Ravenkit blinked up at Froststar as she summoned the Clan, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Sharp Rock for a Clan meeting!"
Flamekit scampered out of the nursery behind him. "What's going on?"
Sandkit scampered over. "It's not a warrior or apprentice ceremony, I know that."
Ravenkit scanned the clearing curiously. "I think it has something to do with Heartpool."
Ashkit looked at him curiously. "How can you tell?"
Ravenkit flicked his tail to the elderly medicine cat who sat well groomed in the center of the clearing. "It's the first time in moons I've seen him that clean!"
"Stop talking and come watch!" Dustkit demanded before going to sit on the edge of the clearing.
The other kits quickly followed.
"Cats of WolfClan, we are gathered to pay our thanks to a cat who has saved everyone of our lives. Heartpool, you have served this Clan to the best of your abilities and I will forever miss having you by my side to help lead me through the challenging parts of leading WolfClan. I will forever owe you more than my life," Froststar started.
Ravenkit beamed. "I was right!" He exclaimed.
"Cool! I've never seen this type of ceremony!" Flamekit said excitedly.
"Heartpool, is it your wish to give up your name of medicine cat and join the elders?" Froststar asked calmly.
"It is," Heartpool rasped.
"Your Clan honors you and your service to us. I call upon StarClan to give you many seasons of rest," Froststar finished jumping down and dipped her head to the newly-made elder.
He padded up to her when she dismissed the Clan, and Flamekit nudged Ravenkit.
"I want to do something like him! Not be stuck in the medicine cat den surrounded by sick cats all day but I want to explore and give service to my Clan and all I can do is make the stupid elders laugh!" Flamekit scowled.
Ravenkit frowned. "You will when you become an apprentice!"
"I want to now, though! I say tonight we sneak out of camp I heard a fox is running around. If we can find it and chase it away we will be the bravest kits in all of the Clans!" Flamekit exclaimed.
Ravenkit looked at him to make sure he was serious. Eventually, his want to see the territory won.
"Alright.. How?"
"We will sneak out the dirt place tunnel! No cat will be able to smell us," Flamekit said confidently.
Ravenkit nodded, grinning, as his mother called him for bed. "See you at midnight!"
He scampered over to his mother, Sandkit, Dustkit, and Crowkit on his heels. They slid in and curled close to each other. Roseheart curled around her kits and started to drift off, the warmth enveloping them. Ravenkit dreamed he was racing through the territory as Flamekit chased after him. Laughing, he grinned in his slumber at the image. He felt a cold paw nudge him and looked up.
"Is it time?" Ravenkit sleepily asked Flamekit.
Flamekit nodded excitedly. "Yep! Let's go!"
Ravenkit nudged his siblings before scampering quietly out of the nursery. Flamekit led the way to the dirt place tunnel. Ravenkit scanned camp to make sure no cat was following them before disappearing out of the tunnel. Ravenkit allowed the others to go before scampering through himself.
Crowkit looked around in awe. "Wow!"
Ravenkit agreed with his brother - wow was the only word matched for their territory. It was darker than in camp and crowded with trees, making it was hard to see between them, they were so thick.
Flamekit looked around. "See, this is what warriors are suppose to do! Go on missions!"
Ravenkit couldn't help being happy that he was out here. "So where do you think that fox is?"
Ashkit tasted the air like he saw the warriors do. An unfamiliar tang hit his taste buds. "I think that way?"
Ravenkit nodded. "Lead the way Ashclaw!"
"Yes, Ravenstar!" he exclaimed before dashing off.
Ravenkit followed.
He rushed through the forest. Ravenkit's fluffy kitten pelt snagged on twigs and bushes. He couldn't jump over the stumps and logs that warriors and apprentice could. But they made it to the middle of the territory before he knew anything but that was probably because he was enjoying this too much. He looked at Ashkit.
Ashkit frowned. "The scent is the strongest here. I can't figure out where…."
The air was split with a high pitched scream and Ravenkit turned around. About two tail lengths away was a red creature with a white-tipped tail. Dustkit stood closest to the fox. Ravenkit, without thinking, lunged forward and raked his claws down the fox's muzzle before scampering out of the way. The fox threw back its head back with an angry growl before lunging at Dustkit. Dustkit tried to dodge the fox but the fox slammed a paw down on his tail, snarling. Ravenkit stood in horror and watched, frozen in place, as the fox bit down on Dustkit.
Ravenkit shook his head angrily. "Get off of him, fox breath!" He yowled, lunging forward. Flamekit stopped him.
"We have to get back to camp!" The other tomkit demanded.
Sandkit and Crowkit had already raced away. Ashkit waited for the
other kits at the edge of the clearing. Ravenkit looked at his
brother's body.
Flamekit nudged him. "You won't do him a favor. You can't save him!"
Ravenkit knew his friend was right and dashed after his siblings, Ashkit and Flamekit quickly
following. Ravenkit raced up to the camp. Sandkit and Crowkit were waiting there with Lionwhisker who was on guard duty. Lionwhisker looked shocked at seeing them.
"What are you kits doing out here?" he asked them coolly.
Ravenkit's voice shook as he answered "We wanted to try and get rid of that fox that was in our territory."
"Where is Dustkit?" asked Sandkit.
Ravenkit looked at his paws, tears pricking his eyes. Sandkit looked at him, silent.
Lionwhisker seemed to get it. "Come on, let's get into camp." he meowed.
Ravenkit nodded and padded in. Roseheart rushed over to him
and licked his head.
"Where have you kits been! I woke up and you weren't in our nest!" she exclaimed.
Ravenkit looked up at her "We're fine!" he looked at his paws, knowing that he had worried his mother.
Whitefoot raced over to them "Oh, great StarClan, good, you found them!"
Froststar padded over. "Lionwhisker, did you take them out of camp?"
The warrior shook his head staring at his leader half in shock half in disbelief. . "No, they snuck out of camp and thought it would be a good idea to go find that fox we've been having trouble with."
Roseheart turned on her kits staring at them in disbelief and worry, before gasping. "Where is Dustkit?"
Ravenkit gulped nervously. "The fox…."
Roseheart stared at him before dashing out of camp. Whitefoot scent a disappointed glare towards his kits before followed after her. Ravenkit looked after his parents, grief crashing over him.
Cloudbreeze looked after her brother before turning on the other kits. "Ravenkit, Crowkit and Sandkit, go in the nursery right now."
Ravenkit didn't argue and padded in. Sandkit stayed out, arguing how it had been Flamekit's idea. Crowkit slunk into the nursery after him. Flamekit and Ashkit followed after Sandkit. Both kits looked at the other three.
Flamekit placed his tail on Ravenkit's shoulder "I am so sorry."
Ravenkit felt the tears he had been hold back leak down his cheek. He curled into a ball in his nest. His ears flat against his
head. His flattened ears did nothing to block out Roseheart's wails when she got back to camp. He whimpered. Crowkit and Sandkit moved closer to him as they heard their clanmates try to comfort his parents.
"I am so sorry Roseheart," Cloudbreeze meowed to Ravenkit's mother as she too cried.
Roseheart pushed into the nursery a few moment after. Her tears streaming down her face and a disappointed scowl on
her face. Whitefoot followed her his eyes bloodshot from crying. Froststar padded in with an very angry frown. Featherflight was sitting in her nest, having came in scolding Ashkit, when the other kits did. Flamekit's mother, Skywhisker, padded in behind Roseheart.
Ravenkit sat up. "I'm sorry!" He said immediately, numbness spreading through his body as he took note of every cat's expression.
Sandkit jumped in quickly. "No, Ravenkit was really brave out there! He scratched that fox! He wanted to help Dustkit! If it was anyone's fault, it was mine!"
Flamekit looked slightly nervous but he spoke up, determined nonetheless. "No, it was mine!"
"Enough!" Roseheart snarled.
Ravenkit flattened his ears against his skull. He had never saw his mother this angry. Whitefoot placed his tail on her shoulder before turning back to the kits. "It's every single one of your faults!" Ravenkit's father meowed, "Flamekit, yes,you suggested it, but the others could have said no. Mouse brains!"
The other kits looked at their paws. Flamekit flattened his ears and dropped his tail and head.
Froststar's gaze icily stared at them. "You will face punishment. You will all be confined to the nursery for two moons and your apprenticeship ceremony will be held back a moon for each of you." She said frostily. "The death of a clanmate, a kit nonetheless, is no laughing matter."
Ravenkit had to blink back tears. "I am really sorry! I didn't mean for Dustkit to die!"
Roseheart's gaze softened a bit and she licked him on the head. "We know you didn't, but if you had followed the rules and stayed in camp he would still be here."
Ravenkit frowned and looked at his paws - he knew this, of course, but his mother saying that was different.
Froststar dipped her head "Come on, you can come out tonight to pay your respects to your brother."
Ravenkit padded out of the nursery. His eyes widened as he saw his brother's broken, cold body. It made him feel worse, and more numbness seeped through his bones. He buried his face into Dustkit's frigid pelt and felt tears roll down his cheeks. He felt Sandkit and Crowkit press against his sides.
Roseheart's tail wrapped around her kits as she mourned for her dead son. Whitefoot pressed against her.