Chapter two

We have been looking for SageKit ever since the water had receded earlier that week. FireKit thought he had seen her swimming farther down the river, so we had hope. When we were looking for her the other day, we came across a weasel. I mean, not just a weasel. A BIG one. And it was looking directly at me and the kittens. I was super scared, so you can not imagine the kitten's fear. The weasel and I had a big fight and FlameKit had gotten scratched pretty badly, so we had one less cat to help with looking for SageKit. 

We still had hope even after a week of fruitlessly looking for SageKit. We searched the forest high and low, and even asked any animal that we ran across if they had seen her. Only a rabbit had seen her, but that was before the flood. 

We were going through the forest, when AshKit saw a nice, small cavern. At least it looked small from the outside, because when we went in, it opened up to a huge size and there was plenty of room for us AND 20 other cats. It was great because we had been looking for a home ever since the kits and I met each other. 

Suddenly, we heard a cry. AshKit dashed away, but I thought I heard that cry before. I heard it when I found the kits. “Could it be..?” I asked AshKit. “Yes, yes, yes! That's SageKit!” AshKit bounced around, “We finally found her! SAGEKIT! ARE YOU IN THERE?” AshKit shouted. “Ashkit?” I heard a weak, disembodied voice say. “She's alive!!!” AshKit screamed, running farther into the cave. I felt a rush of joy and relief wash over me as I saw a scraggly SageKit coming out of the cave. 

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8

A week had passed since SageKit had come back. We were all happy, and FireKit’s paw had healed surprisingly quickly. After that, we had a rabbit hunt to celebrate finding SageKit. The rabbit hunt was fun, besides the fact that rabbits scream, just like humans. It was creepy.  We stalked a rabbit and then, once it saw us, it screamed. Loudly. So loudly that some foxes heard it and came to see. It was kinda scary and intimidating that one of the best fighters in the forest was watching us hunt a small rabbit and have a hard time doing it.

After that, we went into the cavern to explore it some more. It was pretty dark even when our eyes adjusted. It was filled with bats at the ceiling and spiders sometimes crawled down our backs. It was pretty creepy, but at least we had a place to live. SageKit squealed. “There's a spider on my back! Get it off!”

 The bats woke up and started flying everywhere and screeching very loudly. We ran blindly in every direction and tried to get away from the screeching mass of bats. It was hectic. “Everyone! Stay close to me!” I shouted. The kittens couldn't hear me above the bats, and they were panicking. The kittens ran anywhere they could find that had fewer bats and almost got lost. I finally found them after the bats calmed down, but it took awhile. I had to sniff around the place for their scent and when I finally found one, I kept on losing it because of the scent of the bats that were everywhere and the droppings.

 I had finally reunited everyone when I heard a loud clunking sound. It got closer and closer and finally, I saw an outline of a Human. It clunked down the cave and got closer and closer. “Everyone! Hide!” I whispered to the kits, “It's the Humans!” The kittens scurried to different hiding spots, all except FireKit. “I'm gonna spy on them. Don't worry, I won't get caught.” he whispered, but before I could stop him, he ran to a small crevice near the Humans.

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 “What's that noise?” One human murmured to the other one. “Sounded like some animal.” the other said, “Probably just a beaver or something.” Those Humans were pretty dumb. Beavers only lived in water. I looked more closely at them and I saw FireKit getting uncomfortably close to the Humans.  “FireKit!” I hissed. He ignored me. He was in danger. If the Humans saw him, then FireKit would probably be taken. He needed to listen to me, but he wasn't. It was frustrating, because I only wanted the best for him, but it seemed like he didn't care at all. I wish he would just listen to me. He crept closer and closer to the Humans, and I got more and more nervous. He wasn't listening to good reasoning though.

“What's that?!” one of the Humans said. “It's only the beaver. Chillax bro.” the other Human said. “That's no beaver. That's a cat.” the first Human said, “Do you think we could catch it?” the second Human said. “I don't know, maybe we can, maybe we can’t. All I know is that we need to be quiet. It might be vicious.”“Agreed.” the first one said.

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

The Humans had already left the cave awhile ago, with FireKit with them. I was pretty disappointed and sad that FireKit didn't listen to me, and because of that, now he’s gone. The kits and I missed him very much. We had been looking for him, but we had to find our way to the Humans home first and foremost. Then we needed to find a way to break FireKit out. 

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It has been two days since FireKit had been stolen by those raggabond Humans. They had sneakily crept up to FireKit and grabbed him by his tail and then grabbed his feet and swung him into a bag.  FireKit was distracted by a flea that kept on biting him, so he didn't notice the Humans coming up behind him. He was whining so 

10

pitifully after the Humans put him in the bag, I almost wanted to cry, but if I did then the Humans could hear me. They slung FireKit over their backs, and stalked out of the cave. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

I crawled on my belly towards the Humans den, as the scent of them carried on the wind. The rest of the kits and I had planned to sneak up on the Humans, distract them and then take FireKit back. 

But I might get caught also and then the kits wouldn't have a leader. That would be worse than FireKit just being left there in a nice, cozy house, but he would miss me so much. I battled all night after finding where FireKit lived, whether or not I should even try to help him get out of that luxurious place. 

I decided to go for it, but I would need help. I wouldn't want any of the other Kits to do it, because obviously, they were too young. I decided to wait until I met someone else. 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Two days later I was at the lake and I saw a small black speck on the horizon. The small speck grew into a dot and finally stopped at the edge of the lake, about a quarter mile away. I dashed into the trees, and slowly watched the dot. It grew a little as it walked closer, and I didn't think it saw me. After a couple minutes, I could see that it was something close to my size. It looked like a cat, just like me. 

It got closer and closer and… “Wait. Is that..? Mikkie?!” I whispered. It was my old barn cat friend. I got out of the forest and I ran over to him. “Mikkie! Mikkie!” I called. “Snow? Is that you? Is it really you?” Mikkie said. “Yes, yes! It's really me!” I said. 

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*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

Mikkie and I walked along the shore. “So, are you staying for good?” I asked him, “Like, with us while we travel and stuff?” Mikkie shook his head. “No, I'd rather be free and doing whatever I want. Oh and I'm leaving after we eat just so you know.” He said and shrugged. “Well, I guess I'll miss you.” I said and turned around and walked towards camp. 

I needed his help to get FireKit back, but Mikkie barely just met the other two, and he was leaving too soon for me to even suggest it. It was close to hopeless to save FireKit, unless a miracle happened. 

The next morning, when I got up, Mikkie was gone.  I searched, and the prints were pretty recen, but I saw was nothing more than them next to the river. He must have left overnight while we were all asleep.

I went farther and smelled his tracks, but they went too far for me to go without the kits, so I chased after mice. I started to go back to camp, but I heard a screech from above. I looked up, and an eagle was swirling over camp. I raced over to it, because the Eagle was probably trying to get the kits. I don't know what I was doing, because I couldn't do much, but, I had to at least TRY.

Once I got there, the kits were nowhere to be seen, but the Eagle was still swooping around overhead. I dashed towards the cave, and called out to AshKit and SageKit in the cave. “Is it gone yet?” they said, and came and rubbed against my fur. “No,” I whispered, “Not yet, but soon. I think he is just hunting a rabbit or something.” I reassured them. I walked farther into the cave and dropped the three mice I hunted earlier today. After we ate, we all snuggled up and went to bed. 

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12

Once I woke up, I went out to hunt, because the kits were asleep. I trotted towards the lake, when all of a sudden, I felt talons in my back, and I was getting raised up above the forest, and over a cliff. I struggled, and scratched those talons, and I figured that the Eagle had come back. Who was going to take care of the kits? Not Mikkie, he was already two days away. None except me could. I struggled, didn't think about the height of the cliff, and bit. I fell downwards, and hit the ground. I heard a crack and searing pain, then all went black. 

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Mikkies POV:

I heard the scream of an eagle and of its prey behind me. I wondered what animal it was. I walked on some more, away from snow and the kittens camp. ‘Wait.’ I thought to myself, ‘My back is towards the camp that they made, and towards the Eagle, so what if that's Snow?!’ I was startled that I thought of that, but I must be kind and good.

I raced back to the camp, and thankfully I left  just this morning. Once I got there, the kittens were going crazy, saying that Snow was flying, but I knew that it was probably her getting taken by the eagle. Great. I turned to the kittens and asked them, “Where did Snow go before she got caught, and has the Eagle been bothering you lately?” the kittens nodded, and meowed. I Sighed. Maybe this wasn't as easy as I thought. I trotted towards where the Eagle was sewn last, and looked around for any sign of Snow. I heard an awful scream, and then I saw something falling. “Snow!” I screamed, “No!” 

*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*_*

I ran to where Snow had fallen, and I stepped carefully down the rocks that were on the side of the cliff that led down to the bottom of it. Once I got there, It looked like she had landed on her feet, but there was still no way she could have lived.