…
Dawnlight looked from Echobreeze to the kits in astonishment. "You told them you were their mother?" she asked, not sounding outraged, but just stunned.
"I—I never—no—I didn't—" Echobreeze spluttered.
"Well, Daisy and Ferncloud said neither of them were our mother," Ringkit meowed imploringly, "so I guessed that since Echobreeze was always with us that she was our mother. And you are, right?"
Dawnlight curled the kits into her tail. "No, little ones," she meowed soothingly. "Echobreeze isn't your mother."
"Oh." Ringkit's head furrowed in bewilderment. "Then are you, Dawnlight?"
"No," Dawnlight meowed again. "I am the sister of your father, Tigerheart, and Echobreeze is the sister of your mother. Her name is Dappleberry."
"Where is she?" Ringkit asked. "Is she gone, like Firekit and Leafkit's mother?"
"No, she's not," Echobreeze meowed firmly. "She's in the medicine cats' den. She was…sick, and she needed to get better before she could come and take care of you."
"What are we going to do with the kits?" Breezepelt broke in, coming up next to them. "We can't waste time taking the little pieces of fox-dung back to ThunderClan." His face split into a sneer. "Unless one of you'd like to take them back. Maybe even both of you. That would be even better."
Echobreeze whirled around. "Say that again," she growled dangerously.
"You can't make me," Breezepelt meowed arrogantly.
"Coward," Echobreeze snarled.
"Breezepelt's right, you know," Robinflight called.
"Stay out of this, fish-face!" Echobreeze hissed. She turned back to Breezepelt. "You're too weak to admit what you said?"
Breezepelt unsheathed his claws. "You wouldn't dare called me weak."
"I would, Breezekit," Echobreeze taunted.
Breezepelt lunged at Echobreeze, with yowls of "Stop!" from Squirrelflight and Willowshine; a silent mocking of Breezepelt came off of Lionblaze and Jayfeather; Robinflight and Crowfeather were silently egging on Breezepelt, while Dovewing and Ivyvine, who had suddenly appeared, were openly yowling, "Claw his face off, Echobreeze!"
Echobreeze dodged Breezepelt's first lunge, but being so quick as a WindClan cat, he easily regained his composure and came at her again; Echobreeze felt glad that she had some WindClan blood in her as she dodged his other attack and sprang onto his back, realizing that Breezepelt was Jayfeather's half-brother, and therefore her kin.
Heathertail was just watching her mate, her eyes flicking back and forth from Breezepelt to Echobreeze, as though almost unsure who to root for.
Echobreeze clawed out clumps of fur from Breezepelt's shoulder, and he snarled and shook her off; she landed deftly on her feet and shot him a furious glare, her pale blue eyes blazing.
"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get," Breezepelt caterwauled, and the two started fighting again. The kits were squealing "Go, Echobreeze!" The blood roared in her ears as she thought of what Breezepelt had called her sister's kits…pieces of fox dung…You're a piece of fox-dung, Breezpelt…
Echobreeze gracefully twisted away from Breezepelt's slashing claws, and retaliated by slashing her own claws down his flank, feeling the warm blood begin to flow under her paw. She leapt out of the way as Breezepelt tried to kick out at her, and slid herself quickly along the ground and under his belly, where she slashed and twirled her way out again before Breezepelt came crashing down on her. She felt the wind rippling through her fur, the power coursing through her muscles.
Is this how Lionblaze feels, she wondered as she dodged another of Breezepelt's attacks, when he's fighting? Like he can't be touched…like he can't be hurt?
…
