Warrior Cats: The New Course (STILL UPDATING)

Chapter Fourteen

"Th-that was just a mistake!" she exclaimed in defense. "Don't tell me you've never wanted to see the forest?"

Shadekit thought for a moment, making Ravenkit's heart beat anxiously. She felt targeted by him, the embarrassment of her mistakes easily rushing back to her. Finally, he leaned closer, eyes narrowed menacingly, beckoning forward with his tail. She gulped and complied, leaning closer and tilting her ear towards him.

"Oh I've seen the forest, Ravenkit. But not like you have." The tone of his whisper made it feel like he was showing off, teasing her further. She tried to shrink back but she couldn't, now knowing that Shadekit had broken the warrior code, too, and it didn't seem like he was caught for it. "You see, only special kits get to go out into the forest with special permission. StarClan sends a dream to either the leader or deputy, telling them to bring a selected kit out into the forest."

"I-I don't understand!" she interjected, shaking her head. "How come I've never heard this before?"

"Because you're not special," he said. "You or Dewkit aren't special. But StarClan told the leader and deputy to take me out into the forest many times. I've seen the forest as much as an apprentice can see it."

"H-how?" she exclaimed, eyes widening desperately. "How do you become a special kit? If I become one, maybe Icestar can forgive me!" And maybe I can finally see the forest! she thought.

"Shh! Keep your voice down," he hissed. "I can't tell you how. StarClan chooses on their own, you know. And clearly you won't ever be chosen. You put your brother and your Clanmates at risk. Maybe your apprenticeship ceremony will even be delayed."

Ravenkit shook her head again, this time with disbelief. "No, I'll ask Icestar how!"

As she stood up to rush to the leader's den, Shadekit ran ahead of her and blocked her path. "No, you can't tell them you know about this! It's a secret. Nobody knows about it but the leaders and deputies."

"And clearly you know," she shot back, shoving him out the way with the force of her two front paws. She surprisingly stumbled past him despite the fact that he was bigger and stronger than her, and raced as fast as she could to the leader's den. "Icestar! Icestar!"

Shadekit grabbed for her tail, but it slid through his paws as she ran away. "Come back here, Ravenkit!"

As she bolted around the den and then through the entrance, she stopped short in her tracks to see that he wasn't there. Shadekit stopped at her side at an instant as he saw that Icestar wasn't in his den as well, shoulders dropping with relief at the sight.

He must've already woken up! Ravenkit decided, turning heel and trotting through the entrance.

She was immediately stopped by a tall figure in front of her, looking down with anger. "Ravenkit, Shadekit," Sharpfang said coldly, narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing in the leader's den?"

"I-I needed to talk to my father—"

"Just because you're the leader's kit doesn't mean you can so casually do that, Ravenkit. And I'm guessing Shadekit was trying to stop you." The deputy's eyes turned to his son.

Ravenkit fumed at the deputy's bias towards his son. "That's no fair! He entered Icestar's den the same as me!" she exclaimed, but then shrunk back when Sharpfang gave her a long and hard stare.

"Go back to your mother, Ravenkit. Don't cause us trouble so early in the morning."

"But where's Icestar?" she demanded.

Sharpfang barred his teeth. "Don't be so stubborn! This is no way to talk to your deputy, Ravenkit! I ought to tell Icestar to revoke your apprenticeship ceremony, given how kit-like you are."