Hezzo! This chapter was written by Moonstream-Warrior, who told me and I quote: "POST MY CHAPTER AND START YOUR LAZY BUTT ON YOUR CHAPTER!! BEFORE WE GET BATTERED BY UPDATE REVIEWS/PMS!!!!!!" Ahem. So, here is her chapter, but I will not update until we have at least 7 more reviews.
Chapter 3 Brackenfur's POV
Sorreltail was running all over camp, mewling, "Molekit! Sunkit!"
"Where could they have gone?" I wondered aloud, "They're hardly a moon old!" I turned to Blossompaw and hissed urgently to her, "Did you see them when you came back? Sorreltail said she went to make dirt, and they were gone when she went back to the nursery." I did not wait for an answer and raced off to the warriors' den.
Blossompaw's POV
I looked after my mentor as he ran to the den where the warriors slept. His fur shone in the sunlight, making him look very handsome… I shook myself to get rid of those thoughts. Think of where the kits could be! I wondered. I padded over to the frantic Sorreltail. "Sorreltail," I mewed to the tortoiseshell queen, "Tell me exactly what happened." Sorreltail sat down, took a deep breath to become calm, and began.
"I needed to go make dirt, so I asked Daisy to watch Molekit and Sunkit. After I was done, I walked quickly back to the nursery, Daisy had left recently, but there was only a faint scent of my kits!" She started wailing. I went over what she had said in my mind. So... she went to make dirt, ran back, the kits were gone.
Then, it hit me. I pelted over to Brackenfur. "Brackenfur," I panted, "The kits… dirtplace..."
"Yes, I know," he said, not getting what I was saying, "The kits went missing when Sorreltail went to the dirtplace."
"No! They might have followed her scent to dirtplace!" I said after I had regained my breath. The golden tom finally understood what I was saying. He nodded and we ran to the nursery, matching step-for-step.
At first, when we got to the dirtplace, there was no scent of either of the kits. Then, I smelled a mix of Sorreltail, milk, and the kits' own scent. Brackenfur was oblivious, still smelling the air. I flicked his ear with my tail, signaling for him to follow. We found the kits in the farthest corner of dirtplace, (where Sorreltail's scent was strongest) mewling for their mother.
"Yes! We found them!" I almost yowled. I padded over to Molekit, the smallest, and wrapped my tail around him. He stopped squirming and was quiet immediately. Then Sunkit crawled over to Brackenfur. He must have some of his mate's scent on his pelt. I guessed. I had a sudden feeling of anger at thinking of Sorreltail as Brackenfur's mate. Was-was that jealousy? I shook off the feeling, picked Molekit up by the scruff as Brackenfur had done with Sunkit, and led the way out of dirtplace.
Brackenfur's POV
As soon as Blossompaw and I set foot in the hollow, Sorreltail cried out and rushed over to us. My apprentice handed Molekit over to the tortoiseshell, and followed her to the nursery, and I followed suit with Sunkit. Once we had settled the kits back in their nest, Sorreltail asked us where the kits were and how I knew.
I twitched my whiskers in amusement and told my mate, "They were at dirtplace, and Blossompaw figured they had followed your scent there." I gazed at my young apprentice and felt feelings of pride, and… love? Could I really love my apprentice? Was that against the warrior code? What about Sorreltail? What if Blossompaw and I had kits once the brown she-cat became a warrior?
I mentally shook my head and said to Blossompaw, "Well, it's late, and you've had a big day. Get some rest and tomorrow we'll work on fighting." She nodded and followed me out of the den. I meowed goodnight to her, and padded to the warriors' den and into my comfortable nest.
Tada.
