Warriors: Crow's Carrion

Chapter Four

     "Leave my comrade alone!" Currentkit demanded, his eyes narrowed into playful slits.

     "Crabfang has to pay for his crimes!" Poolkit yowled back as Crabkit pretended to die. "And the price is death!"

     When Currentkit wailed dramatically, Poolkit and Splashkit hopped away from Crabkit. One by one, they caught sight of Ospreykit and ended their battle. Splashkit approached first with his tail held high in the air.

     "Hey Os!" he chirped. "I was wondering where you were. You should play a game with us!"

     Ospreykit blinked at their littermate and glanced at the other kits briefly. "Sure, I'll join. What game are we gonna play?"

     "We wanted to play the tale of Spottedpath after the last game," Crabkit announced and trotted up to them. "Reedtuft said we haven't had a battle like that one in a long time! Like, since before the elders were born, or even their parents! And I overheard some of the warriors saying that we might have another battle like that in the future!"

     "Oh, okay!" Ospreykit perked up quickly. "Can I be Spottedpath this time?"

     "Sorry, Osprey, but I kind of already reserved it," Currentkit mewed apologetically. "Besides, you know how it is . . . ."

     "How is it?" Ospreykit snapped suddenly, unable to contain their disappointment as it surged outward. Every day, Currentkit and Crabkit said the same exact thing, and it felt infuriating. "Every time we play, Splash promises I'll get a better role next time, but every time there's a 'next time' you guys don't let me. Instead, you just leave me out of it!"

     "Os, we just don't want you to get hurt," Crabkit murmured.

     "I'm not helpless!" Ospreykit growled angrily. "I can play a game without getting hurt!"

     "Guys, seriously," Splashkit said softly. "You're being kind of unfair to Osprey . . . ."

     The other three kits didn't say anything. Poolkit shuffled his paws and refused to catch Ospreykit's eye. Meanwhile, Currentkit and Crabkit exchanged a look before glancing guiltily at Osrpeykit.

     "Ugh, whatever," Ospreykit grumbled when none of them made a move. "Play your games without me."

     Without waiting for a response, Ospreykit stomped away from their denmates. They stormed to the nursery and sat down right outside, pretending that the other kits weren't only a few tail-lengths away. Currentkit, Poolkit, and Crabkit hesitantly started playing again. Splashkit, however, hovered by them for a few moments before following Ospreykit.

     "We can play a game together," he offered quietly before sitting down. "If you want. Or we can just sit here."

     Ospreykit frowned and realized how selfishly they'd been behaving. "I'm sorry. You don't have to stop playing with them just to include me."

     "I think it's stupid, too," Splashkit responded after a pause. He rolled his eyes before adding, "Crab and Current always hog the good roles. They're always Spottedpath and Deadeye, or the most powerful pair. I think Pool feels the same, but he doesn't care enough to say anything."

     "Oh," Ospreykit said and looked around. "Well, what could we play, then?"

     "We could play at the Sunstone Pond." Splashkit motioned to the wall of reeds that hid the landmark. "It's nice there!"

     "You mean the one outside of the camp?" Ospreykit shuddered and remembered the heron attack. "How about we play at the pond inside the camp, instead? The one just past the elders' den."