle of the night. No, literally. I woke up on the tree at midnight. My father must've not wanted to disturb my sleep. Or maybe he just cancelled training for the day. I didn't know. The only thing I did know is that I was woken by hunger. 

Midnight was more or less the regular time I would slip off to the River tribe to steal food from their prey pile. And my stomach was not reluctant in telling me so. I recalled a conversation I and Golden had earlier that day. Or, the day before. That "one mouse would be enough". One mouse was not enough. I sighed, then jumped off of the branch. 

I padded towards the border we had with them. The rare rivers of Africa. Right across, I found some patrolling cats. That wasn't normal. I gulped. I needed food. I wasn't going to let these cats stop me. I slowly descended into the river and swam to the other side. The cats didn't seem to notice. They then padded their separate ways. 

That was my chance. I dashed straight to their camp. I knew the way there like I knew the way back to my own camp. I was just about to get away with stealing a fish when a serval seemingly my age stepped in front of me with a clear displeased expression. 

"What are you doing here?" They demanded. I straightened my posture and cleared my throat. 

"Um, what are you talking about? I'm just taking a midnight snack," I mewed.

They tipped their head at me. "I don't recognize you, though. You're not of this tribe, are you?"

"Uh, yes I am." Don't blame me. I panicked. The good thing is that I got away with it. 

"Oh. Okay. Well, you should be patrolling if you're awake. I'm going straight to sleep, though. Don't argue with me. I'm only in training."

"Wait! What's your name?" I asked quickly. I needed to know this cat's name just in case he met them again. 

"My name is Willow, the daughter of River, the leader of this tribe," she told me.

Willow. That was pretty. I had heard of a story of a brave serval named Willow. I presumed Willow was named after her. "Oh. Okay. Uh, see you tomorrow," I rushed away into the long grass. 

"Hey! Wait!" Willow called, racing after me. "You're not of this tribe, are you?" 

"YES I AM!" I continued to lie, springing over the river again.

Willow seemed hesitant to follow me, but suddenly tried to pounce over the river. She didn't have the boost of speed, so she just fell into the river completely.

Now, I was given two choices. Save her and starve for the night, or leave and eat. I sighed, realizing that my tribe might need her help one day, and that not saving her could mean war. 

I dragged her out of the water on the Wild tribe's side of the river. "Sorry about that," I told her. "But if I don't have this I'll starve tonight. You must have heard of me. I'm Fawn."

Willow shook her pelt clear of water and turned back to me with an outraged expression. "Give that bird back!" She demanded. 

Sighing, I pushed it toward her. "Sorry. Would you at least give me... a part of it you don't like or something? Again, I won't eat anything tonight if it's not this."

Willow's face went soft for a moment. "Oh. I didn't know this would be your only food. Well... fine. I'll let you have that. My tribe already has a lot of prey," she said quietly. 

"Thank you," I mewed. "It means a lot." I leapt into the river, dug my back claws into the sand below and help up my paws like stepping stones for the kind serval to cross. She dipped her head and walked over my paws. 

And when I tell you it hurt like fire to hold her up, I'm not joking. That was terrible. I hauled myself out of the water and then searched the tall grass for the bird Willow let me have. Then, I turned to watch her on the other side of the river, dashing away with a feathery shape in her mouth. 

She took it back. 

I sighed, walking back home. What was the use? I had already eaten a mouse that day. I wouldn't starve to death in the night, that's for sure. I'd be fine.

I padded home slowly, still panting from the little chase I had in the night. That had no outcome for me at all. 

Finally, I made it into the clearing and slid under my bush. I closed my eyes and lowered my head, ready to sleep. But I couldn't.

From the bushes beside me, I heard Silk, Rush, and Ripple giggling in their shared bush. That's not normal. I slowly got up and pressed my head against the bush leaves. 

"That's right! And no one will know!" 

Munching. 

"Wild can't even be angry with us!" 

More munching.

"A meal fit for a leader!"

Then it clicked in my mind. They had stolen the leader's, Wild's, breakfast for the day after. Something seared beneath my pelt. Something I couldn't explain. I was furious. And not because I didn't get any. But because Wild, our leader, worked so hard to build us a camp, catch us prey, organize patrols, and then there were these ungrateful kittens steal his food!

I was terrible at fighting, and I was well aware of this when I jumped on top of their bush, scaring them out. 

"You do not eat our leader's food! He's worked so hard to build all of this for us and this is how you repay him?" I roared. All three of them shrunk. 

Everyone in the camp was awake now. Including Wild. Who from the distance, from out of behind the waterfall he slept in, standing at the edge of a boulder. Watching us. 

His orange-like serval pelt glistening in the moonlight. 

It made me shiver. He was the leader. His eyes locked directly with mine. I witnessed the huge serval tom leap onto the ground and race to the camp from afar. 

In seconds he had arrived. 

"Fawn, tell me what exactly is going on here?" He demanded.