We Will Survive [Berrykit]

She had learned, even amidst the turmoil and grief that seemed to be the constant state of Skyclan, life kept going. The forest would not wait for her grief, the clan needed to be fed, the borders marked, and Skyclan's youngest and weakest taken care of. Sometimes it all seemed futile. Watching Wolfblossom and Birdstar keep going despite everything... She owed it to her daughters to do the same. They had brought her back into Skyclan in spite of everything, and the clan had not driven her off as perhaps they should have.

It was that thought that fueled Beechfang now, despite the way her broad shoulders had thinned, the way ribs were visible beneath her ragged silver pelt. The old warrior padded back into camp with a sense of grim triumph, a starling and mouse between her jaws. If a few less cats went hungry tonight, the exhaustion she felt would be worth it.

Beechfang's head lifted, surveying the camp. Gone was the warmth of greenleaf, replaced by reds and golds and browns and harsh winds. A few of her clanmates milled about, though the camp was quiet and subdued. The cats she laid eye on were all just as thin and hollow as she herself was. There was a single kit outside the nursery, and Beechfang picked up a piece of prey, padding forward.

Privately, a jaded, bitter part of the old warrior wondered... And she gave her head a small shake. The kit would be far from the first born into such tenuous circumstances, and far from the last. It was up to them to see the clan's youth survive it.

"Hey there," Beechfang's paws came to a stop as she set the little bird down, "Have you eaten yet?"

She hadn't eaten the entire day, thinking she should save food for the clan instead of herself.

"Thanks!"

Berrykit mewed politely yet energetically as she nibbled at the bird. Through the patches of orange and black fur were her fragile bones. It seemed obvious, even to her, that she was famished. She purred delightfully after finishing the bird and stretched her back. She was just a scraggy kit trying to survive like the rest of her clan. She was grateful and thankful for every bit of fresh-kill the clan had, though she could be quite dull and dumb at times. She stared back at Beechfang, a little butterfly fluttering near Berrykit's nose. She pouncedon it, pretending it was prey. The butterfly flew away. She was trying to be optimistic throughout leaf-fall and leaf-bare. She smiled at the warrior, trying to shake off the fact that she was still hungry.

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"You're welcome." The kit didn't need to be told to eat, though it was evident in her slight frame, thin even for most kits her age. The famine was felt by far more than Skyclan's warriors, despite the clan's effort to make sure there was enough food for the young and the vulnerable. Whatever meat was on the bird's bones was gone too quickly, and if Beechfang were a cat to place bets, she would bet that the kit was still hungry. It seemed that what little food Skyclanners got to eat lately just wasn't enough.

Her whiskers twitched as the calico pounced after a butterfly, watching as the insect fluttered away. "Not bad, kit." She mewed. It was good instinct, "You'll get better at it. Actually catching the prey is the tricky part." She would need to, and would practice honing that skill when she became an apprentice.

Not catching the butterfly didn’t really sadden her. She’d try all her best as an apprentice. She was even excited for the ceremony. She stared at the remains of the bird, then back at Beechfang.

"I’ll be an amazing hunter, right?"

She said this with enthusiasm, still smiling. The butterfly fluttered closer, and she clawed the air and caught it with her sheer determination. The butterfly was on the ground, dead. Her smile was wider now. She had caught at least what she classified as prey, though other cats would probably disagree with her. The butterfly was tinier than normal ones. She pawed it to Beechfang.

"See!"

Berrykit meowed, pawing it closer to the she warrior staring at her. She felt the proudness overflow in her body. It may have been little and inedible, but whatever she caught would make her feel pleased and proud.

"You'll make a fine hunter if you keep practicing." Beechfang mewed, trying to be encouraging with her words. The butterfly fluttered toward Berrykit again, seemingly not having learned from escaping the kit's paws once already. This time it wasn't so lucky, and Beechfang purred as the little calico caught it with a swipe of the paw. "Well done, it stood no chance against you!" The warrior mewed as the butterfly was pawed toward her.