Warriors: Quest for the Enchanted Ball of Yarn: book 1 - the scratchening

Chapter 9

The four kits were in the middle of a wooded area they had never seen before.

"Are you sure you read that thingy rightly?" ToolKit asked BlueKit.

"The clue said that we have to follow the road less travelled and drink in the sea less swam. How else could it be interpreted than to come this way?"

"How should I know? Understanding word languages isn't my forte... It isn't my five-tay either," ToolKit said making the other three collectively facepalm.

"I'm not so sure about this whole quest thing anymore," LuckyKit told her brothers. "Couldn't we come up with a less perilous form of rebellion?"

"Yeah really," moaned ToolKit. "It's starting to get cold and the leaves are beginning to change colour."

"How would you know that? We're colourblind," LuckyKit shouted at him.

"Racist!" JeromeKit yelled at LuckyKit.

"What have I said now that you've taken out of context?"

"You know what you said and it is appalling," JeromeKit scolded his sister much to her confusion.

"What are you suggesting then?" BlueKit asked of the others.

"Could we do this quest earlier in the summer before it gets cold?" ToolKit suggested.

The other kits stated at ToolKit silently for as long as they could until finally JeromeKit had to say something. "Man are you really that dumb?"

"How should I know? Apparently I'm dumb." ToolKit rebutted which was such an oddly appropriate answer that they were all further confused.

Just when they thought that nothing could make this day any stranger a creature ROARED and jumped out at them scaring the litter out of them.

It was a fierce-looking creature called a wormpa. It drooled and gnarled and spat and growled and it looked to be either hungry or lonely.

Just when they thought the beast was going to either eat them or cuddle them a heroic figure in a black cloak jumped out of the bushes and battled the wormpa beast until it was defeated.

The kits looked at the cloaked warrior with aw.

"Thank you for saving our fur!" LuckyKit said to the lone hero.

"It was nothing," replied the stranger.

"Now who are you?" demanded TookKit.

"Shush," berated LuckyKit. "He just saved us."

"Do you take requests?" Toolkit asked while turning to the stranger. "Because I'd really appreciate it if you battle my annoying sister too."

"Are you kits lost?" Asked the stranger.

"No, we're on a quest," replied BlueKit.

"He's lying. We actually are lost." JeromeKit argued.

"A little of both actually," LuckyKit added. "We're trying to find the enchanted ball of yarn but we're a little lost at the moment."

"The enchanted ball of yarn?" gasped the stranger. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"Um... Because you didn't ask earlier," ToolKit said with a confused squint.

"You may call me 'The Hero' and I vow to help you find the mystical ball," The Hero told them.

"Why do I have a feeling that your mom and dad didn't name you 'The Hero'?" ToolKit wondered out loud.

"My birth name is of little consequence."

"Why, what is it?"

"Never mind."

"Actually I'd like to know too," LuckyKit said.

"If we are to trust you I think you should give us your name," BlueKit told The Hero authoritatively.

"I saved your lives, is that not good enough?" The Hero asked defensively.

"Not really," shrugged JeromeKit.

"Well I'm not saying. I left my birth name behind long ago."

"Stop being such a pussycat!" ToolKit said to The Hero belittlingly.

"It's Harold alright?" shouted The Hero. "My stupid parents named me Harold."

The Kits stared blankly at The Hero for a moment or six before bursting into maniacal laughter.

"Leave me alone," The Hero moaned while leading the way down the forest path.