Left Behind
Sorrelkit and her littermates, Rainkit and Sootkit, bounced out of the nursery full of excitement. Sorrelkit stared at the great beautiful she-cat, Sandstorm, who had mentored her briefly the day before.
"They're leaving soon!" mewed Rainkit. He was watching his father finish his blackbird next to Firestar. Sorrelkit watched Whitestorm happily. Her was the clan deputy after all. But her eyes narrowed as she saw his sullen expression.
Sootkit and Rainkit followed their sister as she ran to their mother, Willowpelt. "Mother! Are you really gonna chase off those bad intruders?"
Willowpelt looked down on each of them in turn, her eyes full of love, "Yes my kits, I will chase every one of them out of our forest and return to you." She closed her eyes and licked Sorrelkit and the other two gently. Sorrelkit was surprised at the amount of emotion her mother had showered on them, after all it was just another battle.
"You come back and tell us all about it mother!" Sootkit squealed excitedly. The three kits finished their goodbyes and watched Willowpelt join the other warriors.
"Guys, hurry, we have to say goodbye to Sandstorm!" Sorrelkit exclaimed. They raced to meet the she-cat.
"Hello you three," Sandstorm purred when she saw them.
"We wanted to say goodbye before you left!"
"Thank you," she mewed her mind obviously on something else, "You remember those moves I taught you?"
"Every single one of them! Don't worry, if any of those BloodClan cats come in here we'll tear them to shreds!" Rainkit howled and bounced on Sootkit playfully.
Sorrelkit joined in half-heartedly, intent on listening to Firestar's speech.
"Cats of ThunderClan," the leader exclaimed, "we go now to fight against BloodClan. But we're not alone. Remember—" That was all Sorrelkit could catch because Sootkit had pounced on her blurring out the leader's speech.
All three kits stopped playing as all of ThunderClan yowled triumphantly. With Firestar in the lead and every warrior, apprentice, and the medicine cat following close behind. The camp was empty without them. In the clearing Speckletail sat with the other elders solemnly.
After all the cats were gone the three kits looked at each other uncomfortably. What was so bad that all the cats leave the camp undefended? It was that moment when Sorrelkit knew that this was no ordinary battle. Cats would not return. It was up to her, her brothers, and the elders to protect the camp.
Sorrelkit padded quickly to Speckletail seeking comfort, her brothers close behind. "They'll be back right?" Sootkit mewed sadly.
"We can only wait and pray young one." Speckletail replied.
"Lets pray now!" Rainkit suggested.
"Yeah can we?"
The old she-cat let out a mrrow of laughter and nodded, " I will lead, Starclan we ask you to return our beloved clan to us this dismal day. Give them the strength to defeat this threat and fight with all the power you posses." She looked at Sootkit willing him to continue.
"Umm," he began shuffling his paws self-consciously, "please make the clans work together to defeat the bad guys, and umm, I agree with Speckletail." The younge kit looked relieved to have his turn over and he nudged Rainkit.
"Please make our clan fight better than the other clans so that less of our cats will get hurt." Speckletail looked at him disapprovingly, but her gaze softened as she recognized the he just feared for his clan.
Suddenly it was Sorrelkit's turn. She didn't know what to say that the others hadn't already. Then she thought of her family. Bad thoughts raced through her mind and she closed her eyes tightly willing them to go away, "Please Starclan, bring home our mother and father. I don't want them to die." She opened her eyes half expecting her parents to be there but was disappointed when only the sound of the wind answered her prayer.
Speckletail rapped her tail around the three kits and looked up at the sky. Sorrelkit's eyes widened in fear as the faint sound of yowling cats sounded in the distance. The battle had begun and cats were now fighting for their lives and homes.
"Tell us a story about Whitestorm, please?" the tiny she-cat asked.
"Oh, let me see now… yes I know the perfect story," she began, "It was many moons ago, before Firestar came to the forest, and Whitestorm had not yet earned his warrior name. A cat by the name of Stonetooth, from Windclan had raced into the Thunderclan territory panic stricken. Whitestorm had been hunting when he heard the young warrior crashing through the bushes."
"Stonetooth pleaded Whitestorm for help because a single dog was attacking the Windclan camp. It was much like the dogs that had threatened us not too long ago."
Sorrelkit shuddered at the memory. That was after all one of the greater threats that ThunderClan had faced. Bluestar had lost he last life saving them all. She listened as Speckletail continued.
"Whitestorm was joined by Tigerstar as an apprentice then. Tigerstar threatened the Windclan warrior but Whitestorm challenged his fellow clan mate, saying that they could not stand by and while another clan was destroyed. He was a lot like Firestar in a way, always helping the other clans."
"Tigerstar agreed at last only barely and Whitestorm was allowed to help fight for Windclan. With the help of Whitestorm and the other Thunderclan warriors they drove the dog out and no lives had been lost."
Rainkit had puffed his chest out proudly, "My dad was the best warrior in the forest!" Sootkit nodded enthusiastically. Sorrelkit couldn't help but agree.
One-eye had been waiting patiently beside Speckletail and finally spoke, "Why don't you and you brothers go run along and reenact the battle against that dog while I have a word with Speckletail?"
Rainkit and Sootkit stood up and obeyed the elder happily, "I'm Whitepaw!" Rainkit mewed.
"No I want to be Whitepaw!" Sootkit complained.
"Bah, you can be Tigerpaw!"
Sorrelkit however grew curious as to what One-eye wanted to talk about. She strained her ears and could just make out the elders' discussion.
"Are you sure the kits are distracted?" Dappletail mewed, "I would hate to upset the poor little dears."
One-eye cast a look at them and Sorrelkit pretended to be paying attention to her brothers. "It looks like it."
"Alright what is it that you wanted to talk about?" Speckletail asked.
Smallear sighed uneasily, "What we will do if the clan doesn't return."
"That's mouse-brained!" Speckletail gasped, "Of course the clan will return! We must have faith."
The other elders did not look so optimistic. Smallear continued, "I know it is unlikely but it is a possibility as well. We must need to know what we will do!"
Dappletail nodded solemnly, "I suppose we are to assume that if the clans do fail Bloodclan will rule the forest driving out all the other clan cats. I'm too old to travel far, and we have three kits to look after as well!"
"You're right," Smallear mewed. He and Dappletail were the oldest cats in Thunderclan and Sorrelkit was not surprised that they wouldn't want to leave. The kit shivered in fear. These elders were talking about leaving, as if the clan was already dead. She couldn't bear to listen anymore.
She turned and ran into the nursery and rubbed in her warm comforting nest. Her mother's scent wrapped around her filling her with a deep sadness. Moments later Rainkit padded through the entrance followed by Sootkit.
"Sorrelkit?" he mewed quietly, "Are you okay?"
She didn't answer at once but she looked at him through sad eyes. He pressed his face against her cheek comfortingly and Sootkit pressed his body close against her as well. The three kits sat there in silence listening to the faint cries of battle from far away.
"As long as those sounds are heard we still have hope." Speckletail spoke as she entered the nursery. Sorrelkit nodded and appreciated the comfort that this old she-cat gave her as she settled down beside the three kits. As if the battle sounds were a comfortable lullaby or the fact that she had her two siblings close to her Sorrelkit found herself falling into a warm dreamless sleep.
"The forest! Listen!" Sorrelkit jolted awake at the sound of Dappletail's cry. Sorrelkit listened as the she-cat had suggested and her heart plummeted with worry. The forest was silent. The battle was over. But who had won, she thought. Her brothers wore the same expression of uncertainty on their face.
Slowly Sorrelkit, her brothers, and Speckletail made their way out of the nursery to join the other three cats at the camp entrance. Each of their eyes were glazed with hope and worry.
"Should we hide?" One-eye asked uncertainly.
"I don't know. I suppose that would be smart." Smallear answered, "The nursery is the most protected. I suggest we wait in there."
"For how long?" Dappletail asked her eyes full of fear.
"As long as we're sure that…" He looked at the other kits and his voice trailed away. Dappletail understood though and she bowed her head in worry. The eight lone Thunderclan cats made way to the nursery where they would wait for their beloved clan to return.
The silence lasted for a long time until Rainkit mewed unhappily, "Where are they? Where's my mother? I'm hungry!"
"Shh, young Rainkit, we must be very quiet," Speckletail whispered, "If there are bad cats out there we don't want them to find us."
"If there are any bad cats out there, I'll flay them!" he squealed. Sorrelkit winced and shot a harsh glance at her brother.
"Oops sorry," he whispered as if he had just now grasped what the elder had just warned.
They waited for a long time after that and Sorrelkit's legs had fallen asleep. After what seemed like moons there was movement at the camp entrance. All the cats Sorrelkit included watched in suspense as they awaited the identity of these cats. Were they Thunderclan? If so that must mean they had won. She almost ran out to greet them when she thought of the other possibility. What if they were Bloodclan, searching for survivors to finish off so that the forest could be truly theirs. If so, what would happen to the elders and her brothers? What would happen to those who had been left behind?
Relief coursed through her body as she recognized the head of Firestar push through the camp entrance followed by the rest of Thunderclan. They all looked exhausted but behind their tired eyes was the unmistakable air of triumph.
"They made it! We won!" Sorrelkit squealed delightfully. Without waiting for permission all three kits ran out of the nursery to meet the returning clan.
"You won didn't you!" Rainkit mewed happily.
Firestar gave a tired mrrow of laughter, "yes, we chased Bloodclan away." He then gave a nod to the elders as the followed the kits out close behind. Their eyes were shining with happiness.
"Thank Starclan You have returned!" mewed Dappletail and the others nodded.
Firestar turned and faced his clan proudly and he leapt up to the great rock. "Cats of Thunderclan!" he bellowed, "With the help of Shadowclan, Windclan, and Riverclan we have chased out the biggest threat to the forest since Tigerstar! I am happy to declare that the forest is ours once again!"
The cats below yowled triumphantly with the light of battle leaving their eyes at last. Sorrelkit had found Willowpelt and was pressing against her mother purring fiercely. The forest was safe and her parents had returned. Firestar's voice spoke again more sadly.
"Even though we have won the price has been great. Cats have been killed from each clan today including our very own deputy, Whitestorm."
Sorrelkit's heart lurched as she searched frantically through the crowd and realized that she had just assumed of her father's return. All the happiness of earlier seemed to ebb away as she realized that her father was dead. The great white deputy had been lost to her forever by the claws of Bloodclan. She barely listened as Firestar continued and only just caught that the new deputy was Graystripe.
Rainkit and Sootkit were also heartbroken y this news. Sootkit's head faced the earth and Rainkit was pressing his nose in his brother's flank. Sorrelkit padded over to join them.
"We could have saved him!" Sootkit mewed.
"Don't be mouse-brained. What chance would we have had when even our father had been killed?" Sorrelkit replied sadly.
"He can't be dead! He was such a great fighter."
Sorrelkit looked up at the evening stars soon. Why did you take him Starclan? He was my father! I prayed for you to send him home!
As If in response a single star had appeared in the sky and Sorrelkit understood, "He was ready to move on. He walks with Starclan now, brothers." Together they looked at that star. Together they said their final goodbyes to Whitestorm, their father.