"Ravenkit!"
"Hey, hey Ravenkit!"
"Ugh, go away!" Ravenkit moaned, rolling over. "I don't wanna play right now!"
"It doesn't matter," Sunkit hissed, "we're making you!"
Stormkit giggled. "Yeah, and the last one outside has to be Shadowclan!"
"No fair!" Ravenkit squeaked, leaping up to follow her brother and sister. "I'm always Shadowclan!"
"Just where do you think you're going?" Ravenkit froze.
"Outside, Mother," she said slowly turning to face Birchcloud. Her mother regarded her with pretend distaste.
"Outside? Look at you! You're filthy! Why, all of Thunderclan would run away if they got downwind of you!" And with that, she snatched Ravenkit with her jaws and deposited the protesting kit in her nest.
"Aw, Mother-"
"Shh. Not one word out of you!" Birchcloud began licking her kit gently, methodically. She started along her back, rubbing the fur the wrong way before moving the Ravenkit's belly. Impatient as she was, Ravenkit was happy to get the layer of grime off her. When Birchcloud reached her head and face, Ravenkit began to purr. She was almost sad when her mother smoothed her fur down again and sent her on her way.
"Well, if it isn't Cleankit!" Ravenkit bristled at the mocking tone Sunkit used on her. The golden kit shone in the sun, although her fur was a dusty mess from tussling. The orange on her stood out even more than usual, and her green eyes sparkled with mischief.
"Yeah, I guess if you're gonna be a Shadowclan mouseheart, you may as well hide with Mother!" Stormkit sniggered, crouching to attack. His gray coat hid the dirt well, and his blue eyes watched her intensely.
"It doesn't matter what Clan I am," Ravenkit boasted, "I'll beat the fur off you!" With that, she pounced, claws sheathed. Stormkit was ready, and used his size to knock her on her side, pinning her down with his paws. Ravenkit growled menacingly, using her kitten paws to bat at his stomach, forcing him off.
Yowling, Sunkit called a halt to the tussle. "Storm, uh, claw. I didn't give my most loyal deputy of Thunderclan the order to attack the weak Shadowclan warrior!"
"My apologies, Sunstar." Stormkit murmured, dipping his head to Sunkit.
"State your name, Shadowclan trespasser!"
"Ravenstar, leader of Shadowclan!" Ravenkit yowled, bristling at Sunkit. "And I am here to destroy all of Thunderclan!" With that she leapt for Sunkit, bowling her sister over.
"I am the Vanquisher of All Things Evil, and you, Ravenstar of Shadowclan, fit that description. I shall end your life now!" Sunkit leapt at Ravenkit, smiling despite the "seriousness" of the situation. Ravenkit dove under her, whipping her small body around to face her sister as she landed.
"Stormclaw, I give you permission to destroy the Shadowclan leader!" Grinning, Stormkit pounced on Ravenkit, but she scampered away.
"Coward!" cried Stormkit.
"Mouseheart!" shrieked Sunkit.
"You are the mouseheart!" Ravenkit yowled back, "For you are too afraid to follow me!" Their bravery challenged, Stormkit and Sunkit tore after Ravenkit. The black kit squealed with delight, running straight for them.
She gathered her feet under herself, preparing for the final move. As Sunkit and Stormkit leapt towards her, she swerved away, skidding off to the elder's den. She was bursting with laughter at the loud oomph! made by her siblings as they fell into the dirt. Risking a glance back, she saw them rising from the dust cloud to pursue her.
"Can't catch me!" she squealed happily, running as hard and as fast as she could. "Never, ever, ever!"
She laughed gleefully as she continued to run, her paws pounding the ground, sending up tiny clouds of dust. She weaved between warriors, who looked on in amusement, although some in annoyance, and ignored her. She was so comfortable, she dared to look back. Her siblings were losing ground fast, unable to match or keep up with her speed.
That is, until she ran into something and went tumbling backwards.
Head over heels she went for want seemed an eternity, all concepts of directions, including up and down, lost. She rolled in the dirt, not caring about messing it up so soon after her bath. Instead she gathered herself and glared at the thing blocking her.
"What do you think you're doing?" it drawled in a lazy, superior voice. Ravenkit froze. She knew this cat, although only for a short while. He was a littermate, but had been appointed apprentice when she had only had her eyes open for a few days.
He had been nice enough to her when they were in the nursery with their mothers, but he didn't care to be with her or her siblings outside. It had only gotten worse when he was apprenticed. He didn't even want to talk to his old littermates, although they begged him and his brother to play.
It was Ambershade's oldest son, Redpaw. His reddish-brown coat was slightly smoother, the fur longer, but he looked the same. Same weird, amber-orange eyes and white chest and toes, same light stripes along his back. Even the same darkening around his face, tail, and paws.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't Ravenkit. I thought I'd gotten rid of you forever. Look, Darkpaw, it's Ravenkit." His brother, Darkpaw, had the same basic shape as Redpaw. Same odd eyes, same markings, but on a much darker, almost charcoal base. He had always been polite and tolerant of Ravenkit and her siblings, although he never made any effort to see Redpaw stop his attitude.
"C'mon, Redpaw, we have duties to attend to now," Darkpaw said, smiling at Ravenkit. "Hey, Ravenkit. How's your mother?"
"She's fine," Ravenkit said testily. "I'm sorry to bother you."
"Oh, you'll have to excuse Redpaw's attitude today," Darkpaw said, always the diplomat. "Shadowpelt got on to him for breaking away from the patrol; he's in charge of the elder's bedding, alone, for a week. As you can imagine, it's put him in a sour mood."
"I understand," Ravenkit said, straightening. "I'm sorry to have bothered you."
"You already said that, kit," Redpaw snarled, flicking his tail. "And I don't need your sympathies."
"Hey! Get away from her!" From out of nowhere, a ball of golden fluff barreled in between Redpaw and Ravenkit. Sunkit, green eyes flashing and fur fluffed out, tried her best to look frightening. "Leave my sister alone!" she snarled.
"Why, I oughta-"
"Redpaw, let's just go. They don't mean any harm." With that, Darkpaw laid his tail across his brother's shoulders, guiding him away.
"I'll get you kits for mocking me!" Redpaw snarled, stalking away.
Ravenkit shook with fear. "D-do you th-think he'll r-really g-get us?" she asked her sister.
"He's all talk," Sunkit informed her. "He can't really do anything, or Rainstar'll get him."
"He's just a bully," Stormkit told his sister, "ignore him." Slightly reassured, Ravenkit cast one last glance at Redpaw and his brother before turning back to her siblings. Her blue eyes shone with mischief.
"Die, Thunderclan scum!" she yowled, throwing herself at them.
"Thunderclan, attack!" Sunkit cried, and together, she and Stormkit continued the battle between themselves and Ravenkit. They became immersed in their games, and Ravenkit felt the incident with Redpaw pushed out of her mind. Why would she even worry about such a stuck-up mousebrain when she and her siblings could have so much fun together?
All too soon, Birchcloud called her kits back to the nursery. Bone-tired in a satisfying way, Ravenkit was happy to curl up and sleep, the warm belly of her mother and bodies of her siblings luring her into a deep, comfortable sleep.
I know that I haven't had a chance to really interact with anyone who reads this yet, but this is my two cents on the story thus far. I rated it "T" because I didn't know how violent and bloody the plot may get later on. This rating may change as the story continues to develop. Along those lines, I am a horrible summarizer (is that a word?) and my summary for this book really stinks. I don't know what to say, since the whole plot of the book is basically one plot twist after another, and telling you anything now would ruin the horrific reality of the whole thing. So, if anyone could honestly care less about what happens, then congratulations, but you'll just have to wait and find out with the rest of us. I've also been meaning to come right out and put an "Allegiances" in the story, but that's entirely too much work and there's no way I'm doing that. So, you really won't know too much about the other clans, save for the cats that our main character, Ravenkit, interacts with. And yes, she is the main character. I know that at a couple of points in this chapter, the POV seemed to switch over to Sunkit and Stormkit, but that was simply a writing error on my part, so I apologize, but you're just gonna have to grin and bear it. A huge thank you to all who read this- your reviews really do mean a lot to me. I appreciate all the support I get, and I hope you continue to enjoy this story. Hugs -S