Warning; the word count is 2,217. This is also probably one of the shorter chapters. If you don't like long chapters, sorry!
- SCBookworm
Forestkit listened to the world around her, not willing to allow her siblings to know she's awake. She could hear Bluesky calling out patrols from the Highrock. She could hear Springpaw's excited meows from across the camp.
"Twistpelt! What are we doing today? Are we going hunting? Are we battle training?" She mewed, not letting her mentor get a word in. "Border patrol? Moonpaw, I bet I could get to the WindClan border before you could!"
"You're on fleapelt!"
The sound of paws racing out the tunnel sounded, with an annoyed hiss from Twistpelt.
"Psst! Forestkit. Wake up!"
A little paw nudged her in the side repeatedly.
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!"
Forestkit opened her eyes to see her sister, Birchkit standing over her.
"I'm awake, what is it?" Forestkit mewed slightly grumpily.
"Come on!" Birchkit purred. "I want you to see something cool."
She bounced out of the nursery. Forestkit climbed out of the nest she shared with her mother and siblings. Her mother Clearpool and brother Oakkit were still asleep. She could see the shape of Brightsong curled in her nest, not with any kits yet. Willowleaf's nest was empty, however. She and her kits were early risers.
"Forestkit!"
"Coming, just wait a moment," Forestkit hissed.
She padded almost completely silently out of the nursery. A silver and white ball streaked into her, bowling her over.
"Attack!" Birchkit yowled in excitement.
Pouncekit raced out from behind the nursery, a grey streak, his green eyes glowing with pleasure. He lept onto Forestkit, his superior size of five moons to four holding her down quite effectively.
Forestkit looked around for Stormkit, knowing it wasn't like him to miss out on something as fun as this.
"Well, look what we have here," Stormkit stalked over from his hiding place. "What are you doing on our territory, WindClan scum?"
"I come with a message from Bravestar," Forestkit improvised, her mind whirling.
Birchkit lashed her tail appreciatively, knowing it was going to be good.
"Well, then? Don't be a scaredy mouse, what's the message?" Pouncekit asked, prodding her.
Forestkit bared her teeth.
"We will never be beaten!" She yowled.
Forestkit slipped out from under Pouncekit and batted him across the muzzle. She then whirled around to face Birchkit and swept her onto her back, sending her sister rolling. Stormkit jumped on her and she rolled, breaking his hold on her, and then Forestkit ran to the ferns by the apprentice's den and hid behind a clump of thistles.
"Alright Forestkit, you win," called Stormkit after a few minutes of searching in vain for her.
Forestkit padded out and sat in a patch of sun, making sure they weren't going to attack her again.
"You were brilliant!" Birchkit squealed, bouncing over to her sister.
"Yeah, although please don't hit so hard next time," Pouncekit mewed, licking his paw and drawing it over his muzzle.
"Sorry, I got caught in the rush," Forestkit apologized.
"Yeah, you were great!"
Stormkit padded over, his amber eyes gleaming. His light grey tabby fur shone in the early morning sun. At five moons, he was beginning to grow sleeker, and lose his kit fluff. Pouncekit was losing his fluff faster than Stormkit, which was a cause for grievance on Stormkit's part.
"Yes, you did well Forestkit."
Rosestar padded toward them, stopping at Forestkit's patch of sun. Rosestar towered over them, making Birchkit a bit twitchy.
"I believe you will make a fine warrior, with proper training." Rosestar mewed.
She then turned to go talk with the dawn patrol, which had just returned.
"Whoa. Rosestar saw you!" Pouncekit breathed.
"And she thinks I'll make a good warrior!" Forestkit purred.
"I wish she would see when I got ambushed by you guys," Stormkit mewed, with a hint of jealousy in his voice. He brightened. "But I can wait until I'm an apprentice! I'll go through my training so fast, I'll be a warrior in no time."
"Me too!" mewed Birchkit excitedly. "Except I'll be the better hunter. They'll never see me coming."
Birchkit flicked her tail at Stormkit, then posed on top of a rock with her ears pricked, gazing into the distance.
"You won't catch anything if you make that much noise while you're hunting," grunted Tigerfur, a grumpy old she-cat.
"Hey, distract Birchkit and we'll sneak up on her" Forestkit whispered to Pouncekit.
She flicked her tail at Stormkit and crept into the grass surrounding the rock, her brown pelt blending in perfectly. Forestkit heard Stormkit follow her.
"So, Birchkit, who do you think would make a nice mentor?" Pouncekit asked.
Forestkit heard Birchkit reply. By this time, they were up against the rock with Birchkit's back to them.
"Hey, where's Stormkit and Forestkit?" Birchkit questioned.
Forestkit made as if to jump, but pulled back, letting Stormkit jump first. She leapt after him, helping Stormkit pin her sister.
"Gotcha!" Forestkit crowed.
"No fair," Birchkit mewed.
" You started it!" Forestkit huffed, letting her sister up.
"Started what?" Mewed a soft voice.
Clearpool and Oakkit padded up.
"Nothing," they all chimed cheerfully.
"Make sure it stays that way. Play nice now," Clearpool chided.
She went to join a clump of warriors chatting by the prey pile, leaving Oakkit with the other kits.
"What's going on?" Oakkit asked.
Oakkit was their father's rich reddish brown with white rings down his tail and white paws. He had green eyes, like Birchkit and herself. He was going to be handsome when he grew up, and Birchkit was going to be pretty. Forestkit, however, was a plain mousy brown color all over. She wasn't going to be pretty. Her pretty feature was her leaf green eyes. But that was okay with Forestkit. She didn't need to be pretty to hunt well, or protect her clan from outer dangers. Like WindClan! Forestkit thought, unsheathing her claws to dig them into the earth.
"We're deciding on a game to play." Pouncekit lashed his tail in excitement.
"Let's play Clans," Oakkit bounced excitedly. " I call Deputy!"
"Deputy?" Birchkit snorted incredulously. "Why Deputy?"
"Is there something wrong with that?" Bluesky, the clan deputy, tilted his head curiously. There was no malice or annoyance in his deep blue eyes for which he was named, but Forestkit could see a sparkle of amusement in his expression.
"Nope," Birchkit squeaked.
"She wanted to know why he isn't as ambitious as she is, that's all," Pouncekit stepped defensively in front of Birchkit.
"I'll be leader," Stormkit said. "You can be medicine cat," He told Pouncekit, who began to protest.
"I'll be the rouge leader," Forestkit raced over to Stonefall, a kind young warrior who had had her warrior ceremony about a moon ago and often helped Forestkit on her schemes. Teasingly, they called each other Rockbrain and Treekit
"Will you be my rouge fighters?" She pleaded Stonefall with wide eyes.
"Sorry Treekit," Stonefall said. "I've got hunting patrol."
Stormfall looked over at her brother, Tallstripe.
"Alright, I can be your rogue fighter," Tallstripe conceded.
"Thanks! Good luck with the prey Rockbrain." Forestkit flicked her tail at Stonefall in farewell and twitched her ears to tell Tallstripe to follow her. She began to creep around the edge of camp toward the group of kits who were arguing over various positions.
"I want to be leader!"
"You be the medicine cat."
"No! I'm the biggest, I should be leader."
Forestkit scratched a circle in the dirt around herself and Tallstripe.
"This is our territory," She told the tall tom. "I'll lure them over here, and when they try to cross, don't let them."
"Alright Foreststar," Tallstripe meowed, obviously amused.
"No, I'm Tree. We're rouges, remember?" Forestkit tilted her head. "You be Tall."
Forestkit raced toward the other kits, leaving Tallstripe with his whiskers twitching..
"I am Tree, and I have come to speak to your leader!" She fluffed her fur up and unsheathed her claws, imagining what rouges would do.
"I am Pouncestar of ThunderClan," Pouncekit stepped forward.
Forestkit wasn't surprised. Pouncekit tended to win arguments a lot.
Forestkit lunged and grabbed him by the scruff and hauled him as fast as she could, taking advantage of his surprise while she could. She managed to get him inside the circle with Tallstripe before they recovered.
"Guard him!" She yowled to Tallstripe as the other kits ran screeching toward her "territory".
"Take that flea brained fox heart!" Oakkit jumped on her and they rolled around in the dirt, each trying to get a firm hold on the other, squeaking in excitement.
"Back off Clan cats! This cat belongs to Tree now!" Tallstripe flattened his ears and batted at Birchkit and Stormkit as they swarmed over him. "Oh no! Help Tree, I'm falling!"
Tallstripe staggered and collapsed, allowing Pouncekit to jump up and whirl on Forestkit.
"ThunderClan, attack!" He charged at Forestkit, with Birchkit and Stormkit on his tail.
Forestkit knew when she was fighting a losing battle. She turned and bolted for the elder's den, where Tigerfur was sleeping in the sunlight just outside, as she often did. Forestkit was the only one who had mastered the art of sneaking by without waking her. Whoever woke her always got an earful from the less than gentle elder. Forestkit would be safe inside.
"Hello, small one." Stormsong said kindly. He was sitting up with his tail wrapped around his paws.
Stormsong was her mother Clearpool's father, which made them kin. He was a kind old tom who had retired just before she was born.
"What this time?" Greenfall patted a soft patch of leaves with her tail, where Forestkit usually hid when she snuck by Tigerfur.
Greenfall was Tigerfur's sister, which was hard to imagine. The two were like the moon and the sun. Greenfall was silver and graceful, kind and peaceful. Tigerfur was bright blazing gold, with a fiery temper and fiercely loyal to her clan and clanmates. They are the best of friends, however, and are very well respected throughout the Clans.
"I was Tree, the rogue leader. But my fighters were overwhelmed and I had to escape." Forestkit told them, washing her paws.
"Tree?" Stormsong asked, his whiskers twitching.
"Forest sounds too majestic," Forestkit told him. "Tree is better for a rouge."
"Well, Tree, leader of the rogues," Tigerfur padded into the den. "Your mother is looking for you."
"Thanks Tigerfur! Bye Greenfall, bye Stormsong," Forestkit licked Stormsong's ear and nodded to Greenfall and Tigerfur then raced out of the den to find Clearpool.
"Coming!" She yowled in answer to her mother's call.
"There you are, dear heart,"Clearpool licked the top of Forestkit's head. "Where were you?"
"Talking to Stormsong and Greenfall," Forestkit saw Birchkit, Oakkit, Pouncekit and Stormkit peeking out of the nursery. "What's going on?"
"Get back inside!" Willowleaf rushed over to the nursery and nudged them back into the thick-walled den.
"WindClan is coming. The border patrol found them and sent Ravenpaw to give a warning," Tallstripe meowed as he hurried to the thorn tunnel where a group of cats were gathering around the small black shape of Ravenpaw.
"But don't worry Forestkit," Clearpool gathered her close. "You'll be safe in the nursery. They're just coming to talk."
"No Clearpool. Can I watch?" Forestkit twitched her tail and squirmed around to look up a Clearpool directly. "If I just stay in the Elder's den and watch with Stormsong, Greenfall and Tigerfur?"
"Will you go bragging to the other kits?" Clearpool asked looking at her closely.
"No Clearpool," Forestkit looked up at her with big, innocent eyes. "Well, maybe a little."
Stormsong had told her to always be honest. Forestkit gazed hopefully at her mother, tail twitching in excitement.
"Well, it would make it easier on Willowleaf. She says you always seem to vanish whenever she's watching you," Clearpool fixed her with a stern gaze.
Well, it's not my fault Willowleaf doesn't see me when I sneak out through the hole behind our nest, Forestkit thought rebelliously.
"Will you listen to the elders?" Clearpool looked straight into Forestkit's eyes.
"Yes, Clearpool."
"Will you sneak out of camp while everyone is distracted?"
"No, Clearpool."
"And if they attack, hide behind Tigerfur and don't move. Got it?"
"Yes, Clearpool."
Clearpool's eyes softened. She licked Forestkit behind the ears affectionately.
"Come on then, dear," She led her back to the elder's den, where all three elders were murmuring outside.
"Hello Clearheart," Stormsong greeted them. "Hello small one."
"What is it?" Tigerfur meowed.
"Would you watch Forestkit for me?" Clearpool asked. "She always sneaks out when I leave her with Willowleaf."
"That, I believe," Tigerfur eyed Forestkit. "She always slips by me when I'm sleeping."
"Of course we'll watch her," Greenfall said kindly. "Come sit by me, little cat."
Forestkit nuzzled her mother then turned to sit by the kind old she-cat. Clearpool hurried across the clearing to sit by Brightsong and Ferntail. A group of cats was waiting by the entrance for the patrol. Beechpaw, the medicine cat apprentice, was sitting with Doepaw and Ravenpaw outside their den, muttering.
"I hear them coming!" Sunleap meowed loudly.
Bluesky padded through the tunnel with Blazeheart, Forestkit's father, Moonpaw, Twistpelt, Springpaw, Stonefall and Nightfur. The dawn patrol had obviously met their hunting patrol. Then Forestkit gasped, and leaned closer. Padding behind them was who she knew must be Bravestar, the leader of WindClan.