Hello! This is a challenge for WillowClan's monthly writing challenge. The prompt was: It's never too late to live the life you've always wanted. It's never too late to correct past wrongs. Hope you enjoy! Please R+R and let me know how I did. :D
Drizzling rain poured through the woven brambles, soaking the cats tossing and turning underneath. Adding to that, frozen winds rolled throughout the camp, ruffling the fur of many cats, from the youngest kit to the oldest elder. After one particularly strong gust of wind, a mottled brown tom struggled out of a large den and out into the clearing. Hunched against the wind, he struggled over to the leader's den to talk to, Lionstar, the leader.
"Lionstar, I must speak with you. Permission to enter?"
"Come in Gorsefang. What do you need?"
Shivering, Gorsefang entered the den and replied in amazement, "Your den is so warm. Ours is freezing! Why is that?"
"Yours are freezing? I never knew," replied Lionstar, horrified. "Bring the kits, queens and apprentices inside of here, we can't allow them to get cold. Then, if there is enough room, the medicine cats will come, and then the younger warriors. I'm afraid though that we won't be able to bring the whole clan in. I for one will sleep outside. I can't let my clan suffer while I'm in warmth."
Gorsefang nodded, "Yes Flamestar. That is a wise decision; I'll let the clan know." Even before he was finished talking, he was out of the den into the cold to tell the clan.
As he left the rosy warmth of the den, Gorsefang made his way through the gusts of rain to the nursery, in which several pairs of frightened eyes could be seen.
"Come on out," he ordered.
"We will freeze Gorsefang!" replied a stern voice.
"Poppyfrost, you won't. We are all heading to Flamestar's den where it is warm. Just trust me please," Gorsefang pleaded with his mate.
"Fine," she hissed back. Then much more warmly, she spoke with her kits, "Come Larkkit, Owlkit and Acornkit. We are going somewhere warmer.
"Yes momma!" squeaked little Acornkit. As he exited the den with his siblings and mother, he called back, "Bye poppa!"
After watching his family climb the High Rocks, he turned back to the den.
"Gingerleaf, your turn."
"Yes Gorsefang," she wearily replied. After she stood up, she gathered her two kits, Barkkit and Sweetkit and started to shepherd them across the windy clearing.
Gorsefang turned around and started to battle the wind when he heard a loud squeak. Whipping around, he rested his gaze on Gingerleaf and Barkkit. Where was Sweetkit?
Then with a jolt he saw her cream pelt tumbling through the camp with the steadily increasing gusts of wind. Oh no! He started to sprint into the wind, pouring all of his strength into his sore and shaking muscles. As he saw her reach the edge of the camp and roll into the brambles, he was knocked over by the wind and slammed into the hard, dirt ground. As the black edges started to flicker in on his vision, he was suddenly whisked into a flashback from his days of a young warrior.
It was a sunny day sparkling with new colors as the rain drizzled off the vibrant green and yellow leaves. The squirrels chittered and chattered at each other, causing chaos and an avalanche of nuts. The wind was blowing a cool breeze through Gorsefang's fur and he couldn't have felt happier. Some strange cat had entered his dreams and was teaching him battle moves. He ended up surpassing his fellow apprentices when he was expected to fail and slowly became a respected cat, a worthy warrior.
However, on the night before his ceremony the strange cat, Frostbird, seemed to want something. Yet, Gorsefang was unable to see the hidden gleam in the she-cat's eyes as she gazed upon him.
"Gorsefang," she said. "It is now time to prove yourself. Your task is simple, to kill a kit in your clan. I will be watching you and if you fail to kill, I will kill you myself, and then three other kits, not just the one."
"Why must I do this Frostbird? It is cruel to kill kits, they are innocent!" He felt horrified at his mentor's command.
"You must do it because if you succeed, you prove yourself worthy of being my apprentice."
"Yes Frostbird," Gorsefang wearily resigned. It was one kit's life verse his own and three others.
Smiling, Frostbird dissipated, leaving Gorsefang alone to his thoughts. Deciding on his plan of action, he climbed swiftly up a small hill and started to charge through the bracken towards the camp.
As soon as he reached the hard-trod dirt bath leading between two bramble thickets into the camp, he slid to a stop, startling Poppyfrost who was leading a hunting patrol out.
"Watch where you are going mouse-brain," she hissed before shoving past him.
After allowing the rest of the patrol to pass him, he continued walking into camp and headed towards the nursery where kits where playing outside. Seeing Sweetkit, Patchkit and Eaglekit playing with a moss ball, he started to devise his plan. He had to wait until night fell as the queens would be asleep and it would be easier to steal a kit. He had no intentions of letting his clan know what he was doing; it would ruin what reputation he had and worked for.
For the rest of the day he had worked hard, hunting and training more than even the apprentices. When the sun finally set and the moon rose, he padded to his nest and dragged it to the outside, near the entrance. He then moved others away so that he had a clear path to the clearing. After working, he plopped down, exhausted, into his nest.
He closed his eyes and pretended to sleep as the other warriors slid back into their nests. He listened as the warriors shuffled in their nests and started to snore softly. He made himself wait until moonhigh to execute his plan and as soon as it got to that point of time, he slowly got up, being careful to not brush any cat's pelt.
After he entered the moon-lit clearing, he rushed over to the gap behind the nursery where he had made a gap earlier. Feeling nervous, he thought about backing out of this plan but then at the remembrance of Frostbird's threat, reached a claw in. He shifted it around a nest that he knew was nearby and felt fur. Quickly, he went around the body, making sure that it was a kit and not a queen. After confirming that it was a kit, he slid his claws into the kit and dragged it out. With a start, Gorsefang realized that his claws snatched Sweetkit, whose blood was already shaking out of the small wound he gave her.
He was about to set her back and grab a different kit, any but Sweetkit, but he could see Frostbird shaking her head at him. Use that kit, she mouthed to him.
Nodding to his mentor, he picked up the tiny she-kit by her scruff and carried her into the woods, determined to finish the job. He raced along paths, dodging trees and vegetation. After a while, he slowed to a halt, stopping by the edge of a river. Already he could hear Sweetkit's rasping mew and looking down at her, saw that her bright blue eyes were looking at him in confusion.
"Why are we here Gorsefang?" she mewled after the warrior set her down.
"Sweetkit, this is the end. I'm so, so, so very sorry but I have to do this." With a pounce, he swiped his claws over her throat, instantly killing her.
"Rest peacefully in StarClan Sweetkit and know that I never wanted this," he murmured to the whisking wind.
He then carefully placed her small body on a leaf and set it on top of the river, where it flowed downstream for who knows how long. His heart had broke, killing Sweetkit and now his tears could be seen dripping down his face.
Frostbird then materialized and smiled at Gorsefang."Gorsefang, my apprentice, you did amazing."
"You have deemed yourself worthy of being my apprentice, and my mate," she purred, twining her tail with his and licking his ear.
"I don't want to," hissed Gorsefang, stepping away in disgust. "You made me kill Sweetkit, who was innocent. You come from the dark forest. I understand that now. So get out of my life, or I will kill you."
Frostbird's eyes widened and she talked in a sweet, honey voice, "But you don't want that, do you? You don't want to be a murderer."
"You already made me one Frostbird," replied Gorsefang with his voice dripping with anger. With a yowl, he jumped at the long-dead warrior, slashing at her flank.
"I trained you Gorsefang," she hissed back. "This isn't how you treat your mentor who made you great!" As she spoke, she pinned him down and clawed his face with her razor-sharp claws. Gorsefang hissed in pain, wriggling under her claws. But it didn't deter Frostbird who started to clamp down on his throat.
Gorsefang's eyes widened and with one immense burst of strength threw Frostbird off onto her side. As she started to stand, the brown tabby pounced on her, effectively smashing her into the ground. With one quick bite, he killed her. He got off Frostbird as her spirit melted into the ground.
"Good riddance," he hissed to where the remaining scraps lay.
Then the world started to swirl and Gorsefang was brought back to the present.
The mottled brown tom opened his eyes and saw that Gingerleaf and Barkkit had made it to Lionstar's den. With a determined heave, he lifted himself to his paws and dragged his body to the brambles. There was a small hole that was easily big enough for a kit to slide through. Gorsefang made it bigger and followed the trail of trampled twigs that was caused by the kit's tumbling.
As he ran through the forest, he started to remember the path it was taking. It was heading towards the river! He started to run harder; he wasn't about to let another kit die, especially Sweetkit who was exactly what her name described, sweet and caring. As he neared the river, he was almost blown over again but he managed to carry himself up and continue. He reached the bank and looked around frantically, where was Sweetkit?
His gaze swept the clearing, searching for the cream she-kit. As he finally found the kit, he thought he saw a starry form near the kit.
"No Sweetkit," he yowled and sprinted over.
"Don't die on me, Sweetkit, please don't," he cried.
He shut his eyes tightly and wished for the health of the kit. Opening them, he gazed down into the baby blue eyes that looked exactly like the Sweetkit whom he had drowned.
"Sweetkit," he gasped in relief. "Let's get you home." With another heave, he gathered Sweetkit in his jaws and slowly started walking into the wind towards camp.
"Thank you StarClan," he prayed, "for saving this kit's life."
As if in response, the wind and rain stopped. Thankful, Gorsefang returned back to the camp soaked, with Sweetkit still alive.
"Sweetkit!" cried Gingerleaf. "Thank you so much Gorsefang for saving m baby's life!"
The clan circled Gorsefang and cheered his name for saving Sweetkit. Nearby, Lionstar could be seen nodding his head in respect.
As Gorsefang reflected on the experience later, he thought, "It's never too late to live the life you've always wanted. It's never too late to correct your past wrongs."
A/N: Thank you for reading my story! It ended up being 1,922 words long, not counting the author notes.
If you couldn't tell, Sweetkit the latter was a reincarnation of Sweetkit, the kit that Gorsefang had drowned. StarClan sent her back as a test for Gorsefang. So once again, check out WillowClan as this was their prompt. If you are interested in knowing more, please PM me or ponyiowa.
Thanks!
-Isi-Icepaw of WillowClan-