A cold breeze blew against the pine trees, their thinnest branches swaying gently in the night.  The forest seemed eerily quiet, for most cats were asleep in camp. But not every cat. Two shadows moved quietly through the trees.

Poisonedsap padded onward, feeling the damp pine needles beneath her pads. Moons ago when she'd first joined ShadowClan, this territory had felt unbearable. For days she had cringed in disgust at the mud oozing between her toes, the stray pine needles that stuck in her fur. But she had adapted. There was no other choice, or the plan would fail.

She glanced aside. A cream tabby tom walked beside her, though there was a space between them, as if some invisible cat was accompanying them. This tom was the cat she called her mate. The father of her kits. But there were no feelings of affection between them. Only tension, cold and sharp as ice shards. 

Then why was she alone with him tonight? She knew exactly why. But Maplefur doesn't. This foolish tom has let me lead him out into the forest alone. She unsheathed her claws halfway. He has no idea that he's going to die tonight. They had just passed a patch of bushes. Deciding that they were far enough from the camp, she stopped.

Maplefur paused and turned to face her, his yellow eyes dull in the darkness. For a long moment, they stared at each other calmly, a silent challenge flashing in both their eyes as one waited for the other to speak.

Moons ago, Poisonedsap had begun the difficult task of training her two sons, Stonekit and Swiftkit, preparing them for the eventual battle that she and Deserve's Army would launch against the clans. The clans only trained cats to fight when they reached six moons. And Poisonedsap had seen very quickly how pathetic this training was. Mentors didn't even allow their apprentices to practice with unsheathed claws! This would not do for her kits. They needed to be strong and merciless fighters. She needed to teach them this before a mentor filled their brains with fluff.

Maplefur had become aware of her training and disapproved. He had become a bigger nuisance than ever, arguing with her about showing the kits battle moves, having that stupid horrified look on his face whenever one of the kits received a scratch. The mouse-hearted tom was too soft on the kits. He was weakening them, especially Swiftkit. Poisonedsap knew that she could not allow him to be a part of their lives anymore.

Tonight, she had caught Maplefur in the nursery visiting Swiftkit when she had ordered him to stay away. Clearly he was not going to listen to her warning. So she had quickly come up with a lie, an invitation to talk alone in the forest about their kits. And he had fallen for it.

"Well?" Maplefur watched her, a faint hope in his eyes. 

She had to hold back an amused grin at his foolishness. He really believes I'm going to let him stay in the kits' lives. She took a step toward him. "This is your last chance, Maplefur." She growled. "Stay away from those kits."

Genuine surprise flashed in his eyes. "What? You said-"

"I say a lot of things." Poisonedsap replied. And you always fall for it.

Maplefur's eyes blazed with anger. "How dare you do this?" He hissed. "After all I've done for you? You were a rogue, and not just any rogue. You were a member of your brother's gang. Those cats tormented the clans! They attacked warriors and apprentices, even killed some!"

The days of power. Poisonedsap remembered it fondly.  Her brother had been a strong, powerful cat named Bone Shred. A RiverClan cat called Iceslide, who perhaps was even more foolish than Maplefur, had led their gang to the forest. They had launched war on the clans with the intent to take over their territories. Poisonedsap wistfully recalled how powerful she felt. The feeling of her claws ripping flesh, warm blood gushing onto her tongue, the dying scream of a warrior.

"Your brother was killed," Maplefur went on, and the words sent hot anger through Poisonedsap. She dug her claws into the damp ground. "And you begged for mercy. You begged us to give you food and shelter. You seemed like a helpless, innocent she-cat. You told us that your brother forced you to attack us."

More tricks that you fell for! Poisonedsap thought in satisfaction, narrowing her eyes. She had known that she would need to put on an act in order to infiltrate ShadowClan. But Maplefur had made it easier than she could have ever imagined.

"Our leader then, Stormstar, wanted to have you killed. " 

Poisonedsap's tail lashed in annoyance as the cream tabby continued his recap. Why are you telling me this? I was there, mouse brain!

"But I thought you deserved a chance." Maplefur stared at her. "I vouched for you. And when every cat in the clan mistrusted you, I was there, and I treated you well." He narrowed his eyes. "And now, you tell me I can't see my own kits anymore. You wouldn't even have them if it weren't for me. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for me."

As he spoke, Poisonedsap's irritation faded, replaced by an odd new feeling. She sank her claws deeper into the earth. Suddenly, a different mindset flicked on inside her brain, a tiny flickering light in her mind of darkness. Thoughts and memories from the cat she had been seasons ago were returning to her, subtle and distant, yet they were there.

Maplefur has treated me well. She studied him. So many seasons had passed since the time she had dreamed of love and finding that perfect tom. Once, she thought she had. But I was wrong. She had learned a valuable lesson. That all toms were terrible and rotten to their core. They only ever used she-cats to manipulate and hurt. 

Besides his stupidity, Maplefur seemed very much like the kind of mate this younger Poisonedsap had always hoped for. Perhaps if things had been different... Dark memories swarmed her mind. Claws slashing open her cheek. A tiny kit wailing. Tears running down her face as she dealt a killing bite. 

The memories screamed and tormented her mind, killing the tiny light and leaving her brain in darkness once again. No! There is no such thing as love between mates. No such thing as a good tom. Deep down, Maplefur is just like the rest of him. On top of that, he was a fool and a huge nuisance. But now, he was also a threat to her plan.

Poisonedsap continued to study her mate. "And you have treated me well, Maplefur," She said calmly and honestly. "And for that, I'm grateful." She let out a purr. "But I'm afraid that I don't need you anymore."

This tom had given her the first two kits she needed in her plan. It was a shame that he couldn't give her more, or be ambitious enough to be involved in the plot. Oh Maplefur, where will I ever find another tom as stupid as you?

Maplefur narrowed his eyes. "Maybe you don't. But the kits do." His tail twitched slowly. He was not backing down. "I love them, and you can't stop me."

"I don't think you understand." Poisonedsap frowned. I need them. And you can't stop me. "Perhaps I need to elaborate." The night was silent as she held Maplefur's defiant gaze. These kits will be strong. They do not need a father who will weaken them. With a snarl of hatred, she lunged at him with outstretched claws. These kits only need their mother!

***

Seasons ago...

The snowstorm seemed endless on this cold, dreadful night. Twolegplace was blanketed in layers of white. A black and white she-cat trudged through snow up to her belly. She carried a tiny golden she-kit by the scruff, and a little black tom nestled between her boney shoulders.

Her legs trembled with each pawstep, her bones aching terribly from the bitter cold. She could no longer feel her paws, for they were frozen. How am I still moving...? She didn't dare stop walking, for if she did, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to start again. My kits... They need shelter.

A torn, dirty purple collar hung around her neck, a dirty bell jingling quietly as she moved. Her once fluffy tail dragged in the snow behind her. She squinted as flurries blew at her, stinging her face and sticking to her eyelids. 

Her name was Sophie. A few weeks ago, she had been plump and well fed. A spoiled, happy kittypet in a loving home. Her housefolk were a younger couple who pet her, fed her canned food, and gave her a warm bed by the couch. All had been perfect. But then her housefolk began to argue more and more each day and ignored her. It was during this time that Sophie had met another kittypet, a golden tabby named Chester, and became pregnant with his kits. 

Perhaps this will make them happy again! Sophie had thought. She imagined how her twolegs would smile and laugh as they played with her kits. Every day, she tried to get their attention, meowing at them and showing off her belly. Finally, they seemed to understand the news she was trying to share. But it only made them argue more. Sophie spent these days laying in her bed depressed with her chin on her paws.

It wasn't long before the female twoleg left. Sophie was hurt and confused. Every time one of her housefolk left through that door, they would return later that day. But days and nights went by, and the female twoleg did not return. The male twoleg had grown quiet and easily agitated. He ignored her, and some days forgot to feed her. He never pet her or even looked at her.

Sophie had continued to spend her days sleeping in her kittypet bed by the couch, depressed as her belly grew bigger and bigger. Two weeks ago, the twoleg had not fed her all day. Sophie had begun crying at him for food, but he didn't move from the couch, only yelled at her. Hurt but still hungry, she had begun meowing more insistently. Suddenly, the twoleg had shot to his feet, yelling angrily before grabbing her. To her horror, he opened the door and threw her down onto the snowy porch before slamming the door shut.

For hours, Sophie had scratched at the door, crying and yowling. But it did not open. She realized that she needed to accept the heartbreaking truth. She was no longer welcome in her home.

She decided to go to Chester's house in hopes that his housefolk would take her in. She'd seen her mate in the window, and he had scratched on the inside of the door to get the attention of his twolegs. But the moment the door opened and they saw Sophie, they shut the door. Chester could only look out the window helplessly and shake his head. She was not wanted here either.

In these past few weeks, she had begun struggling for survival. It was rare to find food on the streets in the winter. Every few days, a twoleg saw her and took pity on her, giving her a bit of food. It was enough to keep her alive. She crawled under the porch of a twoleg nest where she gave birth to her two kits. But how could she keep them alive when she was having a hard enough time herself?

As Sophie forced her weak, frozen body onward, the kit on her shoulders sneezed and let out a cry as his belly rumbled. They haven't eaten in days... Sophie's own stomach no longer growled with hunger, for it was used to being empty now. They're running out of time.

She trembled as she raised her head against the wind. A huge house stood up ahead on the end of the street. The porch was huge with white pillars on each corner. Golden light shone from the windows, the only sign of warmth in the freezing night. Some twolegs may not accept a fully grown cat. But no twoleg could turn away kits.

Sophie stumbled onward onto the snow covered lawn. Her weak and frozen body trembled as she forced herself to walk. Just a little further... For the kits... She heaved her frozen paws up the steps, almost tripping over them as she reached the top. She gently dropped the golden kit in front of the tall brown door and carefully lowered the black kit from her shoulders. She trembled as she stared at them.

The tom kit squeaked and stared up at her with huge yellow eyes. His sister huddled close, and he pushed his face into her shoulder for warmth.

It broke Sophie's heart to leave them. But she would not feel that way for long. I can feel it... She touched her icy nose to each of her kits. "Stay here," She whispered. "You'll be safe and happy here." Stepping back, she summoned all the strength she had left to yowl at the top of her lungs. 

She yowled and wailed until she saw a shadow move inside the glowing window. She turned and half stumbled, half fell down the steps, pulling herself behind a snowy bush. She trembled in the snow as the door opened, and a couple of twolegs appeared. Their faces lit with shock at the sight of the kits, and they crouched, each scooping one up and speaking anxiously to each other. 

While the twoleg holding the golden kit rushed into the house, the other stayed in the doorway, looking around for whoever might have left the kits. Sophie did not move. They don't want me. No one does. After a moment, the twoleg turned away and closed the door. 

Sophie smiled for the first time in weeks. They're safe... My kits are safe. She managed to stumble a little further down the street. By the sidewalk, she saw a torn sofa some twoleg had thrown out. It reminded her of the bed she used to sleep on by the couch. She found the strength to drag herself up onto the sofa. It was ripped and covered in snow. But she decided it was a good place to die. Letting her trembling body rest on the cushion, she let out a sigh and closed her eyes for the last time.