I pressed close to my sister, tiny droplets of frozen water clinging to my pelt. Dyingkit was shivering as well, but Mudkit seemed to not feel the cold. He padded forward, head held high. Freedomkit was being carried by Softbreeze. Doomcloud gently nudged my sister and I, and we continued to walk. I glanced over my shoulder and thought a saw a flash of silver, before it disappeared. I shook my head and kept walking.
We crossed the thunderpath quickly, and headed for Fourtrees. Suddenly, Doomcloud stopped and spat. "Foxdung!" She snarled. "There is a gathering tonight!" She spun around to go a different direction when there was a loud yowl. Rougestar and Blackheart leapt out of the shadows. The leader and deputy bared their teeth at us, and Rougestar spoke. "Trying to escape now, eh?" He growled. "We can't have that." His amber eyes glittered. "Come back and rejoin us, and we will leave you be. Don't join us, and we kill you."
"Never!" It was Dyingkit who spoke, her eyes blazing. Mudkit however, leapt away and huddled on the ground beside Rougestar. Rougestar purred smugly. "Silverfang!" He yowled. The white she-cat leapt out of the forest, her pelt glowing like the moonstone. "Take this kit home." He mewed. She nodded and grabbed my brother, bounding off into the forest. I yowled in protest, but Blackheart suddenly leapt at us. I drew myself up, but before he could land, Doomcloud leapt in front of me. She clawed hard on the deputy's face and he screeched in pain. In that instant, Doomcloud turned to us three kits. Her eyes were full of fear. "Run!" She hissed. "Run to Fourtrees, a clan will take you in!" But we didn't. We leapt away and hid to watch.
Blackheart launched himself at my mother again, but she reared up on her hind legs and slashed at his throat. I gasped as he fell to the ground, dead.
Rougestar had tackled Softbreeze, but Doomcloud leapt onto his back, clawing his neck. He gave a caterwaul of agony, spinning around to slash her belly. She fell to the ground, and Softbreeze fled. Rougestar spat angrily, lunging down to give her a lethal bite to the neck, that missed as she disappeared into the forest. I hit Freedomkit hard with my paw as she let out a howl of despair, abandoned my her own mother.
Rougestar turned to Doomcloud, who was lying on the forest floor. She was gasping for breath, and her fur was stained with blood. She slashed at Rougestar feebly with her paw, but he rolled his eyes and killed her, before stalking back into the forest.
I stared in shock at my dead mother's body. Freedomkit whimpered quietly from my left. I turned to my sister, just in time to see her bound off back towards our old camp. I sighed, nudging Freedomkit gently with my nose. We padded into the forest, following my parent's last plea and heading for Fourtrees.
---
I think that back then we were much too young to understand the seriousness of what had happened. We were too busy mourning for Doomcloud and Softbreeze to think of what Rougestar might do to us when her found us…
"Freedomkit, can't we stop for a while?" I whined, sitting down with a thump. The tortoiseshell kit sighed.
"Fine." She mewed, flopping down beside me. "But not for l-l-l-ong." She failed to stifle a yawn. She lay down. "Maybe…maybe we could rest for just a little longer…" She curled up and fell asleep. I was tempted to join her, but something kept me awake. I crouched beside her for a few heartbeats before I too succumbed to sleep.
---
A loud hiss awoke me. Freedomkit scrambled to her paws and we crouched beside each other, suddenly staring into the burning green eyes of a young ginger cat. "What are you doing on DustClan's territory?" She demanded, though I saw a look of pity flash across her face. Freedomkit answered.
"W-we are rou-loners." She squeaked. "P-please, our parents have left us."
I took over. "M-my mother was killed by R-r-Rougestar." I mewed. "Please, can we stay with you?"
The ginger cat hesitated, clearing wondering if it was worth taking us back to camp. Her mind made up, she nodded swiftly. "Come with me. I'll take you to Cloudstar." She turned around sharply and flicked her tail. "My name is Sunpelt."
"This is Kesakit and I am Freedomkit." Freedomkit replied, following her. I stood up more slowly, glancing backwards on more time before I too followed Sunpelt, towards our new home.
---
As we padded slowly back to the camp, we spoke with Sunpelt. It turned out she was the head warrior of a clan called 'Dustclan.' It was led by a she-cat called Cloudstar. The deputy was Orangefur, the medicine cat Stallionstorm. We entered the camp and Sunpelt padded towards a large slab of sandstone, a large crack in it's side. "This is the Sandrock, but also Cloudstar's den." Sunpelt explained, stopping outside. "Cloudstar?" She mewed into the darkness.
"Enter." Came a voice, and the ginger cat disappeared inside. We followed quickly, and entered to see a grey tabby sitting in her nest.
"I found these loners in the forest." Sunpelt mewed quickly. "They claim to have lost their parents to Rougestar." Cloudstar nodded, and Sunpelt padded out of the den.
"Rougestar you say?" Cloudstar mewed. I nodded. "He is my father, and I know how cruel he can be. You may stay."
Freedomkit began to purr. I did too, but Cloudstar was still talking. "I'll get an apprentice to show you around, but for now you will stay in the nursery, with the other kits and queens. I will announce your arrival now." She stood up and padded out of her den. We followed slowly, and when we emerged we saw her leap onto the Sandrock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Sandrock for a Clan meeting!" She yowled. Immediately cats began to stream out of their dens, sitting down in front of her. I caught sight of Sunpelt, and a flame coloured cat that had to be the deputy, Orangefur.
She flicked her tail at us and we scrambled up beside her. "These kits were found in the forest." She continued. "They are loners, and have lost their parents to Rougestar. I have allowed them to join DustClan!"
b Yeah, the next chapters are gonna be longer, but I just wanted to finish this one. /b