(Art by me)

   
   "Laurelswoop, can Milkweedkit go out and play today?" Mothkit asked. Leaf-Bare had come and swept over the Tribe of Burning Sun, but with the cold came an outbreak of sickness.

Most cats had caught a cough, including his brother and Laurelswoop. The beautiful siemese held her sick son close to her swollen belly. The kit would occasionally give a small sniffle. Green goop would trickle from his nose, and when he spoke he sounded nasally. His blue eyes were tired, small dark circles under them despite all the sleep he got.

Laurelswoop shook her head. "Not today, I'm afraid. Why don't you go out by yourself? It would do you some good being by yourself every now and then," she suggested.

The thought of leaving his brother's side suddenly made Mothkit's blood chill. No, he couldn't leave him! Milkweedkit was so much more interactive with their tribemates. He was a better talker, he knew what to say, he knew how to make cats smile and giggle at them. Mothkit? Any cat would be lucky to get him to just carry a bit of small talk with him.

Anxiety started to creep up his spine. What if he said something wrong, or accidentally venture into the wrong den, or ran into a mean cat?

"Go on, just don't stay out too long, alright?" Laurelswoop said. Mothkit looked at his mother's sweet blue eyes, and for a moment he remembered to breath. He could do it, it wouldn't be so bad, right?

He slowly got to his paws, carefully padding to the entrance of the den. It felt so weird without Milkweedkit bounding forward, shouting about adventures and other childish things to get them both excited. Mothkit's long ears flattened against his head, he didn't like this feeling of being alone.

Nevertheless, he knew Laurelswoop won't let him come back, so the light brown tomkit didn't even try to come back. The wind picked up a little as he walked out, the sand cool underneath his paws.

His tail and ears rose slightly as he heard a noise coming to the den to the side of the Nursery. A yellowish colored tabby walked out, yawning loudly as he stretched, his paws, chest, and belly an off white color. He opened his eyes, showing the pale lime green orbs.

He looked over, ears flicking up. "Hello, Mothkit. Laurelswoop kick you out?" he said. Mothkit felt himself freeze. He knew he'd eventually run into a cat, but by the gods, he hadn't even thought of a plan on what to say to them yet!

"H-hi, S-Sunclaw..." he whispered. Sunclaw smiled. "Would you look at that, finally got a word out of you, huh?" The tom gave a small laugh.

Mothkit felt his body freeze, ears pinned back. He pressed his chin to his chest, wanting to just tuck his face into his fur. Sunclaw noticed the other cat's quietness, before smiling. "Sorry. Would you like to come with me on my rounds?" Sunclaw asked.

Mothkit looked up, confused by what the other meant. "Your rounds?"

Sunclaw nodded. "Yeah, I like to try and get a hello into everyone before I leave on patrols, maybe give a compliment to bright up their day before it even begins. Care to join?"

The brown and white kit smiled at the thought, seeing his tribemates smiling and happily going on with their day over something he said. He gave a nod, coming to the older's side.

Sunclaw smiled, before reaching down, grabbing onto Mothkit's scruff and tossed him onto his back. The small tom let out a squeak of alarm, before realizing the warrior was just letting him ride on him.

He placed his white paws on Sunclaw's head, looking over the tribe camp, a smile on his face. "Whoa! I can see everything!" He chimed.

Sunclaw gave a chuckle. "So, where to first?" he asked. Mothkit blinked his eyes, looking around to see who was nearby.

He could see the beautiful white coat of Scarletbloom near her den, happily talking with Settingsun, her handmaid. The cinnamon molly with the split face happily nodded her head, before giving her response to whatever they were conversing about.

Patrols were getting ready to head out, Coldbreeze, Hawthornmoon, and Burningash finishing the last bit of their breakfast before they headed out.

Meadowmask and Embereye, the two Myrtles, were carrying herbs to and from dens of sick cats. Mothkit's tail rose as he spotted them.

"Meadowmask and Embereye!" he said, pointing with a paw to the two she-cats. Sunclaw smiled, making his way across the camp with the small tom looking around.

As they neared, Meadowmask looked up, her fluffy tail flicking in a greetings. She placed her herbs down, her amber eyes tired from the non-stop work her and her partner were going through.

"Good morning, Sunclaw, hello, Mothkit. What brings you here? Don't have a cough, do you?" Meadowmask asked, shaking a leaf from her long, smokey colored fur.

Sunclaw shook his head. "No, thank the gods. I decided to come say good morning and see how you and Embereye were doing."

Embereye looked up, her amber eyes narrowing. "It's getting tiring, but we almost have everyone feeling better. It's only a few cats with a small cough and Milkweedkit with his Greencough," she explained.

Mothkit's ears dropped slightly as he heard her speak of his brother. He wished he was in Milkweedkit's spot, so he didn't feel so sick or be left alone the whole time.

Embereye turned, her ginger and gray pelt disappearing through the entrance of the Myrtle Den, going to fetch more herbs.

"Well, thank you for all your hard work, you two, the Tribe is happy to have your wisdom in our midst," Sunclaw purred greatfully, turning, flicking hit tailtip as a goodbye.

Mothkit quickly looked back to them. "Wait!" Sunclaw stopped, looking over his shoulder as the small tom balanced on his back, trying to face the two she-cats. "Thank you for taking care of Laurelswoop and Milkweedkit!" he meowed.

Meadowmask gave a smile, Embereye looking out from the den, her eyes having an a small unamused look in them.

"You're welcome, try not to get sick anytime soon," the smokey gray she-cat said, before dripping her head and taking a few leaves Embereye had offered her.

Sunclaw gave a smile, before turning back and making his way, Mothkit balancing himself once again as he faced forward. "Where to next?"

The smaller looked around, before spotting a black tom with ginger points on his fur. Mothkit's ears flicked up, attention pointed towards him. The tom noticed the kit's stare, but looked away, walking inside his den without a word.

"Who was that?" Mothkit asked. Sunclaw looked up, not sure who the small kitten was talking about.

"Who?"

"The tom that just went in his den over there,"

"Oh, Houndhowl? He must've gone to see Hickorylight, why, something wrong?"

Mothkit shook his head. "No, it's nothing. Can we go see Scarletbloom and-"

"Sunclaw, stop playing with kits and get ready for a hunting patrol."

The two turned at the voice, seeing the black fur and long fangs of Batswoop. The tom glanced between the kit and tomcat. "Go take him back to the Nursery, he shouldn't be out in this weather."

Sunclaw looked to the kit who was now trying to balance himself between his shoulder blades, peeking over his head towards the warrior.

"Aww, c'mon, Batswoop, the kit and I are just-"

"No, go take him back. We're leaving in a just a little, so get ready." With no other word, the black tom turned, walking to go fetch another member to join them.

The yellowish ginger tabby sighed, looking over his shoulder towards Mothkit. "Sorry, but that's all the time we have today. Thank you riding Sunclaw Transport, we hope to see you soon." Mothkit let out a small giggle as the warrior picked him up and off his back, placing him down on the sandy ground of the camp.

Mothkit looked up, a smile on his muzzle. "Thanks for taking me, Sunclaw."

The tabby gave a purr, putting a paw on the kit's head, gently ruffling a bit of fur on his head. "No problem, kit. I'll see you around, you be careful, don't go wondering out of camp!"

The light brown tomkit smiled as he watched the tabby warrior walk off to the side of the camp, joining up with his hunting patrol. He watched them leave the camp, and for a moment, Mothkit found himself alone.

He looked around, before realizing there were only a few cats left in the Tribe's camp. He looked around, hoping to possibly find Icepaw or Morningpaw.

As he got to his paws, he felt a chill roll down his spine.

"Mothkit."

He turned at his name, before he began to coward as he look up, having to crane his neck to see past the fluffy mane of fur. Hickorylight glared his eyes at him, making the small tom curl on the ground.

"H-hi,"

Hickorylight leaned down, picking him up by his scruff. Despite the ease of the loose skin carrying him, Mothkit flinched as he felt Hickorylight's jaws tighten around him a bit too much. He curled up as his father carried him towards a den in front of the back of the camp, watching the sand moving under him while his heart raced.

Was he in some sort of trouble? He hoped not, he was just trying to do what Laurelswoop asked of him, maybe if he explained Hickorylight wouldn't be mad at him.

Mothkit looked up as they came into the den, an unfamiliar scent of desert roses and lotus filled his nose and roof of his mouth.

The Pharaoh placed him down, before turning and sitting next to him. Mothkit looked up at him, before looking out to the camp. It was a perch almost, looking out to the Tribe where Hickorylight could make announcements.

The floor was made out of sandstone, sandy from the pawsteps of every cat that stepped inside the den.

Hickorylight's nest was towards the back, made of moss, feathers, and soft grass, woven together.

He looked back to Hickorylight, the large tom staring out to the opening. The small kit looked out as well, small tail curling around his white paws.

After a few, uncomfortable moments, did Hickorylight speak.

"One day, your brother will sleep in this den, if Scarletbloom and I don't have a true heir."

Mothkit looked up to him, blue eyes glinting with confusion. Milkweedkit would be here one day? Did he mean as a Pharaoh?

"Will I?" he asked. Hickorylight glanced to him.

"No. You will not become Pharaoh," Hickorylight mumbled under his breath a small moment after, something the small kit didn't catch. "But until then, he will need someone by his side, as his servant, a cat he can depend on, even after."

"Milkweedkit already shows good potential, he's getting over his sickness with such ease, especially for a kit his age. He is much stronger then you it seems. Tell me, what have you done?"

Mothkit wasn't quite sure what his father meant. What he did today?

"I went around with Sunclaw and greeted Meadowmask and Embereye, we were going to say hello to Scarletbloom and Settingsun too, but Sunclaw had to go on a hunting patrol," he answered.

Hickorylight gave a small 'hmm' as though he were thinking. "So all you have done was distract our Myrtles from their hard work and bothered one our Pladians while he was doing his work?"

Mothkit suddenly felt his body heat up as anxiety overcame him.

"Wait, no! He-"

"You distracted a warrior of his duty, not allowing him to preform what he is to do to help the Tribe, distracted our brave Myrtles who are working so hard to get your tribemates well while putting themselves in harms way of this outbreak. Now, you say you didn't? Think, Mothkit, were you helping them?"

Mothkit's ears fell as heard Hickorylight's words. He reflected on what this father said, and found himself being filled with shame. He got Sunclaw in trouble, and kept Meadowmask and Embereye from helping all of the sick cats.

Were the smiles they pulled on him fake? Just for show, or because he was so young? Did he bother them? Did he disappoint Laurelswoop by doing all of that?

The thought made the small kit tremble suddenly. He didn't want to disappoint her, her or Milkweedkit. They were so precious to him, and if he made them upset just by being a bothersome little kit...

"I... I'm sorry, Hickorylight... I won't do it again."

Hickorylight looked to him, flicking his fluffy tail.

"I hope not. If you wish to make it up to the tribe, you will do as you are told by everyone. Including me. Understood?"

Mothkit gave a nod. "Yes, Hickorylight."

"Good, now go back to the Nursery, but don't tell Laurelswoop about this and I won't tell her about your little slip-ups," Hickorylight ordered. The small tomkit looked up, giving a nod.

Hickorylight watched the small kit walk back to the Nursery, his dull amber eyes watching him like a vulture waiting for its prey to take its last breath so it could eat.

Laurelswoop could say whatever she wanted: they were not his kits, nor did he plan on treating at least one like one.

Milkweedkit, he favored, looked nothing like Laurelswoop's attacker, more like a small copy of her. Mothkit was a different story, therefore Hickorylight found no fault in his plan.

If he couldn't hurt Houndhowl, he would hurt him in a different way.

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Finished - Jan. 9th, 2021

Got another chapter done, wooo!

This one was... oddly satisfying to write.

I know Sunclaw is a forgettable character, so I decided this would be a good chance to give him some spotlight.

But, I hope you all enjoyed! If you did, please leave a vote and comment, I'd love some creative criticism from others!

Take care!