Beast of the Sea - WARRIOR CATS

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Momma!"

I sat as still as a rock as I watched Honeykit bury their muzzle into their mother's scruff, eyes glittering with happiness. Behind me, Bushkit bustled in, eyes wide, pelt ruffled and full of sand that he'd acquired from the nearby shore. The two kits eagerly pressed themselves into their mother's thick, warm pelt.

"Oh, look at the little darlings!" Stormwing purred from where he lay beside his mate, Moonpoppy. I scowled.

My scowl only seemed to intensify as Stormwing lifted his glowing pale blue paws to the sky, and, blue eyes glowing, made little images appear in the air. Two majestic, strong warriors strode purposefully through the imaginary sand, with sleek, well-groomed pelts. They were clearly a leader and deputy from the way their chins were tilted with pride and confidence.

"That'll be you one day," Stormwing smiled down at Honeykit and Bushkit. "My little kits, you are so, so special."

I felt a pang in my chest as Stormwing bent down and carefully nuzzled Honeykit and Bushkit in turn. Bushkit tried to squirm away, as though he didn't like his father's affection. Honeykit on the other paw, rubbed contentedly against their father, pale ginger pelt glowing like Stormwing's magic creation in the gloom.

"I'm going to be the leader!" Bushkit announced suddenly. "I'mma be called Bushstarstar, because I'm more than double the best leader in ShoreClan history!"

Honeykit turned indignantly towards their brother, eyes glittering with mischief. "No, me! I'll be leader! Then again..." Their eyes lit up. "Maybe I'll have to take your leadership from you...Rawr! I'm evil Wolfstar, here to take you down, Bushstarstar!"

I backed away, trying to flatten my body closer to the back of the den. I contemplated going back outside, but it was dark out, and seeing whatever Falconkit was getting up to would probably only make the knot in my throat hurt more.

The two kits scuffled carelessly around the nursery, thick, sleek pelts banging into rocks, and scattering bits of moss around the floor. Orange and green eyes flashed in the gloom of the den, while their parents began talking to one another.

Just as I was admiring Moonpoppy's sleek pelt, I felt something barrel into my chest. Another thing banged into my side a moment later, and there was a gasp of shock. Blinking, I struggled to stay on my paws, as the weights that had fell against me quickly leaped back.

"Fe-Ferretkit!" Honeykit yelped, scrambling backwards. "S-s-sorry! I didn't see you!" They panted, not meeting my icy-blue stare.

Bushkit was the exact opposite. The little dark brown tabby and white tom kit stared directly at my face, not even blinking as Honeykiy gave him a nudge. I looked down at my dark brown, almost black, paws.

"It's fine," I mumbled. "Fine as the tides."

Neither kit met my numb expression as Stormwing quickly bundled them away to the back of the den. He flashed my ears a rueful smile, and my paws a wink, and then lopped off to the corner of the den. He hesitated for several heartbeats, then turned to his kits.

"The tide's gone out, guys," he murmured to Honeykit who was looking embarrassed and Bushkit who was trying to double-cross his orange eyes. "Let's go have a dusk light stroll, okay?"

Bushkit nodded emphatically, while Honeykit pressed themselves against their father's pelt. I watched, a confused scowl on my face as the two kits hopped onto the back of their large father, and slipped out of the den. I'll be honest, I was pretty sure my face was in a permanent scowl. I stared down at my ruffled paws.

"Ferretkit," I nearly leaped out of my pelt as I heard a voice from right above me. I tried not to shake; the voice had a rough edge to it, but it was calm. I met her dark eyed stare. "It's time to talk," she murmured darkly.

I took a deep breath, meeting her green-eyed stare. She had a fluffy calico pelt, and her right ear tip was torn off. Instantly, I noted the foreboding expression in her eyes, and braced myself. Foreboding expressions always meant something bad was going to happen, usually to me.

"Yeah? What is it?" I flicked what was left of my left ear curiously.

Moonpoppy blinked for several moments before responding. It was clear she was being particularly careful with her wording, clearly not wanting me to take it the wrong way. I honestly hated when cats did that, trying to cover up how they feel deep down with nice words and fake smiles. A cat who did that was, in my mind, a liar.

Moonpoppy, though, eventually decided just to give me the truth. "Alright," she meowed at length. "So, Ferretkit, you're nearly five moons. Don't think this is because you scared the kits, no, Seastar and I have been...discussing this long before that."

I knew where she was going. Instantly, I flattened my ears against my skull, and took a pace back. Moonpoppy had been nice enough, but deep down, I knew she was a fierce ShoreClan warrior, one that would not hesitate to uphold what her leader told her, and to follow the Code of the Ocean.

"I know what you want to do with me!" I snarled. "You wanna toss me away as useless!"

Moonpoppy's eyes flashed in the gloom. I saw her sheath and unsheath her claws in frustration as I glowered up at her defiantly. Eventually, she let out a long sigh.

"See, Ferretkit, you're smart. You know what's going on, you read cats like Silvershine reads the stars. So, you're ready for this."

I realised that my paws were trembling. I stared down at the flash of white on my chest, imagining what my pure white littermate, Falconkit, was doing right now. She was probably curled up, stargazing without a care in the world. It was only me who faced the punishments, me who had to pay.

"What about Falconkit?!" I retorted. "Why can't she do it? Why can't she be me?"

Moonpoppy's eyes flickered in the gloom. She almost seemed to flinch, but then her gaze hardened, and she took a step towards me. I tried to back away further, but my pelt pressed against the cold, hard stone at the back of the Nursery.

"You're the one that was there," she whispered. "You saw it, even if your mind doesn't remember it. Just look at your face, an-"

She'd taken it one step too far. I bunched my muscles, and sprang at my 'adopted mother's' face. She reared back, just a moment before any blow could land. I found myself falling towards the other side of the den, but before I did, my momentum stopped. My eyes, which had been tight shut, blinked open.

F-foxdung! I was suspended in midair, my black and white splashed paws hanging above the rock wall of the den. I tried to kick out, but still I remained suspended in the air. I glanced over to see Moonpoppy's shocked expression turn to one of grim certainty.

In the same moment, a cat padded forward from the entrance of the den. His amber eyes glowed in the night, a clear sign that his StarClan given powers were being used. Used on me.

"Ferretkit," he meowed gravely. "I saw that. You just attacked a nursery queen. This more than proves your fate. As deputy, I will escort you to Seastar, where he will decide your fate.."

I stared into my clan deputy, Aquaflash's eyes. They glittered with knowledge, with things that I couldn't possibly understand.

Seastar sounded cool; maybe he could sort this whole mess out. As I was held suspended in the air, thoughts ran through my mind. Finally, I would get to meet the elusive leader, who operated the clan from underground. Finally, I would learn about why the older cats treated me differently. Finally, I would learn what my ocean gifted calling was.