Mother-Daughter Bonding

"That would be called a brain freeze. It happens whenever you eat too much cold at once." Giving Ravenkit one last lick, she smiled. "Yes, it's your turn now. I'll go ahead and choose truth."

Ravenkit purred a bit more "hmmm... how long did it take you complete your training and become a warrior?"

"It took me roughly six moons," Dawnpetal answered. "I was a very skittish and timid apprentice, so it had to take my mentor and adopted brother Reedheart a little longer to help me grow comfortable with fighting. I've also never been the best hunter when I was younger, so Reedheart had to skip over my hunting assessment and have me join hunting patrols with other cats to make up for it."

"Oh... i see... i guess it always takes a lot of time... but i bet you worked really hard mom!" she purred and nuzzled at her mom

"Training to become a warrior does take a very long time, but it is very rewarding," Dawnpetal agreed, nuzzling Ravenkit back. "Would you like to keep playing Truth or Dare, dear?"

"Yes mommy" Ravenkit purred "and i choose truth this time"

Dawnpetal's smile suddenly fell. She tilted her head questioningly, her voice soft and careful. "If you don't want to answer this question, that's perfectly fine, but... do you remember your life before you joined ThunderClan?"

Ravenkit smile dropped, looking thoughtful at the snow at her paws

"I remember... i had my mom and my brothers and sisters... but we were trapped in a small thing made with cold branches, they were really strong and only twolegs could open them... there were several other cats trapped in those things and twolegs came frequently to see us, especially my mom and my brothers... one by one they took my brothers away and I never saw them again... at the end, it was only me and my mom..."

The kit made a pause, like trying to remember...

"Mom explained me that... hopefully my brothers and my sisters would end up in safe places, that twolegs came for them because our fur was unusual and different from other cats, and that made them want us... Mom told me that i had to escape, that... since she was growing old, they were going to replace her with me... she told me that she didn´t wanted that life for me"

Ravenkit´s tail curled by her side, showing sadness, but continued.

"That was when she started telling about the clans... stories... how it started, and the possibility that the clans still existed, she wasen´t sure because loner cats told her those stories... but she had faith... and one night, it happened"

Her tail bushed out, and her ears dropped.

"A twoleg came one night to give mom her food, it opened the weird thing that had us trapped like all night to feed my mom and then, my mom jumped on the twoleg´s head, hissing, yowling and scratching it, the twoleg screeched in pain and fell to the ground, and mom told me to escape, she was distracting it... i didn´t wanted to leave without her, but she and the other cats yowled at me telling me to escape and run... i didn´t had a choice, i ran, found something like a rabbit´s hole that led outside and went by there, it was the first time i saw how it was outside, it was dark, highmoon... there was screeching from inside that place, i could still hear my mom... then i heard something that made me jump... it sounded like a thunder, but it wasen´t raining, and it came from inside that place... my mom screeched... and i didn´t heard her voice anymore"

The kid looked down, now with the fresh kill she ate, she understanded the concept of death...

"The twolegs killed my mom..." 

Dawnpetal's facial expression grew progressively more mortified the more Ravenkit told her story. She had no idea her question during a silly kit game would turn into a confession of a past so tragic that no kit -- no, that no cat of any kind -- deserved.

Ravenkit nuzzled slowly at Dawnpetal, like trying to gain strenght to keep going...

"The twolegs started searching for me, so i ran more, i wasen´t even thinking and i jumped and help on a monster´s tail, it moved but it wasen´t bothered about me riding on it´s tail... i wasen´t sure were i was going, i just wanted to escape... the monster didn´t stopped running for a long time, there was sunrise and then moonrise again... then the monster was getting tired because it was going slower, i took that chance and jumped off it, the ground was hard and smelled horrible... it was the Thunderpath, but i didn´t know then, i ran... i think Leafbare was starting, because it was all covered in snow... i ran until i couldn´t run anymore, i was cold and hungry... and i rested in the base of a tree... i heard movement and i got scared, a big bird landed near and was looking at me, i thought it was going to eat me... but it just came by my side and used it´s feathers to keep me warm that night... by sunrise it wasen´t there anymore, just a feather and then... you found me, mommy"  

"Oh, Ravenkit, I'm so sorry, I-I didn't realize that my seemingly innocent question was going to turn into such a tragic backstory," the warrior apologized gently with a sad frown. She nuzzled and licked her cheek, trying to cheer her back up. "But... You said that a bird had decided to keep you warm? That was quite peculiar... And judging by the type of feathers that were left behind, it was a raven... hence your name. I've never heard of a bird -- or any prey for that matter -- helping a cat."

"I-it´s okay mom, my other mom always taught me to be brave, she told me to tell what happened to me so all cats should know how dangerous and cruel twolegs can be... she taught me that i shouldn´t let others see me sad, so they think i´m strong, i even believe i´m strong..." she then looks at Dawnpetal

"But... i trust you so much mom... so much that i wouldn´t mind crying in front of you"

She sighed and purred, listening to Dawnpetal.

"Hmmm i dunno... is like that raven sensed i was in danger there in the cold and just... decided to help me?"

Dawnpetal smiled kindly. "I'm so glad to hear that, my dear little Ravenkit. It's very healthy to express your emotions, otherwise they'll just build up more and more until you have no choice but to lash out at someone unintentionally." She nodded in response to Ravenkit's answer. "I see. Well, it seems StarClan has granted us prey for more reasons than just sustenance."

Ravenkit nodded "Do you think... StarClan somehow sent that raven to help me...?"

"Never before have I heard of prey saving the life of their natural predator. There's no doubt that StarClan have saved you that night and led me and Emberheart to you. You truly must be a very special kit." Dawnpetal purred and nuzzled between her ears. "You know, I believe StarClan may have helped me find ThunderClan as well."