Darkness lay over the forest, the crescent moon hanging in the sky, scarcely illuminating the world below. Gentle breezes blew by, softly rustling the trees and their leaves. Voices of the crickets and owls harmonized, creating a special type of music only the forest produced. Few creatures were up and about at this time, with two of them being a mother and her kitten.
    The mother, a tabby with black lines and spots blotched onto her light grey fur, led the way for her kitten, another tabby with a bright ginger coat. She led her kit through the undergrowth, eyes wary for predators. Their home was not far, being only a short but dangerous walk away. Her kitten lagged behind, stumbling blindly over the scattered leaves and twigs that littered the forest floor. All the while, the mother stuck by his side, keeping close and guiding him to their goal.
    After a while, the mother began to pick up her pace, sensing they were close. Her kit could feel her determination, struggling to speed alongside her. That's when it happened. A low growl stopped the mother in her tracks, ears perked and head low. The kitten ran into her, falling back and looking up at its mother in confusion. The mother backed up, hiding the kitten behind her as she trained her eyes on a bush.
    Softly, it rustled, startling the kitten. He mewled in fear, hushed by its mother, who licked him softly in a calming manner. But he could feel her speedily beating heart, making him cry more. Growls sounded once again, and the kitten fell quiet. The mother crouched down, tail swishing back and forth, watching the bush.
    Suddenly, in a flash of grey fur and shining fangs, the mother was pinned to the earth, her kitten rushing blindly towards a tree. On top of her stood a wolf, large and brawny, using its front paws to keep her in place. It growled, thrusting its blades of teeth down at her throat. Just in time, she wiggled herself to the side, so the strike hit her shoulder. Angered, she growled, using her claws to slash at the wolf's face. The wolf responded by whimpering, backing off of her just enough for her to escape his pin.
    She didn't even turn to the wolf as she bolted off, looking for her kit. She knew the wolves all too well, and she knew they were never alone. She had to find her kit, before he met the same fate as his brothers and sisters. Gaining speed, she ran, eyes scanning for her child and ears perked for any verbal sign of him.
    Seconds later, she skidded to a stop, the frightened cries of her kit reaching her poised ears. Immediately, she swiveled on her feet, taking off in the direction of the sound. She crashed into a clearing, finding a group of three wolves surrounding the terrified kitten, who sat curled in a confused and scared ball, mewling loudly for his mother. She hissed, fur rising on her back, before she pounced at one of the wolves.
    It cried out, trying to tear the maddened mother from its back. Another wolf joined, ripping her off by the neck. She crashed to the ground but was up in seconds, hissing and growling madly at the two. The two wolves closed in, snarling, drool dripping from their mangy mouths. One snapped at her, while the other tried to pin her down. But she was too quick, to agile for them.
    Unsheathing her claws, sharpened to a needlelike tip, she sliced at one's muzzle, before jumping out of the way of the other. Then she proceeded to once again hitch herself to the back of the one she didn't scratch, sinking her sharp teeth into its neck. It yelped, shaking her off before escaping off into the forest. The other hesitated for a second, before deciding to follow its partner when the mother cat let out a low, menacing growl.
    Finally rid of the two, she turned back to her kit, only to find him in the mouth of the third wolf. It had its teeth sunk into the kitten's soft, vulnerable skin, blood seeping from the wound. He cried helplessly, his calls dying down to horse whimpers. The mother, pushed passed the breaking point, crouched, narrowing her glowing eyes at the offender.
    She dashed forwards, knocking the wolf to the ground with her force. It dropped the kit, who fell limply to the dirt beside them. The mother then proceeded to slash at the grey furred beast, having no mercy as she ripped its neck and sides with her claws and teeth. The wolf, now terrified of the cat and desperate to get her off, struggled helplessly, trying to no avail to bite her.
    Finally, she jumped off, letting the wolf scamper to its feet and scurry off into the safety of the world beyond. With the wolves gone, the mother turned back to her kitten, lying still on the stony earth. Blood drenched the fur around his neck, and his glassy eyes stared off at nothing in particular. Gingerly, she collected him in her teeth, carrying him with her back to their home hidden in the roots of a tree, only a few strides away.
    When she arrived, she lied him down with gentle care, nudging him softly. He didn't stir. All he did was lie there, limp and cold, chest not rising and falling like it should've been. The mother lied next to him, cuddling up against her kit, her tail curled around him. From there, she proceeded to lick him clean, taking care not to harm him further. Once he was clean, she lied her head next to his, before going to sleep by his side.
    In the morning, she left the kitten in the home, only to return later with a mouse. She placed it before her kit, nugging him softly. When no response came, she licked his forehead, pushing the food closer. Still she got nothing, so she ate half the mouse, saving the rest for her kitten. She spent the rest of the day lying by his side, licking him and nudging him, trying to wake him up so he could eat.
    By moonlight that night, she gave that up, keeping herself close to the kit to comfort him. As she did, she stared at him, expectant for him to, any moment, wake up and be back to his energetic, playful self. But as the moon reached center sky, she gave this up too, taking to staring off into the dark confines of the outside world.
    The next day, at the sun's first light, she left the tree, moving to a spot only a few feet away. There, she scratched at the earth, claws unsheathed. For an hour, she did this, before a hole had been formed in the forest floor. Then she went back to the den, carefully picking up her kitten, bringing him to the hole.
    As softly and gently as she could, she placed him at the bottom of the small pit. She then rubbed her head against his, purring softly in a calming manner. Standing back up, she spent a minute staring down at the kitten, before bending down beside him once more. One last time, she let her bristled tongue glide across his ginger fur, before pushing herself back out.
    From there, she proceeded to push dirt into the hole, covering the kitten. Once she had moved all of the dirt back into the pit, onto her kit, she stood above it, pressing her nose to the earth. From then on, every day, she would return, bringing food to the spot for her kitten. She would place it on the dirt, before pressing her nose to the ground, sometimes spending long periods of time doing this.
    She kep it up until her final days, at which she found in her the last bit of strength to drag herself to the spot. There, she curled up, purring to her kitten as she let out her final breath, ready to finally rejoin him and all of her other kin lost to the wolves.