Rebels: A Warriors Tail

Chapter 1

"She'll be fine. Kits are tougher than you think," soothed Meadowstream, following Moonrunner out. Featherkit looked up at the beautiful black she-cat as she continued. "My two were always tripping over their own paws, but kits have a tendency to get right back up and continue on as if nothing happened. It's just a part of figuring out the world around you."

Featherkit stood up straighter, determined to prove her right and bounced over to where Snowkit was still standing. At the sound of the kits, several Clan cats had started over to meet them, murmuring happily. Featherkit stood prouder as they welcomed them out, but Snowkit seemed to shrink into his fur, overwhelmed. A dark brown tom padded slowly up to them and Featherkit watched his black paws get closer, realizing just how small she was as she craned her neck to see his smiling face.

"Well, who do we have here," he asked with a slight chuckle. "These couldn't possibly be our newest warriors. You're too little."

At his words, Snowkit backed up further so his fur melted into Featherkit's and Moonrunner stepped up to stand behind them defensively, bristling slightly. Before she could speak, a plump tawny she-cat padded up beside the tom and rubbed against him, entwining her tail with his.

"Hush, Sablefur," she murmured in a voice as soft as silk. "They're just young. They have plenty of time to grow."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. After all, Sparrowpaw was small too at first," he conceded, watching her warmly as she leaned down to study the two kits closer.

Featherkit sat down tall and proud as she sniffed Snowkit, who squeaked at the strange cat and ran back to hide behind their mother's paws. When the she-cat chuckled and turned to Featherkit, she tried to sit up even taller to prove she could be braver than her brother. Closing her eyes and holding her breath while the she-cat studied her, she did not move until the other cat's warm breath no longer stirred her chest fur.

"This one seems to take after her father," she mewed curiously, not so subtly hinting around her father's identity. "There isn't a tortoiseshell tom in SwiftClan quite like her. Their father must be small too with her size..."

"If Moonrunner wanted their father to be known, she would tell us on her own," Meadowshine interrupted, glaring at the she-cat. "It is the queen's right to keep the father's identity secret, Owlwing. You should know that especially well." As she speaks, she glowers towards Brownstripe, Sablefur's father. The dark brown tom had never told the Clan who kitted Sablefur and Stagsplash, though it had been strongly rumored to have been a certain StormClan queen by the name of Eagleclaw. Brownstripe looks away nervously and walks towards the freshkill pile with a snuff.

Owlwing huffed slightly, obviously not satisfied with Meadowshine's words, but she said no more, turning towards the freshkill pile herself. Sablefur had paused a few steps away to study the kits and Featherkit held his curious gaze without flinching until he finally turned away to join his mate and father.

Featherkit looked around at the other cats that were gathered around her and she noticed that most of them were also murmuring amongst themselves and studying her, some more suspicious than others. The tortoiseshell kit licked her white chest fur self-consciously, realizing that the she-cat was right and there wasn't a single cat amongst them that had the same fur pattern as she did. Moonrunner noticed and she laid down, wrapping her tail around the kits to hide them from the view of their onlookers under her soft belly fur.

"Don't listen to them," she murmured softly. "You are perfect just the way you are and not one of them can change you, nor should they. Their curiosity will fade with time and you will grow to be the biggest, strongest warrior of them all. Just ignore them." She soothed softly, smoothing her ruffled pelt with long, gentle licks.