The Runt That Gets Nothing

I Know (Chapter 2)

It has been three moons since Ashflight had died and since Silverfrost took the three kits as her own. Crowkit, Nightkit, and Hollowkit were now three moons old and they still didn't know their real mother. They thought Silverfrost was their mother. Well, all kits but one did. 


As Crowkit and Hollowkit stumbled out of the Nursery, Nightkit ran ahead and out into the camp. Nightkit had learned to walk correctly before Crowkit and Hollowkit did, leaving them in the dust. Nightkit got praises and 'good job's from the Clan while Crowkit and Hollowkit were catching up. 

"Come on, you slow slugs," Nightkit called from outside the Nursery. "I can't believe you two can't walk properly by now!"

Crowkit sighed and sent Hollowkit a look. Hollowkit shrugged in reply. They couldn't really do anything about Nightkit's behavior or attitude, so they hurried to reach Nightkit before she threw a tantrum. "If you weren't so mean and kept tripping us, then maybe we could've learned by now," Crowkit quietly hissed. "So why are you blaming us?"

Nightkit's eyes widened a bit as she bit back a retort. She huffed and looked away. "Not my fault you two are so stupid," Nightkit quietly mumbled. Hollowkit rolled her eyes at her siblings' pointless arguments. These arguments happened a lot and there wasn't anything that Hollowkit could do about it.

"C-could you two just s-shush? Thistlepaw i-is approaching," Hollowkit quietly mewed to her siblings, glancing past Nightkit to see Thistlepaw padded over.

Nightkit gasped and turned to look to see if Hollowkit was right. When she turned, Thistlepaw was there. Hollowkit didn't lie after all. "Th-thistlepaw! W-what are you doing at the Nursery?" Nightkit asked the older tom, stuttering. Nightkit wanted to know since she had a small crush on the 'new' apprentice.

"I've come to see my mother, Spottedface," Thistlepaw said. Spottedface was Thistlepaw's mother so no wonder he would be there. Hollowkit, Nightkit, and Crowkit would usually see Thistlepaw enter the Nursery to check up on Spottedface. Spottedface is also about to have her second litter of kits.

"C-congrats on Spottedface having a-another litter," Hollowkit mewed and licked the fluffed up fur on her chest, trying to smooth it down. "Like h-her first litter with y-you, she'd be a great m-mother...a-again," Hollowkit added.

"Thanks, Hollowkit. I'll tell Spottedface that you said that. She'd be proud to hear it," Thistlepaw meowed, smiling as he then padded into the Nursery. 

When Thistlepaw was out of earshot, Nightkit hissed at Hollowkit, "What was that?!"

"What w-was what?" Hollowkit asked, confused on what Nightkit was talking about.

"That! He smiled at you! You know he should be mine!" Nightkit went on. "Calm down, Nightkit! Thistlepaw isn't yours and probably never will be. He's three moons older than you, so maybe he'll find someone before you," Crowkit interrupted the tiny argument between his two sisters. Nightkit hissed and padded away over to some other apprentices. Crowkit and Hollowkit sighed and slowly shook their heads. 

"I'm going over to see the Elders. Wanna come?" Crowkit asked Hollowkit, looking down at her. Hollowkit shook her head no in reply. "No, t-thanks, Crowkit. I'd r-rather go back i-inside the Nursery with S-Silverfrost, Darkkit, and L-Lightkit," Hollowkit mewed. "Ok. See ya later, Hollowkit!" Crowkit called from over his shoulder while padding towards the Elders' Den. Hollowkit then turned to enter the Nursery once more and padded over by Silverfrost, who looked up to greet her. 

"Hello, Hollowkit. You're back earlier than usual," Silverfrost meowed, a bit worried. Hollowkit then noticed that Darkkit and Lightkit were gone. "Where'd Darkkit and Lightkit go?" Hollowkit asked, tilting her small head. "They went out to hang out with the Elders again," Silverfrost explained. "Did you need anything?" 

"N-no, but I w-wanted to know i-if Crowkit, Nightkit, a-and I were really y-your birth kits," Hollowkit nervously mewed, waiting to be hissed at. Instead of hissing, Hollowkit heard a sigh coming from Silverfrost. "No, your birth mother was Ashflight, a respected and beautiful warrior of our Clan. RiverClan. Ashflight died after giving birth to you, Crowkit, and Nightkit. Tigerscar is your father and he cared deeply for Ashflight. But when Ashflight died, Tigerscar was broken. It was a sad day after that. Hollowkit, you mustn't tell anyone I told you this." Silverfrost quietly meowed, trying to not catch the attention of other cats' ears. Hollowkit dipped her head in understanding and mewed. "O-of course," she mewed.

From that moment on Hollowkit knew that Ashflight, once a beautiful and respected warrior, was her mother. She then knew that Silverfrost was her adopted mother. This had changed Hollowkit's aspect on life itself. She would tell her siblings this news when it was time for them to know.