"Why do we have to go play outside?" Skunkkit whined as Sweetclaw herded the kittens out of the nursery the next day.
"Grown-up business, little chipmunk. It does not concern you," the cream colored queen responded. "Now you all behave yourselves. Elmfoot and Silverhawk will be keeping an eye on you."
"Yes, Sweetclaw," murmured some of the kits in reply, Moonkit included. The Den Mother gave one satisfied nod, turning tail and padding over to Tigerkit. She touched her nose to the little tabby's shoulder, prompting her to follow. Then Sweetclaw did the same with Rainkit. What could the queen need with Moonkit's best friend and sister? Moonkit watched the three she-cats curiously as they padded back under the familiar tree roots that made up their den. Were they in trouble? Moonkit's thoughts drifted back to the day before when they'd all gone into the forest to hunt. I can't let them get into trouble for that! She thought. Moonkit's head swung around to search the clearing.
By the entrance to the elder's den, she saw Elmfoot sunbathing. The old tom laid with his legs tucked beneath him, head raised slightly to soak in the warm golden rays. Many moons ago the tabby had been Treeclan's Den Mother. When he was in charge, he'd been notorious for keeping a close eye on the kit-resistance of his den. But now in his retirement, the tom was more inclined to let curious kits wander than to worry about keeping them all in line. Sneaking out of his sight would be easy. Getting away from the other kitsitter however, might not be as simple.
In a dry spot by the base of the Great Stump, Moonkit noticed Silverhawk. The silver and black striped tabby was sharing tongues with Violetshade, her eldest kit. Though she looked around to watch the kits as they played, the queen seemed distracted enough. If she was careful, Moonkit would be able to creep away without raising any alarms.
Stealthily, the little silver and white kitten stalked over to the nursery. She crawled between two intertwining roots where she could easily listen in to any conversations, yet stay out of sight. Every now and then she glanced over her shoulder, checking to make sure her sitters would not find out what she was doing. Otherwise, a majority of her focus remained on the inside of the nursery.
It seemed a meeting had been called. Moonkit strained her ears to listen to all the voices she could pick up on. She racked her brain to figure out who they all belonged to. It was easy to recognize the voice of her mother, Brightsky, when she spoke. Her sweet mew was distinguishable from any other in the whole clan. She sounded concerned, probably speaking between licks given to Rainkit.
"Must we really punish them?" The queen fretted.
"Yes, Brightsky." That was Thornberry's mew. Thornberry was the clan's deputy. He was a nice enough tom, really sweet and very goofy at times, but he knew when to get serious. He sure sounded like he was right now, his tone deepened with fatherly sterness. "Kits who go unpunished are bound to repeat their mistakes again. They need to be reprimanded. They've broken the Warrior Code."
"'Broken the Warrior Code,' my tail," mocked Speckleface, Tigerkit's mother. "The Warrior Code says nothing about kits wandering from camp."
"It does say prey must be hunted only to be eaten. Those kits were out there hunting to better hone their skills."
"Not to mention," chimed in the voice of Cardinaltail, the Code Keeper, "there is an unofficial rule that says kits are not to leave camp, unless with a warrior."
"That's all a bunch of fox dung," Speckleface cursed.
"Yeah!" Tigerkit jumped in. "We weren't going out to hone our skills. We went hunting to bring food home for the clan. We're not mouse-brains!"
"Hush," hissed Speckleface.
"Regardless," Moonkit heard Blazestar's voice join the conversation now, "these kits should face the consequences of their actions. They could have died yesterday. A majority of our kits could have. That isn't something that can be excused with an apology."
"Blazestar is right, I'm afraid," Sweetclaw sighed. Her defeated tone made Moonkit bristle with ire. She couldn't let her loved ones be punished for trying to do the right thing. Bravely, the little silver and white kit charged into the nursery, determined to vouch for Rainkit and Tigerkit's innocence.
"Wait!" She called, skidding to a halt in the center of the den. The adult cats all looked at her, varying degree of quizzical and annoyed expressions on their faces. "You can't punish Rainkit and Tigerkit! They didn't do anything wrong!"
"Moonkit," Brightsky began to scold, "you know better than to stick your nose into matters that don't concern you. You shouldn't even be here. Go back outside and play with the others."
"No! I'm not going until you all listen to me," Moonkit protested defiantly. "Rainkit and Tigerkit were thinking about the clan when they led us all out of camp. The fresh-kill pile was barren. Rainkit thought that if we went out and looked in the places the warriors couldn't, we could bring home enough prey for every cat. She's the one who tracked most of the animals we found. And Tigerkit helped to organize everyone. She kept us all together, gave us orders, and reassured us when we wandered to far. She was bravest kit of all of us!"
"Is that bravery?" Blazestar challenged, anger burning in his orange eyes. The temper he tried to hide within betrayed him. "Or ignorance?"
Moonkit shrank under the leader's gaze. No wonder why the tom had been named Blazefang in his warriorhood. The tom had a bite that seemed to sting like fire. And an attitude that blazed bright within him. Moonkit was certainly intimidated, but at the same time could not help feeling a great amount of respect for the ginger tom.
"Since you are so eager to defend such a foolish plan, perhaps you should be punished alongside your little friends. We don't want you following in their pawsteps after all," the leader threatened.
"Now hang on a heartbeat, Blazestar. That decision isn't yours to make," Sweetclaw interrupted. She stepped in front of Moonkit defensively, wrapping her fluffy tail around her. "I am the Den Mother here. Kit punishments are mine to handle. You're simply here to bare witness to my decisions. I say Moonkit has done nothing wrong. We are to send her on her way and finish our business with the other kits."
Blazestar glared at the Den Mother for another tense few heartbeats. "...Fine. Get her out of here, now," he growled, pointing his muzzle towards the exit. Brightsky gave Moonkit a lick on the head before Sweetclaw grabbed her by the scruff, carrying her back outside. She dropped the little kit off with Elmfoot, instructing her predecessor to keep a very close eye on the kit. Elmfoot agreed, wrapping his paws around Moonkit as Sweetclaw turned and retreated back into the nursery. Moonkit let out a deep sigh. Well, I did my best. At least Rainkit and Tigerkit can't say that I didn't do anything to help them.
Brightsky came to collect Moonkit when the sun had finally set. By then, the little silver and white kitten was too tired to walk on her own. She'd spent the rest of the day entertaining the elders while Rainkit, Tigerkit, and the others spent most of their time playing. After thanking the old warriors for their hospitality, Brightsky gently picked her kit up, taking her to back to their den.
Moonkit wiggled, bringing herself closer to Brightsky's belly as they got settled into their nest. She breathed in her mother's milky scent, feeling her body relax. The comfort of her family surrounding her was enough to coax the fluffy kitten into a gentle slumber.
But by the middle of the night, Moonkit became restless. A sense of foreboding had settled upon her and she couldn't understand why. Out of habit, she sat up and looked at the dozing cats which neighbored her. To her left, Rainkit slept clumsily half outside and half inside the nest. A strange panting sound could be heard hovering just above her head. The white and gray patched kit lazily opened her eyes to see what was causing the ruckus. Moonkit followed her sister's gaze, silently gasping as she noticed the huge shape lingering in the dark over them. The she-kits were met with freakish amber eyes. Red and white fur glowed in the light of the moon, entering through a hole the creature must have slipped through. A set of sharp teeth flashed them as the intruder licked its lips, warning the littermates of the danger they were in. A fox!
Rainkit let out a terrified shriek. She tried to scramble to her paws, which sent the creature into a frenzy. It yowled and sank its razor sharp teeth into her flesh, dragging her from her nest. It shook Rainkit wildly, splattering kit blood everywhere. Moonkit jumped out of the way; but not before being painted with the crimson remains of her sister. She pressed herself against Brightsky's belly protectively, fluffing up her fur. Instinctively her claws slid out, preparing for a fight.
The yowl had woken every kit and queen in the nursery. They all jumped back to stare in horror at the giant fox with blood dripping from its jaw. It dropped the shredded corpse of Rainkit instantly, its gaze sweeping over the startled residence of the nursery. For a heartbeat it looked frightened. Had it not realized how many grown cats lived within this tree?
"Rainkit!" wailed a tiny voice. Sparrowkit, one of Tigerkit's brothers, bolted out of his nest and straight towards the torn up carcass of the little gray patched kitten.
"No!" Smokekit yowled, rushing away from Magpiekit to stop the other tom. But it was too late. In a flash, the fox whipped around with a hungry howl, lunging for Sparrowkit and pinning the fluffy tabby to the floor. Its reeled back a paw and smacked Smokekit aside, tearing one of his ears in the process. Smokekit scrambled out of striking range, avoiding another blow from the dastardly creature as it swung again; this time tearing open Sparrowkit's belly. It only took a few heartbeats for it all to happen, yet the disaster felt like it lasted seasons to one as young as Moonkit.
"Our kits! It's going to kill all of our kits!" Brightsky cried out, reaching for Smokekit to herd him back to her belly.
Speckleface, Silverhawk, Leafheart, and Sweetclaw let out vicious yowls, launching themselves at the intruding fox. Mapleshine picked up the badly injured Sparrowkit delicately, bringing him to the medicine den when given chance. Meanwhile, Brightsky gathered the remaining kits and led them to the outside of the dirtplace; the farthest point from the nursery they could get without leaving camp. She counted everyone, making sure no other kits had been lost to the vile red creature. Then she allowed herself to break down, collapsing to the floor in a fit of sobs. She grabbed Smokekit and held him close to herself, licking his injured ear between her cries.
Moonkit sat amongst her peers staring back at the den from once they'd fled. She was just as shaken as the rest. She felt overwhelmed. She could hardly process what was going on. But she wasn't afraid; just curious to know what was happening in the nursery now. Tigerkit had settled by her side at this point, giving her a few licks on the cheek to help her settle. Moonkit was grateful for her best friend's presence but she was too preoccupation to return the gesture. Out of the corner of her eye, Moonkit swore she spotted a cat sneaking away from the blackthorns to climb up into the warriors den. It was as if whoever it was did not want to be detected. Or perhaps they were rushing to the den to warn the other warriors of what was going on.
Curiosity got the better of the little silver and white kitten, bringing her to sneak away from Tigerkit's side and back to the nursery. The moonlight behind Moonkit illuminated the inside of the den from this angle. Inside, she watched as the four remaining queens fought off the unruly creature.
"How dare you intrude on a clan of warriors!" Sweetclaw yowled, jumping onto the fox's back. With her powerful limbs she was able to force it onto the ground. Leafheart joined in to push the creature onto its side, clawing at its flank furiously. The fox shrieked and twisted in response, trying to avoid her blows. Speckleface was striking the fox's head, aiming to slit its throat. But the fox managed to shake the attacking queens off, jumping back onto its feet as if it hadn't been injured at all. Speckleface hissed, launching herself at it from the front once more, meeting its open jaws with her unsheathed claws. She scratched at its face and eyes wildly, receiving hard, skin breaking bites in return to her limbs, neck, and head. She yowled, backing away as it drove its teeth deep into her shoulder close to her neck. In retaliation, Sweetclaw threw herself onto the beast once more, and was easily tossed aside because of her growing exhaustion. Though she was the Den Mother, Sweetclaw was getting up there in the years. Her bones were more brittle now and she was very close to retiring. Despite her age, she was never one to back down, though it wasn't often she had to deal with serious threats like predators attacking the nursery. The fox lunged, landing on top of her, tearing at her delicate belly. Sweetclaw cried out in pain as she tried to fight off the demon creature without luck, before eventually falling silent. Just then, warriors: Wolfheart, Greytuft, Spruceleap, Robinspots, and Blazestar all came barreling towards the nursery to help. Moonkit jumped aside, allowing them entrance before returning to her post.
Blazestar was the first warrior to strike, swearing vengeance on the fox for the murder of his dear friend, Sweetclaw. The fox snarled, turning on the leader and slicing open his neck with ease. Then it whipped back around, placing its focus onto the other cats. Moonkit gasped, watching the mighty tom fall. He was gurgling on his own blood, going limp only heartbeats after. He's dead! Moonkit's mind screamed in woe. But a moment later, she saw thn ginger tom twitch. He took one heavy gasp for air as he sat up, looking from the den entrance to his warriors, who'd taken over the battle in his temporary absence. Oh, he lost a life! Thank Starclan he still has some to spare, Moonkit breathed a sigh of relief. With the leader returned, the eight grown cats finally managed to defeat the dastardly fox once and for all.
By this point, the whole clan had been woken up by the noise. They all stared at the nursery, their eyes glowing green and yellow in the darkness. Their fear scent clouded the air around camp as the conquering heroes emerged.
Each cat was exhausted; drenched in the blood of the fox and their fellow warriors. Leafheart leaned against Blazestar, limping, her one leg bleeding badly. Speckleface had to have the help of Spruceleap and Robinspots just to stand up, yet alone walk. She was very weak and the damage on her was probably the most severe out of the survivors. Tigerkit ran over to be with her mother, picking up her tail tip in her jaws to keep it from dragging in the dust. Silverhawk carried Sweetclaw's limp body out slowly, sadness welling in her soft yellow eyes. A blood trail was left behind her as the dead queen's body was dragged across the leaf-litter hollow of camp. Finally, Greytuft and Wolfheart pulled the body of the intruding fox out, throwing it unceremoniously out into the clearing. The witnessing clanmates let out gasps of surprise and shock, hissing at the fox's carcass. Brightsky tried her best to block the kits' view, but most of them saw everything. Magpiekit let out a shrill cry, laying down to cover her face with her paws. Flamekit and Blackkit crowded around her, shielding one another from the horrific sight while Tigerkit sat by her mother's side.
Mothsong, the clan medicine cat, charged out of her den with a bundle of herbs in her jaws. She immediately began to work on the injured, trying her best to help them all. Berrykit, Tigerkit's youngest brother, padded over to watch the calico she-cat work. Mothsong worked especially hard on Speckleface who was now laying on the ground. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow and rapid. The wound on her shoulder which was so close to her neck continued to gush blood, even through the moss-cobweb mixture that dressed it. Her other injuries didn't look any better.
Berrykit did his best to assist the medicine cat, cleaning Speckleface's less bloody wounds. Tigerkit sat by his side to help, head bent as if praying silently to Starclan for their mother's recovery. Moonkit raced over to provide her friend comfort.
"She's lost far too much blood and is fading fast," Mothsong announced with grief. "There's nothing to be done that can save her. She's bound for the Twilight Passage now. But the least I can do is try to make her comfortable as she moves on to the next relm." The pretty calico pushed a couple poppy seeds into Speckleface's mouth to help ease her pain. Speckleface barely opened one of her eyes to look at her medicine cat with pain, but gratitude, then turned her weak gaze onto her kits.
"What about Sparrowkit? How is he?" asked Robinspots as he walked up to lay next to his dying mate, worry seeping in his sorrowful voice. Mothsong shook her head slowly and Robinspots lowered his ears.
"I will bring him to Speckleface so they can travel to Starclan together," she offered, fetching the dying kit to put him at his mother's side. The clan gathered around the bodies of their fallen clanmates, placed lovingly in the center of camp, while some went to discard the fox out in the dirtplace. Together, they watched the lives of Speckleface and Sparrowkit slip away into the night, their spirits becoming one with the stars.