hollyhock choked on a pool of saliva that swelled in his mouth. he trembled, his eyes focused on the body on the other side of the garden, limp and bloody. the tom-kit gulped in an attempt to stop the flow of tears that rained from his eyes, but it was no use.

daisy turned to her kit, a growl rumbling in her neck, and she raised a paw into the air. she hooked it out towards hollyhock's face. it drummed against the side of his head, causing the kitten to yelp out with surprise, and pain.

❝ shut the hell up! ❞ daisy hissed fiercely, her eyes wild with fear, desperation and anger. ❝ do you want to end up like him? be quiet or you'll be next! ❞. her voice cut through his sobbing and spluttering like a sharpened blade.

daisy stunned him into silence.

he stifled his sobs, trying to grasp the gravity of this situation, and he sniffled and snorted until the tears ceased.

a firm shove of his mothers nose forced him into the darkness of the den and he took shelter within the shadows, trembling.

daisy exited the den and stalked across the garden towards the deceased tom-cat, and hoisted him over her shoulders. weakly, she stumbled and staggered across the garden, the dead weight of the tom's body causing her to sway and wobble as she walked.

it took a lot of energy and effort to hoist him over the fence that bordered the garden, but daisy managed. she took his scruff into her maw and clawed her way up the wooden beams, perched on the top before she opened her jaws and released him.

a thud sounded, announcing his body had collided with the earth below. daisy turned on her heels and pounced off the fence.

lighttalon's body remained abandoned, dishevelled, forgotten and thrown out like an unwanted piece of crowfood.

the sun had since dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the garden from the tall wooden beams that towered high. daisy trudged back to the den, slithering across the garden to avoid disturbing the sleeping dog a few strides away - the being was exhausted from its chase, and daisy was thankful it was sleeping, she needn't worry about it trying to rag her.

hollyhock's brown eyes met daisy's upon her return, brimming with wetness from his constant crying. he tried to remain strong, but he just couldn't.

the black and white kitten moved closer, seeking comfort in her warmth, but daisy wrapped herself in her emotions and darkness, and kicked out her hind feet to push the kit away.

❝ go away, ❞ she spat. ❝ i wish i had never met your stupid father. or had his stupid kits, ❞ she growled, her words poisoned with disgust as she stared at the kitten who stood before her.

his mothers words were as sharp as brambles, and her reaction was a cold rebuke, one in which he did not see coming. daisy's heart was cloaked with a sour bitterness.

crushed by the rejection, hollyhock retreated across the den, seeking refuge in its darkest corner. his head craned around. he watched daisy slump over and drift off to sleep as if nothing had happened.

amidst the shadows, hollyhock curled up tightly and allowed the cloak of sleep to drown out his thoughts.

a forceful jerk woke him from his sleep. he blinked the tiredness from his eyes, his gaze adjusting to the dim light of the den as he stared, confused. daisy looked over him before she snagged the tom's scruff, and dragged him from the den and dropped him outside.

gulping, he looked up at the tired molly. she briskly walked off and flicked her tail, a gesture for him to follow after her. quickly, he trotted after his mother, eager for whatever adventure they were going on.

while still groggy from being awoke so suddenly, he softly mewled, ❝ where are we going, ma? ❞. daisy remained silent as she walked stiffly across the garden and up the fence.

the garden was bathed in the soft hues of dawn, and drenched with the scent of fresh dew, as well as the putrid stench of blood and dog. hollyhock looked up at the tall beams of wood that enclosed the garden.

daisy's tail vanished from sight as she scaled up the fence, and then down on the other side. the young tom hesitated for a moment, but with a deep breath, he jumped and clawed his way up the long, brown divider. he stumbled and slipped, his paws giving way, and he collided with the grass on the other side.

hollyhock slowly pushed himself off the ground and got back to his feet. he looked forward. a woodland stretched before him, a realm of towering trees and strange smells that danced in the crisp morning air.

his eyes widened and darted anxiously, his heartbeat quickening with each rustle of leaves, or twang of a twig beneath his weight.

the scent of moss and damp earth hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the damp, aged fragrance of the garden he was raised in. hollyhock's twitched his nose as he tried to decipher the multitude of scents, his whiskers tingling with unease. he longed for the safety of the den again.

a sudden snap of a branch echoed throughout the silence, startling the young tom-cat. panic flashing his eyes, and his pace quickened, seeking refuge at his mothers side. he pressed against her rear leg, hoping for a reassuring muzzle, or a comforting murmur.

however, instead of warmth, he was welcomed with a low, raspy hiss.

❝ get away from me, ❞ daisy snapped, her eyes reflecting the tension within her gaze. the words sliced into him, a harsh rejection which left him shocked, and trembling. confusion mingled with fear as he stepped back and stopped, his mothers gaze cold and distant as she arched her neck around to glare at him before she pressed on, walking away from him.

the woodland that encompassed him seemed to close in on his. shadows played tricks on his imagination, and hollyhock suddenly felt a wave of vulnerability. he hurried after his mother, his paws scrambling and digging at the ground below for traction, his gait a little wobbly as he toppled in the direction she walked.

daisy's fur bristled with tension and she turned her gaze forward once again, satisfied that the kit was once again following her like a lingering shadow.

the walk seemed to drag on for days, or so it seemed for young hollyhock, who's muscles ached and cried out in agony to stop and rest. but daisy continued to plod on, caring not for the kit's cries and pleading mewls to ease the burning sensation in his paws.

hollyhock dragged his gaze up from his quivering paws. a narrow, black colouring strip of something cut through the grass just ahead. daisy finally halted and turned to the tom.

❝ we need to cross, ❞ she urged, her eyes scanning the dark path ahead of her.

confused, hollyhock leaned in and sniffed at the stiff, strange river-like thing before him. he drew his head back at the stench it bore, and he gagged. daisy snorted.

without hesitation, daisy darted across the asphalt, her fur a fleeting blur as she crossed.

hollyhock's heart thundered against his ribs, but he pursued his mother. he reached the centre of the thunderpath, and a distant chilling hum came into ears reach. panic seized him as two bright lights bore down on him, hurtling towards his small frame.

completely frigid with fear, hollyhock stared at the oncoming object. he closed his eyes, bracing for the unknown. yet, the strange things rumbling innards shifted, and he felt a gust of wind as it swerved aside.

daisy sprinted back across the thunderpath, worried. with a swift motion, she snatched hollyhock by the scruff and dragged him to the safety of the grass on the other side. the air seemed still, but the strange smells still lingered.

❝ you blathering idiot! you're as bad as your damn father, ❞ daisy breathlessly growled after lowering him down onto the ground. ❝ you could've been killed! ❞ snarled daisy, venom trickling off of her tongue.

hollyhock's eyes widened and his fur fluffed up defensively. he cowered before her. ❝ i'm sorry, ma, ❞ he spluttered, ❝ i didn't mean to... ❞ the kit winced and shut his eyes, awaiting a blow across the side of his face from his mothers paws. but the rustling of leaves announced she had walked off.

hollyhock hurried after her. his eyes gazed up at her, sadness clouding his pupils as daisy looked over her shoulder. daisy paid no mind to him, her mind consumed by the burning anger and resentment that had been building inside her for moons now.

she hated the foolish tom-cat she had coupled with and fallen in love with all those moons ago, for him to then declare that he could not part ways from his clan to live alongside her following her pregnancy announcement. now, she was burdened with one of the few reminders of him, offspring she didn't want. her heart was filled with regret and sourness.

daisy scented the air. the tangy scent of clan cat hit her senses and she heaved. her gaze swept over the expanse of darkened trees before her. she turned to face her son, her eyes cold and distant.

❝ stay here, ❞ she murmured, her voice barely a whisper. ❝ i'll be back with some prey for you, ❞ she added. she shifted across the opening and vanished into the darkness of a bush, blending in with the shadows.

hollyhock's eyes widened with horror. the forest seemed to loom over him. every rustle of leaves, every crack of a twig, sent a shiver down his spine, filling him with a sense of dread, and heavy loneliness.

❝ ma! come back! ❞ he whispered. ❝ m-ma! i'll be good, i promise! ❞ he cried, his voice trembling and crackling with each word he forced out.

she'll come back, right?

the thoughts bounced in his mind as hollyhock sat where his mother left him, his eyes fixed on the bush she jumped into.

something snapped nearby, and the sound echoed through the quiet clearing like a crack of thunder. hollyhock's heart jumped into his throat and his fur prickled with fear. he squeezed his eyes shut, desperately holding that when he opened them again he would find himself safe and sound in the presence of his mother.

❝ mama! ❞ he sobbed out, ❝ come back! ❞

there was no answer, just the eerie silence of the woodland closing in on him like a suffocating blanket. tears pricked at the corners of his eyes as he shuffled across the forest floor, and pushed his body against a tree, huddling into it.

a rustling bush panicked the tom. his instincts screamed at him to fleet, and run as far and as fast as he could, but fear grounded him.

❝ mama? ❞ he walked out once more, his voice weak and trembling with desperation as he scanned the shadows for any sigh of his mother. instead of daisy's form emerging from the undergrowth, a large creature stepped into the clearing, its silhouette looming ominously against the sunlight.

for a moment, his heart stopped. he stared with wide-eyes at the strange cat before him. it's fur was a patchwork of blue-ish colours, and it had one cold eye that seemed to be an empty void, that just stared straight through him.

the cats gaze locked onto hollyhock, it's expression unreadable as it took a cautious step forward, slowly moving closer.

❝ i found a kit! ❞ the cat called out, her voice raspy and loud. a moment passed and another feline pushed through the bushes. hollyhock gulped and watched the second cat circle him. they bore a pelt of fur as dark as the night.

❝ thing looks scrawny. should just leave it, ❞ the black cat grunted, flicking its tail. but a growl from the longer haired, one eyed cat beside them silenced the darker cat. ❝ was only joking, can't you take a joke risingwater? ❞

the blue cat stepped forward. ❝ you ok? ❞ she meowed.

hollyhock hesitated. ❝ i- my mother left me. she-she said she was gonna get some prey... and she hasn't come back, ❞ he spluttered out.

❝ we'll take them back to camp, not abandon them gatorcricket. have you forgotten the code, hm? ❞ risingwater snarled with a raised paw, edging her limb close to the tom-cats face, who just grinned then trotted off elsewhere, leaving hollyhock alone with the she-cat.

risingwater gently picked up hollyhock by the fur on the back of his neck, her touch surprisingly gentle despite her size and her looks. hollyhock felt a sudden surge of relief wash over him as she plucked him up from the ground.

gatorcricket escorted risingwater back to camp. the kit in her mouth had since drifted to sleep during the journey, clearly exhausted from something. hollyhock shifted in and out of consciousness, consumed by a crippling tiredness. the forest and fields around him seemed to be a mere blur as he was carried.

they arrived at camp and risingwater dropped the kit down on the ground. hollyhock's eyes scanned a large mass of cats ahead, their expressions a mixture of confusion and sorrow.

❝ what's happened? ❞ called gatorcricket, as he approached the scene.

mothroar turned to face the returning patrol, his gaze somber as he addressed them. ❝ lighttalon's body was found by a patrol. i sent for one to follow his scent after he didn't return last night, ❞

hollyhock felt as if the ground had been ripped out from beneath him. he felt numb and disorientated. he pushed his way through the crowd of unfamiliar cats as he searched for his fathers form. it looked just like how it did in his garden, mangled and lifeless.

tears swelled within his eyes as hollyhock raced to lighttalon's side. he collapsed into his fathers stomach, his body wracked with stifled sobs as he buried his face into his fathers dulled fur.