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Leopardstar thought for a second and then pushed Sunkit to Tallpoppy and Whitetail gently. 'Take care of her,' she muttered to them and bounded out of the nursery toward the camp exit. She was going to find her 'mate' and watch how he will train her kits. If anything happens – she will save them, even if it cost her her life. One of the reasons why she did it (of course after the reason that it were her kits and she loved them).Was that she felt guilty. She let Tigerstar hurt herself, but not her kits. Never!
'Where do you think you are going?' a low growl sounded behind her. Leopardstar looked around: Blackfoot. Her heart dropped to her paws.
'I… I… I have to talk to Tigerstar,' she said stupidly.
Blackfoot loomed over the small she – cat.
'Please don't hurt me,' she squeaked, remembering Tigerstar's fierceness.
Blackfoot snickered.
'Fine,' he said finally letting her pass into the forest.
Leopardstar sighed with relief and tried to catch her kits' and their father's scents. She did. They were fresh and led toward the river. The golden she – cat followed the scent until it was stuck in her nostrils. Keeping as quiet as possible she slipped into the bushes from where she could see Bravekit and Goldkit.
Tigerstar was looming over them.
'Attack your brother,' he hissed at Goldkit.
'But… but I don't want to,' whispered the kit fear – stricken.
'I said do it!' the huge brown top aimed a paw at his kit and sent him flying across the clearing they were standing in. Goldkit lay there not moving.
'Well?' the brown warrior hissed at Bravekit, 'What do you do now.'
Bravekit didn't answer. Tigerstar waited.
'Attack him mouse – brain,' shrieked the leader pointing his tail to the heap of gold fur.
'I… I can't,' whispered Bravekit terrified, 'He's my brother.'
Anger flared in Tigerstar. He raised his huge paw and was about to send the kit flying toward his brother when Leopardstar jumped from her bush and blocked her kit with her bushy gold tail.
Tigerstar laughed coldly, as Goldkit limped toward his brother.
'Your mother has kindly agreed to help you get the attack move,' he mewed icily. With these words the dark tom jumped at Leopardstar and knocked her off her legs. She tumbled down and squirmed under him, but he was faster. Tigerstar pinned the gold queen to the ground with his huge paws and then turned to the two fear – stricken kits.
'Go home,' he spat at them, 'I must talk to your mother.'
Goldkit and Bravekit flattened their ears and pressed against the ground, but didn't move.
'Go,' urged Leopardstar weakly, 'Please go.'
Bravekit's and Leopardstar's eyes met. The small brown tom felt courage and strength flow over him.
'Come on,' he muttered helping his brother up, 'We'll find the way home.'
As the kits disappeared Tigerstar turned back to Leopardstar and sneered. 'No…' she whispered desperately trying to wriggle out.
"Yes,' he whispered in her eat and pressed her harder to the ground making her go limp.
***
'Don't worry,' Runningnose soothed Goldkit gently, 'It will be okay, hurt a bit, but you will grow to be a fierce warrior.'
Sunkit sat licking her brother's dirty fur softly. Their golden pelts blend in. Bravekit was sitting a bit further, licking a tiny pad. Runningnose just pulled out a thorn out of it. It took them some time to get to camp, but they found it.
'You should go to sleep,' muttered Willowpelt friendly, 'Tallpoppy made you three a nest in the warmest part. Go. It's been a hard day for all of you.'
'Thank you, Willowpelt,' whispered Sunkit, helping Goldkit to the nest. Bravekit padded to her and pressed his muzzle against her's. 'How have you been?' he asked her quietly, trying not to wake the exhausted Goldkit up. 'All right,' sigh his sister, 'Blackfoot took one of Whitetail's kits and disappeared.' In the dark Sunkit's eyes glowed with worry. 'Who was it?' asked Bravekit worriedly.
'Duskkit.'
Bravekit's heart dropped. Duskkit was the strongest kit. He must have been token for training.
'I hate my real name,' muttered Bravekit, remembering Bloodkit. Sunkit gave him a reassuring lick and then asked for the millionth time: 'Will mother be okay?'
'She will, I promise, let's sleep.'
The kits curled with Goldkit and fell asleep. Only Bravekit couldn't sleep: he felt huge responsibility for his brother and sister. The nursery had gone quiet, only quiet murmurs came from the camp clearing.
He hated Tigerstar already. He wanted him to hurt an injured cat! No cat could do that!
Only that fox – hearted father of his could, and Bravekit hated him for that. The tom opened his eyes, checked that everything was okay, closed his eyes and with huge effort fell asleep.
***
Leopardstar lay there, unable to do anything. She begged StarClan not to send her another litter of kits from Tigerstar. Her whole body was hurting, she was hungry and scared. Tigerstar left her there, in the clearing. The gold she – cat managed to curl in and close her nose with her tail. She was cold. Freezing leaf – fall air swooped through her fur, shaking her bones. Night was falling on the earth fastly.
'Leopardstar,' the she – cats eyes snapped opened and met with Cinderpelt's blue ones.
'How do you feel?' she asked softly.
'Terrible,' was the queen's answer.
Cinderpelt began examining her fastly.
'Oh dear,' she muttered, 'We'll have to stay here tonight and take off at dawn.'
Then she padded off, to find some herbs and came back minutes later.
Leopardstar groaned with relief as poultice touched her wounds, soothing them.
Cinderpelt began washing her from blood and then settled down to sleep with the gold queen.
'How are my kits?' the queen croaked worriedly.
'They're okay,' Cinderpelt assured her gently, 'The other queens and Runningnose are with them. Leopardstar sighed, and closed her eyes, letting the cinder colored cat's warmth sing her to sleep.
If you liked this story you might as well like my other Warrior stories:
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