Wind blew through the nursery, causing the kits to squeal in discomfort. Flarekit shivered as her mother put her tail around her. She rasped her tongue over Flarekit's forehead and shuddered. "Oh, StarClan, please let the wind die down." Flarekit didn't know what StarClan was, but she was learning.
"Mama, may we go outside?" Flarekit begged, standing up on wobbly legs. Dapplefur looked down at her dubiously as she looked up into the queen's warm green eyes.
"Go ahead, Dapplefur," insisted Flarekit and Redkit's aunt, Mistypath. She curled around their cousins protectively and began grooming them. She seemed to have convinced Dapplefur. She allowed her three kits to follow Flarekit.
The sun shone bright overhead. The kits relished the feeling; it was rare that they got to go outside. Flarekit swiftly padded toward the elders' den, Redkit and Mistypath's kit, Lionkit, following hurriedly. "Flarekit, slow down!" begged Lionkit. Flarekit slowed her pace down halfway. Lionkit was two moons younger, so naturally, he would be slower.
As they approached the elders, Flarekit and Redkit's grandfather, Tornclaw, purred. "Hey, Shatteredfoot, our favorite kits have come!" He licked Redkit's forehead as he padded inside.
Flarekit purred. "Tell us a story!" she purred, sitting down and curling her tiny tail around her paws. Tornclaw blinked and glace at Shatteredfoot, who had limped over. They exchanged nods and then gazed down on the small kits.
"Okay. Back long ago, there were three mighty Clans: LeopardClan, LionClan, and TigerClan. It is said that the Clans were derived from these three Clans. ThunderClan has the strength of LionClan, WindClan has the speed of LeopardClan, ShadowClan has the cunning of TigerClan, and RiverClan has all three.
"Swiftstar was the ancient leader of LeopardClan. Fleetfoot was a warrior. During a Gathering, Goldenstar of LionClan said that a wild boar named Rage had murdered an apprentice. Fleetfoot said that she could catch, and kill the beast. Shadestar and Goldenstar made her do as she said as long as they gave her Clan the river.
"When Fleetfoot went on her mission, she found his scent trail quickly, and began chasing him. Rage flew over the edge of a gorge. Fleetfoot went after him and pinned him down in the water, killing him.
"But the story doesn't end there. An already exhausted Fleetfoot is attacked by Rage's mate, Fury. She fought her for two days and nights, finally succeeding in killing the boar. Ashamed for not telling Fleetfoot about the even fiercer Fury, Goldenstar allows the river to be owned by LeopardClan forever because Fleetfoot's deed." As he finished his story, Tornclaw twitched his ears and laid back down sleepily.
Shatteredfoot purred quietly and then ushered the kits out. Flarekit suddenly got a magnificent idea. "Hey, let's play like we're warriors! I'm the leader," she quickly meowed before anyone else could take that position.
"I'll be deputy," Redkit squealed eagerly, jumping up and down. Flarekit rolled her bright blue eyes and turned to face Lionkit, who looked thoughtful.
"I'll be medicine cat," he murmured calmly, flicking his ticked tabby tail. Redkit and Flarekit grew silent. They exchanged a glance. Suddenly they burst into a fit of laughter.
"You're kidding, right?" gasped Flarekit, fighting back her giggles. Lionkit looked appalled at their behavior.
"No, I've always wanted to be a medicine cat." The younger kit flicked his ear in amusement, evidently enjoying the situation. Flarekit just shrugged and turned to face Redkit.
"Redlight, I've spotted the medicine cat with deathberries-" at this, Lionkit winced, but was silenced by Flarekit's angry glare "-and need you to kill him." With that, he stepped back and watched as Redkit crouched down and began stalking Lionkit like prey.
"Lionclaw, you're going down!" shouted the older kit. Lionkit giggled maniacally. Then, Redkit leaped. Lionkit jumped backwards, but got a sharp hit on the nose. Shaking his head, he lunged for his fallen playmate, who screeched and battered his belly. Redkit hissed as soft gums nibbled on his tail and batted Lionkit's leg, causing him to whip around and capture the paw between his jaws.
Redkit spat angrily, jerking his paw away and panting at the so-called 'medicine cat'. Then, he fell limp. Lionkit loosened his grasp, smiling in triumph and getting off his friend just as Redkit burst into the air. The red tom fell on the ground and wailed aloud in pain.
Flarekit swallowed a lump in her throat and nosed her way underneath her injured brother, pushing him up on her back. Lionkit ran ahead to tell the medicine cat, Moonfur. As Flarekit dragged her sibling into the medicine den, the scent of herbs filled her nose. She wrinkled her face up.
Moonfur had the herbs ready. As soon as Redkit was set down in front of her, the medicine cat began hurriedly wrapping his torso in dock leaves. Flarekit sat down and watched her brother writhe in pain. Finally, Moonfur gave him some poppy seeds.
Flarekit backed out of the den and began running for the nursery to tell Dapplefur and Mistypath. They were chatting about the recent border skirmishes with RiverClan, and some lost kits from ShadowClan. But as Flarekit listened, an interesting topic came up.
"Around that time, Flarekit and Redkit were discovered. Their names were Flamekit and Firekit at the time. When Stonestar found them, their mother begged him to take them, and he did. It's a shame that a mother couldn't take care of her own kits," murmured Mistypath, shaking her soft silver head.
Dapplefur groaned quietly and laid down, resting her head on her paws. "Oh, Mistypath, it's so sad. I hope they never find out-" Flarekit didn't hear the rest. She rushed away, sobbing uncontrollably. She could hear Lionkit following her, pawsteps pounding against the grass, but she didn't care.
Her mother had lied about her heritage. She felt her heart constrict painfully as she tore through the forest, stopping at the gorge. The silver water lapped at the sandy shores. She felt a deep sense of sorrow. She didn't even rethink her next action.
She jumped through the narrow opening.