Chapter 4
Owlkit yawned as he uncurled from his bed, his body was a dull ache but he felt better. He scented the air, his mother Sandtail had been here. He slowly got up and stretched. His relaxing was short lived; he noticed Shrewkit was sitting at the entrance. With a glare he rose to his paws.
Shrewkit turned his head, baring his sharp teeth; it stunned him for a moment "Owlkit," he spat out his brothers name, "We have to wait another quarter moon before becoming apprentices."
Owlkit narrowed his eyes, "Maybe you don't remember but I sort of saved you." Owlkit growled. "But wait, your mind wouldn't be able to remember anything that long!"
Shrewkit ignored the comment. "Only because you didn't tell us about the wolves' earlier." he hissed back.
"It would've been a good plan if you actually knew how to climb."
Shrewkit temper was rising and Owlkit could feel it, Owlkit unsheathed his claws but realized that this wasn't going to solve anything, but it was too late.
Shrewkit pounced onto him, with his claws unsheathed. It surprised him greatly at the muscle mass he felt under his paws. It never occurred to him that his brother was this strong. Owlkit growled fiercely, and dug his claws into Shrewkit's fur, and tossed him off. Owlkit hissed at him, and whacked his sharply on the head and ran up a small tree not wanting to shed blood on a simple matter.
The sound of a fight awakened Pinekit; she jumped up to see her brother Shrewkit trying to get up a tree. She looked up the tree, and there was Owlkit on a high branch. It left her eyes wide, and shocked.
"Shrewkit stop it, bloodshed won't solve it," Owlkit growledPinekit ran over to Shrewkit and tried to talk some sense into him.
"Shrewkit this won't help, he's you're brother."
"It doesn't matter; he's worked me to my last nerve."
Owlkit's mind was racing, He hates me that much? Oh no a warrior is coming, he can't be so stupid that he fights in plain view. Hmmm I think that's why he doesn't like me. He thought to himself.
Shrewkit had seen the warrior also and had stopped pursuing his brother, but started grooming his pelt. Face looking once again innocent and calm; he glanced up at the warrior.
Owlkit climbed down knowing that Shrewkit wouldn't attack him. He dipped his head to Ravenwing. The inky black tom stopped and gazed at them.
"Are we getting along here?" Ravenwing asked, looking at the three kits.
The three litter mates all nodded there heads.
"Good, let's hope you do. We don't want you three to wait to long to become apprentices." He finished and walked into the healers den. Probably for a belly ache or some simple matter. What ever it was it didn't matter to any of them.
As soon as Ravenwing was out of ear shot Owlkit spoke "Why did you attack me Shrewkit?"
Shrewkit ignored him "I'm going back to the nursery," he got up and walked off.
Pinekit look worried and sad, "What's gotten into Shrewkit these days, he's changed a lot."
"Yeah, he's turned from Fuzzy and evil, to evil and fuzzy," Owlkit licked the small scratches Shrewkit gave him. "I don't think he likes me, and he's always been a fox-hearted bossy paws."
Pinekit shot him a glare. "I don't think he does either."
"You're not supposed to agree to that! But I'm not stopping you." he meowed, with a humorless smirk. Owlkit got up and walked over to his nest, "I don't think I'll be happy to share a den with him. Shrewkit's hot head will make it to warm to sleep in there."
Pinekit gave him a severe look. "This is why he doesn't like you."
Owlkit rolled his eyes and walked over to the nursery, his mother Sandtail was out. He drank in the familiar smells; Foxpelt was sleeping soundly with her two kits. Shrewkit had obviously lied again about visiting the nursery. It was nothing Owlkit would've worried about in the past, but the grey tom had already lied to many times. It would not go unnoticed again. A silent breeze ruffled is soft fur; he looked for the nursery for the source. A small hole let a beam of light in. Making a face he thought that he should probably fix it, since no one else would have the time.
Owlkit took some of the bedding and nosed it firmly into the small hole. It didn't take much time, but the warmth of doing something right glowed in him. He beamed at his accomplishment. Quickly he realized he was being watched, and spun around to face Maplestar.
Maplestar looked at him with his grey eyes. "You must be very bored to help bind the wall, without being ordered." A glint of amusement glinted in his eyes.
Owlkit smiled, but didn't think it very funny.
"I feel that you have no need to wait the rest of this moon, you and your siblings deserve to become apprentices." He announced.
Owlkit nodded his head, excitement raised in his chest.
"Good! We will hold the ceremony tomorrow at Sunset," He meowed.
Owlkit gave a small purr and nodded to his leader but he couldn't help himself, "But that's a whole day to wait!" he whined.
Maplestar looked at him. "All apprentices must be patient young one"
At that the wise leader walked away to the Foodpile at the middle of camp.
Owlkit was burning with excitement inside. He would finally be an apprentice! He imagined himself dashing through the endless forest on a patrol, or on a mission. The cool breezes flowing through his fur, and the smells of the open land. Even the rage of battle and the adrenalin. Being an apprentice was going to be fun!
But more important matters were pressing down on him, where did his brother go in his absence? Where could he go unnoticed by everyone, it made the fur in his shoulders raise.