| abstract | - A dark tortoiseshell she-cat limped forwards through the snow. Her sides were stained scarlet, and as she struggled on she left little drops of blood behind her. As she came into a pool of moonlight it became visible that she only had one eye. The other eye had been ripped from its socket. She looked odd in the darkness, with only one glowing amber eye, but that was an old injury. It had happened moons ago when she had first met Aidan. "Long live the general line [of the Community Party], long live the Great Leap Forward, long live the people's communes." She had been stalking a mouse by the lake when she had heard rustling in a nearby bramble bush. Turning around she had seen two glowing green eyes and then a well-muscled tom stepped out. Her eyes had lingered on his missing front leg but she managed to ignore it. “Who are you?” she snarled. “This is my territory you know.” The ginger tabby hissed, the fur on his back rippling, his claws unsheathing. The she-cat stared for a second as his lips curled to show his teeth. He looked terrifying. “I go where I want, thank you very much,” growled the tom, taking a step forwards. The she-cat moved closer too. Her fur was on end now, teeth bared and claws unsheathed, ready for battle. She crouched down to the forest floor, studying him closely. The tom copied. She leaped to the side, an instant too late. The tom had pinned her to the ground and was raking her belly fur with thorn-sharp claws. She let out a cry of pain and tried to throw him off. He was surprisingly strong, despite his missing leg. She tried again and again, but it was half-hearted. She was beginning to tire. The tom could sense it. He became more gentle and was about to back off when she leaped upwards. His claws slipped and slashed her eye. The she-cat howled in agony as her eye was taken out. Dizzy with pain she staggered around for a bit until the tom pressed against her side, supporting her. “I’m so sorry!” he gasped, and she could actually feel the shock coming off of him. “I didn’t mean to...” She was trembling furiously, her vision was blurred. “Its fine,” she meowed, her voice much higher than usual and shaking slightly. “I shouldn’t have gotten up like that.” “Look, I’ll get you to shelter and make up for that mouse you almost had,” he meowed. “I’m Aidan by the way.” “I’m Tawny,” she replied and let him carry her to safety. Now Tawny was desperately searching through the blizzard. She knew she couldn’t make it much further; if she could just find Aidan... Then she saw him, hurrying towards her. His green eyes were wide as they ran along her injured body. He pressed himself to her side and Tawny let herself fall into him. “What where you doing?” Aidan demanded with a hint of a snarl in his voice. “What do you think you were doing, endangering yourself and the kits?” Tawny sighed. She was deeply regretting the thought of going out had ever crossed her mind. If only she had left it to Aidan and the others... “I’m sorry,” she meowed tiredly. “I just didn’t think.” “I know you didn’t!” snapped Aidan. “Now come. Bolta and Utri are waiting up ahead.” Tawny swayed slightly. “What about the others?” she asked. “Are they all right?” “Rory has sprained his paw and Lido has torn a claw but the rest are all right,” Aidan assured her. Tawny nodded and padded onwards. She could just make out the silhouettes of Bolta and Utri up ahead. Utri looked terrified, swinging around at the slightest sound. Bolta just sat still, staring ahead at nothing. Utri leaped forwards as Tawny and Aidan approached them. “Are you both okay?” he demanded. Aidan nodded calmly. Utri relaxed slightly. “I’ve been so worried!” he cried. “Can we go now? It creeps me out to be in the dark when it’s snowing. You can’t see or scent anything!” Aidan nodded and Bolta padded to Tawny’s other side and pressed against her. Tawny let them carry her back to the old abandoned two-leg nest where they lived. They went single file through the crack in the wall and then Bolta and Aidan carried her up the steps to one of the rooms. Lily and Smudge sat sharing tongues on the window-ledge; Rory was licking his paw tenderly underneath them while Lido and Angel were curled up on the old cobwebbed sofa. Utri and Bolta went to join Lido and Angel while Aidan and Tawny curled up together on the armchair. Aidan began to lap soothingly at Tawny’s blood-stained fur and before she knew it she was fast asleep. “They’re coming!” Tawny cried. Lily and Angel purred calmingly. Lily put her paw upon Tawny’s stomach and felt. A moment later Tawny scented a warm, new, milky smell and Angel put a tiny kitten in front of her nose. Tawny began to lap it and very soon it began to breathe. She purred in delight and rubbed her cheek against it. Very soon Angel gave her another kitten. She did the same. “Oh,” gasped Lily suddenly. Tawny pricked her ears and craned her neck to look at the pale she-cat. Something was wrong... “I’m sorry Tawny...” Lily sighed. “These two are still-born.” Tawny felt a wave of grief and tried hard not to wail. How could she be upset about two kits she didn’t even know? But at the same time... Lily gave her the two dead kits. One was a ginger tom, the other a smoky grey she-cat. Tawny stared at them for a while and then began to clean their fur. “Shall I get Aidan?” Angel asked. “I think that’s it.” Tawny said nothing, still lapping the two tiny kittens’ fur. “No,” she decided. “Tell him I’ve gone outside and I’ll be back in a moment. Say nothing about the dead kittens. I’ll bury them.” Tawny picked up the two dead kittens and padded outside on unsteady paws. She was unbelievably tired, but this was important. It had to be done. She set down the kits on the snow and began to dig a hole. She didn’t stop when she reached the grass. No fox will get my kits. Soon she had a deep hole. She picked up the first kit, the tom, and set him down at the bottom. Tawny grasped the other kit in her jaws and was about to lay her down when she squirmed in her mouth and gave a huge squeak. Tawny quickly put the she-cat back down on the snow and nosed the tom. It was stone cold. Even if it had been alive it was dead now. She began to put the earth and snow back over the hole. Tawny picked up the she-cat and hurried back inside. This kit needed warmth. And quickly...
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