I'll be splitting this story between four cats, but it'll all come together. Enjoy.
~ Tangleflame
Chapter 2
Riverclan ~ Sunkit
You're going to pay for this
Once again, the haunting voice of the cat that killed her mother awoke Sunkit. The fluffy golden kit stood from where she had been nestled in between her adopted littermates and shook out her fur. The fear from her dream still engulfed her, but the small kit took deep breaths to slow her heart beat. Badgerfur lifted her head, "Was it the same dream?"
Sunkit nodded, she had confided in her foster mom about the memories she had before she had been taken in by Riverclan. Most nights, the young kit was terrorized by the memory of finding her actual mother with her throat ripped out and the haunting voice of the cat that killed her. Badgerfur's tongue lapped gently over Sunkit's head, comforting the small kit. Riverclan had been good to her since she had been taken in. Bright sunlight was filtering in through the brambles of the nursery and Sunkit could hear the Riverclan camp starting to wake.
"Sunkit, since you're awake, can you get some fresh-kill for Lakepelt?" Badgerfur asked her. The blue-furred queen had been busy with her four kits ever since they had been born 2 moons ago. Sunkit nodded and headed out of the nursery, thankful for the distraction. As she headed for the fresh-kill pile, she was almost plowed over by the medicine cat. The young gray tom still looked half asleep, but his blue eyes were wide with confusion and a little bit of fear. He mewed a quick apology before racing off to the leader's den. Sunkit knew she was too young to know the responsibilities that came with being the medicine cat. Reaching the fresh-kill pile, she was surprised to see that there was so much prey to choose from. The hunting patrols haven't even left yet!
"Starclan has blessed us with good hunting this new leaf." Sunkit looked up to see Stonetail, Lakepelt's mate.
"I hope hunting is this good when I'm an apprentice!" Stonetail purred at her enthusiastic response.
"I think Lakepelt would enjoy that water vole, having the kits has made her crave more land prey," Stonetail nodded towards the plump water vole in the pile and padded off with a friendly flick of his tail. The tom headed towards the camp entrance and joined Featherleaf and Cloverpaw. Sunkit guessed that they were the first hunting patrol going out. Sunkit grabbed the water vole from the prey and started dragging it to the nursery. She came across the elder, Snagheart, as he slunk out of the elder's den.
"At least you kits are making yourselves useful! You would think Riverclan didn't have enough warriors, with all the kit we've been having." The old tom huffed, slowly sinking into a stretch. A scratchy purr sounded from inside the elder's den and a once beautiful tortoiseshell joined her den mate in the sun.
"I think it's wonderful to have so many kits in the clans! Sunkit, you make sure you and those littermates of yours come keep us company and we'll tell you some stories!"
Sunkit waved her tail in acknowledgement to the elders and continued to drag the water vole to the nursery. She was happy that Flowerpool thought of Beechkit and Shadowkit as her littermates, instead of referring her to the rogue kit Riverclan had found. It hadn't happened in a few moons, but Sunkit remembered the first few moons she had been in Riverclan and there were certain cats that were wary of her presence. Some warriors feared that a rogue would come looking for her and some worried that she would never fit in. Maybe when moons passed and no rogue showed up in camp looking for a lost kit, or when Sunkit didn't drown the first time she was allowed to play in the stream, that she was accepted.
The other cats in the nursery were awake by the time she was back. Sunkit dragged the water vole straight to Lakepelt, the queen was trying to calm her energized kits.
"Hey Sunkit! Is that for us?" Willowkit bounded up to Sunkit but stumbled over her paws. Sunkit was 2 moons older than Lakepelt's kits and she couldn't help but purr in amusement at their clumsiness. Letting go of the water vole, she nudged Willowkit back to her paws.
"It's for Lakepelt, you're still too young for fresh-kill," Sunkit replied to the small gray-blue kit. Her blue eyes briefly darkened with sadness, then lit up once again.
"That's okay! Mother said we can start trying fresh-kill soon! I wonder what she'll let us eat first. What did you eat for the first time Sunkit?" Willowkit was talking excitedly, and Sunkit knew the questions were just about to start.
"I bet it was a mouse!" Shellkit exclaimed, the golden she-kit coming to stand next to her sister.
"A mouse? We're in Riverclan, Shellkit. I'm sure that she ate a fish her first time. Right, Sunkit?" A third voice joined in, a small white tom-kit.
"That's right Cloudkit, it was a minnow." The small tom puffed his chest out in pride and flicked his sister's ear in victory.
"Well I want to try mouse! There are still mice by the river, fish-brain!" Shellkit growled at Cloudkit, and playfully swiped a small paw at him. The two kits started to tumble together, and Sunkit looked away from them at the sound of a soft purr.
"Sunkit, thank you for this water vole. These four have me constantly busy," The gray queen gently grabbed the water vole and readjusted herself, so her kits wouldn't trample her prey.
"You're welcome Lakepelt! I'm sure they'll be excited when Berryheart has her kits!" Sunkit commented, throwing a glance at the cream tabby queen next to them. Her stomach was bulging with unborn kits.
"As long as we don't also have four kits," Berryheart's mate, Snaketooth, muttered. The dusty brown tom watched the four kits with wide eyes. Berryheart purred in amusement.
"Pebblesplash thinks I'm only going to have one or two, so you're in luck."
"Can I feel?" A small voice asked. Sunkit watched Lakepelt's fourth kit come up to them. The brown she-kit was looking at Berryheart's belly with curious eyes.
"Go ahead Mothkit," Berryheart said gently, just as Lakepelt told her daughter to be careful.
"Do you think she'll be Pebblesplash's new apprentice when she's old enough?" Sunkit asked, watched as the small kit placed her two front paws gently on Berryheart's belly and started to slowly knead.
"Oh yes, she's constantly asking to go see Pebblesplash. She even tries to fake injuries just to go to the medicine cat den!" Lakepelt mewed in amusement. Sunkit was about to respond when Mothkit stepped back from Berryheart's belly and looked up at the queen.
"You only have one kit in there," Mothkit's voice was sure as she spoke to the queen.
"I guess we'll see soon, little one. I'm due to have them any day now," Berryheart meowed, her tail stroking her round belly.
Sunkit was distracted by Badgerfur waving her tail, trying to get Sunkit's attention. Sunkit padded off towards the black queen.
"Sunkit, I told Beechkit and Shadowkit that you three could share a piece of fresh kill, so I would hurry out there before they eat it all for themselves," Badgerfur nudged her toward the nursery entrance. Sunkit didn't need to hear that twice, she raced out of the nursery and saw her two brothers sifting through the fresh kill pile.
"Hey! Wait for me!" She exclaimed, running towards them. When she arrived at the pile, Beechkit had a fat fish in his mouth.
"Want to share this trout, Sunkit?" Shadowkit asked. Sunkit nodded vigorously, her mouth was watering just at the sight of the fish. That was one thing that surprised a few of the Riverclan warriors, Sunkit had really liked the taste of fish. They told her that even some of the Riverclan kits had to get used to the fishy taste, but not Sunkit. Sunkit crouched between Beechkit and Shadowkit and bit into the fish, savoring the salty taste.
Between the three kits, it didn't take them long to finish their piece of fresh kill. "That was so good," Beechkit meowed as he swiped a tongue of his whiskers. Then the tan tom-kit sank into a deep stretch, his tail curling over his back. He wasn't much bigger than Sunkit, Sunkit was lucky that Badgerfur's kits were born around the same time as she had been. The three of them were five moons old and were about to reach their sixth moon, which meant they would become apprentices.
"Hey look! It's Volepaw!" Shadowkit exclaimed, his violet eyes focused on a brown tabby tom walking toward them.
"Hey kits!" Volepaw waved his tail in greeting, stopping in front of them.
"Volepaw! Can you show us some battle moves?" Beechkit asked, looking up at the older tom in admiration.
"You three just can't wait to become apprentices, huh?" Volepaw purred in amusement, "I'll show you guys a new move I learned from my friend in Shadowclan."
"You have a Shadowclan friend?" Shadowkit asked, his eyes wide and his voice laced with shock.
"Sleekpaw is the only decent Shadowclan cat I know, he seems different. Maybe I'll introduce you to him at the next Gathering."
"Wow, okay. Can you show us that move now?" Shadowkit was now refocused on learning battle moves, dropping into a low crouch.
"I'll be the Shadowclan warrior attacking Riverclan camp and you guys are in charge of protecting the camp," Volepaw told them and dropped into a stance that the kits hadn't learned. Sunkit tried to copy him, but her paws felt awkward in the position. As Volepaw slunk towards them, Beechkit yowled a battle cry.
"I am Beechstar! Attack!"
The three of them jumped on the brown tabby tom and for a few seconds he was covered in kits, but with a swift move, Volepaw flung them off and swiftly returned to his earlier stance. Then before the kits could recover, Volepaw pounced towards Sunkit. The apprentice pinned her down, holding her on her back. She struggled to get out of his hold, but Volepaw was stronger than her.
"That's my sister! Get off her!" Shadowkit screeched and leapt onto Volepaw's back, grabbing his scruff. Beechkit ran around Volepaw and took a hold of his tail, pulling him.
Volepaw winced in pain and let go of Sunkit and rolled onto his back to shake off Shadowkit and acted like he was in a lot of pain. "These Riverclan warriors are too strong for me!"
The three kits yowled in victory, and jumped when they heard a strong, familiar voice come from behind them.
"I would say that I'm failing as a mentor if you just let a bunch of kits beat you, Volepaw. But they are my kits after all," The four of them turned around to see a muscular, brown tom watching them. Amusement and pride glowed in his amber eyes. Volepaw let out a small mrrow of laughter.
"I'm no match for the three of them," Volepaw mewed jokingly, getting to his paws and looking up at his mentor. Eagleclaw gave Sunkit a swift lick between her ears and affectionately touched his tail tip to Beechkit and Shadowkit's flank.
"They're growing fast, they'll be apprentices in a few days," Eagleclaw mewed, looking down at his kits. "Though we must be going Volepaw, we're on border patrol with Hawkflame. You kits, behave yourself."
Sunkit watched her adopted father walk away with Volepaw, and she couldn't help but feel excited. They were about to be apprentices!
"I wonder who our mentors are going to be! I want Hawkflame to mentor me.," Shadowkit meowed, angling his ears toward the deputy of Riverclan. The brown and white tom looked like he was wishing a farewell to Skytail. The tom affectionately touched his nose to her ear before heading towards the camp entrance to meet with Eagleclaw and Volepaw. Hawkflame and Skytail weren't officially mates, but Sunkit had noticed the two cats grow closer.
"Well I want Frozenstar!" Beechkit exclaimed. Sunkit purred in amusement, she wasn't sure which cat she wanted as her mentor. She admired all the Riverclan warriors, and she would prove to whoever was chosen as her mentor, that she belonged in Riverclan.
