Sweetkit was trying to peer over the edge of the hollow to the border with Thunderclan, she had heard there was fighting but she wasn't sure how bad it had got. One of the warriors had come back to camp to tell Onestar a fight was going on but the leader had seen it as a minor threat, sending only himself to help the warriors fend off the attack. She strained her ears to try and hear it actually going on but she couldn't, was Windclan winning? She was brought back down by Heathertail, who carried her back to the other kits.
"But I wanted to see what was going on!" She whined, fur bristling as she kept her ears perked up but she could only hear the sound of a few stray birds outside of camp. She turned her head back to the entrance, wondering if the leader would be back soon and she could see for herself what damage was done by the rogues. Surely clan cats can take on a few rogues, right? Brindlekit and Smokekit seemed disinterested in the fight, tumbling over each other in the clearing as they played their own pretend battle.
"There will be time to get involved in fights when you're a warrior, Sweetkit." Sweetkit scoffed at Heathertail's words, she was still set on being a medicine cat no matter what it took. She got away from Heathertail, wondering what was taking the patrol so long to get back. She looked back to Kestrelflight's den, if they were really hurt he would be with them right? She flicked her tail irritably, wanting to figure out now what was going on now, not later. She glanced backwards to Heathertail, wondering if she'd notice her crawling back to the entrance but her eyes were trained on her. Sweetkit grumbled to herself and laid on the ground, closing her eyes as she listened.
She must have dozed off because when she woke up, Heathertail was cleaning the two kits and the patrol was coming back now but with three Thunderclan warriors and Onestar. Where's Emberfoot? Oatclaw? Who are they carrying? She hopped up and rushed over to them but Onestar shot her a glare and she backed up a bit, shifting her paws uneasily.
"Thank you for helping me carry Furzepelt back." Onestar's voice sounded strained as he spoke to three warriors beside him and he nodded to a few other warriors in the clearing. "Crowfeather and Hootwhisker, take Furzepelt from them and sit her in the middle of the clearing so we may prepare her body for vigil." Vigil? Sweetkit lifted her head a bit higher to look at the gray and white she-cat's limp body, red was stained around her spine. Sweetkit's eyes went wide at the sight of the she-cat, not believing she could be dead from a simple border skirmish. She was about to follow Crowfeather to where the body would rest when she remembered that the Thunderclan cats could send a message along for Twigkit. She weaved her way past Onestar and stood in front of Blossomfall.
"Is Twigkit doing well in Thunderclan?" She asked, not noticing the horrible tension in the air around them. Blossomfall bent her head down to her and nodded quickly.
"Yes, Sweetkit, she is." She sounded like she was trying to hurry up the conversation so she could head back to camp, but Sweetkit wasn't finished talking. She needed her to tell Twigkit something!
"Tell her I miss her please!" Sweetkit mewed but before Blossomfall could reply Onestar cut in.
"That's enough, Sweetkit. Your kin is here in Windclan. I don't need you sending along messages to other clans." He pushed her back behind him and Blossomfall looked at her with a bit of pity in her eyes. "Again, thank you but you may go now." The three warriors dipped their heads and left the camp. Sweetkit shot a glare Onestar's way but it evaporated as soon as he looked to her, he seemed furious at her.
"You are a Windclan kit. Not a Thunderclan kit. You have no business talking to them. We have a life lost today and you are treating it like they're your personal messengers." He hissed, stalking off towards the Tallrock. Heathertail's eyes were wide and she caught Sweetkit's eyes, getting up and rushing over to the kit and licking her head.
"I know it's hard for you, but you must understand Onestar's side of things." She whispered, ushering Sweetkit to the other kits.
"May all cats old enough to gather their own prey gather beneath Tallrock for a clan meeting!" Onestar yowled, Sweetkit looked around to see that all the warriors were already in the camp clearing now. Everyone was staring at the leader expectantly, wondering what happened at the border. "We found rogues at Thunderclan's border and a battle happened. They injured Emberfoot and Oatclaw, who couldn't make the journey back to camp so they are in Thunderclan's camp." Everyone shifted uneasily at the idea of their cats in Thunderclan, Sweetkit didn't understand why they were so upset at the idea, surely it was better that way right? "We also lost Furzepelt in the battle." Silence followed him and Heathertail let out a low moan of sadness, Sweetkit had heard that she mentored her and felt a bit shameful now that she didn't show more respect.
"In light of recent events, we are enforcing new rules. There will be permanent guard at the camp entrance. Rules will be more enforced in this clan, no cat will be able to set a whisker out of line." Cats were sharing glances, as though they were wondering which one would speak out against this. Leaftail was the one to do so, standing up and staring at his leader.
"Why are we doing this? Why are we being punished for the choices of a group of rogues?" He called out, his fur bristling. Cats nodded in agreement and Onestar growled at him.
"Do you dare question my authority? I am your leader! Leaftail, you are on apprentice duties now for disobeying the warrior code." Leaftail's tail lashed out at the punishment but he said no more, sitting down and looking at his paw. Heathertail's voice spoke out from behind her now.
"Are we in danger, Onestar?" She asked curling her tail around the three kits protectively. Sweetkit rolled her eyes, noticing she was barely covering them at their age now.
"If you follow my orders the clan will remain safe." He was quick to speak, raising his head up higher now. "Clan meeting dismissed." Cats dispersed, but didn't dare to mutter about what happened in fear they would suffer the same fate as Leaftail. Sweetkit felt herself growing uncomfortable as she watched the leader speak to Crowfeather, probably to put him on the first guard duty. She felt Heathertail get up and looked up to her, wondering where she was going.
"It's time for a nap, kits." She was speaking fast, as though she was trying to get them inside as quickly as she could.
"What, why?" Brindlekit argued, her ears flattening now. "We are too old for naps!" She whined, but her protest fell onto deaf ears as Heathertail brought them into the nursery.
"Don't leave the nursery or you won't be able to play tomorrow, understand?" The kits nodded their heads in sad agreement as they settled into the nest. Sweetkit continued to watch as her foster mother left the den, wondering where she was going. "Onestar!" She heard her call, now her interest was high and she dared to peak her head out the nursery.
"Sweetkit, you'll get us in trouble!" Smokekit complained, but something silenced her, probably Brindlekit.
"What, Heathertail?" The mottled brown tom groaned, turning to face her. Sweetkit ducked a bit further back, realizing they could probably see her.
"What has gotten into you, why is Leaftail on apprentice duties? What happened in that battle? I'm your kin, you can trust me." She was whispering and Sweetkit had to strain to her.
"Heathertail, it is none of your business. If you didn't have the kits you would be joining in on the duties or you'd be confined to the camp. Actually, when the kits are apprenticed you can find yourself to the warrior's den for a quarter moon."
"You're not serious, right? We need as many warriors as we can get!" There was no answer and Sweetkit saw Heathertail heading back, she scrambled back into the nest, pretending to be trying to sleep beside the other kits. Heathertail huffed as she settled herself behind the kits, licking each of their heads before resting her head on her paws. Sweetkit opened on eye to stare at her, noticing she looked exhausted and worried. She wondered what had gotten into their leader to cause him to act like out this, was it going to be a permanent thing?