Hi everyone! Welcome back to Tadpolefur's struggle! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!


"Honeykit!" mewed Tadpolekit excitedly. "Wake up! Remember our plan!"

Honeykit blearily opened her eyes, and closed them again. But then, once again, her eyes opened and this time they were wide and blazing with excitement. On Tadpolekit's other side, Shadekit stirred. After some badgering from the other two kits, he was up and about. With all three kits awake, they prepared to leave the nursery, when, all of a sudden, there was a tail in the way.

"Well, this is a change from yesterday," said Tansyfoot. "Yesterday you had to be dragged out of your nest, today you're up very early."
"Less chance for me to be dragged out of my nest." responded Tadpolekit.

"Well, if we can avoid that again, I'm all for it" mewed Tansyfoot, and took her tail out of the kits way.

The kits burst out of the nursery and into the early morning sunlight. Stormfall was getting ready to set the patrols, with most of the warriors and apprentices waiting on her. Tadpolekit began looking for Juniperfang, but Honeykit was one step ahead of her and was already racing toward the brown-furred warrior. Tadpolekit and Shadekit quickly followed her.

"Juniperfang!" mewed Honeykit. "Will you play with us?"
Juniperfang looked surprised, though pleased at the attention she was getting from the kits. "I'm not sure," The brown tabby looked up at Stormfall. "Am I needed on patrol?"

Stormfall looked at the kits crowding Juniperfang. "What, wouldn't you rather play with me?" she teased.

Tadpolekit felt a sudden bout of panic. Not Stormfall! The plan won't work with her! Only Juniperfang!
Stormfall saw the disappointment and shock in Tadpolekit's eyes, and let out a mrow of laughter. "I see, being deputy has made me so boring that even the kits don't want to play with me," her voice became serious. "Juniperfang, we will take you out on the Sunhigh border patrol. Enjoy playing with the kits. A privilege that apparently only some of us get." With that Stormfall turned away from the kits and continued sorting the patrols.

"Wow," mewed Juniperfang "I didn't think she would let me stay, considering the tension we are currently having with WindClan. So, what do you want to play?"

"Can we play moss ball? The previous two were warm ups!" Tadpolekit asked.

"Sure" responded Juniperfang, and all three kits were instantly racing towards the moss.


The three kits were very active, and managed to wear Juniperfang out quite quickly.

"All right, I'm taking a short rest. We will play some more soon, but absolutely no messing about while I'm out, OK?" she finished sternly. After three heads nodded, Juniperfang sprawled out on the ground.

After Juniperfang looked like she was asleep, Tadpolekit and Shadekit sidled up to Honeykit, who had been batting a leaf around.

"Now's our chance," she hissed. "You go out first, we will follow you when it's safe."

"OK" mewed Honeykit quietly back, and the honey coloured she-cat walked hesitantly up to the exit from camp. Juniperfang was still sprawled out on the ground, and hadn't noticed her yet. Honeykit looked uncertainly back at Tadpolekit and Shadekit. Tadpolekit flicked her tail at the exit, as if to say go!

Honeykit nodded, and began to head out the exit and into ShadowClan territory. Suddenly, Juniperfang jumped up and ran towards Honeykit, grabbing her scruff, and hauling her back into the camp.

"Honeykit, you know you can't leave camp until you are six moon old and an apprentice!"

Tadpolekit continued quietly watching Honeykit get told off, until Juniperfang's full attention was directed at the rebellious kit.

"Go!" she whispered to Shadekit and her brother quickly, though slow enough not to draw attention to him, whisked down the dirt place tunnel. After a brief check to see that Juniperfang's attention was still on Honeykit she followed her brother down the dirt place tunnel.


After a quick but smelly jog through the dirt place tunnel, the two kits found themselves, for the first time, not in ShadowClan's camp, but in ShadowClan's territory!

"Wow," mewed Shadekit, his green eyes filled of amazement. "The territory is so big! But I feel bad for Honeykit. She had to be the bait."
"I know," said Tadpolekit sadly. "Juniperfang watches the cat like a hawk. Juniperfang had to catch her so we could sneak out. I feel bad for her."

"Want to race to thunderpath?" asked Shadekit

"How do you know where the thunderpath is?" wondered Tadpolekit

"We are surrounded by the thunderpath on all sides mouse brain!" teased Shadekit

"Well, you need to beat me!" mewed Tadpolekit before taking off, leaving Shade kit several tail lengths behind

"No fair, you had a head start!" said Shadekit before taking off after his sister

As it was her first time out of camp, Tadpolekit had no idea how far away the thunderpath was. But she did know her legs were definitely getting tired. She was almost glad when she saw something that made her do an emergency stop.

"Whoa!" she stopped right in front of a very menacing rock. It stuck out of the ground and had a very sharp edge which protruded out into the air quite far.

"Wow, that is one nasty looking rock," commented Shadekit. Suddenly. His ears pricked and eyes widened.

"Lizard!" he mewed, and took off chasing it.

Tadpolekit rolled her eyes and suppressed laughter as she watched her hare-brained brother chase the lizard deeper into the into the woods. He was acting like a kit on his first venture out of the nursery! They were two moons old, and they needed an air of... maturity here.

She turned away from her brother, who was still chasing the lizard, and she suddenly found her self face to face with a large ginger warrior. And she didn't recognise him, and given the yucky smell on him, he smelled like WindClan! With a bit of fox dung added in.

"You!" Tadpolekit hissed and she slid out her claws. The ginger warrior moved quickly. He shot down and grabbed Tadpolekit's scruff, hauling her up into the air, much like Tansyfoot had yesterday. Tadpolekit vainly tried to scratch him, but he was just to far away.

The warrior tilted is head so Tadpolekit, in his mouth, was right next to the sharp pointed rock. He moved his head forward so that the sharp end of the rock was now digging into her side. She felt pain, then more pain and then, there was a faint pop she felt hot blood stream down her side. With the stone drawing blood, the WindClan warrior moved his head, bringing Tadpolekit with him. The stone was still running down the length of her body, and drew more blood, creating a large, long, ugly gash dripping blood down Tadpolekit's side. Then he opened his mouth wide enough so that Tadpolekit, barely conscious, fell in a heap on the ground.

The warrior leaned down to where Tadpolekit was lying and put his mouth next to Tadpolekit's ear.

"You won't tell anyone what happened here. If you do, I will kill everyone close to you. Don't think I can't see your brother deeper in the woods. I'll kill him. Your mother, Tansyfoot? She will die too. If you blab, their blood will be on your paws." With a whisk of his tail, the warrior turned and headed away.

Tadpolekit was struggling to stay conscious, but she had still managed to hear and comprehend what the WindClan warrior had said. But now, the claws of unconsciousness were closing in on her, and she was scared. With all her remaining strength she managed to raise her head and called out a name.

"Shadekit!" she screamed


So, yeah. That was pretty mean of that WindClan warrior. Poor Tadpolekit. And what will Shadekit do? I think I will have to create a running gag about Tadpolekit and moss ball.

Once again, thanks for all the reviews! Please review, they keep me going, and I will see you all next time!

Thanks!

- Willowstorm