Chapter Three

"Here." Loudkit pushed his third stone up a space. "Can I do that?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Not a bad move."

Brightkit and Loudkit had been playing Brightkit's new game "Pebble-Stones" since Brightkit woke up. He had been making this game for most of the day and finally seemed to round off the kinks in the rules.

It was a simple game. Each cat had two pebbles and three stones. You had to get your two pebbles to the other side of the claw-drawn square while avoiding the opponent's stones. There weren't many rules, but Brightkit seemed proud of each one.

"Aha!" Brightkit got one of his two pebbles across. "I'm winning!" I should've seen that coming. Loudkit thought.

"What kind of game is this?" Moonwake padded up to them. She and Willowthorn has just gotten back from their post-patrol hunting party. Their mouths were full with prey.

"I thought kits played moss-ball, or got badger rides or something." Willowthorn looked around the game square, studying the stones.

"It looks interesting." Moonwake murmured out loud.

"It's really fun! We've played it a lot already today. Brightkit made it." Loudkit was very impressed by what a fun game his brother had invented.

"Maybe you can teach us how to play sometime." Moonwake turned towards the fresh-kill pile, ready to drop off the bird she was carrying. Loudkit had no idea what kind of bird it was.

"Yeah, I'd love to learn." Willowthorn followed Moonwake with a trout in her jaws. Is it my turn? Loudkit returned to the game.

As he made his move, a group of three cats entered the camp. "Oh, there you are!" Feathercloud ran up to the kits, leaving Mousepelt and Thornpaw at the entrance. Loudkit sighed as she approached. I just wanna play Pebble-Stones. "We saw your kin out by the ThunderClan border! We thought that you two had gotten out of camp, also!"

"I told you they were fine." Thornpaw headed for the apprentice's den. He looks sleepy. Being an apprentice must be fun!

"Why didn't you tell anyone that the other kits were out?" Mousepelt approached them.

Brightkit answered for Loudkit. "I- I didn't want to get them in trouble. I told Orangepelt that they were visiting the elders while we played Pebble-Stones." I knew I should've just told her the truth. Why did Lionkit and Heatherkit go so far?

"What's Pebble-Stones?" Mousepelt looked down at their game. Feathercloud interrupted her. "Well it was nice of you to protect your kin from getting in trouble, but they can get seriously injured out there! What if there was a dog! Or a fox!"

Fishpetal stopped sharing tongues with Steamclaw to call from across the clearing. "What did you do with the kits then? You just said you found them."

Thornpaw stopped at the entrance of the apprentice's den, looking around for Sunstorm. "My mentor said to finish the patrol while he brought them back here. Is he not back yet?"

Steamclaw and Fishpetal finished sharing tongues and came over to join the conversation fully. "Should we go look for them?"

"Who knows what could've happened." Feathercloud looked worried. Did something eat them? Loudkit began to worry as well.

"I'll go. They're my kin. They're your's too, Steamclaw." Willowthorn added accusingly as she padded back over. "Who else will come? Feathercloud? You're kin."

Brightkit's tail brushed Loudkit's flank. Oh, it's my turn still. Loudkit kept getting distracted from the game of Pebble-Stones. He enjoyed conversation, unlike Brightkit.

"I guess I will." Thornpaw padded back out of the apprentice's den. "I doubt I can rest with all this chatter."

"You already sound like an elder!" Mousepelt told him.

"I'd love to help." Moonwake appeared next to Willowthorn.

"Same" Fishpetal mentioned.

"This should be enough cats for finding them. Let's go!" The patrol headed back out into RiverClan territory. Willowthorn led Moonwake, Mousepelt, and Thornpaw. Steamclaw reluctantly followed Fishpetal. Thornpaw called up to mock Willowthorn. "I didn't know becoming a warrior made you deputy of patrols." Willowthorn ignored the comment and the cats disappeared out of sight. Willowthorn and Thornpaw were denmates just a few sunrises ago. I bet Thornpaw's just jealous.

"I sure hope they didn't run into the dogs." Feathercloud mentioned to herself.

"Dogs?" Brightkit looked up from the game, which he had just won as the cats were talking. Loudkit stopped paying attention to the game out of worry for his kin. Frog-dung. He used my distractedness as an advantage. "Are there dogs on our territory?" Brightkit asked.

"Oh, dear. I didn't want to get you two upset. Well, Wetwhisker led a patrol out earlier to go see if the dog-scent that Steamclaw found was gone. But don't worry, kitties, they'll all be fine." Something in Feathercloud's eyes troubled Loudkit into thinking that she didn't believe herself. A raindrop hit Loudkit on the nose and startled him.

Feathercloud spoke to herself lightly, "I don't know what I could ever say to my sister if two of her kits died. Or even one. I can't imagine losing either of mine." Feathercloud glanced into the nursery at the sleeping Orangepelt. She must be worn out from fixing up the nursery all day.

"Why didn't you go with them, then, Feathercloud?" Brightkit asked. He added a side comment to Loudkit. "Good game, Loudkit."

"Good game."

"I wanted to make sure that you two don't try and get out with all of the distraction. Especially since it's going to rain tonight." We would never do that. Heatherkit and Lionkit act so different than us sometimes. Loudkit and Brightkit began clearing their game so that they could play again.

"Can I move this, ... here?"

"Sure, if you want. I could move here and block you, though." Loudkit was watching Brightkit teach Shallowcreek and Dovepebble how to play Pebble-Stones. The two cats were fairly old warriors, but seemed to enjoy the kits' company. They were the parents of Fishpetal and Mistyfur, and then Moonwake. Loudkit studied the current Pebble-Stones game. Brightkit was beginning to get very good at Pebble-Stones. But so am I. They had already taught Rabbitear and Quietpaw how to play, too. Rabbitear didn't seem too impressed, but Quietpaw managed to beat Brightkit on her third game. The medicine apprentice seemed much calmer when she wasn't on duty. They were going to see if any of the elders wanted to learn after they taught Dovepebble and Shallowcreek.

The moon was already high in the sky, but no cat from any of the patrols had returned yet. There was a storm brewing, and the warriors kept mentioning their worries of the river overflowing again.

"I'm getting worried about this. There are only four warriors in camp, and it's already night," Dovepebble mentioned, "Do you want me to bring you some fresh-kill, Shallowcreek dear?"

"Sure, I'll share something." Dovepebble padded away towards the almost empty fresh-kill pile. There was only a trout left after Burrpaw picked up the smaller fish and took it to the edge of the clearing. "The hunting patrol should be back soon."

"Shallowcreek, if you move here, it would block his pebble."

"Oh! Thank you, Loudkit." Brightkit gave Loudkit a threatening glance as Shallowcreek blocked him. But then smiled at Loudkit. I guess he's thanking me for helping teach Shallowcreek.

"Here, share this trout with me." Dovepebble sat down beside her mate. I think that's the trout that Willowthorn caught! I'm getting hungry, too. Maybe we should go back to the nursery after this game.

Thunder crackled in the distance.

"What was that?" Loudkit squeaked. The kits' fur stood on end as they both jumped up.

"That's just thunder." Shallowcreek commented.

"ThunderClan?" Loudkit asked. ThunderClan cats must be huge if they're this loud! Shallowcreek chuckled.

"No. Just bad weather."

"Kits! Where are my kits?"

"Orangepelt!" Brightkit and Loudkit ran over to their mother. "We're here. Don't worry, mama, that noise is just bad weather, it's not ThunderClan." The thunder must have woken her.

"Where are Lionkit and Heatherkit?" Orangepelt was drenched in fear-scent.

"They, er, snuck out of camp while you were asleep. Some warriors went to find them." Loudkit responded.

"But they've been gone for a long time." Great! Now you're gonna upset her, Brightkit!

"What? Where did they go? Why are they so adventurous? I need to go find them." Orangepelt panicked. Feathercloud padded up, startled by the commotion.

"I can stay here with these two if you must go, but the patrol should be back soon. I know for a fact that they're with Sunstorm."

"How do you know that?"

"We found them on dawn patrol. Sunstorm told us to finish while he took the kits back here, but we got back first."

"Dawn patrol? How long have I been sleeping? What happened to them?" Orangepelt pelted out of camp.

"She's so finicky sometimes." Feathercloud smiled to herself. Lightning appeared on the dark horizon as the rain heavied from a sprinkle to cold pellets.

"I'm scared, Feathercloud." Brightkit looked up at her. So am I. What if Orangepelt gets lost, too?

"I know, dears, I'm sorry. Here, let's go visit the elders. Their den is safer if it floods ... I mean, they'd love to see you! Everything will be-" She began to lead the kits towards the elders' den when lightning exploded and lit up a tree on the river-side of camp.

"Aah!" All three cats' neck fur began to bristle.

"Get to the elders' den!" Fire engulfed the tree from it's trunk to it's longest branch as Feathercloud herded the kits forwards. A few sticks had already fallen off of the charred wood, still burning.

"SunClan!" Brightkit started to run towards the tree, wide eyed. What? Why are you running towards that?

"What? Come back here!" Feathercloud dashed over and grabbed him by the scruff. "I told you to get to the elder's den!" That's the first time Brightkit has ever ignored orders. What is SunClan? I've never heard of them. Is that them?

"Okay. I- I'm sorry. It's just-"

"It's just nothing! We're going to the den." Loudkit heard a creaking sound come from the tree. The look of the orange flame against the pelting rain looked dazzling to Loudkit.

"Loudkit!" Feathercloud mumbled to him through Brightkit's fur, "Come on!"

He hurried up and met them at the elders' den.

"Get in here, kits, it'll be safe." Stonewish called. Reedtail and Leopardspots started to get up to make more room for the incoming cats, but Feathercloud insisted that they stay in their nests. Brightkit tried to struggle out of Feathercloud's mouth to draw a Pebble-Stones square. Has already forgotten about the SunClan warriors outside?

Loudkit noticed an orange pelt enter camp. "Orangepelt's back!" I guess she didn't find Heatherkit and Lionkit. We need to warn her that SunClan is attacking!" He started to race out of the den.

"What? Wait! Loudkit, no!" Feathercloud called, setting down Brightkit and racing after Loudkit in the downpour.

He stopped in the middle of camp and looked up. Why does Orangepelt smell so bad? He realized the answer to his own question as the creature turned to sniff him.

"Loudkit! That's a fox!" Feathercloud, Reedtail, and Stonewish darted out of the den at it. Burrpaw, Dovepebble, and Shallowcreek raced over from across camp. Fear-scent swamped the air around him. What's a fox? It snarled and swiped a paw at Loudkit. He managed to duck under it and run. Brightkit ran out from behind the advancing cats, straight for the burning tree. He glanced over at Loudkit.

"Loudkit! Come here!" Brightkit called as the fight broke out beside them. The tree creaked again.

"We need Sunkit!"

"Who is that?" Brightkit ran over to one of the burning branches and picked up the wet side of it. "Get one! But be careful, they bite. Trust me! I saw him in a dream!"

"Wha-" Loudkit picked up a branch. How does he know what he's doing? He noticed Quietpaw watching them around the fighting cats. She looked like she was thinking the same thing he was. Rabbitear snapped at her to get back to putting cobwebs on Dovepebble's leg. Leopardspots was yelling at the kits from the den. "Get away from the fire! Come here right now!" Fire? Is that what SunClan is?

"It's okay! I know what to do!" Brightkit led Loudkit towards the fight. They both had a flaming stick in their jaws. Stonewish was bleeding from his flank and one ear, while Reedtail was lying to the side of the fight. How can he nap through this? Loudkit thought. Feathercloud was on top of the fox, but it flung her off. She landed on Stonewish and knocked him over. Burrpaw was trying to get to it's belly. Shallowcreek was protecting the medicine cats while they looked at Reedtail. The fox started to look very tired to Loudkit.

Brightkit ran up at it with his stick and tossed it at the it's nose. The fire fizzled out as it bounced off of the fox's paws and landed in a puddle. He can't throw at all! And now it looks angry!

Leopardspots appeared and scraped the fox's muzzle as she grabbed Brightkit's scruff. "What are you doing?" She started to run back off to the den as Feathercloud got off of Stonewish. Quietpaw and Rabbitear were dragging Reedtail towards the medicine den. Quietpaw's gaze was locked on Brightkit's pelt, and Shallowcreek streaked straight for the fox.

"Get it, Loudkit!" Brightkit screamed back to him.

"Loudkit, come on!" Leopardspots was already halfway to the elders' den. If Brightkit can brave up to this, than so can I. The fox's terrible breath drenched his nostrils. He stood still and got ready to use his flame branch. The fox barreled Shallowcreek over with a tackle. It's gaze snapped to Loudkit. He held up his stick, ready, be he could hardly hear any of the cats calling to him over the storm as the fox's jaws lunged straight for his throat.