Aspenwhisper's War

Part 3

       As the next two and a half moons passed, and as Aspenkit grew - both in size and in spirit - he'd come to notice different things about some of the different members of the Clan; the elder, Poppywhisper, would tell endless stories about her younger days as a warrior, and was always looking out for the younger members of the Clan; Flamesong, the young medicine cat, was friendly enough and up for a chat if someone brought him extra herbs, or some prey - Aspenkit soon figured out that vole and pigeon were his favorites; Cloudrunner, the deputy, had a sharp tongue and limited patience with the apprentices, but had a soft spot for his elderly mother, Amberflight and for those who were suffering

       Aspenkit had also begun to notice a lot about himself, too. When he'd looked at his reflection one morning, he'd noticed that his pelt was the exact same color and patterning as his mother, who was a pale ginger tabby with barely visible stripes of darker orange fur and a white underbelly, with the only differences being the mottled gray of his tail, and the tuft of fur - also gray - that he and his father shared. Aspenkit also had the same muscle tone - slender but well-built - as Shadecreek, and also noticed that they had the same mesmerizing blue-green eyes.

       "Aspenkit!" The tom was lost in his thoughts as he sat in a patch of early morning sunlight, but hearing Brackenkit call his name pulled him from his own mind. He spotted the dark ginger kit padding toward him, and noticed Pinekit was tagging along, causing Aspenkit to suppress a small sigh.

       Ever since the challenge with his brother the day he'd opened his eyes, Aspenkit had taken to avoiding Pinekit and his scornful words any way he could, the main way being when he was helping Sandwish take care of her new daughters, Graykit and Lightkit. The pale ginger kit enjoyed being around the sisters, playing games with them, keeping them out of the way when Sandwish was cleaning the nest or taking a well-deserved break, and just generally keeping them company so they didn't bother the warriors.

       His brothers stopped in front of him, sitting down. They were silent for a few heartbeats before Brackenkit spoke. 

       "Dad is going to take us to where we were born, and he said he'll tell us the story of it!" The dark ginger kitten mewed excitedly, his pale eyes shining. 

       Pinekit flicked Brackenkit's shoulder with his tail, amused. "It is quite exciting, I will admit." He purred. "But we all know our mother is a bit anxious about us being out of camp, despite Cloverstar and our father reassuring her that we'll be alright." 

       The tom-kit spoke in his usual clipped, matter-of-fact tone, but Aspenkit was very much surprised at the lack of scorn in his brother's voice, and felt an unexpected rush of warmth and love for his littermate.

       Getting to his paws, Aspenkit stretched and looked toward the camp entrance, seeing his father and leader both waiting for the three kittens. "Well, I suppose we'd better go over to them. It would be impolite to keep them waiting." He meowed in his own soft-spoken fashion, quite different from Brackenkit's enthusiastic tone, and Pinekit's clipped, matter-of-fact manner, but all three brothers shared a similar smoothness to their voices. 

       The three brothers padded side by side across the clearing, their flanks brushing with each step they took. Aspenkit was in the middle, his pale ginger pelt like a brand of fire between the dark pelts of his littermates, and he purred, the warm scents of Brackenkit and Pinekit giving him a sense of peace, his love for his family filling him up to the tips of his ears.

~~~~~~~

       Shadecreek purred when he saw his sons padding up to him, the pride lighting his gaze making the three toms lift their tails high. Aspenkit dipped his head politely to Cloverstar, still slightly intimidated by the she-cat. His leader wasn't much older than his mother, and was noticeably smaller than Shadecreek, but the aura of authority and power she held in her posture and dark amber gaze was enough to make even the largest, strongest cat feel like a helpless kit in her presence, especially with her tortoiseshell pelt gleaming like a strange flame in the sunlight.

       "Are you three ready?" It was Cloverstar who spoke, her voice gentle but firm, commanding attention, but in the manner a mother would command the attention of her little ones. The three brothers nodded, looking up at her. Aspenkit himself felt his heart pounding with both anxiety and an energized excitement at the journey in front of them. 

At Shadecreek's signal to listen up, Aspenkit turned his attention to his father, Brackenkit and Pinekit doing the same. "Alright, technically, you kits aren't supposed to be out of camp for another three moons, but Cloverstar, your mother and I have all agreed you need to know the story of your birth. However, there are going to be a few rules I expect you three to follow, understand?" When all three nodded their agreement, he continued. "First rule, we all stick together, and you stay where at least one of us can see you. We're going deep into the territory, so it's easy to get lost. Second, don't make a lot of noise. the part of the territory we're going to is near SkyClan land, and we don't need anyone outside of the Clan knowing we took kits out of camp, understand?"

       Aspenkit understood completely. Besides, staying quiet wouldn't be an issue for him. He didn't speak too much, because he knew too many cats spoke just for the pleasure of hearing their own mews.

      When the other two showed they understood, Cloverstar nodded and stood. "Okay, kits, Stick close to your father, and follow my scent. We'll carry you if you get tired, it'll be a long journey." At her signal, the odd patrol gathered, and, with paws shaking with apprehension, Aspenkit stepped out of camp for the first time.