Chapter 2

"Whoa!"

It's not a real attack. It's just Lilykit. Although, I suppose her attack qualifies for a real one, as it's just as painful.

Lilykit pounces on me, tiny claws digging into my shoulders. She jumps up again, and, upon landing, squashes me flat. Then, she starts tickling me. I mean, seriously. What warrior tickles their enemy?

"Lilykit, get off!"

"Never!" my sister squeaks. "Not until you surrender!"

"I surrender," I grumble. "As long as you let me sleep in peace."

"Okay," says Lilykit, sliding off of my ruffled ginger pelt. She looks at me, big blue eyes staring innocently into my amber ones. "Then you have to do everything I say, 'cause I beat you!"

"Okay-wait, WHAT?"

"Yup!" Lilykit nods her small gray-and-white head. "So now I want you to get me some fresh-kill!"

I glare at her. "I'm not your slave!"

"Oh yeah?"

Lilykit jumps on me, and starts tickling me again. I can tell she's trying her hardest to make me break down and get her a piece of fresh-kill. Whenever she puts a lot of effort into something, her tail bushes up, and her eyes widen. Plus, she's tickling me with the tips of her tiny white claws in my weak spot: right under the ribcage.

It works. Pretty soon I'm yowling for her to stop.

"Okay, okay, Lilykit! I'll get you your dumb fresh-kill!"

"It's not dumb!" Lilykit glares at me. "Oh, and Foxkit? Get me a squirrel. Not the really hairy kinds, either. Make sure that it's young and tender, and pick out all the bones for me..."

Lilykit has faded away into background noise. I sleepily pad over to the fresh-kill pile and pick out a piece of prey. What did she say that she wanted again? I can't remember. Oh well, I'll just get her a pigeon. She likes pigeons. Well, I think she does. Who cares if she doesn't, anyways? She could always get what she wants on her own.

When I bring Lilykit the pigeon, she starts shrieking, "Foxkit! I told you that I wanted a tender, young, non-hairy, no bones squirrel! Not a feathery thin thrush!"

"It's a pigeon."

"Whatever. The point is, you're not good at doing what I ask you to do." She waves her thin forelegs dramatically in the air, tottering on her hind legs. "You are now banished from the nursery! Exiled! Oh, the shame, the shame!"

I snort in laughter. "Yeah. Like Mama will let you keep me out."

Lilykit purrs with me. "True. If I told her that I kept you out of the nursery, I would be kicked out, no questions asked. Only a lot of scolding."

Mama. That's what we call her. For everyone else, she's Leafwing, daughter of Froststar and Clawfang, sister of Poolfur, and the best. Cat. Ever.

"Foxkit! Foxkit, snap out of it!"

I sigh. "Lilykit, you can't even let me think in peace, let alone sleep! I want to take a nap!" My voice has become high and whiny.

Lilykit looks at me, eyes watery. "Y-you d-don't want t-to play with m-me?"

"No, Lilykit!" My tail angrily lashes from side to side. "I just want to sleep!"

Lilykit nods. "I understand," she whispers. "You just want to get away from me."

I slap my tail against the ground. "No, Lilykit! I want to play with you, it's just that-"
"Then lets play!" Lilykit tackles me to the ground, and starts tickling me. I sigh.

Here we go again.