Flame and Earth
"Get off!" Rosekit grumbled angrily as her brother's claws jabbed at her tortoiseshell pelt.
"Get up, then! Everyone's asleep and I'm bored," Brackenkit said, his tiny, sharp claws still poking at her ribs.
"You should be asleep, too!"
"I'm not tired."
As the two littermates continued to argue, their mother, Brightstream, stirred.
"Shut up, you'll wake Brightstream," Rosekit meowed crossly.
"I won't shut up until you get up."
Rosekit sighed heavily. Why do I have to have the most annoying littermate in all the Clans? "Fine," she muttered and groggily rose to her paws. Dawn light shone through the nursery entrance. She could see her friend, Lionkit, sleeping soundly beside Lakefall at the back of the nursery. Rosekit scrambled out of the warm nest she shared with her mother and agitating brother. She stared at Brackenkit expectantly. "I'm up, what now?"
"Come on," he whispered and slipped out of the nursery. Oh, so now he's quiet. On reluctant paws, she followed Brackenkit.
Morning dew clung to the dark green grass and the sky gleamed gold and blue. The FlameClan camp was relatively empty, save for Cherrynose, who was organizing the day's patrols and Whiterose, who sat outside the elder's den watching a bird intently. No doubt everyone else was asleep, like they should've been. Brackenkit made his way over to Whiterose, leaving Rosekit to trail after him.
Whiterose smiled as she spotted the two kits heading her way. "My, my, aren't you two up early?"
"Yes, we are, thanks to Brackenkit." Rosekit started pointedly at her brother.
Brackenkit ignored her and blinked sweetly at Whiterose. "Will you tell us a story?" Her brother was a charmer. He could get anyone to do almost anything for him, and his handsome looks made it easy for him to gain the favor of any pretty, young she-cat.
The elder's smile never left her graying face. "Of course, my dear. Have you ever heard the story of Blazeheart?"
Both kits shook their heads.
"Long ago, there was once a kittypet named Blazer. One day, as he was sitting upon his fence—"
"What's a fence?" Rosepaw interrupted.
"It's something that goes around a twoleg den. Like… like a border." Whiterose explained, though she looked a bit confused herself. "Anyway, he was sitting upon his fence and he saw Clan cats. He saw how free they were, how they caught their own prey, how they were not bound by twolegs. This made him want to leave the life of a soft kittypet behind."
"He joined FlameClan, didn't he?" Brackenkit guessed. Whiterose nodded. Brackenkit stood tall with his chest puffed out. "We're the best of all the Clans!"
"Indeed, we are," Whiterose agreed, her amber gaze shone with pride.
"What happened next?" Rosekit asked, fully invested in the tale.
"Blazer was reluctantly made a member of FlameClan. Most of his Clanmates didn't trust him and he had to work twice as hard just to get half the respect. But he never stopped trying. And when WaterClan invaded FlameClan he was given a chance to prove his loyalty. He sacrificed himself for a Clanmate, and was given his warrior name after his death: Blazeheart. Your father, Blazingstar, was named after him." Whiterose paused and gave the kits a long look. "What do you think the message of this story is?"
"That courage and loyalty can come from the most ridiculous places," Brackenkit muttered.
"The most unexpected places," Whiterose gently corrected. She turned to Rosekit. "And what did you learn from this story?"
Rosekit thought for a while and then said, "Judge someone by what they do, not where they come from."
"Exactly—"
"Brackenkit, Rosekit! What are you doing out of the nursery so early?" Both kits turned and saw a baffled Brightstream walking towards them.
"Uh, w-we just… we were…Whiterose was telling us a story." Brackenkit stammered guilty.
"You had me worried sick! I wake up and the two of you are nowhere to be seen!" Brightstream exclaimed, tail lashing.
"It was Brackenkit's idea," Rosekit mewed as innocently as she could.
"Thanks a lot," Brackenkit huffed.
Brightstream's attention turned to Whiterose. "I'm sorry they've bothered you. You how kits are, they get excited and—"
"Oh, they weren't bothering me." Whiterose purred, her eyes revealing warmth and amusement. "I was just telling them the story of Blazeheart."
"A great story," Brightstream remarked
"Hey!" All four cats turned as a small voice called to them. Lionkit was running towards them, indignation made her golden tabby fur stand on end. "How could you guys go on an adventure without me?" she mewed to Brackenkit and Rosekit.
"I was forced against my will," Rosekit explained.
"I wouldn't really call it an adventure," Brackenkit said, ignoring his sister's remark. "Whiterose was just telling us a story. Now if we had left the camp… that would've been a real adventure!"
"You won't be leaving the camp for another two moons, mister! You aren't a 'paw yet!" Brightstream reminded her son sternly, and when she saw his disappointment her voice softened. "I understand how frustrating it can be, being confined to the camp. But two moons will go by in a hurry, I promise. Enjoy being a kit; the two of you won't be for much longer." Brightstream's voice betrayed her sadness at the prospect that her kits won't be just that forever.
"We aren't in trouble, are we? We can go play?" Rosekit asked.
"You aren't in trouble. Go play, just try not to get too dirty. Last time, it took me two hours to you get you clean." Brightstream dipped her head politely to Whiterose and headed back to the nursery.
"Thanks for the story, Whiterose." Rosekit called to the elder before taking off with Lionkit.
"Me, too!" Brackenkit meowed, as he chased after the two she-kits.
"Anytime!"
As the kits padded away from the elders den Lionkit asked, "What do you guys want to do?"
"Let's play… FlameClan vs. EarthClan." Brackenkit suggested. It was a popular game at least every warrior played once when they were kits and best played with six cats or more. The game is played with each "Clan" receiving their own territory, which is usually a bush. A piece of fresh-kill is hidden by a neutral party and the first Clan to bring it back to their territory—or bush— wins.
"Let's get some of the warriors to play with us." Looking around the camp, Rosekit noticed that it was a lot livelier than it was a dawn. It was sunrise now and most of the Clan was in the camp. Ashpelt was sharing a thrush with Lizardpaw, and Oakfall and Spiderflight were sharing tongues near the warrior's den. Grayshadow and Harespring were in a heated debate over which was better: shrew or vole. Blazingstar, Brackenkit's and Rosekit's father was sitting outside of his den watching his Clan with undisguised pride.
Rosekit ran over to her father, Lionkit and Brackenkit following closely behind.
"Blazingstar! Blazingstar!" Rosekit called to the FlameClan leader excitedly.
A broad smile crept onto Blazingstar's face as he spotted the trio of kits heading his way. "What are the future apprentices of FlameClan up to?"
"We want to play FlameClan vs. EarthClan, but don't we have enough cats. Will you play with us? Please?" Rosekit had her father wrapped around her tail. It was never difficult persuading him to play with her, tell her a story, or teach her a battle move or two, which Brightstream was completely against. Brackenkit may be able to charm the she-cats, but Rosekit always had their father, the Clan leader, right where she wanted him.
"I always have time for my kits." Brackenstar said, and when he noticed Lionkit's sorrowful gaze he added, "And a future promising warrior of FlameClan." Lionkit flashed him a grateful look. Her father, Reedheart, had died on the thunderpath a moon ago, and Rosekit knew without a doubt it must haunt her still. I don't know what I would do if Blazingstar died.
"Swiftrunner! Smokepaw!" Blazingstar beckoned to the two cats as they emerged into the camp with prey laden in their jaws. "Drop that off at the fresh-kill pile and come see me." They quickly deposited their prey on the fresh-kill pile and joined the leader and the three kits.
"We are going to indulge these kits in a game of FlameClan vs. EarthClan," Blazingstar announced.
"FlameClan vs. EarthClan? I haven't played that in forever! This is way better than checking the elders for ticks!" Smokepaw exclaimed, her slender, dark gray tail quivered with excitement.
"I'm a pro at this game," Swiftrunner boasted. "Undefeated, five wins, no loses."
"There will be two teams of three," Blazingstar went on, "Who would like to be a Clan leader?"
"Me! I want to be FlameClan's leader!" Rosekit stated before anyone else had the chance.
"Then I'll be EarthClan's leader!" Brackenkit said.
Blazingstar dipped his head. "Very well, leaders, choose two cats to be on your team."
The four cats—Blazingstar, Lionkit, Smokepaw, and Swiftrunner— fanned out and formed a line. "I choose Blazingstar!" Rosekit said, which surprised no one. Who wouldn't choose the Clan leader to be on their team? It practically guaranteed victory. The dark ginger tabby padded over to his daughter, his compact muscles rippled beneath his thick fur.
Rosekit mouthed to Lionkit I'll pick you next. The golden tabby she-cat mischievously smiled. It might've been wiser to choose Swiftrunner because of his speed and experience as a warrior, or Smokepaw because of her shrewd mind, but Lionkit was her best friend.
Brackenkit surveyed the remaining cats closely, studying each of them in turn. "Swiftrunner's with me," he meowed at last.
Rosekit kept her promise and beckoned Lionkit over to her team, which left Smokepaw with Brackenkit. Not being chosen had left the young apprentice crestfallen. Rosekit felt guilt settle in heart. She never thought about how Smokepaw would feel, not being chosen. I'll apologize later, Rosekit vowed.
Brackenkit murmured something to Smokepaw and she brightened a bit. Rosekit felt a wave of affection for her brother. He always seemed to know the right thing to say.
"It's time we go pick out our territory," Brackenkit said. His teammates followed him as he scanned the camp for the ideal bush. Rosekit went in the opposite direction and observed her surroundings. She eventually decided on a rosebush that stood tall and proud at the edge of the camp. Owlheart took a skinny squirrel off of the fresh-kill pile and hid it deep in the camp, beyond the peeping eyes of the two teams. Rosekit spotted Brackenkit, leader of team EarthClan, beside a large yew bush with Smokepaw and Swiftrunner.
"The squirrel is hidden! The first team to find it and bring back to their bush wins!" Owlheart announced, reappearing from behind a clump of shrubs. Rosekit decided that was where she would look first. By now, most of the Can was gathered around to see the game, and that made Rosekit all the more determined to win.
"Let's teach EarthClan never to cross FlameClan!" Rosekit said, her head held high and her chest puffed out. Rosekit's courage and determination made Blazingstar smile.
"I couldn't have said it better myself, Rosestar."
Had a lot of characters to introduce in this chapter. In the next chapter the games will begin! Who do think will win, FlameClan or EarthClan? And what do you think of the characters so far? See you next time!
~Ivyshade
