The minute Dirtkit and Bitterkit opened their eyes Larkwing started her revenge, as she called it.
"Now I am going to tell you the rules for the nursery and you will follow them or you will wish a fox was your mother." Dirtkit and Bitterkit nodded at the cruel mother.
"Rule number one, you will not leave the nursery unless I say so. Rule number two, you will not listen to anything you are told by any one. Rule number three I will not be questioned at all. Rule number four, if I am on patrol Blossompetal will watch you but you will still follow my rules. Rule number five, if you see your father you will run and hide because he wants nothing to do with you. These rules will be respected and followed, right?" Larkwing snarled on the last part. The kits looked at each other for a minute then answered. "Yes mama." With that Larkwing left the den then poked her head back in.
"Blossompetal I am going on the border patrol, so I should be back after sun-high."
The minute she left the den Blossompetal got up and peered out the den entrance. The kits followed her gaze to the camp entrance. The patrol left and Blossompetal waited a few heartbeats then ran to the other dens and whispered something into them, and one by one every cat still in camp came in front of the nursery. Blossompetal came back into the nursery to a confused Dirtkit and Bitterkit.
"You can come out now kits. This will be our little secret."
The kits didn't need to be told twice before tumbling out from the nursery. Dirtkit tumbled into a brown tabby tom and Bitterkit tumbled into a black tom. Dirtkit looked up into a pair of blue eyes and realized his mistake. "Opps, sorry."
The blue gaze softened.
"No problem kid, my name is Heronswoop, what's yours?" Dirtkit looked back up and smiled. "My name is Dirtkit, do you want to play?"
Heronswoop frowned and regret filled his eyes, then they fill with an idea.
"Sorry Dirtkit I can't play because I need to help my sister, but I know someone who will." He bounded to the den closest to the pond and disappeared inside. Heartbeats later he reappeared followed by a White she-cat with piercing purple eyes and many brown splotches. She walked up to Dirtkit and stared at him for several heartbeats before flinching away, which caused Dirtkit to flinch away.
Finally she called to a cat. "Sweethoney," A white she-cat with gold stripes bounded forward and looked at Dirtkit astonished.
The cat with purple eyes spoke again. "Do you see it to?" Then the other cat spoke. "I do Sorrelstar."
Dirtkit finally spoke up. "D-did I do s- something wrong?" The two she-cats looked down at Dirtkit, and then Sweethoney spoke.
"No dear, we just saw great things for you in the future."
"Are those my kits?" A gray tabby tom came bounding into the clearing and stopped in between Dirtkit and the medicine cat.
"Yes they are Jaytalon." Sorrelstar nodded watching the entrance.
Remembering what they were told, both kits shrunk back into the nursery and hid in the nest as Jaytalon followed them in.
"Hey, what's wrong kits? Why don't you like me? Why did you hide? " Dirtkit and Bitterkit looked at each other before Bitterkit answered.
"Because Larkwing told us the Nursery rules."
Jaytalon was really confused at that statement. "What do you mean rules?"
Dirtkit sighed before he repeated what he was told. "Rule number one, we will not leave the nursery unless Larkwing says so. Rule number two, we will not listen to anything we are told by any one. Rule number three Larkwing will not be questioned at all. Rule number four, if Larkwing is on patrol Blossompetal will watch us but we will still follow Larkwing's rules. Rule number five, if we see you, are father, we will run and hide because he wants nothing to do with us."
Jaytalon was utterly dumbfounded at the last rule. "Well here are my rules. When your mother is not in camp you don't have to listen to her rules, and I will make sure that no cat will tell her what we do when she is out of camp. O.k?"
"O.k"
By the next moon, Dirtkit and Bitterkit had many scars from their mother.
"Blossompetal I am going for a quick swim." Larkwing left the nursery and Jaytalon stalked in.
"Hey kits."
"Jaytalon!" the kits ran up to their father but stopped dead in their tracks at a certain hiss.
"Why are you in the nursery?!" Larkwing came hurtling into the camp and lunged at Jaytalon, dragging him out of the nursery.
"I have a right to see my kits."
She hissed again. "Not good enough"
This time it was Sorrelstar who answered. "He is right Larkwing, they are his kits also, and he can see them."
Larkwing slashed Sorrelstar's muzzle. "You don't tell me how to raise my kits!"
Sorrelstar might have been older than any elder, but she stood he ground.
"You are right Larkwing, I cannot tell you how to raise your kits," At that Larkwing smirked.
"But I can do this." Sorrelstar bounded to the top of her den and yowled. "Let all cats old enough to swim join me here beneath my den for a clan hearing."
The cats of Riverclan gathered by the pond near Sorrelstar's den and settled themselves as Larkwing, Jaytalon, and their kits settled at the front of the clan. "Larkwing you have attacked your clan leader and for that you will be punished. And I have spoken to Starclan and they have said to let the River decide the fate of the Lark. Cats of Riverclan you will vote the fate of Larkwing!" The clan yowled in agreement.
"Mouseflight, Blossompetal, Dirtkit, Bitterkit, and Jaytalon step forward." The cats called stepped forward. "Mouseflight go to the elder's den. Jaytalon, The nursery. Blossompetal stand by the apprentice's den. Bitterkit and Dirtkit please stand out front of the nursery."
The cats obeyed but Dirtkit was scared for what was going to happen.
" I want you five to decide what will Larkwing's fate will be, then we will vote.
Mouseflight spoke first. "I believe she should be executed. She is the reason that Fallensnow, Brightmoon, and Sweetmint are dead. A life for a life."
Blossompetal went next "I say exile, no kit should have to see her again."
Jaytalon spoke "I say that I don't care what the heck happens to her, I just want her gone!"
All eyes turned to the two trembling kits in front of the nursery. " W-we d-don't know w-what should h-happen to M-mother."
Sorrelstar Paused and looked at the kits then nodded. "I understand. You are overwhelmed by the fate of you mother. Your father is underwhelmed, And as an old friend once told me, why can't everyone just be whelmed?"
Splashwave was the only one who chuckled at that comment.
"Cats of Riverclan, go stand by the cat you agree with."
Riverclan didn't waste any time bolting to the one they agreed with most.
The clan was evenly distributed when Sorrelstar spoke again. "Dirtkit, Bitterkit it is your turn to choose."
Dirtkit looked at Bitterkit and nodded. Bitterkit led the way too….
Haha you have a cliff hanger. Well I still need you guys to vote for who the kits go to. The poll is on my profile. And I am going to have a little contest. The first 3 reviewers to answer the either question correctly will get a prize related to the story. So the questions are
Can you guess the kits warrior names?
Who will the kit's mentors be?
Review fast and please say which question you are guessing for. If you win I will PM you so you can get your prize.
May Starclan light your Path!