Woo! Summer's here! I surprisingly have been busy, I started writing a new story (Not on FF), and I'm starting to ride my new horse a lot too! :) He's one generation removed from the wild, his dad was a mustang and he's a wonderful horse! *Sigh* I love horses… and dogs… and cats… well… I'm a bit of an animal person huh? So anyways, about the story, sorry this is late; I don't have any good excuses. This chapter is a bit of character building, more so for Aspenkit this time though. Thanks for reviewing!
Stunningfire: Thanks! He is doing a lot better now :) I still can't help but worry though… Hehe I think Rainkit is kind of adorable myself… and I wrote her… hm… Haha, thanks for reviewing!
DahliaStarr: Oh yes, Boulderkit… *Shudder shudder*. And it's alright if you use that name, I don't own it. :) Thanks for reviewing!
Starbomb: Yep! Thanks for reviewing! :) And yeah, they do talk like adults, what Echopool was hinting at when she talked to Bramblekit "You're a kit! You shouldn't be like this!" Etc, etc.
xXLunarCharmXx: Haha suspense already! Thanks for reviewing! :)
Foxbracken: Ah, the feeling is mutual on Boulderkit. And yes, there is quite a bit to Aspenkit… Thanks for reviewing! :)
Sunleaf13: Hello! :) Oh yes, Bramblekit is similar to Rosestar, guess I just have a knack for writing short-tempered kitties. And yes, that would be quite weird wouldn't it XD, and who do you think the ShadowClan apprentice who would suit Rainkit? Probably with who she is already being shipped with from other fans ;)
Pengirl: Thanks for reviewing! And don't worry; I'll keep updating your story! :)
Issy922: Hi there! Haha yes, they both have… violent tendencies. Thanks for reviewing!
Stormfeather of IceClan: Very well said my friend :) Thanks for reviewing!
Galefire: Hi! Yes, the kitties in ShadowClan seem to mature too quickly :) They grow up so fast *Sob sob* Thanks for reviewing!
Hi10000000: Haha did I get enough 0's there? Thanks for reviewing!
Chapter 3
The Gathering was an amazing thing in Bramblekit's eyes. Though he'd never been to one, he had seen the way that the tawny elder, Whitewind's eyes has lightened up when she told the kits about her visits to the Gatherings. Bramblekit longed to go.
There, perhaps no cat would judge him as harshly as they did now, as long as Heatherstar kept her mouth shut about it, he could meet the other cats of the Clans. How different their lives must be compared to that of one in ShadowClan.
Bramblekit had seen a full moon before, but Rowanflower, another ShadowClan elder, had mentioned that the full moon seemed to shine brighter, glow with light when you were at the Island. Then the moonlight would shine down on the cats below, turning their pelt color silver. The cats would mingle and chat like old friends until their leaders would call to speak and announce news.
Bramblekit was desperate to go. And the idea had been nagging at him more and more since Hawkpaw's warning of his and Rainkit's banishment. That would mean that he'd never get to go to a Gathering. He twitched his tail with anticipation. Perhaps there would be a chance for him to go; maybe if he was to sneak beside his Clan without them knowing, and they could lead him to the Gathering.
That's a great idea! He admired his idea. He peered over to Rainkit who sat beside him, nibbling on a scrawny frog. Would she come with him if he proposed the idea to her? Probably not… but I still would like her to come, I want to keep a constant eye on her.
He looked back to Rainkit again; her long gray fur was covered in snow as it fell heavily from the sky. He kept his pelt pressed against hers to conserve the heat, so he couldn't leave now to speak with Aspenkit, Rainkit would get too cold. He kept his short brown fur brushing against hers until she lifted her head up from her frog; her blue eyes were slightly drifted.
"I'm finished." She said quietly, rising to her paws. "Let's head back to the nursery, it's freezing out here." She grumbled.
Bramblekit nodded, sneezing as a snowflake landed on his nose. "But first, I need to ask you something." He spoke up. Rainkit tilted her head as she turned to face him, but flicked her tail to signal for him to go on. "So… I want to go to the Gathering tonight." His eyes shone once more.
Rainkit's eyes widened. "Bramblekit, are you crazy?" she said in a quiet voice. "It's cold out here, you could freeze to death!"
Bramblekit nodded glumly. "Yeah, it's very cold." He agreed, slightly hurt that Rainkit didn't want to accompany him. I'll just go by myself… He thought.
Bramblekit could see how packed the nursery way getting now, with everybody crammed into it. ShadowClan's nursery wasn't very large to start with anyways, but now they had Willowbreath and her three kits, and Echopool and her round belly full of new kits to come, plus Rainkit and himself who were growing rapidly with their age.
Echopool was grooming her fur near the back, where Willowbreath, Aspenkit, Boulderkit, and Cloudkit were hunched beside her. The two queens had set aside their disputes with the freezing air taking away their spirits. Bramblekit bounded over to join Echopool, with Rainkit beside him. Echopool smiled as she saw them.
"Hello." She purred, leaning down to give each of them a lick on the forehead.
"Hi." Bramblekit rumbled.
"A horrible night for a Gathering, isn't it?" Willowbreath spoke up, her comment directed towards no one in particular.
Boulderkit nodded in agreement with his mother. "There's horrible weather outside."
"We'll be heading out for the Gathering soon." Echopool kept up a conversation. "I wonder who Heatherstar will decide to bring."
"Probably the stronger warriors." Aspenkit joined in. "It shows that ShadowClan is doing well through leaf-bare, though in honesty, we aren't."
Echopool glanced down at Aspenkit, a look of surprise on her face. Even though I don't like Aspenkit that much, I have to admit, she is pretty wise. Bramblekit thought.
He perked his brown striped ears as he heard a call ring out. He recognized the voice of it to be Mousefall, the deputy, probably announcing who would be coming to the Gathering. Bramblekit looked back at Echopool. "Can I go watch? I'd like to know who is going." He meowed.
Echopool nodded. "Yes, but come back right away."
I'll have to think of another way to get out of camp. Bramblekit reasoned, getting to his feet to trot out of the nursery, immediately met by a gust of cold wind along with a bundle of snow barraging against him. He raised a paw to rub it over his face for clearer vision.
He spotted Mousefall quickly, sitting calmly by the leader's den as her Clanmates gathered around to hear who would be going to represent ShadowClan.
"Blackstorm, Runningdust, Heavyfang, Dustpaw, and Shrewpaw will be joining Heatherstar, Goldwhisker, Hawkpaw, and me at the Gathering." She announced. Murmurs rose through the Clan as some trudged off to their dens and some stayed by Mousefall.
She'll make a good leader one day. Bramblekit admired the ShadowClan deputy. Mousefall sat high, though not too cockily. Her eyes showed leadership and wisdom, but compassion and kindness.
"We'll head out now." Mousefall meowed.
Fox-dung! I've got to get going. Bramblekit spurred around and raced back into the nursery, shaking his pelt in attempt to shed the layer of snow on him. He bounded over to Echopool, who was now curled around Rainkit, her eyes shut. She slowly opened them when she saw Bramblekit coming.
"Hello." She whispered. "Are they leaving for the Gathering?"
Bramblekit nodded. "Can I go use the dirt-place?" he asked.
"Of course." Echopool murmured, lowering her head back onto her paws.
Bramblekit turned back, padding out of the nursery in time to see his Clanmates disappearing from camp. He inhaled sharply. I'm going to have to keep up and keep quiet. He thought, taking off after them immediately.
He slipped out of camp unnoticed as the rest of Clanmates were tucked away in their nests. Bramblekit looked around, not taking time to admire the scenery. He quickly caught sight of the group of cats and started after them.
I'm glad there isn't much undergrowth in ShadowClan territory. He thought. That would make it a lot more difficult to keep up. He was still having a tough time, the cats ahead of him moved fast, easily gliding past the trees whereas Bramblekit was gasping for more breath. He was far enough away from them for them not to hear him, and the wind was buffeting his fur back, bringing their scent to him instead of the other way around.
"Gotcha!"
Bramblekit gasped as sudden pain flashed through his tail as it was pinned to the ground. He whipped around; unsheathing his claws and drawing his lips back to show his small white teeth at his attacker.
He was met by the innocent gaze of Aspenkit looking at him, her paw pressed promptly against his tail tip. "Calm down there Bramblekit, it's just me." She mewed.
Bramblekit wriggled his tail free of Aspenkit's grasp to wrap it around his paws. "What… What are you doing here?" he hissed, his mind swimming.
Aspenkit lifted her paw up to give it a slow lick. "I had my suspicions that you weren't just going to the dirt-place so I followed you." She meowed. "I can't believe you didn't notice me. I was making as much noise as a one-legged badger but you were too focused in following the patrol for you to bother looking behind you."
Embarrassment flushed through Bramblekit. "Whatever." He growled. "Just go back."
"Go back? No way! I'm coming with you."
Bramblekit twitched his tail tip irritably. "Just go back!" he didn't want to hurt the silver kit, she was his sister's friend.
"Make me." Aspenkit snapped back, her eyes starting to glow with matching anger.
Bramblekit sighed, letting the tension in his shoulders relax. "Fine." He agreed. "But we've got to hurry, I'm not waiting for you, I've wanted to see a Gathering for the longest time."
"Same here." Aspenkit mewed.
Bramblekit turned away from her, picking up the pace into a sprint, finding it easy to evade the trees that were large enough for him to weave around. He could hear Aspenkit's short breath behind him.
He peered ahead. No sign of ShadowClan. "Fox-dung." He cursed. "We lost them."
"Just keep going, you can pick up their scent if you really try." Aspenkit meowed.
Bramblekit parted his jaws to take in the many smells of the forest. He set aside the faint scent of prey and the strong smell of pine trees until he reached the vanishing scent of ShadowClan. "You're right." He meowed. "It's this way."
He took off at a sprint with Aspenkit struggling to keep up with him. The gray she-cat was one moon younger than him, but when you were a kit that one moon difference meant quite a bit. "Just keep going." He murmured. "They say that when you get down to the lake you'll be able to spot the island, and then we just go around by the lakeside until we reach the log that leads to the Island."
"But won't they be able to see us coming across the log? They'd recognize us as ShadowClan kits immediately." Aspenkit added.
"Good point." Bramblekit agreed. Maybe Aspenkit wasn't so bad after all. "But what's our alternative?"
"Hopefully by the time that we arrive the cats will be sharing tongues and won't notice us go across." Aspenkit mewed.
Bramblekit nodded. "I guess we will have to hope."
It was quite obvious to Bramblekit when they reached the lake. He'd heard cat's describing the massive amount of water that shimmered with the moon's reflection; there was no doubt for Bramblekit that this was the lake.
"Okay." He meowed to Aspenkit. "Even though we've lost ShadowClan's trail through the snow, we got to the lake now, so all we have to do is go around it." He meowed. He squinted his eyes to look across the lake to see the faded shape of what he guessed was the island on the horizon.
"It's freezing out." Aspenkit commented as they headed along the lake.
Bramblekit nodded. "I'm exhausted too." He added heaving a sigh. "Just wait until we're apprentices, they'll envy how muscular we are."
Aspenkit let out a purr of amusement. "From one outing? We're just starving ourselves even more."
Bramblekit frowned, ignoring the growing irritation of his hunger. "It's worth it though." He mumbled. At least I hope.
"We haven't even thought about the way back though." Aspenkit meowed, tilting her head with thought.
Bramblekit sighed. "Well… we'll make it anyways, nobody is going to worry about us, they'll all be asleep." He reasoned.
Aspenkit offered him a pained look. "Alright." She murmured. "Let's keep going." She dragged her tail across his spine as she picked up the pace. "I hope they don't start until we get there."
"Well they aren't waiting for us." Bramblekit grumbled. He picked his head back up to stop looking at his paws. "Hey look! There's the log!" he exclaimed, seeing the fallen tree that stretched from land to land.
"Wow!" Aspenkit breathed. She then scrunched up her eyes. "It looks slippery though." She murmured.
The two kits approached the log quickly; Bramblekit stepped forward towards it before looking across at the Island. "You're right." He whispered. "The other cats are too absorbed in their conversations to pay attention to us."
"You can go first." Aspenkit suggested her eyes wide.
"Actually, I think it'd be better for you to go first," Bramblekit argued, thinking.
"No thanks!" Aspenkit squeaked.
"Look, Aspenkit, I'm the bigger of the two of us, so if you go first and slip then I can grab you and pull you back on from here." Bramblekit reasoned.
"But what if you fall in?" Aspenkit asked.
"I'll just be extra careful." Bramblekit murmured. "Now go ahead." He motioned with his head.
Aspenkit nodded, her whiskers twitching. She held her breath as she stepped onto the snow-covered log and began to step across it very carefully, barely visible with her silver pelt in the midst of the snow storm. Bramblekit watched her carefully as she went by. It seemed like ages before she made it across to turn around and nod at him, signaling his time to come across.
Bramblekit took a deep breath, shaking his pelt to rid it of the fallen snow before stepping onto the log. His paw nearly swept him away with the first step, his eyes widened, surprised at how slick it was. He extracted his claws to help him stay on the log and began to slowly walk across. He made it to the mid-point went it went wrong. His foot slid, making him loose balance. He parted his jaws in terror but made no sound as he plummeted into the icy water.
