Brightkit Is Right Again

Brightkit leans against me, trying to steal some of my warmth. "Back off buster" I joke, teeth chattering. I very much wish for her warmth, as a matter of fact. There's a heavy wind. It comes through strong, even with the trees. I can't imagine what it's like for HeatherClan. But we need to keep moving. The sun's already setting and we are completely lost.

"It's all my fault" I sigh, putting my paw on hers. She stops.

"Yeah, it kind of is. But we're in this together, and what's done is done. But I am NEVER sneaking out of camp, especially with you little weasel again, you hear me Cinderkit?" I laugh.

"You're right, it is my fault. But I'm not a weasel" I frown, but of course she knows it's a joking frown.

Her father had been on the patrol that found me. I was no more than a few hours old, and even LightningClan wouldn't turn down a kit as helpless as I was. He gave me to his mate, and me and Brightkit have grown up together ever since.

Brightkit and me are almost complete opposites, but absolutely inseparable. She's smart and enjoys herbs, with gentle words. Though, don't be too quick to judge her, because she's blunt and head on. I, am, however, much more evasive. I'm wily and lean, with short silver-blue fur, and light blue eyes.

No one knows where I come from, though Brightkit's dad, Cloudpelt, says I smelled faintly of IceClan. But I'm LightningClan through and through. Does it matter where I come from? Most cats would say it does. Some are even suspicious, but that's all theory. All cats with half a brain know I was much too young to be a spy. I rest my noggin on the matter, and zone back into my conversation with Brightkit.

"She's almost ready..." A garbled slimy voice echoes faintly through the shadows. I laugh at my silly imagination, and put my nose to the ground. Lightning crackles in the sky and thunder rumbles. A heavy rain begins pouring down. Great. What fun. "Shit" I muttered.

Luckily, the rain doesn't bother me much. Rain dribbles off the side of my pelt. I have fur so short that it seems nothing can soak into it. Brightkit however is not so lucky. She has long white fur that glows beautifully in the moonlight. But such beauty comes with a price. Now, her fur is plastered to her sides, blue eyes beady and dilated. And I have a hunch she isn't all too excited.

"We are going to be in so much trouble" Brightkit says with an exaggerated sigh.

"Yep" I say, "We should camp for the night, the sun's almost down and we can't see anything anyway. The storm clouds are too thick." Brightkit nods, and I scan our surroundings. I spot what I think is an abandoned fox den. It's in-between two rocks, and it leads underground. I slowly walk over, and sniff it. I'm mostly sure that it's abandoned.

"I think it's safe," I call her over, and we trot into the den. Its warm and earthy smelling. But what I'm happiest about, is it's dry. We both shake to dry off, though her fur is still stuck to her sides and soggy.

I dug a small whole in the dirt to lay in, and she does the same, right next to mine. We both curl up, and groom the wetness out of her fur.

I awake to Brightkit licking the tuft of fur on my head. I don't know when we fell asleep, but sunlight was streaming in through the entrance of the den. We stand up, and quickly orient ourselves for the daytime and finding our way back to LightningClan. We had wandered all the way into a birch forest, but it wasn't PineClan's. Maybe ForestClan? ForestClan would be better. LightningClan and ForestClan have a sort of alliance, while LightningClan and RainClan are always at each others throats.

I see a flash of orange fur, and suddenly, it's on top of me. A fox the size of a large boulder, biting me on the shoulder. I whirl around, and claw at it, but it's no use. It's four times as large as I am, and five times as strong. But I claw and bite anyway. I'm only five moons old, and I have no training, but I have to.

"BRIGHTKIT! Leap on top of it! It'll try to squash you, but Ill get it's belly!" She nods, and leaps onto the fox, biting and scratching it's ears, eyes, and back. It whirls around, and eventually, like I predicted, it goes to lay on it's back, which will squish Brightkit. Before it can squash her flat, I rake my claws down it's underbelly, and it falls over on it's side, a puddle of blood forming around it's belly.

"We didn't just do that" Brightkit says, staring in disbelief at the dead fox.

"We did" Our eyes both shine with accomplishment, though, I'm seriously hurt, and Brightkit looks kind of exhausted.

"We need to get back to camp," I say.

"Well yeah"

"Follow me." We trot out of the den. The new leaf air is warmer today, and only a gentle breeze drifts by. It ruffles Brightkit's fur, and makes it dance around like little fairies.

We travel for a bit, and finally make it to the pine forest. "Hey, you're limping!" Brightkit says, annoyed that I didn't tell her earlier.

"We need to move, come on Brightkit"

"You. Are. Limping."

"Yes, and I'll get healed back in camp."

"Fine" She mutters, and we continue. I'm glad to be back in the pine forest. It's dark and gloomy. The birch forest was bright and magic-like. My belly rumbles. Only now do I realise how hungry I am.

"Hey, we haven't eaten since yesterday at sunhigh! I've never gone this long!"

"Me either!" We walk past the border marks, and finally come in site of camp. We both let out excited squeals, and run into camp. I do, rather awkwardly, due to my limp, but I'm just as excited. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Iceleep comes stomping up to us, and I get a lump in my throat.

"Uh-oh" I say in a small squeak.

"WE'VE BEEN SEARCHING EVERYWHERE! AND YOU'RE HURT! DID YOU JUST GO AND HAVE A SLEEPOVER IN A FOXES DEN? STARCLAN, I THOUGHT I RAISED AT LEAST SLIGHTLY DISCIPLINED KITS, BUT NOPE!"

"Mom. Chill." I tell her.

"I don't normally agree with Cinderkit, but she's right. You seriously need to chill." Brightkit steps in.

"Well, look at the runaways" Chesnutpaw says, joining the conversation. He's a rather large tom, although he's only a moon older than me and Brightkit.

"Chesnutpaw, go stick yourself up your own butthole" I say, already exasperated with him.

"Well hello, miss snarky!" He says with a sneer.

"Shut up. Just shut up."

"Cinderkit, that's no way to treat your future mate!" Iceleep says. I sighed and dug my paws into the dirt with a frustrated hiss. Oh, did I forget to mention that LightningClan is a fan of arranged mates? Chesnutpaw is Clawstar's kit, and apparently I'm 'Pretty and a good fighter.' So, lucky me, I'm stuck with Chesnutpaw. Literally everyone in the clan feels sorry for me.

Clawstar comes out. "Cinderkit, Brightkit, I need to talk to you" He says. He looks annoyed, angry, and also a little excited. That's the part that scares me.