Little Bits
The small rays of sunlight poured over the thick forest. It's slanting lights creating a thick array of many tone and hues. It looked Beautiful to Birchkit. He had only seen a bit of the Clans territory here and there while walking with his mother to ThunderClan's new territory, and he forgot most of it already.
But Birchkit felt he was going the right way through ThunderClan's territory. The very ground was easy enough to maneuver. Though the trails of ThunderClan were not yet defined, it was more than enough to locate through them And he had asked Ferncloud which direction led to ShadowClan back in the nursery.
"ShadowClan is located where the sun sets, little one," she muttered sleepily late in the day. "And to go back to ThunderClan is to follow the direction where the sun rises. If you can follow that, it's as easy as walking around camp." Her eyes suddenly opened, looking down Birchkit with suspicious eyes. "Why?"
He kneaded the moss nest nervously with his tiny paws. "It's... um, because I heard Squirrelflight talking about it. And I want to learn as much as I can before I leave the nursery to become an apprentice!" It was not the best lie, but Ferncloud took it either way, unaware her kit was going to actually try leaving camp.
He had been a bit guilty lying to his own mother, but Birchkit could imagine how truly furious she would be if she knew why he asked her in the first place.
At the moment, he was following own a worn path that smelled strongly of ThunderClan. He suspected it might be the border patrol. That meant he was close! Birchkit struggled over a fallen down log, turned around a bend of trees, and found himself facing ShadowClan's border.
There was not much to go by visually. Just some tall trees, and some pines. But Birchkit remembered to smell where he was before taking another step. ShadowClan's reek was strong. But they also smelled like his friends. He wrinkled his nose as he left the cover of the close growing trees of ThunderClan.
Because of his small form, the kit was extremely exhausted coming here. He lay lay to rest himself beside a rock. He sighed as he felt the sun's rays warming his pelt.
He didn't even close his eyes when something tackled him to the ground.
Birchkit screamed in terror, kicking out with his legs. He was surprised to find that he was actually able to push his attacker off him. The kit stood, fur fluffing his fear, fear scent heavy on him.
He blinked once, then twice.
"Applekit!"
The dark mottled kit's eyes were dizzy. "Ow... that hurt."
Birchkit bounded beside her. "Where did you learn a move like that!"
"Oakheart taught it to me," she mewed superiority, standing firmly on her paws. "He taught me and my siblings in case we came into danger!"
"I wish I learned something," he mewed longingly. Then again, he had been told that a kit shouldn't learn anything until they become apprentices. But he didn't think it was very fair. He looked over the kit's shoulder. "Where are Toadkit and Marshkit?"
"They were too scared to come." Applekit crouched, stalking a leaf. "But I'm not. I'M not scared of anything!"
Birchkit frowned. He had been hoping to see them too. "Can you tell them I said hi for me?"
"Sure." Applekit pounced on the leaf. She flung it Birchkit's way. He squeaked as it slapped him on the face, falling backwards. "Scardy-kit!"
He stood angrily. "I'm NOT a scardy-kit!"
"Are too!"
"Are not!"
And the kits argued like that for some time, until Applekit lost interest. She groomed an ear, turning her head away. "I'm going to grow up to be a warrior for ShadowClan. What about you?"
That wasn't hard to answer. "A warrior too!"
"I'd hate to be a medicine cat." The mottled brown kit made a face. "It smells bad every time I'm in Littlecloud's den!"
"Hey, medicine cats are important to the Clan!" Birchkit protested, remembering what Ferncloud told him. "They help heal a Clan."
Applekit sniffed a rock, her interest in the conversation lost again. "What is this?"
Birchkit frowned, coming beside her. It looked like water on the rock. But it was thicker, green, and smelled bad!
He backed away at once. "I don't think we should go near that..."
"Why? Scardy-kit?" Applekit taunted again. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "I dare you to eat some!"
Birchkit shook his head vigorously. "I'm not a Scardy-kit. But Ferncloud told me never to eat anything that doesn't look safe."
"Come on," the mottled brown she-kit whined. "Here, I'll try some first. Then you." She bent down to take a lick. Birchkit watched in frozen interest.
A shadow fell over the kits. "What do we have here?"
Birchkit squeaked as a large dark red cat lifted Applekit by the scruff. Two other cats appeared. One was a tortoiseshell, and another a bit white tom with black ears. They looked familiar, as if he'd seen them somewhere before. But at the moment, they were complete strangers to him. And they had Applekit!
Birchkit stood before the red tom, shaking. "Leave her alone!" he mewed, arching his small back.
The red tom raised his eyebrows. "Looks like Applekit made a friend," he mewed around the corner of the kit's mouth.
Applekit, meanwhile, was squirming under his hold. "Let me go, Rowanclaw!" she protested.
"Not in your life, kit. Tallpoppy's worried sick about you."
He knew Tallpoppy? Birchkit sniffed the red tom gingerly. He had he same scent as Applekit. "Are you all ShadowClan?"
The white cat rolled his eyes. "No, we're foxes under disguise."
Birchkit yelped.
"Blackstar," the tortoiseshell she-cat sighed. She lowered her head, Birchkit scrambled back. "Hey, aren't you ThunderClan?"
Birchkit nodded sheepishly. "Please don't tell Ferncloud."
"Looks like Applekit's not the only one walking around with her mother's consent," the tortoiseshell she-cat mewed, amusement in her eyes.
Blackstar didn't take any notice as he observed the green stuff on the rock. "Another of these things," he muttered, sniffing it. He made the same look Applekit made. "Lucky you grabbed her before she took a plunge Rowanclaw. Take her back to camp before she does something else to give Tallpoppy a heart-attack.
Rowanclaw dipped his head before leaving with Applekit, who looked grumpy as she was led back to Camp. Blackstar turned his fierce yellow eyes on Birchkit. The kit lowered his ears, head on his paws in fright.
"What are you doing so far from camp?"
"N-nothing."
"Nothing," he snorted. "I've heard that one before... let's go, Tawnypelt."
The tortoiseshell she-cat stayed where she was. "We can't just leave him here."
Blackstar paused from disappearing in the Pines. " He's in ThunderClan territory. He has nothing to do with us. Let's go. Now!"
"But the Warrior Code states that no kit is to—"
"Fine!" Blackstar spat impatiently. "Take him to ThunderClan, he's YOUR problem! Just remember to stay at least five tail-lengths from the lake," he muttered. "Doubt they'd give you a warning walking through their territory even if you do have a family in that Clan of theirs."
Tawnypelt dipped her head. She bent to scoop Birchkit. He didn't put up much of a fight. Blackstar still scared him. And, without a word, the she-cat took him back to ThunderClan territory and his home.
"That big cat scares me," Birchkit mewed quietly as she led him home."
Tawnypelt shrugged. "Blackstar may seem frighting, but he's actually very caring," she muttered around his scruff.
Birchkit looked over his shoulder up at the she-cat. "How do you know where we're going?"
Tawnypelt didn't answer. "So what were you doing so far from camp?"
"I wanted to see my friends again." Birchkit didn't think there was any harm in telling the truth. At least she wasn't Ferncloud. "But only Applekit came."
Tawnypelt leaped over a fallen log, and bounded down a slope in a trot. "You really shouldn't be off from camp at such a young age. You can see your friends again when you're older."
"But if I do that, we'll be enemies," Birchkit pointed out. "Clan cats are not supposed to have friends between Clans. I wanted to spend time with them before we grew up and hate each other."
Tawnypelt faltered in midstep, almost dropping her luggage. Birchkit squeaked again in fright. She regained her balance just in time.
"Sorry about that." She stared down the Hollow that was ThunderClan with Birchkit. The ShadowClan warrior let him down. "Well, here's your home."
Birchkit looked over the hollow. It looked really big from up here. And too high... he stumbled back, hiding behind Tawnypelt's legs.
"Can you take me back to camp, please?" he asked quietly.
Tawnypelt purred lightly. "Of course."
This story was requested by someone. But I kind of forgot who... either way, I was very interested in typing out a story under the POV of its. It was hard, but I tried. How was it? ^^"
