Pepper stared up at Defence. He was meeting his father for the first time, and he was nervous as he gazed at the silver tom's broad shoulders. Beside him, his littermates, Bright and Orange, were trembling. Defence sniffed the air,"Not bad. But they could do with shaping up,"
"Be gentle with them, Defence. I only had them four months ago,"Rush meowed.
"So they should be better. My first prey was a blackbird, and I caught it when I was two moons old,"Defence bragged.
I bet you did. He thought sarcastically.
Rush sighed and rolled her eyes; Pepper thought she was thinking the same.
"What are their names?"
"Kits, do you want to tell him?"Rush asked.
Orange nodded.
"I'm Pepper,"
"I'm Bright and this is Orange,"
"Hmm...Bright and Orange, I like. But Pepper..."Defence glared at him,"Is awful,"
"Oh...uh...sorry?"Pepper stammered. Why does he hate my name?
"I'm sorry, Defence. I shouldn't have named him after your mother,"Rush rushed to his defence.
"My mother had an awful name," Defence hissed,"Now. Let's not waste time on diologe. Crouch,"
The three obeyed, but Pepper wanted to bash his dad. They stalked fowards, each trying to land on a far away leaf that Defence had ordered them to land on.
He failed, Bright failed and surprise,  surprise Orange failed. After several attempts, they stopped, panting.
"Are you being serious?"Defence snarled.
"No!"he gasped,"We can't do it!"
Defence curled his lip. Without hesitation, he launched himself at Bright's target, landing at least half a metre away from the leaf, but on the other side of it.
Huh?
"What? But you're fully grown!" Pepper protested.
"I could leap this far since I was three moons old,"Defence snarled.
"Defence I really think-"
"No, Rush. They have not done enough,"Defence argued.
"Defence!"Rush yowled,"Look at them!"
His mother gestured with her tail to where he and his siblings were wheezing on the ground by his paws.
"They have not done enough!" Defence repeated.
Yes...we have!
"Stop it, please!"Rush was now begging.
"Not until they have caught two pieces of prey each,"
Oh, God no! Pepper rasped silently.
"I regret taking you as a mate,"Rush hissed. Defence reeled back, then recovered and charged at Rush.
No! No! No!
"Stop!"he wailed.
Both cats whipped their heads around to scowl at him.
"You're arguing because Defence wants us to hunt, but Rush wants us to rest! Why don't we rest for a bit, then hunt?"Pepper suggested.
"Actually, I have a better treaty!" Defence declared,"Goodbye, Rush. I have no mate,"
He stared in despair as Defence stalked away. No...this should never have happened.