Author's Note: So... I wasn't even thinking about continuing this because I thought the first chapter was kinda boring, but then, the day after publishing this, I checked my email. When I saw that this had not only gotten a review, but also a follow and favorite, I was overjoyed!
Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much to Olivetail of Awesomeclan for encouraging me to continue this story! And to Firestarlives for following AND favoriting this story!
This chapter was suggested by Olivetail of Awsomeclan, and, since I feel like I owe them, I'm dedicating this chapter to them.
I will gladly take suggestions for future chapters as well. Just note that I might not use the idea if I don't like the idea or the plot is too complicated for me to write.
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors; Erin Hunter does.
I bent my head to sniff the four bundles of fluff curled up in the mossy nest. "They're beautiful," I whispered to the reddish queen with white paws. "Thank you, Yarrowstem," she replied, before bending her head down to lick a tuft off her that was out of place on one of her kits' backs. I murmured a goodbye and left the nursery.
Poppymeadow's kits grew quickly. As soon as their eyes were open, they were out of the nursery and getting under every cats' paws. Once, they dug a hole in the middle of the clearing and it tripped Frogstar. Frogstar, strict as always, made them check the elders for ticks and clean their bedding for a moon! The apprentices were thrilled.
Before we knew it, it was the day before the kits' apprentice ceremony. Blacknight was teaching them the hunter's crouch, and I was watching. Frogstar had told me that I was going to mentor Mothkit, so I was interested to see how my future apprentice was doing.
"Creek-kit, you have to keep your tail still," Blacknight told the gray-blue she-kit. Creek-kit's tail stilled immediately. "Maplekit, bend your front legs a bit more. Lark-kit, at least try to stop fidgeting. Mothkit, that's perfect!" Mothkit, a dappled black-and-gray she-kit, shone with pride. "Father, may we pleeeeease go play now?" Lark-kit, a ginger tom-kit, asked, his eyes shining with playfulness.
Blacknight sighed, "I guess so," then padded to the fresh-kill pile to eat. "Yay!" Maplekit, a tawny tabby she-kit, squealed. She and her siblings got up and ran to the bushes behind the nursery.
Awhile later, at sun-high, Poppymeadow was panicking. "I can't find the kits anywhere! They aren't anywhere in camp!"
Frogstar started organizing search parties immediately. Blacknight, Jayclaw, and Goldengoose were in one patrol. Poppymeadow, Grayleaf, and myself were in the other.
The first place my patrol went was the Sun Stones. "Yarrowstem, you look that way," Poppymeadow said, pointing to the left with her tail. "Grayleaf, head that way," she added, pointing to the right. "I'll head that way," she finished, pointing in front of her.
We each went the direction we were assigned and searched every crack of the Sun Stones. Just when I was ready to give up, a tuft of ginger fur caught on a bramble caught my eye. "Poppymeadow, Grayleaf, over here!" I called.
A few moments later, Poppymeadow and Grayleaf were sniffing the tuft of fur. "It's Lark-kit's alright," Poppymeadow meowed. Grayleaf was already following the scent trail. "Come on," he mewed. "I've found their trail!"
Poppymeadow and I followed Grayleaf away from the Sun Stones to a hollow tree. This was where the apprentices usually went to get fresh moss for bedding.
Poppymeadow ran straight to the tree. "Kits?" she called.
"Mommy!" Three kits tumbled out of the hollow tree and ran to their mother. Poppymeadow looked at them when they sat down. She looked ready to lecture them, but then froze.
"Where's Mothkit?"
The kits looked at their paws. "I said: Where is Mothkit?!" Poppymeadow glared at them. "Hunting," they replied together.
Poppymeadow nearly fainted. Grayleaf rushed to help her stand up, while I began circling the tree, desperately search for any traces of her scent. Finding nothing, I returned to the kits. Poppymeadow was still shaking.
"Let's bring these three back to camp," I meow. "Then we can get a larger patrol and look for Mothkit." Poppymeadow managed a weak nod, and we began making our way back to camp.
The hollow tree wasn't far from camp, so it didn't take long for us to get back. When we entered the camp, the rest of SorrelClan crowded around us.
"You found them!" "Where were they?" "Are they okay?" "Are you alright, Poppymeadow?" "Aren't there supposed to be four kits?"
Poppymeadow flinched at the last comment, but managed to reply, "Mothkit is still lost. She went 'hunting' for Creek-kit, Lark-kit, and Maplekit."
Frogstar pushed his way through the crowd. "What happened?" he demanded when he saw Poppymeadow's worried face. Then he caught sight of the kits. "You found them!"
Leaving Poppymeadow and Grayleaf to explain everything all over again, I lead the kits to the nursery. They followed me obediently. After making sure they were settled, I returned to my nest in the warriors den. Hopefully, we would find Mothkit before her apprentice ceremony. I had been really looking forward to having an apprentice.
One moon later, Mothkit was still not found. Her siblings had now been apprentices for a moon. Frogstar had told me that he was sorry that I couldn't mentor Mothkit, and that I would get first choice of kits to mentor from the next litter.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the high-rock for a Clan meeting!" Frogstar's yowl filled the clearing. Cats streamed from the dens and sat down around the high-rock.
"It has been one whole moon since the disappearance of Mothkit. Since we have still found no trace of her, I'm afraid I must name her dead," Frogstar announced. Shocked murmurs broke out in the crowd, and Poppymeadow was crying.
Ten Moons Later
"Smallbubble, do you smell that?" I asked. Smallbubble, Blacknight, and Frogstar all opened their mouths to taste the air.
"Rouge!" Blacknight announced first. Frogstar nodded in agreement. "Let's make sure they aren't on our territory."
The patrol broke into a quick trot, following the scent of rouge. "I don't know why, but it smells...familiar," I commented. Frogstar sniffed the air again. "You're right! But who could it be?"
Suddenly, a dappled gray-and-white she-cat jumped out of the bushes. I recognized her immediately, and I could tell Blacknight could too. "Mothkit!" I exclaimed.
The she-cat hissed, "My name is Moth now." She glared at us, Blacknight especially. "You abandoned me! You left me in the forest, alone, cold, starving, and terrified! I bet you didn't even try to look for me!"
Frogstar opened his mouth to object, but Moth silenced him with a glare. "I was found by a family of rogues, Bird, Cloud, and their kits, Kestrel and Quail. They took me in, and cared for me. They were the only family I had. SorrelClan abandoned me."
Frogstar looked ready to screech at her, but Moth continued, "Now, I will get revenge on you!" She pounced on Frogstar, clawing his back with bramble-thorn-sharp claws. Smallbubble pushed her off, and together we pinned her, hissing and spitting, to the ground.
Her eyes were filled with hatred. "Let me go, you mange-ridden flea-pelts!" she growled. Frogstar stood over her, blood dripping off his shoulders. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped. His ears turned to the right, and he sniffed.
"Are those your kits in the bush, Moth?" he asked. Moth's eyes widened in surprised, then she hissed, "Stay away from them frog-breath!" Frogstar ignored her and parted the bush's leaves with a paw.
Huddled together and mewling in hunger were two kits. One was white with gray spots, and the other was pitch black. They looked about old enough to eat solid food, but not by more than a few days. Moth struggled harder when Frogstar sniffed the kits, though it was obvious she was growing tired.
Frogstar then turned back to Moth, and meowed, "Do you wish to join SorrelClan again?" Moth hissed at him, her face clearly stating, "No!"
"Why would I ever want to live in an evil, kit-abandoning Clan like yours again?" Moth spat. Frogstar sighed. "Then I hereby banish you from SorrelClan territory forever. If we see you in our territory again, you will be killed."
"Release her, Smallbubble and Yarrowstem," Frogstar ordered. We obeyed, and, instantly, Moth turned and slashed Frogstar's throat. He fell to the ground, while Smallbubble pounced on Moth.
Blacknight was sitting off to the side, in his own world of grief, and Frogstar looked like he was losing a life. After a few minutes of fighting, Moth managed to pin me down. She raised her paw to claw my throat, but Smallbubble was there first.
He rammed into her, sending her flying through the air. She hit a tree and I heard a sickening crack. At that moment, Frogstar stood up, his throat wound gone. He had lost a life.
Frogstar turned to look at Moth's body and shook his head sadly. High pitched mews started coming from the bush again, and I remembered Moth's kits.
Frogstar decided to take the kits into SorrelClan. They were about the same age as Bluefog's kits, so she would be their adopted mother. They grew up in the ways of the Clans. As soon as they were old enough to understand, Frogstar told Blacknight to tell them about their past. It didn't bother them much, and they grew into strong warriors.
"Who are the two kits?" Cloudkit asked curiously. Swiftkit cuffed Cloudkit over her ears. "They're Toadthroat and Minnowice!"
"Ooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhhh...," Cloudkit mewed. "I guess it makes sense. Toadthroat is black, and Minnowice is grey with black spots."
I nodded. "You're right, Swiftkit. Now, kits, it's almost sunset. Bluerose won't be happy if you don't get back to the nursery soon," I meow. "Thanks for the story, Yarrowstem!" Bark-kit meows as she follows her siblings to the nursery. "Good night!"
