I hope you enjoy this chapter!
When Darkkit opened his eyes, all he saw for a few long heartbeats was a blur of green, brown, and gray. He saw the blurred gray shape move slightly towards him, and the next thing he knew was that two small, green shapes lay neatly on the gray, and seemed to be focused on him.
Darkkit shook himself, blinking rapidly, and slowly, his vision cleared. He found that he was lying on something soft and warm, and that a lithe black-and-white she-cat lay beside him, her head lifted to look over him anxiously, through her green eyes. Beside him, there was a small, silver ball of fluff, who moved slightly. Then, as Darkkit lifted a forepaw and pressed against the fluffball curiously, a pair of blue eyes flashed open, and a long silver tail was revealed as the fluffball now came to life. Darkkit blinked curiously. Another kit!
"Darkkit, don't disturb your sister if she's sleeping." The black-and-white she-cat, probably his mother, gazed affectionately at him, her tone gently reproachful. Darkkit pushed himself into a standing position, his paws shaking with the effort, then stumbled, landing face-first in the moss. Slowly, his face burning, he lifted his head to look at the other kit again, his eyes narrowing with interest. So that's my sister!
He lifted his head questioningly to face his mother, who simply purred, stroking her tail along his flank. Frowning slightly, Darkkit pushed himself to his paws again, this time, managing to stay on his paws as he shifted his weight. Slowly, he placed one paw in front of the other, but the moss was too soft beneath his paws.
Darkkit toppled over again, this time rolling with the impact. And then, the nest disappeared from under him, and Darkkit flailed his paws wildly before feeling himself falling downward. His eyes widened with dismay, and he stared pleadingly at his mother, who purred again.
Heartbeats later, Darkkit slammed into the ground, and his paws tingled slightly.
A sharp squeal sounded from somewhere above him. Narrowing his eyes to slits, Darkkit pushed himself up to his paws again to look at the cat who had made the sound. It was the silver she-kit, his sister. Her whiskers were twitching as she stared at Darkkit, which caused him to glare at her.
The silver-furred she-cat looked apologetic as she lifted a paw in greeting.
"You've both opened your eyes." The black-and-white she-cat sounded relieved as she spoke. "Look, Roseshine. Darkkit and Silverkit are awake!" Darkkit cast a glance at his sister, who leaped down to stand beside him. Is that Silverkit? That's a fitting name for her. Silverkit's paws slipped out from under her, and she flopped down on her belly.
With a playful smirk, Darkkit twitched his whiskers as Silverkit pretended to spit at him crossly before jumping back to her paws.
The other queen, a silver-white tabby she-cat, lifted her head to run her green gaze over Darkkit and Silverkit. "They seem like healthy kits, Swiftblaze, aren't they?" As Darkkit's mother, Swiftblaze, nodded, Roseshine continued. "I wonder when mine will open their eyes. Graykit, Spottedkit, and Snowkit were born the night after Darkkit and Silverkit, so it shouldn't be long." She pointed her tail towards three sleeping bundles curled at her belly.
Swiftblaze dipped her head. "Then these two furballs will have some other kits to play with." Darkkit glared at her. I'm not a furball!
"Skystar plans to hold their apprentice ceremonies together, on the same day," Roseshine mewed. "These three," she added, placing a paw on one of her kits, "will have their apprentice ceremony a day earlier, but it isn't too much."
Swiftblaze flicked her tail. "That's good."
At this point, Darkkit's eyes flitted towards where light filtered inside the nursery, and he saw an opening that led outside. "What's outside, Swiftheart?" His mother's name felt strange on his tongue, but he ignored the feeling.
"You just opened your eyes, little one. A few more-"
Silverkit cut Swiftblaze off. "No! We want to go to explore now!"
Swiftblaze shot a skeptical glance at Roseshine, who purred. She turned back to face Darkkit and Silverkit, with a sigh. "I suppose you must go out sometime. But stay together, don't bother the warriors, and don't touch anything that you think seems strange, and-" Everything's going to be strange! Darkkit had to grit his teeth to not let the words out of his jaws.
Roseshine cut Swiftblaze off. "Swiftblaze, I'm sure they'll be all right."
Without waiting for a reply, Darkkit beckoned to Silverkit with his tail, then bounded across the den, feeling warm under his mother's green gaze. He raced out into the light, then stopped short as the rays of the sun pierced his eyes. Darkkit flinched back, blinded for a moment, then blinked quickly to look at the camp for the first time.
Silverkit was the first to speak. "Wow."
They were standing in the center of an enormous clearing, where the tall grass waved gently, and the sun peered through the clouds above. There were dens all around the clearing, of all sizes. What's in there? There are so many dens! Darkkit realized.
"Yeah, it's cool," Darkkit mewed quietly, staring around.
His paws slipped on a patch of something moist, and turning around, he saw a puddle of shining, rippling water. As it flattened out, Darkkit stared into it curiously. A dark gray tabby tom with distinctive black stripes stared back at him through yellow eyes.
Is that me? Darkkit pulled his head back in wonder, his eyes growing round.
Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away, then prodded Silverkit, who was still staring at the dens. "Look at what I found!" Silverkit pushed past him, her blue eyes gleaming curiously as she stared into the puddle, watching the young silver kit who looked back at her.
"Cool." Silverkit flashed Darkkit a smile, then shrugged, flicking her tail. "Let's go and look at the different dens."
"Okay."
Darkkit padded after his sister, his paws as light as his heart as he caught up to her, padding into one of the larger dens. A completely black cat poked his head out, then frowned. "Are you Roseshine's litter?" His voice was calm.
Silverkit shook her head, but Darkkit was the one to speak. "No, Swiftblaze's." Inside, pride swelled in his heart. He had spoken to a real warrior!
The black tom smiled. "I'm Shadowstrike, by the way."
"I'm Silverkit, and that's-" Silverkit began, but Darkkit but her off before she could say his name, too.
"I'm Darkkit."
Shadowstrike brushed past them, heading back into the clearing. "Well, I'm sorry, you two, but... I have to go on patrol. Does Swiftblaze know that you're outside and exploring?" Silverkit nodded. "Good. Now, I suggest you leave the den. Not all warriors are as friendly."
"I hope you didn't mean me," another voice mewed, and Darkkit whipped around to see a handsome gray tom grinning at the two kits. Who's that? "I'm Jayflight. I see that you're Darkkit and Silverkit, right?"
Darkkit nodded.
"Shadowstrike," Jayflight called. "Tigerscar wants you to switch with Brackenfang and go hunting instead."
"Now?"
Jayflight nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yes, now."
"What's it like to be a warrior?" Darkkit interrupted, staring at Jayflight with wide yellow eyes. "I mean, isn't it great to be hunting and fighting every day, and serving your clan! It would be great!"
"Mouse-brain," Silverkit muttered, prodding him sharply. "They don't fight every day."
"Whatever." Darkkit rolled his eyes.
Jayflight coughed quietly. "Well, it's really fun... I guess. I mean, when you're a kit, you can't wait to be a warrior, but when you're a warrior, you miss all the fun you had as a kit." He paused, then continued. "When you're a warrior, you can't play moss-ball or play-fight anymore."
"But it still would be fun," Darkkit mewed eagerly.
Silverkit padded a step forward. "Darkkit and I are going to be apprentices so soon, just wait and see!"
Jayflight purred. "Not for six moons, you won't." Silverkit's face fell, her eyes darkening. "Don't worry. The time will pass fast enough, and you'll be an apprentice before you know it." He paused, then pricked his ears. "I've got to go, now. Tigerscar's calling me."
"Who is that, anyway? That's twice you've mentioned him," Darkkit mewed.
"The deputy," Jayflight replied shortly, before turning and bounding across the clearing, then padding through a tunnel and completely disappearing from view.
Silverkit turned to Darkkit. "Come on; let's go and explore the other dens."
Who do you like more, Silverkit or Darkkit? (Personally, I feel that Silverkit is more on the cheerful side, while Darkkit is more on the serious side.)
Anyway, read and review!
~The Call of Snowy Fire