Snowkit blinks open his eyes in the dawn light. Silverfur's warm pelt isn't beside his but he can smell that she's near.
"He crawls out of the makeshift den to see Silverfur sitting beside two mice.
" I didn't want to wake you," she mews, "eat up."
Snowkit thanks her before taking a mouse.
"How long-" be takes a bite, "how long do you think until we get there."
Silverfur looks to the sky, "tomorrow, I guess."
"What do you mean?" Snowkit tilts his head.
"I- well," Silverfur looks at him, "I am just guessing."
"Ah," Snowkit takes another bite, "ok."

"My paws hurt," Snowkit complains.
Yes, well my heart hurts Silverfur mews to herself crossly.
"I know, we'll be there soon. Just a bit more of this," Silverfur sighs.
Snowkit sighs but brightens quickly, "And I'll see my mother again!"
"Yes," Silverfur focuses on her paws as she walks, "you'll see her again."
"I wonder how she's doing," Snowkit wonders aloud.
"She's probably been missing you. She probably sent out patrols in a desperate attempt to find you," she looks fondly at the young cat, "that's what I would do."
"Yeah?" Snowkit looks back at her, "that would be very thoughtful."

Snowkit yawns, "can we rest? The dinner its tomorrow the sooner I get home."
"Yes, let's just walk a bit fur-"
A growl begins in one of the bushes.
"Climb that tree," Silverfur instructs.
Snowkit nods.
Is something wrong? What's happening? What is that growling?
Suddenly an orange beast jumps out of the bush and snaps at Silverfur's front paws.
"Get away you mangy Fox Heart!" Silverfur snarls at the beast.
"What is that!?" Snowkit screams.
"Its-" Silverfur rakes her claws along its face, "a fox!"
The fox snaps at her again.
A fox!? Snowkit panics Those are very dangerous! He had overheard someone in the camp talking about them before they left.
Silverfur shouts a few insults at the fox again and hooks its legs out from under it. She takes that opportunity to claw its eyes. It yelps in pain but snaps at her again. It tries to stand but Silverfur bites its leg and shakes it about until it falls again.
"Kill it!" Snowkit yells.
"I can try! The best I can do though is scare it off!" Silverfur yells.
She smacks its left eye and it yelps again. It takes a step back as she smacks its other eye.
Suddenly it turns tail and runs.
"Good job!" Snowkit climbs down the tree.
Silverfur limps a towards him, "I want you to scout ahead and find a spot in a tree for us to sleep tonight."
"Why-" Snowkit sees her injured paw and nods.

"Now go," Silverfur winces at the pain in her paw.
I have to find some cobwebs. She didn't want to scare the young tom with her pain.
She hobbles to a nearby bush and starts checking it for cobwebs.

"There's a good spot up ahead!" Snowkit announces when he returns to Silverfur.
She is Midway through wrapping her paw with cobwebs.
"Does it hurt?" He approaches more slowly, careful not to shake the ground or anything to much that may negatively affect her paw.
"A bit, this is just to stop the bleeding," Silverfur assures him.

I hate lying to him.

"Let's go, I already gathered some moss," Snowkit mews.
"Ok," Silverfur nods, "let's go."
Snowkit helps her back onto all paws and walks a bit ahead of her to lead her to the spot.

"Can you climb up there?" Snowkit asks, concern in his voice.
We'll see, "yes."
Snowkit scurrys up the trunk of the tree first.
Let's do this. Silverfur leaps up, trying to land in the hole in the trunk of the tree. She lands with her front paws in the hole and her back legs dangling below her.
"Help me!" She panics as she slips.
Snowkit grabs her scruff and tries to pull her into the hole. He's weak, but strong enough to hold her long enough to gain her footing. She pushes her way into the hole.
"Thank you," Silverfur sighs, "let's rest now."