Disclaimer: I Do NOT own Warriors.
Chapter 2
"Get up!"
Echokit opened her eyes to the most gruesome sight there is; her sister. The sun seeped into her eyes as she stretched from her nest. Her mother, Dawnflower, was still asleep but unfortunately her sister wasn't. "Why do I have to get up now?" asked Echokit.
"Because", replied her sister in a know-it-all tone "Raggedpaw is doing his warrior assessment soon and I think we should tag along and see what we're going to do when we're doing our warrior assessment".
But Echokit knew the real reason. Moonkit absolutely adored Raggedpaw. She was always babbling on about how much prey he caught and how she will be as good as him and they'll be together forever etcetera etcetera.
Echokit sighed, "But we're not apprentices yet" she said, "and I don't think Mudstar will be happy with kits exploring the territory on their own. Actually, he'll be really unhappy."
Moonkit rolled her eyes, "But we won't be alone we'll have each other." As much as Echokit wanted to go out, feel the grass in her paws and not be stuck in the Shadowclan nursery, she couldn't, it would be like breaking the rules and Echokit would never do that.
"You know what I mean! I was talking about not having a warrior with us!" Echokit meowed. As quick as a flash Moonkit ducked under her and pushed Echokit over.
"We won't need a warrior as long as you have me!" Moonkit boasted. Echokit tried not to laugh. As much as she loved her sister, she knew Moonkit wouldn't last a minute out there fighting without a warrior.
"Fine, I will, but if we get caught I'm going to say that you forced me to come." Echokit replied hiding her laughter. Moonkit jumped in the air and started to head to the nursery entrance. Echokit hesitated then followed. Luckily it was still early and only Leaftail, the warrior on guard, was awake. Moonkit led Echokit out of the nursery and across the camp into the dirtplace tunnel. "It stinks in here!" hissed Echokit. Moonkit gave her a "duh!" look and walked up to a crack in the wall just big enough to fit a small cat in. Moonkit crept into the crack. Once she was on the other side she said "Come on, Echokit, its easy!"
Warily, Echokit went through the crack, it was much easier than she expected and she soon found herself on the other side. "Where are we?" asked Echokit. Moonkit bounded off, leaving the question unanswered, and flicked her tail to signal Echokit to follow. Echokit raced after Moonkit, eager to explore the territory a bit more. They stopped behind a bush and Moonkit said "We'll wait here for Raggedpaw and when he does come, we'll follow him". Echokit thought about this for a while.
"But, what do we do if we meet his mentor?" Moonkit opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by the rustling of a bush nearby.
"When are we going to start?" said Raggedpaw to his mentor.
"We'll start as soon as you stop chattering!" replied Raggedpaw's mentor, Rubyclaw. Echokit realized that Rubyclaw was an advantage to ShadowClan. Most cats are fooled by her glossy ruby coloured coat and her sea green eyes, but her tongue was sharper than a foxes claws and she was feistier than a badger. Moonkit signalled for Echokit to stay still and be quiet. 'Of course I'll be quiet!' thought Echokit. 'If I even breathe I would be found out and sent back to ShadowClan camp by Rubyclaw!' Raggedpaw passed Moonkit and Echokit by an inch and didn't even stop or look around. When Rubyclaw passed the two kits without noticing anything, Echokit breathed a sigh of relief and followed Moonkit out of the bush. The two kits followed the apprentice and warrior a long way until they found a clearing. Moonkit and Echokit took shelter under a brambleberry bush outlining the clearing and sat quietly, peeping through the gaps of the bush.
"Can I start now?"
"Yes but be aware and look out for the fox that we drove out a couple of sunrises ago." Pain and sorrow filled Rubyclaw's voice as she remembered the fox that broke into the nursery three sunrises ago. All the queens were sharing prey just outside the ShadowClan camp and didn't see the fox because it broke in the back way. Berrykit and Icekit, the only other kits in the nursery, were playing with the apprentices and Moonkit was fast asleep after a helping to expand the warriors den. Only Echokit saw the fox break into the nursery. She still has dreams of the foxes snapping jaws and sharp claws aiming for Moonkit. Echokit shivered as Raggedpaw pelted off in the direction of the twoleg nest. What if Raggedpaw comes back badly injured or worse, dead?
Rubyclaw followed Raggedpaw with less enthusiasm and more seriousness. A moment or two later, Moonkit followed and Echokit brought up the rear. They followed the apprentice and watched as Raggedpaw caught two mice, a lizard and a blackbird while making sure Rubyclaw didn't see them. The two kits followed Raggedpaw into another clearing. This clearing looked exactly the same as the other one except for a single tree stump right in the middle. Moonkit stared at Raggedpaw with admiration as he caught another mouse on the far side of the clearing, right in front of the tree stump. Echokit looked over at Moonkit once again, but to her dismay, Moonkit no longer had admiration on her face, instead she had utter horror. Echokit looked back at Raggedpaw and let out a quiet scream.
Right in front of Raggedpaw stood a growling, hungry fox.
"Where's Rubyclaw!" screeched Moonkit, "go find her!"
Echokit stood still, frozen to the ground. Terror pulsed through her veins. Raggedpaw backed away from the fox, still holding his mouse, and tripped over the tree stump. He stumbled backwards and was unable to get up.
"Go!" yelled Moonkit.
Echokit finally managed to sprint to where she last saw Rubyclaw. Echokit sprinted through bushes and nearly ran into a tree but eventually she got to where she had to go. She found Rubyclaw stuck in a thorn bush, when she saw Echokit he spat out an annoyed "How-" but was cut off by the scream of Raggedpaw followed by a scream from Moonkit.
"Raggedpaw!" Rubyclaw yowled and she tried to sprint to help Raggedpaw but she was still stuck in the thorn bush. Echokit sprinted back to Moonkit but was too out of breath to explain what had happened. Echokit looked at Raggedpaw to see the fox score its claws down the apprentices flank. Anger flared through Echokit and she started sprinting towards the fox.
'No one hurts Raggedpaw!' Echokit jumped on the fox's back. The fox threw her off its back like she was a fly. Echokit landed on the side of the clearing, winded, she lay there for a while and lifted her head up in time to see Moonkit scratch the fox with her claws on its flank. The fox roared with anger and swatted Moonkit aside with its powerful paw.
"No-one does that to my sister except for me!" Echokit sprinted towards the fox with unsheathed claws and scored her claws down its hind leg, dodging the deathly blow that the fox gave her. After a few scratches and a near-death experience, Echokit realised that Moonkit joined in. Echokit jumped onto the fox's back, holding on with her life. Suddenly there was a rustling just in front of her. Four cats burst out the bushes, one of them her father Thrushpelt. A patrol!
The sudden arrival took Echokit off guard and the fox managed to buck her off. Echokit went flying through the air and what were heartbeats felt like moons; she hit a pine tree and went crashing to the ground. Soon, everything went black.
"Echokit! She's going to die isn't she" sobbed Moonkit, "it's my fault; she's dead because of me!"
Echokit opened her eyes, Moonkit was standing over her and so was Echokit's father, Thrushpelt.
"Echokit, you're alive!" exclaimed Moonkit, frantically licking Echokit's head. They were still in the clearing but the fox was gone.
"Is Raggedpaw alright?" Echokit managed to say.
"He's fine, but he needs medical treatment" replied her father, "in fact, now that your better we can start getting back to camp". Echokit staggered to her feet and started to walk the way that she thought camp was. They walked for what felt like moons but eventually they made it back to camp. Dawnflower, Echokit's and Moonkit's mother was frantically sniffing every tree she could. When she saw them she let out an exhilarated yowl. "My kits!"
