Brambleberry's Fury

Prologue:

"You used to play this game when you were younger?" Fawnkit asked, her round amber eyes staring up at her mother curiously.

"Yes, with Brightstar." Hawkwing's eyes started to glaze over as she reminisced the past. "At first it started as a piece of fresh kill, but we got in trouble with Brightstar's father and ended up changing it to a moss ball." The light brown deputy shook her head and her eyes cleared before she smiled down at the four kits by her paws. "Anyways, why don't you try it?" She mewed, dropping the moss ball. "Whomever let's the moss hit the ground loses. Divide yourselves into two teams." She instructed.

"You're going down, Rabbitkit!" Mousekit jeered at his brother, turning to face him with a determined grin on his muzzle. "Fawnkit and I are gonna kick your furry tails!" He boasted.

"No way! Sorrykit and I are gonna beat you two easily, right Sorrykit?" Rabbitkit turned to his other littermate with a determined look and the ginger tom kit jumped, realizing his brother had been regarding him.

"Oh, sorry!" He said, glancing from Rabbitkit to Mousekit. "I think we'll have a fair match. Right...?" He muttered nervously as he exchanged a glance with his massive-eared brother.

"Come on! You have to have more faith in our team than that!" Rabbitkit exclaimed. "We are gonna win! I'm sure of it!" He reassured Sorrykit.

"Right, sorry." The small ginger kit mewed apologetically before the four kits looked up at their mother expectantly.

"Alright, are you ready?" Hawkwing purred, her eyes lingering on Sorrykit a heartbeat longer than the others. Brambleberry could have sworn he saw the flash of worry in her emerald eyes before it was replaced with the motherly warmth they always held when she gazed upon any of her kits. He felt the jealousy claw in his chest and bit back a growl as the dark expression returned to his face. If only they were his kits that her loving gaze was directed towards...

"Ready! Come on Fawnkit! Let's destroy them!" Mousekit cheered to his shy sister as they spread out, readying themselves for the moss ball. Fawnkit only offered a silent nod at him in response.

"We got this, Sorrykit! Just try your hardest!" Rabbitkit reassured his brother with a determined smile and gaze directed towards the smaller tom kit. "Don't hesitate to go for the ball!" He advised.

"Alright!" Sorrykit chirped nervously, nodding his head in understanding. "Sorry!" Hawkwing glanced around at her kits before tossing the moss ball up by hooking her claws underneath it and raising her paw up. The moss ball went up above their heads before it came hurtling back down. Brambleberry watched the kits scramble for the ball with disinterested amber eyes, and instead turned his gaze to Hawkwing, who had stepped back from the pandemonium and was now sitting beside the nursery entrance, watching her four kits with amusement. The deputy turned her gaze away from her four kits when something moved near her. Brambleberry recognized the black and white pelt of Nightfeather and his eyes narrowed at the hidden worry the tom held in his amber gaze as he approached his mother.

"Hawkwing." Nightfeather mewed softly as he stood beside the brown deputy, his eyes drooping tiredly. His black pelt was unruly, as if he hadn't groomed himself in a while. Hawkwing's eyes filled with worry at her son's disheveled appearance and she turned to face him.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly, her voice and gaze soft as she stared at her kit.

"I'm fine. I just came to check up on y- the kits." Nightfeather stuttered, and Brambleberry felt a prickle of doubt stab through him. The tom had obviously started to say something else. Why had he changed his mind?

"They're doing well." Hawkwing informed, not taking her eyes off her son. "How much sleep have you gotten?" She asked him. "And when's the last time you've eaten?"

"Not that long ago." The tom replied stiffly.

"Nightfeather..." Hawkwing's tone sounded unsure. Her eyes flickered with conflict and Brambleberry wondered what was going on inside her head. "I know it's hard for you right now. You need time to grieve for Birdsong. But you shouldn't let that get in the way of your health." Her tone turned soft and she wrapped her tail around her son's shoulders in a soothing way. "Promise me you'll look after yourself?"

"I promise." Nightfeather muttered before getting up and trudging back into the medicine den. Hawkwing watched after him with a worried expression before she sighed and turned back to watch her kits play with the moss ball. Brambleberry glared at the medicine den where Nightfeather had disappeared into and stood up before padding towards the entrance of camp. He glanced back at Hawkwing before he slipped into the water and let his paws take him wherever they felt like going.

He was going to find another way to get her, no matter the cost.