Warriors; Shadows of the Forest

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Emberkit blinked open her eyes, quickly adjusting to the darkness of the nursery. She made her way to the front of the den, where light shone onto a sleeping queen, three kits snoozing in the curve of her cream colored tail.

This was Featherfall, a new mother, and her three kits, Stonekit, Birdkit, and Leafkit. They were newborn, three moons younger than Emberkit and her littermates, and were a lot smaller than her, too.

Emberkit's own littermates were already out in the clearing. Her two brothers, Shadekit and Blackkit. They both had dark pelts like her father, Dusktide. She had a ginger and white pelt, close to her mother's, who she had never really met.

This usually got between the kits, making Emberkit feel more alone than ever.

She had taken a quicker liking to Sparrowpaw and Ravenpaw, brother and sister. Sparrowpaw was nice and always taught her what he'd learned the same day, and Ravenpaw was stealthy and secretive, but spent plenty of time beside Emberkit.

That morning, Shadekit and Blackkit seemed to be waiting for Dusktide to return from the border patrol. They sat by the camp entrance, looking calm and relaxed, but really, they must've been worried. There had been border skirmishes involving RiverClan and on another border, ThunderClan. It was odd, two clans at the same time. But Emberkit didn't question that there was a reason to it.

"Hey, Emberkit!" Sparrowpaw's tabby pelt caught her eye as he leapt over. "Wanna play mossball?"

She did, but he always won anyway. She was somehow faster, but he always caught the ball and shot it way over her head, like she could actually catch it.

"Okay." She agreed.

They played for a while in the clearing until the mossball disappeared into a row of thorn bushes lining the edge of the camp.

"I'll get it!" Emberkit squeaked, darting across the camp.

"We could just get another one," Sparrowpaw called, but Emberkit disregarded him and lunged over a thorny branch, into a bush.

She rooted around for the moss and found it behind a thick screen of tendrils. She thought about going in for it before turning back toward the camp.

Just then, she heard a yowl of distress. Her father's voice.

Emberkit scurried out from the bush, toward the entrance of the clearing, where other cats were already gathered. She shoved through the crowd and found herself staring at the patrol, mostly wounded. In her clanmate Mothshadow's mouth was a limp tom, which she laid down and backed away from, her eyes filled with grief. Emberkit's heart pounded in horror. Her eyes searched for her father in the group and caught his eyes before she was picked up and carried back into the nursery.

She was laid gently in a nest, where she slept with the queen who took care of her, Mintfoot. The she-cat was expecting kits in a later time, and she took good care of Emberkit and her siblings.

"Stay in here while I find your brothers."

She'd expected Mintfoot, but instead, it was a voice she only heard in clan meetings. Darkstar, a slim but strong handsome young tom stood behind her. The clan leader.

"Okay." She mewed, sitting upright and licking her chest fur. She'd seen other she-cats do this in his prescense.

He flicked his tail and left, soon returning with Shadekit and Blackkit following behind him. "Stay here. I'll find Mintfoot." He turned away from them and left.

"Why is it so important that we don't leave the nursery? Or that Mintfoot has to be with us?" Blackkit mewed, distraught.

"I dunno, maybe he just doesn't want us to see the injuries. I'm sure we could've handled it." Shadekit responded.

Emberkit stared at her brothers. There was a squeak from one of Featherfall's kits, and Emberkit noticed that Featherfall wasn't even there.

Soon later, Featherfall and Mintfoot both entered the nursery. Something bad was happening, and Emberkit wanted to know what it was.

She peered out of the nursery, and stared in surprise.

A large group of cats stood in the clearing, with thin, agile bodies. In the front of the group, facing Darkstar, was a broad tabby tom with green eyes. He looked angry.

Darkstar's tail was lashing with anger as well.

And then, the tabby leapt at their leader.