Chapter 2

After watching Shadepelt go, Maggotkit turned to Meadowstep. "What's Shadepelt's favorite prey?" he asked.

Meadowstep's eyes were full of sympathy. "Oh, dear," she murmured. But then she said, "Mouse, dear. Her favorite prey is mouse."

"What's that look like?" Maggotkit asked curiously. He really hoped it wouldn't be too big for him to carry. He wanted to present it to his mother all on his own.

"Stupid kit doesn't know what a mouse looks like," Eaglekit snickered.

Meadowstep swatted at Eaglekit's ear with a hiss. "He's barely seen the camp!" she growled.

"Owww," Eaglekit complained. She shot Maggotkit a resentful glare.

"It's small, brown, and furry with little ears and long, skinny tail," Meadowstep explained patiently.

"Okay!" he replied cheerfully.

He stepped out of the nursery and into the sunlight. Soon he spotted a pile that was full of the bodies of prey.

Spotting a mouse near the bottom of the heap, Maggotkit dragged it out by its tail. There he got a good look at it. It was almost the size of him!

"Hey!" an unfamiliar female voice said.

Maggotkit turned, letting the mouse tail fall from his mouth. A black she-cat with dark blue eyes was watching him. "Aren't you a little too young to be eating prey?" she asked quizzically, surveying his small form.

"It's not for me, it's for my mother," Maggotkit explained.

"You're Sparrowclaw's son, aren't you?" she said.

"Yes, I am," Maggotkit replied. He then added in his mind, "But I'd never know it seeing that I haven't met the tom!"

"You look just like he did at that age. Except you have green eyes instead of yellow," the she-cat observed. Then she stopped. "Oh, wait, where are my manners? My name is Rooktail. I am your father's sister."

"And I'm-" Maggotkit started but was cut off by Rooktail.

"Maggotkit? I know," Rooktail replied with a flick of her tail.

"Where is my father anyway?" Maggotkit asked.

"Hunting, I believe," Rooktail replied, "Maybe you'll see him later."

Maggotkit shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe I will, maybe I won't," he replied.

"And why would you say that?" Rooktail asked, her voice holding a touch of amusement.

"Because he and my mother hate each other," Maggotkit answered matter-of-factly.

Rooktail froze. Maggotkit could tell that whatever answer the black she-cat had been expecting most certainly was not this. "How," she asked cautiously, "Did you know that?"

Maggotkit blinked up at her. "One of the older kits told me," he replied earnestly. He didn't say Daisykit had been the one to tell him because he had a feeling he wasn't supposed to know that. Also, he didn't want the only friend he had to get into trouble.

Rooktail closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, she opened them again. "Well!" she said with false cheer, "It was great to meet you, but I think you should be getting that prey to your mother now, eh?"

Maggotkit was thoroughly confused, but said, "Um, yeah, I'll see you, I guess."

Maggotkit grabbed his mouse by the tail and made his way over to where Shadepelt was lying in the sun, her eyes closed as she soaked up the rays. "Shadepelt?" he asked uncertainly.

Shadepelt's green eyes sprang open. "What do you want?" she growled hostilely, narrowing her eyes.

Setting the mouse at her paws, Maggotkit replied nervously, "I-I heard that mouse was your favorite prey so I went and got you one."

Shadepelt took one look at the prey and snorted with disgust. "Look at this!" she screeched, "This mouse is clearly stale and look at the state of it, dragged along the ground!"

"S-so you want me to get you another mouse?" Maggotkit stammered. This was not going the way he had hoped it would. He didn't think there was anything wrong with the mouse but apparently there was.

"No!" Shadepelt screeched, "Get out of my sight!"

Maggotkit was all too happy to obey. Turning tail, he ran for the nursery and didn't stop running until he reached his nest.

Curling in his nest, he thanked Starclan the nursery was empty at the moment. He was sure that a majority of the clan had seen what had happened. Why did Shadepelt hate him so strongly? Why did his parents hate each other? And why hasn't he ever met Sparrowclaw? Maggotkit was determined to find answers.

Maggotkit laid in his nest, feeling sorry for a while. Then the entrance to the nursery rustled and Daisykit came in. "What are you doing here? C'mon, let's play!" she urged.

Maggotkit lifted his head. "You saw what happened with Shadepelt," he murmured.

"Psh, forget about her!" Daisykit scoffed.

"I can't!" he replied, "She's my mother!"

"At least come outside," Daisykit coaxed, "You haven't even met most of the clan yet!"

"Will they even want to meet me?" Maggotkit thought. But then he said after hesitating, "Alright."

"I'll introduce you to the elders," Daisykit continued.

"Elders? Who are they?" Maggotkit asked, following Daisykit outside.

"The oldest cats in the clan. They have served for seasons and are now in retirement," Daisykit explained, "They tell great stories!"

Daisykit led him over to where three old cats were lounging lazily in the the sun. "Hello there, youngsters!" a tortoiseshell she-cat purred.

"Hi, Flowershine," Daisykit greeted, "This is Maggotkit!"

Maggotkit watched the old cats to gauge their reaction to his name. The two old toms' eyes widened, while Flowershine did not betray any emotions.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Flowershine purred, "And these are Thistleberry and Scorchheart."

She pointed to the gray and ginger tom in turn with her tail. "Nice to meet you," Thistleberry said, avoiding eye contact.

Maggotkit was again confused. What could the elder be concerned about? He was just a kit, after all. "Alright, go and play now," Flowershine said gently, giving them a nudge, "It's a beautiful day."

Saying their goodbyes, the kits scampered back towards the nursery. Maggotkit noticed that Shadepelt was gone, and that his mouse remained untouched. He let out a little sigh. Daisykit heard his sigh and followed his eyes to where the prey lay. "Ohhh. Did she not like the mouse?" Daisykit asked sympathetically.

"She said it was dusty and stale," Maggotkit replied, looking at his paws.

Daisykit marched over to the mouse and gave it a sniff. "There's nothing wrong with this mouse!" she said indigently, "This is perfectly good!"

Maggotkit looked up. "Really?" he asked.

"Yes, really," Daisykit replied.

"Hm," Maggotkit said thoughtfully, "I remember that sometimes the apprentices would come in and clean our nests. Hey, that's it! I'll make her a really soft nest! Then she's gotta stop being angry at me for whatever I did! Daisykit, where would I get some fresh moss and feathers?"

"Well, the forest, but the medicine cats are bound to have some," Daisykit replied.

"Well, then, let's go!" Maggotkit said excitedly, shifting from paw to paw.

Daisykit purred with laughter. "C'mon, mousebrain," she purred.

Daisykit led the way across the clearing to another den. "Sweetflower?" she called as they stepped in.

A tortoiseshell she-cat with light green eyes and a smaller, light brown tabby looked up from where they were sorting herbs. "Hello, Daisykit," the tortoiseshell, presumably Sweetflower, greeted.

"Hey, Daisykit," the other, smaller cat greeted.

Daisykit turned to Maggotkit. "These are the medicine cats. This is Sweetflower and her apprentice, Mallowpaw.

"Nice to meet you," Maggotkit replied.

"Likewise," Mallowpaw said, dipping her head briefly.

"What was it you needed?" Sweetflower asked.

"I wanted some moss and feathers to make Shadepelt a new nest," Maggotkit explained.

Sweetflower and Mallowpaw exchanged a glance. "Did Shadepelt tell you to make her a new nest?" Sweetflower asked hesitantly.

"No," Maggotkit replied, "But I want to."

Again Sweetflower and Mallowpaw exchanged a glance. "Um, Maggotkit, I know you mean well, but I think you should leave Shadepelt's nest be," Mallowpaw said.

"Why?" Maggotkit asked in confusion.

"Well, most cats, Shadepelt included, don't really like anyone's messing with their nests unless they have told them too," Sweetflower explained patiently.

This made sense to Maggotkit. "Alright," he replied.

Sweetflower gave him a gentle nudge. "Now, it's a beautiful day. Both of you go and play."

Maggotkit and Daisykit said their goodbyes and left the den. Eaglekit and Lightningkit were playing mossball and looked like they were overall having a great time. "Let's go and play with them!" Daisykit exclaimed.

Maggotkit wasn't so sure that that was a good idea, but he followed Daisykit anyway.

"Can we play?" Daisykit called.

The two kits stopped what they were doing. "You can," Lightningkit replied loftily, "But he can't."

"Why not?" Daisykit asked in bewilderment.

"Of course Meadowstep hasn't told you, Daisykit and Eaglekit, but Sandfoot told me all about this kit," Lightningkit sneered.

"What about me?" Maggotkit asked, tiliting his head to the side curiously. He decided that he wouldn't probably get information out of the older tom if he wasn't hostile about his questions.

"I'm sure you'll all learn in time. After all, the entire clan knows what your father did," Lightningkit continued to sneer.

Maggotkit pricked his ears. "What my father did," he echoed, "What did my father do?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!" Lightningkit snickered, "I'm sure you'll find out soon enough!"

"Leave him alone!" Daisykit argued, "Maggotkit is not responsible for the actions of his father! Besides, whatever he did could have even been that bad! Otherwise he would have been banished from the clan!"

Lightningkit grinned evilly. "Oh, you have no idea."