"I see this life
Like a swinging vine
Swing my heart across the line
In my face is flashing signs
Seek it out and ye shall find..." –Counting Stars by One Republic
Sorry about the disappearance, school has been past insane x.x Hope everyone enjoys this chapter to make up for my absence! ~Lark
Lightkit
"Now what?"
"We wait, so shush."
Lightkit stood behind Aspenkit near the fresh-kill pile. They had watched Redpaw leave camp with Kindlestrike, Larkblossom, and Blossompaw. Lightkit sighed at his sister's answer and he sat down impatiently.
"But we'll be stuck here waiting for ages!" He protested and glanced about camp. It had been over a moon since the incident between their parents and his father's dream, but Aspenkit hadn't given up on trying finding out more information. She still insisted on getting answers after getting them into a few different situations landing them confined to the nursery.
Lightkit tagged along– though only fearfully just to ensure that he wasn't stuck alone with Olivekit. (She had yet to forgive him about Brownfeather sending her out of the medicine cat den).
Aspenkit flattened her ears at his words and looked down at him with annoyance gleaming in her eyes.
"Come on. We're bound to find something out." She mewed and stared at the camp entrance. Lightkit shook his head.
"Nuh-uh. Father had those strange meetings inside Littlestar's den whenever he dreams. I think they may have caught on." He pointed out and saw Littlestar appear out of his den and jumped down into camp. Lightkit dipped his head in greeting when he made eye contact with the leader. Littlestar held his gaze for few heartbeats until he also dipped his head.
"I don't know. I mean, shouldn't we know about this stuff anyways? We're the Messenger's kits! What if StarClan spoke to us too?" Aspenkit mused as her tail twitched, drawing Lightkit's gaze back to her.
"I don't think we weren't chosen by StarClan, Aspenkit. Otherwise, we should tell Kindlestrike or Littlestar immediately." Lightkit felt like he was repeating his father's words and cringed when he saw Aspenkit roll her eyes. Oh, great.
"Whatever, Lightkit. Side with dad, I don't care." Aspenkit replied and turned away from him. Lightkit flattened his ears and looked at the ground. Great going, Lightkit.
He didn't say anything more and wandered off aimlessly, looking for something to take his mind off of the bickering.
He sighed, wishing again that there were more kits in the nursery. He noticed Silversnow and Shadowtail sitting out front of their den, talking. He flicked his ears and mentally debated on approaching them when he felt a tail brush over his shoulder.
He looked up and smiled at the elder, Pinefoot, who was looking kindly down at him. He held a piece of fresh-kill in his jaws and set it down to speak.
"Go ahead; I'm sure that they're just swapping stories about their apprentice days. Why don't you help me bring this squirrel to them?" The one-eyed elder gestured to the squirrel. Lightkit grabbed it and hurried to follow him to the others.
Silversnow purred in greeting.
"Hello dear, what brings you over to us?" She asked. Lightkit glanced down at his paws and lifted one up.
"My paws?" He replied in an attempt as a joke. Pinefoot let out a hearty chuckle.
"Cheeky kit. I think that deserves a story, right?" He asked and glanced at his denmates. Silversnow smiled at him and then looked at Lightkit.
"What story do you want to hear?" She mewed and motioned him to her side. Something flashed through his mind as he settled beside the elder, but he was hesitant to ask.
"I want to hear about Jayfrost...why is everyone so scared of him?" He asked warily and looked up at Silversnow in the face. Her eyes darkened and she shot a guarded look at Pinefoot.
"That's a difficult story to tell, kit. Everyone has their own opinion." Shadowtail said from the other side of Silversnow. Lightkit got up from his spot to peer over at him.
The tabby tom's right front paw was bent at an odd angle and he shifted his weight. Lightkit didn't reply and only sat back down. He looked at Shadowtail and waited for him to begin. Shadowtail drew in a deep breath.
"Jayfrost was born to Swiftwind and Thorntalon. He, Larkblossom, Kindlestrike, and Fawntail were friends up until Larkblossom's mother, Olivefur, was killed." The elder began and stopped when Lightkit's eyes widened.
"What? Who killed her?" He asked and his gaze swept between the elders.
"Her name was Olivefur; your sister was named after her." Pinefoot answered for the others.
Oh.
"Olivefur was a kind warrior and was a good advisor to her mate and leader, Rowanstar. Olivekit isn't either of those.
"Witherstar murdered her in cold blood- that's when Jayfrost and Larkblossom began to bond." Pinefoot continued for Silversnow.
Lightkit tilted his head to the side in confusion.
"How does that have to do with all of the fear?" He asked and looked at the three elders. Silversnow looked away with a strange look in her eyes.
"They were very close during their apprenticeship days. Everyone was sure that they would be mates at some point. Then something happened, and they drifted apart."
"Darkness grew in my son's heart." Lightkit nearly jumped. Swiftwind was standing behind him.
"Thornstar wasn't any help either. Jayfrost hardly considered him as his father. I wouldn't have either if I were Thornstar's kit." She continued while looking strangely relieved of something.
"What happened to Thornstar?" Lightkit asked, feeling drawn to her gaze.
"Jayfrost killed him."
Redpaw
Larkblossom had eventually gotten better and was now leading Redpaw, Kindlestrike, and Blossompaw out of camp.
Redpaw noticed Aspenkit and her sidekick Lightkit watching her leave the camp. They had constantly badgered her about their father's dreams, even though she didn't know anything apart from the first one.
He's back… The tone Kindlestrike used sent chills down her spine.
"Come on Redpaw! Kindlestrike said we can hunt!" Her sister's voice dragged her out of her thoughts. She followed Blossompaw down the trail that led to the lake within their territory.
Redpaw still followed, but she looked over her shoulder and watched Kindlestrike talking to Larkblossom in an urgent tone though Redpaw couldn't catch his words.
"It's so pretty out here, but I think it's going to rain." Blossompaw mewed from beside the body of water. Redpaw turned back to her and padded down next to her.
Redpaw nodded and looked up at the sky. Dark gray clouds were forming above, and they seemed ready to release the rain they were holding.
"Is Aspenkit still after you?" Blossompaw asked her. Redpaw sighed.
"Yeah, it doesn't matter how many times I tell her that I don't know anything. She still follows me around."
She looked at her own reflection in the water. Her mismatched eyes stared back at her.
"I feel bad for her poor future mentor! They'll never have a moment to relax! Imagine if one of us were her mentor."
Redpaw snorted, sending ripples through the water and distorting her reflection. Then a rain drop plopped into the water. Redpaw shook her body and backed away from the water.
""No, we'll be too young or not even warriors yet." She replied and flicked her ears.
"I smell mouse, we should hunt before it starts pouring." She turned away from Blossompaw and started back up the pathway and headed into the forest. Blossompaw quickly followed her without another sound.
They returned to camp just as the rain began to fall down heavily. They dragged the prey they caught together to the fresh-kill pile. Their mentors had arrived before them and greeted them at the pile.
Redpaw suddenly noticed that Aspenkit was not prodding her side or asking questions. In fact, Aspenkit was nowhere to be seen, and Lightkit was talking to the elders alone.
"Well done, both of you!" Larkblossom meowed happily.
"I'd watch your stalking skills a bit, Redpaw. Remember to keep your tail up, Blossompaw.
overall, you did wonderfully." Kindlestrike added with a flick of his tail.
Redpaw grinned. "Thank you." She mewed. Blossom paw echoed Redpaw's words and placed her kills onto the piles.
Larkblossom twitched her nose.
"It's raining a bit hard, and since you did so well, you both should take the day off." She mewed and looked to Kindlestrike. The pale red warrior nodded.
"May as well." He said and began to walk in the direction of the Stone Branch.
"I'm taking the liberty to put in a good word for both of you to Littlestar. Hopefully you will go to the Gathering tonight if the rain lets up." He meowed over his shoulder and padded up to the Leader's den. Larkblossom gave them a grin and followed after him.
Redpaw pricked her ears and smiled at Blossompaw.
"All right!" Blossompaw purred excitedly.
"Did you hear that, Flarepaw? Blossompaw and I are going to the Gathering!" Redpaw told him. Their brother was leaving the medicine cat den and stared at them. He bounded over to them with his tail waving in the air.
"That's great!" He mewed with excitement lighting up in his eyes.
"There's going to be so many cats!" Blossompaw added. Redpaw was going to join in, but her excitement disappeared as Lightkit got up and left the elders.
Where is Aspenkit? Redpaw thought, realizing that the pesty calico was absolutely nowhere to be seen in camp. Lightkit approached her with a confused look on his face.
"Have you seen my sister?" He asked. Redpaw shook her head.
"Have you checked with Fawntail?" She replied and looked over at the nursery where she got her answer.
Fawntail was laying outside the nursery beside Nightwhisper. Olivekit was at her mother's paws, but Aspenkit was not around.
"Have you checked inside the nursery?" She asked. Lightkit opened his mouth to speak as a sharp fear scent filled the air.
They looked at the camp entrance where the fear scent was coming from. Sunpelt appeared over the camp wall holding a small limp body in his jaws.
Redpaw heard Fawntail gasp loudly as lightning flashed across the sky with thunder sounding shortly after it.
"Aspenkit!"
Ice
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Ice watched Fitz demonstrate battle moves to Blaze with Harley. She was listening Wally, Fitz's brother, and Robin speaking quietly. She caught snippets of their plans of Blaze becoming second in command of the gang when he was older. Ice felt proud, but she wished she could tell her littermate of his future.
What if he doesn't want to be part of leadership? She watched Fitz force her brother to get back up from the ground.
None of the gang members were paying attention to her, so she slunk towards the exit of the hideout and slipped out into the alleyway.
Rain splattered onto her streets and onto her fur, but Ice did not mind. She made her way down the familiar streets and to the Twoleg nest where her kittypet friend Sophie lived.
Sophie talked a lot- and Ice listened. It was a perfect friendship, and it was nice to have someone to listen to without the look of sympathy lacing their voice.
Ice jumped up onto the fence that surrounded Sophie's Twoleg nest and peered into the little area of grass where her friend usually sprawled out on.
There was no sign of her until Ice heard a noise and saw Sophie emerge from the nest. The kittypet quickly trotted over to her with her ears flattened against the rain.
"What are you doing out here? It's practically storming!" Sophie exclaimed and jumped up onto the fence beside Ice.
Ice shrugged and looked over the fence and into the woods.
"You know, a cat came here when it was snowing really hard this last winter when she was close to kitting. She was a tough cat...you're a lot like her in a way." Sophie mewed and looked down at her. Ice tilted her head.
What pregnant queen in her right mind would travel in the snow?
"Anyways, I don't think it would be safe to go into the forest right now. I'm going back inside for now, so be safe! Make smart choices!" Her friend mewed and raced back inside.
Ice was left alone with the rain drumming on her back. A burning curiosity filled her.
I don't think it'd hurt to look around for a little bit. She leapt down onto the grass below and stared at the roadway that separated the forest from the Twolegplace.
It loomed before her, and she warily approached it. She had heard many stories of cats being killed on it. Thankfully, there weren't any cars on it and she sped across it.
She pricked her ears once she was on the other side, but she could only hear the rain.
The trees were huge and made her feel miniscule. She slowly padded forward under the trees and glanced around.
Woah. The ground was littered with leaves and brush which felt strange on her paws. She slowly padded deeper in the forest and drank in the scent of the trees and the rain.
She noticed a worn path leading down to what looked like a lake or pond, so she followed it.
She stopped and looked down at the path. There were tiny pawprints in the mud. What? Is there a kit out here? Well...I'm a kit too.
She hurried down the path and saw a calico kit walking near the shore. Ice hurried forward and nearly tripped over some rocks, sending one flying.
The kit swung her head towards her and stared. Ice could tell that it was a she-kit.
The she-kit started towards her, but she was so sudden that she slipped and fell.
Ice's eyes widened and she hurried down to the shore.
To her horror, the kit's eyes were closed and blood trailed from her mouth.
Oh no.
"Hey you! What are you- Aspenkit?!"
Ice turned looked over her shoulder and saw a large red tom with stripes run towards her. Don't run!
A gold she-cat and a pale cream tom followed after him, but at a slower pace.
"What happened?" The she-cat asked.
"Did you do this to her?" The red tom demanded. Ice shook her head no. He lowered his head and sniffed the little she-kit.
"She's still alive. We should get her to camp right now though. Ravensong, get the trespasser. I'll get Aspenkit."
The tom gently took the kit into his mouth and picked her up.
"Do we have to take her? She's just a kit!" The cream tom protested. Ice squirmed as the she-cat grabbed her by the scruff. Hey! Leave me alone!
"We can't abandon her. Just bring her." The red tom meowed around the other kit's body.
The cream tom didn't say anything else. The gold she-cat followed the red tom.
Wait, where are we going? I want to go home!