Staring at his younger half-siblings, Rowan Pool thought about how they were just babies, covered in fur that they’d lose by the time they were three years old. The tabby was named Thistle Wing and his calico-tabby sister Lily Frost. Their mother was a tabby and white named Liza.
Having promised him everything, Liza had tricked Red Fang into doing her bidding. For a while they had been a bit of a famous couple, one that caused much controversy at least. And then she became pregnant. Not wanting the children, she was going to have them killed before they were ever even born, but the colony that had formed, unable to bear their deaths on their consciences, agreed to take the little ones in.
Now loyal to Petal Drop, Red Fang felt embarrassment from his mistake every single day.
“What’re you doing?” a black haired girl asked. She had a streak of white in her hair and a white tail tip.
“Just thinking,” the white and ginger Rowan Pool replied to Snake Breeze.
She pulled her arms around him and pressed close. “Thinking of ours?”
Smiling he thought about the fact he was a father of one unborn.
Fang Fur and Pale Petal—a cream and white tabby boy and his dilute calico sister—were playing down across the hall in another room, but Rowan Pool could hear his younger siblings. In yet another room, Dusk Fall wooed Bird Frost; everyone knew their children were the next to come in time.
“I was just thinking,” Rowan Pool said, “That this is ridiculous.”
“What do you mean?” Snake Breeze replied.
He sighed, “How dare Liza take advantage of Red Fang! How dare the humans treat us so poorly, do they not see themselves in us? Do they not see their beloved pets?”
Entering the room, Mouse Dust—Snake Breeze’s grey-haired brother, said, “We are a strange mutant that shouldn’t exist.”
“Well that’s ridiculous!” Rowan Pool turned and raised his fist.
Mouse Dust rolled his green eyed, “Don’t tell me that.”
Night had fallen and all were sleeping with two exceptions.
“Are you ready?” Rowan Pool asked.
“Yes,” Snake Breeze replied with much excitement.
Sneaking out of the abandoned apartment building, they made their way into town. Beggars had fallen asleep on benches and a new crowd was out that went unseen during the day.
“Look at the kitties!” someone called out.
“Here kitty, kitty, kitty!” another laughed.
“We just want to have a good time like you,” Rowan Pool explained.
Coming up from behind them, a young man put his arm around Snake Breeze, “I’ll show you a good time.”
“Hands off!” Rowan Pool growled.
The young man laughed, “What’re you gonna do? Hiss and claw me?”
Throwing a punch, Rowan Pool began the end.
More and more people joined the fight. Knives and guns were pulled from pockets and words were thrown like rocks at a stoning.
The moon was beginning to fall when they finally broke up. Barely breathing, Snake Breeze laid on the ground. She could no longer see from one eye or hear from her ear. One leg felt twisted to the point she could barely feel it anymore. But, seeing Rowan Pool, she understood with great dread what had happened. He lay in a pool of his own blood, his eyes clouded and his body bent out of shape. No sound came from him, though earlier a gurgling could be heard.
Laying there till Stone Nose and Red Fang found their wretched bodies was one of the worst feelings. Everyone stared, some laughed and some spat. But their fathers carried them home.
Snake Breeze healed in time. No longer feeling joy in her pregnancy, she gave birth to a calico. When she looked at her daughter’s yellow-green eyes she saw a glimmer of gold that she had once seen holding her own green gaze.
“Get this thing away from me!” she cried out. Alerted, her mother, Bat Song, took the newborn and held her while the baby’s mother screamed.
“What is the matter?” Petal Drop asked.
“Rowan Pool,” Snake Breeze gasped, “She’s just like Rowan Pool!”
