Warriors- Veil of the Red
Chapter 1
(A/N: If you wish to understand what little Foxkit looks like to get a better understanding. Simply google images Somali Kitten. Enjoy.)
It hurts, it hurts a lot. Almost as if I'm on fire. What is it?
Opening her eyes she watched as flames engulfed her licking at the air and devouring everything in its path. Staring in horror the kit mewed for her mother and father and began to run where the blaze had not stricken. Rushing blindly hardly able to see where she was going her eyes began to water as she saw blood seeping out from the flames.
W-what's going on? Applefur? Rowanclaw? Is this really happening? How I don't understand!
It was then when Foxkit dropped into a pool of water and began to drown. Underwater with eyes wide with fear bubbles escaped from her muzzle and arose to the surface as she meowed in the water. She began to sink to the bottom as she stared at the surface where the sun shone so bright she sighed out what breath she had left and closed her eyes.
I know... It's because I was different...
"Fox dung! The roof is leaking again!" Applefur hissed as she noticed her daughters pelt soaking.
Foxkit jolted awake and jumped up realizing it was all a dream. Looking around she figured her dream was probably from the stupid leak. She twitched her whiskers and sat down on her hind legs where she then furiously began to lick herself smoothing out her dampened fur. Finishing with her last lick she stretched and yawned while looking around the nursery with an annoyed look on her face. It felt too crowded now with Snowbird's Two kits Swiftkit and Oakkit along with Dawnpelt's three kits; Tigerkit , Fernkit, and Nightkit. With all the small kits running around the now two moons old kit she couldn't help but feel cooped up,"I wanna go be a apprentice now! I want to go find me some fish-faced Riverclan warriors and rip them to shreds!" She growled as she jumped on her mothers tail as if it were a Riverclan warrior she was pouncing on.
Applefur let out a strong loud purr of amusement as she watched her kit play with her tail, "Young thing, your but two moons. But don't worry I'm sure soon very soon Blackstar will announce you as Foxpaw! The greatest apprentice Shadowclan has ever seen!"Her mother purred even louder.
Foxkit's eye's widened, "Me? Foxpaw?" Taking a moment to grasp the idea of being an apprentice and being able to go out into the forest and do warriorish time things almost overwhelmed the kit. She sat there in a daze as she daydreamed of running through the forest all day long without a care in the world. With no one to judge her for how she looked she could just run wild and be happy all day long then come home and sleep! She could even sleep in her own nest! She couldn't wait. Foxkit raised her eyes at her mother and smirked, "I'm going to be the best just you wait and see Applefur!" With that she turned on her hind legs and bolted out of the nursery and into the raining clearing there Littlecloud sat in front of Russetfur who seemed quite relax until they both saw the kit. Littlecloud couldn't help but always tense up when the kit came around him, for Russetfur she actually enjoyed the young kit finding her pelt and appearance quite unique.
"Morning Foxkit," Russetfur purred, "Nice weather were having huh?"
Foxkit shook her pelt from the drizzling, "Feh! I hate the water! Its too wet!"
Littlecloud couldn't help but let out a mrrrow of laughter as well as Russetfur.
Foxkit blinked in confusion, "What? What I say?" She hissed as her coat puffed out making her look ten times her size. Snickering Russetfur cuffed the kits ear and twitched her own, "Run along us older cats have business to discuss."
Rolling her faded blue eyes the fox like kit bounded off from the two cats. Watching the rain drops she found them very interesting yet very annoying when they would hit her nose causing her to sneeze. Running around the camp and under some of the passing by cats legs she mewed and purred loudly as she chased the rain drops trying to catch them in her mouth. This was the first time she saw rain and she actually liked this water it was fun unlike the other annoying kind. Stopping suddenly with wide eyes Foxkit stared with absolute bewilderment.
What...Is that?
Stepping towards a a small form of water no bigger than her she looked over it with eyes big as an owls, "Whoa." she meowed. Wondering how deep it was she dipped her paw in the small pocket of water and found it to be hardly a paw step deep. Her eyes gleamed with delight and stepped a few feet back and then raced forward. Jumping into the patch of water she watched in delight as droplets splashed around her. Purring she jumped out and looked at the small empty hole then turned her head to see many more holes. Excited she raced to each one jumping in each splashing the water out of each one yowling in joy.
"Ugh!" A disgusted hiss sounded from besides her. Foxkit stopped jumping and looked up to Starlingpaw covered with mud that she had accidentally splashed all over the ginger tom. Her eyes widened, "I-I-I... I'm S-so... Sorry."
The drizzling rain seemed to disappear now but the clouds were still dark and the ground still very moist. Most cats had gone back inside except for the apprentices who were out collecting moss. Starlingpaw shook his head free from the mud on his face and glared at the kit; furry clearly was seen rising from tom. Foxkit in fear began to back away but felt herself back into something hard, turning around she gulped as she looked into the eyes of Pinepaw and Ferretpaw with a smirk on they're faces. She let out a soft yelp as she tried to get away but Pinepaw had pinned her tail with her foot.
"Heh, it's that kit that everyone was mumbling about Stralingpaw. Supposedly she's suppose to bring trouble." Pinepaw smirked.
Foxkit looked at the black she-cat that glared at her with yellow glazed eyes. A shiver ran down her spine as her gaze returned to Starlingpaw who had finished shaking the mud off him.
Help...Rowanclaw...Applefur... Help...
Ferretpaw placed his paw on the back of her neck and pushed her face into the muddy earth while yowling with laughter as Foxkit's cries were muffled with the dirt.
Are they going to kill me? Do cats in the same clan kill each other? Why are they doing this?
Starlingpaw smirked as he lifted his head slightly signaling for them to release her. Foxkit's eyes opened widely as she gasped for air. Her eyes watering staring at the three with terror, "I never did anything to you guys... I just jumped in the water I didn't mean to g-" Finding herself being flung into another pocket of water which dampened her fur with mud and dirt making her look like a blob of mud she mewled in a heartbreaking tone,"I'm sorry..." Her meow was dry, "What did I ever do?"
Pinepaw glared at the kit with hatred in her eyes, "You've done nothing but brought worry upon our clan! If I were leader I would just have you killed even if you were a kit! I wouldn't want to sacrifice my clan for some stupid deformed cat!" She hissed.
"I'm not deformed!" Foxkit yowled and shook the mud from her pelt, anger raging in her body. "You really are going to pick on me just because I'm smaller than you? Just because I look a bit different than you? Just because I resemble some stupid forest creature I supposedly am a bad omen right? Well your brains are all full of fox dung if you ask me!" Foxkit was going to stand up for herself no matter what she could take them on she had the fire in her heart.
Starlingpaw rolled his eyes and began to walk away. Pinepaw smirked and jumped on Foxkit with unsheathed claws and grasped the kit by the scruff and began whipping her around. "Sorry Foxkit, love the ambition but we don't need you. So go die okay?" Starlingpaw spoke as he walked away from the mess.
Limping back into the nursery beaten badly, fur ripped from her pelt, front left paw held to her chest too sensitive to walk on,her back right leg dragging due to numbness, eyes barley open and nose all scratched up.
Nothing makes sense...
Foxkit noticed Applefur and Dawnpelt having a conversation until her mother suddenly look straight up, it was probably the smell of mud and blood. Applefur shot up and looked straight at her with owl eyes. Dawnpelt stood up and walked besides her too see what was wrong then took in the same sight and stopped in her tracks. Then in sync, both queens bolted over to the kit carrying her over to Appefur's nest. Questioning her on everything, what happened, how it happened, who was there, where it happened, did someone do this too you, was it another clan cat? Etc.
Foxkit just waited for them to stop talking and then answered, "...I fell down the gorge... while I was out playing in the forest... but I still wanted to hunt even if I was hurt and I tried to catch a adder but it ended up hurting me a lot more... And the Starlingpaw ended up saving my life..." She lied.
Applefur shook her head then pressed her muzzle against her's, "Oh goodness what in Starclan were you doing in the forest? Uh, Hurry were taking you to LittleCloud! Come come..."
*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*
Lying down in Littlecloud's nest for injured cats she sighed, she was bored. She wasn't allowed to move or do anything. Just lay there. Twisting her head around she noticed all the herbs stacked neatly in the den she was quite impressed and was actually tempted to go jump in them or eat some. But she resisted from her childish urges she would soon be a apprentice she had no time for games.
Littlecloud walked into the den entrance and stiffened when he saw Foxkit as always. He didn't say anything he just moved on to what he was doing and ignored her.
Does he hate me too...?
"Uh... Littlecloud?"
"Hn?"
"Why do you hate me?" She asked bluntly.
Littlecloud whipped around and looked at her with an intense gaze, "Hate you? Why that insane! As if I could hate my own kin."
"But you always ignore me... And you act all weird when I get around you... Like you believe I am a bad omen..."
Littlecloud kept his mouth quiet for a moment, "No. no. Its not that. Its just, its strange to see such a different cat I'm not used to it. You don't understand yet young one but you will when your older hopefully."
"That's if I do get to be a warrior."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because …. Some say I'm better of dead."
Littlecloud stopped in his tracks. Foxkit watched as the medicine cat turned around and stared at her with fear, "Dead?"
"Uh huh...I figure I'm not really important..."
Littlecloud sighed, "Foxkit please don't think that. Whoever said that clearly is mousebrained. You know that you are very special! Now heal up... Because this moon you have a lot in store for you..."
Nodding the kit curled into a ball and tucked her nose under her tail and slowly began to drift into sleep forgetting about her pain, sorrow and grief.
Littlecloud watched Foxkit's chest start to move slower and slower then when it was at its slowest decided to leave the den. Bounding across the clearing with excitement in his paws he still was confused on why he was doing this. Rushing into the Warriors den he raced in front of Russetfur's nest and stared hard at her, "Your going to have to help me out!"
*.*.*.*.*.*
(A/N: Yeah i'm awesome like that. Leaving you with a cliffy. Thatjust shows how much I love you... If You guys are awesome and I get reviews not just your rude people who just read without reviewing which is rude! I repeat! RUDE~! I take the time to write this for you people! The least you could do is god damn review!But anyways, I'm having a lot of fun with this. Have a plot sorrta set up with this all I can say is... THIS WILL BE LONG LOL. So enjoy. )