Chapter Nine
Claws In The Back

Flowerkit was lost in a whirlwind of fur and claws.

He ducked backward as powerful paws swept in a deadly course towards his head, again and again, forcing Flowerkit to continuously move back. Suddenly his paws were swept out from under him, sending the kit tumbling onto his side. He sensed the cat above him rear back, about to strike, but this time Flowerkit was quicker; he used his size to his advantage and rolled out of the way, springing to his feet just as Jake's paws slammed the ground where he had been a heartbeat before.

There was no time for pause. Flowerkit launched himself at his attacker, battering Jake's side with as many blows as he could land before he rolled out of the way again, teeth bared to match his opponent's snarl.

Jake lunged again, his gaze locked with Flowerkit's. Flowerkit darted nimbly to the side then spun, expecting another attack. To his surprise, there wasn't one. Jake was standing stiffly, his head turned to look at a spot in the distance with his ears alert. Flowerkit hesitated. Was this some new tactic to catch him off guard? Well he wouldn't fall for it! He prepared to spring again, a challenging yowl about to rumble up from his throat - when suddenly a heavy paw crushed him to earth. "Shut up and get down," Jake hissed in his ear.

"Mrrrr-ow! No!" Flowerkit spat back, struggling to get back to his feet.

Jake's tail slapped over his muzzle. "I said shut up," he repeated in a low hiss. He was still looking in the same direction, away from Flowerkit. "There are other cats near."

That made Flowerkit fall silent. He shoved Jake's tail away, then crouched down, his heart beating heavily in his ears from the exertion but straining his senses anyway. Soon he caught what Jake had picked up on already: the sound of voices. At first they were just a mumble, too far away for Flowerkit to distinguish what they were saying, but the voices drifted closer until he could just barely pick up on their conversation.

"...Are they sure he's really out here somewhere? How could a tiny kit survive on his own for so long?"

"Sagepaw said she found Flowerkit's scent when she had accidentally strayed too far while hunting." The same voice said something else, too quiet for Flowerkit to catch. But he had heard enough already. They were talking about him! His fur bristled slightly. It must be a ThunderClan patrol, searching once more for the kitten who had run away.

"But there are all sorts of rogue cats and other predators out here. Even if he hasn't died of starvation already, how has he not been killed or eaten?"

"Maybe that kit is just better than we give him credit for."

The voices continued, now moving away, and soon Flowerkit couldn't hear them anymore. His muscles slowly relaxed and he looked up at Jake. "I guess ThunderClan is still looking for me."

Jake's yellow eye looked troubled. "Suppose so. Lesson's over, kid. I'll meet you back at the den later." And all of a sudden, Jake was gone.

Flowerkit blinked, staring at the spot where the rogue had disappeared. That was weird behaviour, even for him. Was Jake afraid of the ThunderClan patrol, maybe? Flowerkit shook his head. That didn't make any sense. Jake wouldn't have anything to worry about from them in the first place. He wasn't on ThunderClan territory, so the warriors would have no right to attack. Flowerkit sighed and sat down. It would probably be best to lay low for a while, while the patrol was in the area. The kitten did not plan on being found and dragged back to ThunderClan at this point. He was a committed rogue himself, now. And there was no way he could return and face the other kits again.

All few hours later the patrol had long gone and Flowerkit found himself back at his and Jake's nest site. The ThunderClan cats hadn't come anywhere close to it, but Jake still wasn't there. Flowerkit pushed around stones, bored, until someone stepped into his line of vision.

"Come on. We're doing a field trip for training today," Jake grunted.

Flowerkit stood. "Field trip?"

The large white tom swished his tail. "Just come on," he growled. "I'm going to show you something."

Eyes round with curiosity, Flowerkit followed. He ended up padding along at Jake's heels as the older tom led him through the forest. Jake was still acting strangely, Flowerkit thought. He wouldn't quite meet the kit's eyes and he seemed tense, his tail swishing back and forth as though worried. But Jake's scarred and emotionless face gave Flowerkit no clues to his thoughts.

After what seemed like a long time walking, Flowerkit was just about to open his mouth to complain about his sore and tired paws when Jake suddenly halted. His ears twitched and he scanned the area quickly with his good eye. The rogue looked sideways at Flowerkit. "Wait here. I need to find something." And with no more instructions then that, Jake disappeared once more into the trees.

He seemed to do that a lot all of a sudden, Flowerkit reflected, his claws digging into the dirt with annoyance. He was tired and didn't like being left in the dark. He still had no idea what he and Jake were out here for and if that dirty-furred rogue thought he would just stay put like some obedient puppy, he was wrong.

Flowerkit lifted his nose and sniffed. As long as Jake was leaving him to his own devices, he might as well hunt. Perhaps there would some easy mice nearby that he could catch. The kitten started to wander, searching for any signs of prey.

It didn't take long before a strange noise made him pause again. He tilted his head, pricking one ear to try and catch the sound. There is was again. A sort of mewl. Did mice mewl? Maybe it was a rabbit... He tried following the sound and nearly stumbled over a large hole.

The gap in the earth opened inconspicuously by the roots of a large tree. Flowerkit narrowed his eyes, peering into it. It seemed to extend down under the tree. A tunnel of some sorts? Or a den? The whole setup reminded him of the prisoner's hole in the ShadowClan camp. His ears twitched when he heard the mewl again, coming from the tunnel. There was definitely something in there.

The sounds of swishing fur and the snap of a twig from behind him sent Flowerkit whirling. He blinked and found himself looking at a black nose attached to a long, russet muzzle, and from either side of the muzzle peered at him the dark, beady eyes of a fox.

Flowerkit yelled and stumbled back, his paw twisting when he misstepped into the tunnel entrance. He had never seen a fox before, but Ashenbird had told him bone-chilling stories about the blood-thirsty beasts... their thick, red fur... the bushy tail held low over the ground... the menace in their eyes... and their long fangs, meant for snapping and tearing, which the fox was right now baring at him.

Flowerkit just barely managed to throw himself to the side before the fox's jaws clamped over the air where the kitten had been a heartbeat before. Flowerkit's pulse raced. He must have stumbled onto the fox's den. And inside the den, that mewling sound... must be the fox's kits. Now the male fox facing him was about to kill the intruder that threatened his mate and kits.

The fox lunged for Flowerkit again, teeth snapping, but fear lent him speed and he managed to scramble out of the way. He tried to swipe his claws at the fox's muzzle, and it just knocked his paw aside before attacking again. He was once again in a whirlwind of fur and teeth and claws, but this time his life was on the line. There was no way Flowerkit could fight this monster with the death it promised in its eyes. His only chance was to run.

Flowerkit turned tail and sprinted, his ears flattened against his skull and his tail streaming out behind him. He could feel the fox's breath hot on his heels as it gave pursuit, and suddenly pain jolted through Flowerkit's spine. The beast's fangs had found their mark on Flowerkit's tail.

The young cat screamed in pain, turning and lashing out blindly at his attacker. He felt his claws rake across the fox's nose, the soft black skin tearing, and the russet monster reared back with a snarl. Flowerkit ran once more, the pain in his tail spurring him to move faster. He weaved through the trees, desperately pushing through the undergrowth, using any method at his disposal to shake off his attacker. Eventually the pursuit began to slacken, but Flowerkit kept running. He didn't stop until he the footfalls behind him stopped completely and the fox issued a loud, warning howl. It would let the kitten go for now, but the next time it found him anywhere near its den, the cat would be dead. This knowledge kept Flowerkit moving, even when he had left the fox and its den site far behind.

Finally he could not continue any longer. His breaths came in short panting bursts and there was a painful stitch in his side from running. His paws ached from slamming against the ground repeatedly and he was bleeding from where two thorns had found their way into his fur. Plus he thought he was about to pass out from the pain radiating from his tail. The kitten dreaded looking back at it, in case it was a horrid twist of mangled fur and blood, but he had to know. To his relief his tail appeared fine other than a small patch of bloodied fur from a shallow piercing. Flowerkit let out his breath in a huff. It looked like he would be fine. He collapsed to the ground, stretching out his paws in hopes that the stitch in his side would leave him and he could get his breath back.

As he gradually recovered, Flowerkit felt anger bubbling up inside him. Jake had known about the fox den. He had brought him there on purpose. Jake had tried to kill him! That backstabbing, traitorous, filthy rogue! Flowerkit should have known. He should never had trusted that one-eyed turnpelt. He should never had trusted anyone but himself. Because everyone, everyone always betrayed him in the end. Flowerkit closed his eyes, letting himself succumb to sleep with revenge in his thoughts.