Blizzardkit stopped in his tracks. He looked around him, bewildered. He thought it was a good idea to sneak out of camp, but now….it seemed like a bad idea. These trees looked familiar as if he seen them before. Oak trees were everywhere now. Oak trees? What happened to the pine trees? Uh oh….Blizzardkit crouched down in the snow, hoping that his gray and white pelt will blend in. He was cold. Very cold. He couldn't stop shivering. Blizzardkit looked up at the sky. The sky was heavy with gray clouds. More snow was on the way. Perhaps he was about to find out what he was named after soon. Blizzardkit let out a frightened whimper as a strange scent reached his nose. It smelled musky but he didn't know what it was. He looked behind him, light paw prints led up to him. Perhaps he could follow the tracks and get back before the clan realized he was gone. Blizzardkit stood up and immediately regretted it. The wind had picked up and soon it will start snowing and maybe….Blizzardkit shook his head. He won't think about that right now. Blizzardkit began following the tracks back. Then he landed in a snow drift. He clawed his way out and crouched there, teeth chattering and colder than ever. Blizzardkit wanted to be back at camp listening to Leafpelt tell one of his stories or playing with Thornkit. He hated to admit but he was…..lost. He was ready to give up when teeth met in his scruff and lifted him off the snow. He squirmed, trying to free himself of his catcher.
"Stop squirming kit, unless you want back in the snow." A tom growled, his mew muffled. Blizzardkit went limp with relief and weariness as the first flakes began to fall. He felt another cat sniff his pelt. It smelled like a she-cat.
"Thrushwing!" The she-cat recoiled away from Blizzardkit. "This kit is Shadowclan's! We should take him back."
Blizzardkit soon found himself on the freezing ground. He turned around to see a tom and a she-cat bristling at each other. The tom, he guessed, was Thrushwing. Thrushwing had pale brown tabby fur and amber eyes. The she-cat was a light gray with a rosy sheen and green eyes. The she-cat was smaller than Thrushwing, her ears reaching his shoulder.
"Lilacpaw, it's not that simple." Thrushwing growled, his tail swishing up the snow. "If we cross that boundary with a kit in our jaws, they'll think that we stole the kit. We should leave him here to the fox!" Blizzardkit stiffened, his father had told him about foxes and how dangerous they were. If he smelled their musky scent, he should steer clear and fetch reinforcements. A shudder went through him from ears to tail tip as he thought of the musky scent he smelled earlier. If these warriors hadn't found him….he shook himself unwilling to explore that prospect any further.
"We should at least try!" Lilacpaw retorted, her eyes blazing. "We need to take him back before the blizzard begins."
Blizzardkit pricked his ears. Was he finally going to find out what a blizzard is? He rose to his paws and padded forward, the snow crunching beneath his paws. If these two cats were going to argue then he'll find his own way back! Snow sprayed him as Thrushwing and Lilacpaw overtook him and blocked his path.
"You aren't going anywhere kit." Thrushwing grunted, his amber eyes blazing.
"My name is Blizzardkit!" Blizzardkit curled his lip in a snarl. He didn't like being called a kit. He was nearly five moons old! "I want to get home if you don't mind!"
"What do you think we're doing?" Thrushwing growled as Lilacpaw's teeth met his scruff. Blizzardkit flattened his ears but didn't protest as they trekked through the oak forest. The light snowfall soon began to increase in speed, growing heavier. Oak trees were beginning to thin out into an open clearing. Blizzardkit began to get bored and opened his jaws to ask a question when three cats leapt out in front of them. Snow nearly obscured his vision, but Blizzardkit could make out the lithe, sturdy shape of his father, Bushthorn. Adderpaw, Bushthorn's apprentice was there. So the deputy, Shrewheart. Blizzardkit found himself on the snow yet again. Lilacpaw must have dropped him when his clanmates emerged. Free, Blizzardkit scampered over to his father, tail raised.
"Blizzardkit! Where have you been? Flowerstream was worried sick about you!" Bushthorn's tail wrapped around Blizzardkit, pulling him closer to his father.
"In our territory, that's where." Thrushwing growled, staying put where he was. Blizzardkit noticed that he stood beside a dead tree with Lilacpaw beside him. The tom didn't come closer but stayed where he was as Shrewheart padded forward.
"Thank you for finding him," Shrewheart meowed, dipping her head in thanks. Her voice was calm as she met Thrushwing's gaze. "We will make sure that it doesn't happen again."
"Make sure you keep it," Thrushwing grunted. He turned to his apprentice and brushed past her. "Lilacpaw, it's time to head back to camp."
"Take care Blizzardkit!" Lilacpaw meowed over her shoulder as she disappeared into the whirling snow. "Stay in camp next time will you?"
"Yes!" Blizzardkit yowled after them. He'd learned his lesson. He won't go out of camp again! Suddenly the chill crept over him and he realized that he was shivering uncontrollably. He also felt like sleeping and he couldn't feel his paws. Bushthorn touched his nose to Blizzardkit's head, his green eyes brimming with concern.
"Let's get you back to camp," Adderpaw meowed. The she-cat's voice was full of relief. "Then Flowerstream won't be getting in everybody's way."
Bushthorn shot Adderpaw a look, but straightened up. Blizzardkit stayed where he was, huddled against the snow. Shrewheart was already padding away with Adderpaw bounding along at her side. "Come on," Bushthorn murmured, nudging Blizzardkit forward. "You'll be warmer if you keep moving."
Blizzardkit blinked up at his father through the snow. "Is this a blizzard?"
Bushthorn let out a purr. "Yes, little one." Teeth met in Blizzardkit's scruff as Bushthorn lifted him up. They moved into the shelter of the pines and Bushthorn put him down. "Follow me." Bushthorn padded along, his head raised confidently. Blizzardkit trotted along Bushthorn's trail until the snow blotted out all scent and sight. Blizzardkit stopped abruptly, fear sparking in his belly. He closed his green eyes and huddled there in the snow as the blizzard raged on, unwilling to go forward and very tired. Suddenly teeth met in his scruff and he was lifted into the air. Blizzardkit was too cold to care. He opened his eyes to see the camp looming up in front of him. His father's scent filled his nose as they ducked through the bramble tunnel.
"Blizzardkit!" Flowerstream's mew met his ears. "Are you alright?" Blizzardkit opened his eyes as a silver calico she-cat bounded over to him.
"I can't feel my paws, ear tips and tail." Blizzardkit meowed as Bushthorn set him down on the ground. "Otherwise I'm fine."
Flowerstream gasped and wrapped her tail around him. She herded him towards the nursery. "Then you better get warm and I'll get Glowheart to take a look at you!" Blizzardkit stumbled into the nursery. The warmth in the nursery was a welcome feel. Thornkit was asleep in the nest while Talonheart's kits slept silently beside their mother. Blizzardkit settled down next to Thornkit and soon feel asleep. It was good to be back at camp, he thought drowsily as he pressed against his sister for the extra warmth. Thornkit grumbled but a purr rumbled through her throat as she realized who was there. Indeed, there was no better place to be than in Shadowclan's camp.