Deaf Cat

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This page contains a fanfiction written by Minnowclaw. This page contains the opinions of the original author(s), and is not patrolled for factual accuracy. Remember that this story is non-canon. It may contain false characters, plots, or locations. Responses, comments & other feedback should be made on the comments section below.

This is a story about the life of a cat who was born deaf and her struggle in her clan.

Prologue

My name is Bloomkit. I’m a beautiful tortoiseshell she-kit. I have the best hunters crouch of all the cats in my clan. I could swim at the age of a moon and I caught a fish at two moons, but there is one thing wrong with me: I’m deaf.

Chapter One

I curl up in my nest and watch my mom talking with our leader. His name is Riverstar. They’re talking about me and I know it. They are talking about me staying in the clan. My mom wants me to be a warrior and I am thankful for her, but Riverstar wants me to be an elder. It’s an elder or a medicine cat. Whoever wins this argument, I know that I will never truly be a beneficial part of my clan. It will be hard for me to hunt mice or vole because I can’t hear them, but I can hunt fish better than any cat in the whole forest and I can prove it.

I put my attention back on my mom and Riverstar. Riverstar is opening his mouth wider, so I know that he’s yelling at my mom. She is yelling back. Riverstar stares at her and my mom raises her paw to swipe him, but you puts it down and walks to me. I know that she will never hurt our leader. She loves him. Riverstar is not my father, but I know that my mother always and always will want him to be.

She is with me now. She wraps her tail around me. I can’t hear, so she signals to me and draws pictures. She lifts up her tail and starts to draw. It’s a picture of me. The next one is the Thunderclan cat Longtail who was forced into being an elder thanks his failing eye sight. She’s trying to tell me that I will probably be an elder and I won’t be a warrior.

She walks to the fresh kill pile and picks up three mice. She looks at me and signals to the mouse. I shake my head. She wanted to know if I wanted to have some. She sighs, drops a mouse, walks back to me and eats. I curl up in the curve of her belly, and close my eyes whishing for sleep to some. When my mother finally finishes, sleep comes and I fall asleep.

Chapter two

I open my eyes. The trees that surround me have light that streams down into the top most branches and warms the earth below. The grass is as tall as I am, as if no leaf bare washes over this place to come kill the plants. I hear mice and vole in the brush all around me, and fish leaping into the air and falling down into the cool water bellow. I utter a loud mew and run to the water. I’m not let out much because I can’t hear a call of warning or hear enemies approaching. But in a dream, I’m as free as a bird swooping down in the tallest parts of the mountains to pick up a small tribe kit for dinner.

I approach the stream and dive into it. My legs are strong so I paddle to the other side of the stream. It isn’t very deep so I plunge back into it and splash around until I am soaked in water.

I run back to the other side of the stream again. It is just like how my mother described Sunning rocks back in the old forest. I flop onto my back and let the sun warm my pelt. It is a welcome relaxant. It becomes darker and darker until there is no sun. The sound of the prey and running water leave my conscience and I am left in my dream on the cold rocks that slowly drain my body heat.

Chapter three

My eyes fly open and I breathe a sigh of relief. My mother is next to me and looks at me expectantly. I say, “Bad dream.” Or at least I think I do. My mom nods and goes back to sleep. I can’t hear, but I hear in my dreams and sometimes I hear cats talking in my dreams. That is how I learned to speak. I think my mom wonders how I learned to speak, but I think she doesn’t question it and is just happy to have a kit that can talk. I think it might kill her if I couldn’t. She is very old and will probably join the elders when I’m an apprentice. I don’t want her too. Her orange pelt in the sun next to me makes me feel as if I was on the sun and her green eyes comfort me and make me feel like a newborn kit.

Most kits want to be apprentices, but I don’t. When I’m an apprentice, I will be treated like a newborn kit, or I might just be an elder for the rest of my life. I wouldn’t mind being an elder with my mom. The thought of life as an elder doesn’t anger me, it’s how I will be treated: Fed and taken care of by cats that I should be taking care of, not being a help to the clan, the list will go on and on and will never stop.

I pick my self up and out of the bed. I feel the eyes of my clan mates burn into me as I pick a mouse from the fresh kill pile. They all know that I’m deaf, and I think none of them want me to be in the clan. I look at the apprentices. They whisper something to each other. Probably things like: We’ll have to pick up new bedding for her until we join the elders, or she should be taken away from us by Starclan. Only my mom wants me. My father is dead and there is no cat but my mom who loves me. I’m alone and I’m scared for my life. I will never truly belong.

Chapter four

(Two days later)

I wake up. Yesterday my mom told me that I will have my ceremony today. I'm so happy. Riverstar let a deaf cat be a warrior. I can't wait! My mother is already up. She is as happy for me as I am for myself. She turns and looks at me with such warmth in her gaze I think that I would be just as happy staying here and watching her for the rest of my life. Then, Riverstar calls from the clearing. It's time. My mother walks out of the nursery and I follow her. Thankful that I can be clean and look good today.

I walk up to the high ledge where Riverstar is. He opens his mouth and I know that he is saying the words I wish I could here. Then, he says something that wasn't in the last ceremony. I think that he might be listing something, but my mom launches herself at Riverstar and they start to fight. Why would my mom attack our leader? She loves him! What's wrong with her? I know that the clan is yowling and has shocked faces.

"Mom!" I wail. Riverstar stops and looks at me while my mom is clawing at his ear. The whole clan looks at me. Then it comes to me: I haven't spoken to any cat, but my mom. Riverstar flicks his tail and two toms hold my mom down. He then comes over to me and says, "Can you hear me?" I can't hear him, but I know what he is saying. I can hear in my dreams so that also helps me learn what words look like when spoken.

"I know what you are saying, but I can't hear you." I try to say. Riverstar looks back at me bewildered and my mom is even shocked. Riverstar says something else, but I'm only a kit and I don't know as much as he thinks I know. I shake my head and he nods. He wraps his tail around my neck to guide me. I follow him to the medicine cats den. I'll be a medicine cat apprentice. He talks to the medicine cat and she gives him travailing herbs. He gives some to me and we eat them. He then motions with his tail and we leave camp. I don't know where we are going, but I know it's good, or at least, I hope so.

Note

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Chapter five

Riverstar and I walked all the way from the camp to the moors. He stopped, and picked me up. I was thank full becuase I saw tall, looming peaks infront of me and I was still a kit. Riverstar and I were now almost at the top. Riverstar had slipped and he gasped so I fell half way down and we had to go back. I see him reach with his claws and lifted us over the top.

The sight I saw was beutiful. A hollow of stone with a small stream leading to a small pool. Riverstar brought me to the edge of the pool and motioned for me to drink. This is the moon pool. I drink and the cool water fills in my mouth and I never want to swallow it. But I see that Riverstar has drunken it and is in a deep sleep. I don't want to be alone, so I swallow and fall into a deep sleep.

I open my eyes. Riverstar is next to me. His silver pelt glowing in the moonlight that surrounds us. We are still in the moon pool, but a silver she-cat just like Riverstar is standing in front of us, "This is the moon pool Bloomkit." I tilt my head to one side. Who's Bloomkit? As the two cats stare at me, I begin to realize that it's my name. I have never herd it before so I didn't know that it was my name. I dip my head respectfully and Riverstar speaks: "Mother, you know why I'm here with you."

The she-cat dips her head to Riverstar and turns back to me, "Riverstar thinks that you are very interesting and should not be an elder."

I raise my head defiantly. She's lying. Riverstar wants me to be an elder, "Then why am I here and not in the apprentices den?" I ask.

The she-cat keeps her gaze steady and says, "You know why."

I lower my head. She's talking about me being deaf, "Well, why am I here?"

"Because, he wants to know if he can do anything. He wants to know if we can help you hear."

I turn to Riverstar to thank him, but he is gone, "Can you do anything?"

"Yes Bloomkit."

"So I'll be able to hear?!"

"No."

"But you said you could help!"

"We can, but you will not be able to hear all the time. You can hear when you are around three diferent cats."

"So I can hear if I'm with three cats?"

"One of three cats."

"Who?"

"The first is your mother becuase you need to hear how beautiful her voice is and she is kin. The second is Riverstar becuase he is your leader. The last is Leafstep, becuase he is your mentor."

"But Leafstep is the medicine cat!"

"We can only let you hear with three cats! There is no way that you will hear enemy cats if you are away from them. We can't let you be killed!"

"But-" I couldn't finish. The she-cat faded, and I was alone.

Chapter Six

(One quarter moon later)

I have been working for Leafstep for a quarter moon, but it felt like a moon. He was an interesting cat. He was a silver tabby with blue eyes and he fumbled a lot in his work, but if we had a patient, he would be more focused than Riverstar. I am happy and exited. Today was the half-moon and I'm going to the Moonpool! Also, one of the she-cats, Lizardtail, will be kitting any day now.

"Bloomkit get some rest, we'll be leaving soon." Said Leafstep. I turned to him and looked deep into his eyes, "But Leafstep! I want to stay up in case Lizardtail kits!"

"Trust me, if she kits, you'll be second to know. Now go." Leafstep pushes me to my nest and I looked back disdainfully at him, "Promise?"

"Promise." I hung my head and walk to my nest to sleep. It comes quickly and I am soon in my dreams.

All I see is black, but then, I light, I walk towards it and is see a cat. He's beautiful! I gaze into his deep blue eyes and I love him instantly. His silver pelt glows in the moonlight. Then only thing stopping my eyes from being blinded from silver tabby pelt, white circles around his eyes, white paws and a white tail. He walks toward me and we touch noses then he speaks. I have never heard a more beautiful sound in my life and I start to cry when he says, "My love!" He nuzzles me, then fades, "NO!" I yell, but it is too late, I wake from my dreams and I get up to go.

Chapter Seven

"Bloomkit! Bloomkit get up Lizardtail is kitting!" Yowled a voice. I sprang up and looked into Leafsteps eyes. There was a spark of worry in his eyes and I wondered why he might be worried, surely he had done this before, "Lets go," I said. He shot out of our den. He went by so fast, I barely saw him pick up some herbs. I shot out after him and ran to the nursery. A yowl came from the nursery and Leafstep shot in.

Lizardtail was on a nest with lots of moss and sheep wool that Leafstep have given her, "Leafstep, help me!" She wailed. A ripple passed through her body and her body was gripped is the fiercest spasm that I think I will ever see. She wailed so loud that my feet dropped and I fell to the ground. Starclan! You gave me a curse! To hear this cat in such pain!, "Leafstep, do something!" I screamed. Leafstep, who had seemed to be frozen to the spot, leaped to Lizardfang and motioned for me to come. I sprang to him just in time for him to say, "Her kits are coming. Put your paw on her stomach and when the first kit comes out, kip the sack containing it and lick it to help it start to breath." I nodded and it seemed like less then a second before Lizardfang screamed and a small sac fell on the floor.

Acting instantly, I reached the kit and nipped open the sac, making sure not to pirece the fragile body of the kit. I then licked it as fast as I could and didn't stop until I heard it squeak and it hit my head in protest. I turned to Leafstep who looked on the break of panic, "Somethings wrong, I need to get her more herbs. Stay here and help the kits." He said and ran out of the den. I wailed out loud as I couldn't hear the moment he was out of the den. how can I help Lizardfang if I didn't know what she was saying! I turned to Lizardfang and she looked up at me with terror in her eyes, it was like she new that I couldn't hear her, "Don't worry, I won't let you or your kits die." I said. Three ripples past through her body before Leafstep came back. He then pushed me out of the way and worked with Lizardfang, "He we go. The last one Lizardfang." Another bundle slid onto the floor and I nipped open the sac. When I started licking it, I stopped instantly, he was already breathing and he turned to me. I looked into his eyes and a familiar blue gaze swept over me. His silver tabby pelt and white eyes, paws and tail, "You." I said. Leafstep picked up the kit and brought him over with his sister to their mother and left. I was left in silence, staring at a kit who's life would impact more cats and do more then any cat knew.

Look out for the next book of the deaf cat series, Lizzardtail's kit.