Night Whispers

Narrator Tips: This scene is all about getting the tom kit and the fox cub out of the tree. They’re both much better at climbing up than they are at coming down. Plus, after such a prolonged and frightening experience, they’re both more than a little tired.

It is up to the players’ cats to figure out how to get the two out of the tree, and it is your job, as the Narrator, to use the game rules and your imagination to improvise a scene that lets the group find a workable solution. If the idea they have seems impractical or unlikely to work, tell them so—or hint at it strongly. If possible, think of an Ability or Skill Check that goes along with the actions they suggest, and an unpleasant result that will happen if they fail at those Checks.

Don’t make it anything too harmful—just inconvenient. After all, they beat the raccoon. This is merely a small inconvenience when compared to the sharp claws and teeth they just avoided. But a few added bruises or embarrassments can certainly be gained if the cats use bad judgment.

In the end, if necessary, help the group find a way to succeed in getting the kit and the cub out of the tree. This scene should be a memorable diversion, not one where the adventure grounds to a halt.

If the cats have already interacted with the mother fox near her den, they will know just where to go next. If not, have the cub dash off, following its own sense of smell and memory of where the den is, and have the group follow.

What Happens Next: If the players’ cats have fought and knocked out the mother fox, continue with 22.

If the mother fox is still in her den waiting for the return of her missing cub, continue with 18.

21. Farewell Fox

Read Aloud: “The fox seems satisfied that the cats mean her family no harm—at least for the moment. She walks over to the hollow log and climbs in with her cubs. They nuzzle and rub against one another so happily, you almost expect them to purr.”

Narrator Tips: The fox and her cubs are reunited. So are the WindClan kits, who the players’ cats now have to guide back to the Clan’s camp. The brother and sister spend the whole trip apologizing for the trouble they’ve caused and promising they’ll never do it again.

The leaders of all the Clans will be pleased with what a good job the cats did, and everyone will be fascinated with the tale of the fox and her cubs. The cats who know the most about Animal Lore will say that the Clan warriors should probably stay away from the fox’s den for a few days, just so she feels safe. As soon as she doesn’t feel threatened anymore, chances are good that the mother fox will take her cubs and find a new den—they like to keep the location of their homes secret, especially from potential enemies. In fact, it’s most likely that the fox will take her cubs and leave the Clan territories entirely.

If the players’ cats go against this advice and go back to the hollow log within the next day, they will get there just in time to see the fox and her cubs walking up the hill away from the Lake and out of Clan territory. The fox will look back with a warning glare, as if to say “Don’t follow us!”

If the players’ cats wait a few days and then go back, they will find the fox’s den abandoned, and a fading scent trail leading up the hill away from Clan territory. Either way, the foxes are gone and they will not return to this part of the woods.

What Happens Next: The players’ cats should be proud of their accomplishments. Dealing with a fox is never easy, but dealing with an anxious mother fox is even more dangerous. They handled the situation wonderfully, and the leaders and other warriors will tell them so. All the Clans will tell stories of these deeds for many, many moons to come, and the two WindClan kits will grow up thinking of the players’ cats not just as warriors but as heroes!

22. Tending the Cubs

Read Aloud: “The fox lies limp on the ground, out cold. You feel a great rush of success momentarily—then you hear the whines and sniffs of fox cubs as they rush out to see what’s wrong with their mother.”

Narrator Tips: While beating the fox in battle may give the players’ cats a momentary sense of accomplishment, the truth is that it is a bad ending to the adventure. With their mother injured, the cubs’ lives are in jeopardy. While she is hurt, no one will be around to feed them or protect them from other forest animals.

Improvise a scene where other Clan cats arrive, including one or more of the Clan leaders. Have them point out that the warrior code says that all kits must be protected—and it seems reasonable to say that applies to these three fox cubs.