The small grey she cat crouched by the entrance, her blue eyes lit up with excitement. She pounced on the larger grey she cat letting out a cry of triumph.
"Got you!" Featherkit crowed.
"Oh no I've been defeated." Willowpaw cried out, falling onto her side dramatically.
"Willowpaw! You have hunting patrol with me!" Hazeltail, her mentor, called out where she was waiting by the entrance, flicking her tail impatiently.
"I can't wait till you become an apprentice." Willowpaw sighed. "Then we can go on patrol together."
"Just one more moon." Featherkit chirped, nuzzling the older she cat who although she wasn't much older than Featherkit, she was still a good amount bigger than the small kit who could be mistaken for 4 moons old rather than five moons old.
"Then I can make you do all the dirty work like checking the elders for ticks." Willowpaw teased.
"You're such a lazy lump of fur!" Featherkit retorted, her eyes lit up with amusement.
Before Willowpaw could reply, Hazeltail called for her again, this time a bit louder. Willowpaw briefly touched her nose to Featherkits in farewell and ran to catch up with her. Featherkit felt a bit lost when Willowpaw left. She had become very close to the apprentice and would even consider her her best friend. She had been having fun with Willowpaw but Ofcourse apprentice duties got in the way of her fun. Again. Featherkit couldn't wait till she was finally an apprentice! The small grey she cat looked around the clearing and her eyes landed on her brother who was brooding in the shadows. Featherkit bounded over and jumped onto him, pushing him down and pinning him.
"Get off me." Sparrowkit demanded indignantly.
He could easily push her off but Ofcourse he never would. He always let Featherkit win their play fights because that was just the kind of good brother he was. Featherkit bounced off of him, letting the black Tom up. Sparrowkit shook out his fur with a soft hiss.
"Go bother Moonkit." He muttered, although his eyes held a warm affection for the she cat.
"You don't mean that." Featherkit retorted and then Tilted her head questioningly. "Why didn't you join in my game with Willowpaw?"
"Because I know she just wants to play with you." Sparrowkit growled resentfully.
Featherkits eyes clouded with worry. She hated how her brother thought no one liked him. He was really only close to his sisters, Featherkit and Moonkit. Mostly Featherkit but he had grown up with Moonkit and she would always hold a place in his heart. Before Featherkit could reply to her grouchy brother, she was distracted by a familiar black Tom approaching them. Sparrowkit was the spitting image of him while Featherkit looked more like her mother.
"Daddy!" Featherkit squealed, jumping onto the Tom.
Crowfeather nuzzled his daughter affectionately. Sparrowkits eyes lit up when the Tom turned to him.
"Hi dad." Sparrowkit said eagerly, eager to impress his father as usual.
"What are you two up to?" Crowfeather mewed, licking Featherkit between the ears.
Sparrowkit gazed enviously at the two, wishing Crowfeather would show him that kind of affection.
"Nothing really." Sparrowkit mumbled, looking hopefully up at his father. "Will you play with us?"
Crowfeather hesitated but Featherkit let out a pleading mew. Crowfeathers eyes softened as he met hers.
"Okay maybe one badger ride." Crowfeather conceded.
Featherkit let out a mew of excitement as she clambered onto his back. Sparrowkit climbed after his sister and held on. The young Tom treasured moments like this. Always eager to please his father. Featherkit knew Crowfeather had a soft spot for her but she also knew that Crowfeather loved them both even if Sparrowkit didn't believe it. Crowfeather lumbered around the clearing, the two kits letting out squeaks of excitement. After a while Crowfeather let an exhausted sigh, crouching down to let the two kits off as their mother approached them.
"That's the second badger ride today! They sure have you wrapped around their little paws." Leafpool purred, nuzzling her mate affectionately in a way that reminded Featherkit of how Willowpaw would nuzzle her.
Featherkit pushed the thought away. It was different. She and Willowpaw were the same gender and were just friends. She wondered why the thought had even popped into her head but was distracted by her brother muttering under his breath.
"Featherkit has you wrapped around her paw. Not me." Sparrowkit muttered, just loud enough for Featherkit to hear.
Featherkit turned her worried gaze onto her brother but the Tom was already climbing down their fathers back. Featherkit quickly followed, slipping off her fathers back. She felt slightly out of breath which was strange since she hadn't really done much except for get a badger ride. She ignored the tightness in her chest as Sparrowkit tossed her a moss ball, clearly trying to make up for his early grumpiness. Featherkit let out a small cough before jumping after the moss ball. Their parents sat together, watching their kits and chatting about their day. The two kits tossed the moss ball back and forth for a while, Moonkit popping her head out of the medicine den to join them as the sun sank lower in the sky. Willowpaw returned with two mice hanging in her mouth. Featherkit had been so distracted with her kit games that she had forgotten about her chest pain that came and went. She didn't want to bother anyone about it when there were so many sick cats in camp already. Willowpaw deposited her fresh kill on the pile and went over to her sister, Dreampaw to share tounges with her for their evening meal. Leafpool and Crowfeather still sat close together watching their kits, pride lit up in both their eyes. The two never could get enough of each other or their kits. Featherkit knew that she was part of their second litter but their parents had never been very close with their first litter from what the she cat had heard. She knew Leafpool had mentored Jayfeather but she didn't seem to have a motherly bond with him. Hollyleaf has died in the Great Battle and Lionblaze seemed to think of Squirrelflight and Brambleclaw as his parents. She also knew Crowfeather had a son in Windclan but that the two had never been very close. Crowfeather never seemed to want to talk about his time in Windclan. She wasn't sure how her parents ended up together or the complicated history that had eventually brought Featherkit and her brother into the world. She had asked quite a few times but Leafpool always shushed her and told her to never bring it up to her father. Featherkit averted her attention from her parents as a black ball of fur bowled her over.
"I win!" Sparrowkit crowed, lashing his tail in triumph.
Featherkit has completely forgotten that she, Sparrowkit and Moonkit has ended their game of Mossball to play fight instead while pretending they were part of the great battle.
"The Dark Forest will never win!" Moonkit hissed, jumping onto Sparrowkit and pulling him away from Featherkit.
Featherkit jumped to her paws, only to be bowled over by Sparrowkit once again who had shaken off Moonkit. Moonkit let out an indignant squeak at being shaken off so easily. Featherkit in the meantime struggled against Sparrowkits grip, frustrated he had taken her down so easily. He was strong and bigger than her and the only time she had really won a play fight with him is when he let her win. Before Featherkit could try to retaliate against Sparrowkits attack, a cough wracked her little body and she felt a wetness seep into her fur. She looked down at herself realizing she had coughed up blood onto her chest. Sparrowkit met her gaze terrified. Leafpool and Crowfeather raced over, catching sight of the dark liquid that stained their daughter fur.
"Get off of her!" Crowfeather snarled, yanking Sparrowkit up by the scruff and roughly depositing him on the ground next to her with a painful thud. Sparrowkit whimpered and his mother shushed him gently.
"He's just scared for your sister little one. He didn't mean to be so rough." Leafpool meowed gently, wrapping her tail around her son while also leaning forward to get a good look at her daughter.
She seemed relatively calm and Featherkit thought that it must be because she used to be a medicine cat. She sat up in a daze, another cough causing her whole body to shake as more blood was coughed onto the ground.
"Daddy!" Moonkits terrified cry rang through the camp as other warriors began to notice that something was wrong.
Jayfeather at once appeared by Moonkits side, relief showing in his eyes once he realized she wasn't hurt. He then turned to Crowfeather who was crouched protectively over Featherkit, his blue eyes wide and distraught. Jayfeather let out an unhappy sigh as he noticed the liquid staining the ground and Featherkits fur.
"Not you too." Jayfeather muttered, beginning to sniff her all over, calling to Lightpaw to make her a nest in the medicine den.
"She has Blackcough. She'll need to stay in my den for observation." Jayfeather announces, mostly to the kits parents but other cats overheard and began murmuring worriedly.
Featherkit felt heat buzzing through her and felt lightheaded, her chest pain from before now back at full force. Jayfeather began to move her away but Crowfeather blocked him.
"Is she going to be okay?" He growled, although fear was laced in his fierce expression.
"I'll do my best for her but I need you to let me treat her." Jayfeather said sternly, pushing the warrior out of the way to scoop up the kit.
"Let me help! I used to be a medicine cat!" Leafpool pleaded, with a terrified Sparrowkit by her side.
"I'm sorry! I didn't think I pushed you that hard!" Sparrowkit wailed.
"It wasn't your fault. I was already sick when we were playing. Nothing you did caused this." Featherkit croaked out, her breathing labored from the coughing fits and her chest burning as she talked.
Sparrowkit ran over and pressed against his sister comfortingly as Jayfeather turned his attention to Leafpool.
"You USED to be a medicine cat. I have Lightpaw to help me now. I don't need your help." Jayfeather snapped.
"But-" Leafpool began to protest but Jayfeather cut her off.
"Leafpool you made the decision to take a mate and be a warrior." Jayfeather growled but then his blind blue eyes softened as he faced the frantic queen.
"You know it's not a good idea for you to treat your own daughter. She's my sister. We're kin and im her medicine cat. I'll do everything in my power to make sure she pulls through but you must let me do my job." Jayfeather mewed gently.
Featherkit had never heard the medicine cat call her his kin before and it dawned on her that they really were siblings from different litters. She had never had a relationship with the medicine cat but she promised herself that when she got better she would try to get to know her older brothers better including Lionblaze who she also wasn't close with. Leafpool reluctantly took a step back pulling Sparrowkit close to her as she watched Jayfeather carry Featherkit away. Crowfeather pressed against his mates side reassuringly, his eyes dark with worry. Several cats watched them go as Featherkit trembled in Jayfeathers grasp, she wasn't very big but she would be an apprentice soon so she felt a bit embarrassed to be carried away like this in front of the clan. One cat in particular broke through the crowd.
"Featherkit!" Willowpaw gasped, her eyes wide and terrified making Featherkit want to reassure her that she would be okay but all she could do was shake in a Jayfeathers jaws, feeling exhausted and unable to speak.
"I need you! Please get better!" Willowpaw called frantically.
Featherkits heart swelled with emotion as she realized for the first time how grave her situation was and how bad she wanted to get better for Willowpaw and her kin. This illness had no cure and cats had died from it. She shut her eyes tight and prayed to Starclan that she would get better.