Chapter 10- An All But Ineffective Punishment
Once back in camp Spotpaw and Greenpaw headed to the apprentices' den and began cleaning it. Shadowstep, Rushsong, Whiteheart, and Amberclaw dropped the kits off in the nursery, and then they went to report to Moonstar, with the exception of Shadowstep, who sat just outside the apprentices' den.
Redpaw decided to go to the nursery. Inside, Cottonwood was looking over the four rescued kits. Deciding that she should punish herself, like Spotpaw and Greenpaw, Redpaw took over for Cottonwood. All four of the kits were too young to go very long without milk, but Yarrowpelt had stopped nursing and Cottonwood already had two hungry mouths to feed.
"You should go fetch Brightwhisker to look at those kits."
Redpaw turned to face the queen who had just entered. "Hello, Yarrowpelt. I'll do so right away." Redpaw hurried out and scampered into Brightwhisker's den.
Lionkit slipped from the adjoining bracken bush where Brightwhisker stored his herbs and bounded up to Redpaw. "Hi, Redpaw, whatcha' need?"
"Hi, Lionkit," replied Redpaw with a friendly smile, "The patrol saved some kits from MasterClan and Brightwhisker needs to come look at them."
Lionkit cocked her head to the side. "MasterClan?"
"It's what StarMaster Elder's calling his band as rogues," Redpaw hissed, causing Lionkit to flinch. "Sorry, Lionkit."
The dark golden kit pressed her muzzle against Redpaw's shoulder. "I understand. I'll go get Brightwhisker." She disappeared back into the adjoining bush.
Moments later Brightwhisker padded out, carrying a few herbs in his mouth. Lionkit followed right behind him, carrying a few more things that Brightwhisker had thought he might need. Redpaw accompanied then to the nursery and then began cleaning it, but Brightwhisker stopped her.
"You've already cleaned a den today," he meowed, "Go and have a bit of fun. Maybe you can show Sunkit and Rabbit kit some of the fighting moves Beesting's taught you."
Redpaw nodded and padded out. She wanted to find out how the kits were, but Brightwhisker probably little room to work, so she went in search of her old denmates. She discovered Sunkit and Lionkit in the elders' den, playing with Purrsong. The elder enjoyed playing with the kits, even with the aches it caused in her old bones.
"Oh, look who's here," meowed the old calico to the kits, "It's Redpaw! Why don't you go play with her for a little while?"
Sunkit and Rabbitkit nodded and ran towards Redpaw. The apprentice jumped into her hunting crouch, swaying her haunches playfully. The kits jumped on her and she rolled over. She wasn't much bigger than them.
"Go take it outside," rasped Poppytwig a little grumpily.
Redpaw nodded and lead Sunkit and Rabbitkit outside. They followed, mewing goodbye to the elders, and then began running in circles around Redpaw.
"Oh, wow, you two are going to make me dizzy," the apprentice mewed, trying to follow them.
"Show us a hunting crouch!" mewed Sunkit.
"Show us a fighting move!" countered Rabbitkit.
Redpaw sighed. She was just about to drop into the crouch she used when hunting when she spotted Spotpaw padding out of the apprentices' den. He and Greenpaw had apparently just finished cleaning it. "Hey, Spotpaw," she called, hoping he would distract one of the kits, "why don't you come show Sunkit or Rabbitkit some fighting moves.
"Be glad to!" Spotpaw mewed, bounding over. "Come on, Rabbitkit, I'll show you how to confuse your opponent."
Rabbitkit scampered after him happily. She and Spotpaw had always been best friends in the nursery.
"That was a great idea, Redpaw!" mewed Sunkit, "Rabbitkit's been lonely since Spotpaw was made an apprentice. We all have. Even Lionkit, even though she's usually with Brightwhisker."
Redpaw flicked her tail happily. She had never thought about how she and her littermates becoming apprentices would affect their friends who still had to stay back in the nursery. "Come on," she mewed, "let's get back to teaching you how to hunt."
She was just about to show Sunkit again when Beesting's meow made her stop. It was harsh, as though he was restraining his anger.
"I'm sorry, Sunkit, I…I have to go talk to Beesting…" Redpaw hung her head and padded over to her mentor.
Beesting glared at her. "Do you know how much trouble you're in," he meowed. Redpaw shook her head. "A lot. You ran off at the first sign of any scent. You knew how dangerous it was out there with the possibility of StarMaster Elder running about our territory. And then you reappear during the battle, rescuing a kittypet. Who is he, anyway? You two seemed very familiar." Redpaw didn't reply, causing Beesting to bare his fangs. "You've already cleaned a den today, so I won't make you clean another one, but you will be punished. Go take care of the elders. Rid them of their fleas. Fetch their fresh-kill. Get Brightwhisker if they feel ill. Do as the elders tell you. And in case any of them need something during the night, you will sleep in their den− or outside it if that's what they prefer. That is your punishment."
Redpaw nodded. "For how long?"
Beesting contemplated her question for a moment. "For the next half moon."
"What?! But, when will we train?"
"When the elders decide thy have no need of you, and only then, and as soon as we return each day, you will immediately return to the elders den. Is that clear?" Redpaw nodded. "Good. You start right away." He padded off, leaving Redpaw to carry out her punishment.
Redpaw padded over to the elders' den and slipped inside. Poppytwig glanced at her questioningly.
"Back again?" the mottled elder asked.
"Beesting's punishing me," Redpaw replied.
Poppytwig now seemed quite interested. "In what we? You've already cleaned our bedding today."
"He's making check for our fleas, isn't he?" meowed Rattooth.
Redpaw sighed. "Among other things. I have to take care of you for the next half moon, so if anybody needs anything, just let me know." She then curled up in a corner sullenly.
Purrsong lay down beside Redpaw and ran her tail along the apprentices' spine soothingly. "I suppose he's making you sleep with us, too, little one?"
"Yep," replied Redpaw.
Poppytwig groaned. "Oh, no. We'll have a snoring apprentice in here all night, too."
Redpaw answered the cranky elder calmly. "I can sleep outside, if you like."
At this, Poppytwig paused, and then her gaze softened. "Don't be silly. We can't have you catching cold."
When will you train with Beesting?" Purrsong asked.
Redpaw closed her eyes. "Whenever you three don't need me."
Rattooth grinned. "Well, in that case, you can go train now!"
Poppytwig cuffed the tom on the ear. "Don't be silly. Beesting needs time to cool down. You know how he is."
Rattooth grimaced. "I forgot. He probably won't like seeing you out playing with your denmates or Yarrowpelt's kits either. But maybe we can foil him there…"
Redpaw lifted her head. "How?"
"Why, we bring them in here, of course!" announced Purrsong, laughing.
Poppytwig nodded. "Yes, of course. He can't say anything about it if it's what we want."
Redpaw leapt to her paws. "Oh, thank you, thank you so much. You three are the best!"
Poppytwig purred, a crackly, harsh, purr, but a purr none-the-less. "Of course we are. Now, can you get the tick on my shoulder?"
Redpaw laughed and nodded, and then scampered off in search of Brightwhisker.
Purrsong sighed. "It's nice to see happy apprentices."
"It's nice to see apprentices who are happy about caring for us," added Rattooth.
Poppytwig curled up in her nest. "It's nice to have apprentices relieving me of my ticks." She closed her eyes and yawned. "Beesting's going to have to come up with better ways of punishing that one."
...
Brightwhisker inspected the four rescued kits carefully. Cottonwood lay nearby with her kits, and Yarrowpelt had gone back outside, most likely to hunt down hers. The rescued kits were young, too young, and rather hungry, but they were quite healthy. Three of them could probably eat fresh-kill if it was chewed up thoroughly first. The fourth, the youngest and by far the smallest, had to have milk.
"Cottonwood?" the medicine cat asked, "Do you think you can take care of this one kit?" He gestured at the smallest.
"Of course," meowed Cottonwood. She drew the kit close to her and it started mewling for milk. Brightkit and Squallkit were also hungry, so Cottonwood obliged her little charges. She then looked up at Brightwhisker. "What about the other three? Don't they need milk?"
"You can't suckle them all, but these three should be able to eat fresh-kill if it is chewed thoroughly first. I was going to ask Yarrowpelt if she could look after them."
Cottonwood shook her head. "No, not all three. She already has three kits she has to keep an eye on."
"And you're now suckling three."
Yarrowpelt slipped into the nursery. "How are those kits?" she asked, studying the three still beside Brightwhisker. "I see you're suckling the one, Cottonwood. What about these three, Brightwhisker? They need milk, but Cottonwood can't feed all of them."
Brightwhisker nodded. "These three can have pre-chewed fresh-kill. Could you see to them?"
Yarrowpelt glared at Brightwhisker. "I already have three kits to take care of!"
Cottonwood quickly intervened. "I can care for another, even suckle it. Then could you take one, Yarrowpelt? Maybe Purrsong can take care of the third."
Yarrowpelt thought this over for a moment. "Cottonwood, you shouldn't suckle more than three kits if you don't have to, but it would be helpful if you took care of one of these three. Then I'll take the other two."
Cottonwood agreed to this, drawing another kit close to her. Brightwhisker fetched some fresh-kill, and the two queens began chewing pieces for the kits. Then Moonstar padded in.
"Hello Cottonwood, Yarrowpelt, Brightwhisker," she meowed, "I'm glad these kits are taken care of. As soon as they're fed, Shadowstep and I are going to try and find out where they came from."
Suddenly one of the older three kits began to speak. "Who're you?" she asked.
Moonstar knelt down beside the kit. "My name is Moonstar. I am ShadowClan's leader."
The kit's mud-brown tabby pelt bristled slightly. "Mama doesn't like ShadowClan. She says they're mean!"
"What Clan is your mother from?"
"RiverClan."
Moonstar sat down. "What is your name, little RiverClan kit?"
"M-Mirekit."
Moonstar wrapped her tail around Mirekit comfortingly. "That is a good name. I promise, Mirekit, we aren't mean. We won't hurt you, and I promise we will get you home." Mirekit seemed to relax. "Now, will you tell me what your mother's name is?"
"Mudsplash."
Cottonwood called Mirekit over to her, having finished chewing the fresh-kill. Moonstar turned to a gray tabby tom who was happily munching away at the chewed bits of a mouse.
"And what is your name?"
"Dullfur," he mumbled.
Moonstar eyed him sternly. "You are not old enough to even be an apprentice, much less a warrior. I will assume your name is Dullkit."
"It'll be Dullfur one day."
"You cannot be certain. What Clan do you come from?"
Dullkit took another bite of masticated mouse. "DullClan."
Moonstar pushed what was left of the mouse meat away from Dullkit. "There is no such Clan."
Dullkit shrugged. "My Clan should be called DullClan. It's boring."
Instead of attempting to wheedle more information from Dullkit, Moonstar buried her nose in his fur. She sniffed hard, detecting a faint trace of ThunderClan scent. "You come from ThunderClan. Who is your mother?"
Dullkit yawned and curled into a ball. "Foxfire's my mother," he murmured.
Brightwhisker and Moonstar glanced at each other, and then Yarrowpelt began the interrogation of the third kit, a lean ginger she.
"Where are you from?" the queen asked.
The ginger kit looked up at Yarrowpelt. "Y-you're not going to hurt me, are you?"
"No, of course not, why would I do that?"
"B-b-because…because I don't come from a C-Clan."
Yarrowpelt licked the kit's ear. "Where do you come from?"
"I d-don't know. Everywhere, really. Mommy and Daddy never stayed in one place very long."
"They're loners?"
The ginger kit nodded. "I guess so…"
"What's your name?"
"I don't have one. Mommy said that Daddy would choose it when I killed my first prey. Mommy just called me little one."
Moonstar stepped in again. "Do you know where your parents might be now?" The ginger kit nodded. "Will you tell us?" Moonstar prompted.
"They're up there." The kit pointed at the roof. "That mean cat with the twisted tail sent them there."
"They're dead?"
"Y-yes…and now…now I have nowhere to go, and no one to live with."
"You can stay here, with us."
The ginger kit looked up at Moonstar hopefully. "Can I?!
"Of course, but you'll need a name."
"Oh, okay, what will my name be?!"
"Petalkit," meowed Cottonwood.
Moonstar looked at the kit. "How does that sound?"
"It's perfect!" Petalkit mewed, jumping up and down. "I've never had a name before! Petalkit…I love it!" Petalkit scampered over to the final kit, who Cottonwood had now stopped suckling. "What do you think, Nut?" she asked him.
Nut shrugged. "It's as good as any other."
Cottonwood looked at Nut. "You're name's Nut?" Nut nodded. "Where do you come from?"
"My parents are MasterClan cats. My mother decided she'd rather fight than take care of me, so she gave me to StarMaster Elder. I'd rather not go back."
Cottonwood caressed Nut. "We're nothing like MasterClan. You'll have a much better life with us."
Nut wriggled uncomfortably. "Okay… I suppose you're going to change my name to Nutkit?"
Cottonwood blinked. "If that's what you want."
Nut nodded again, and then fell asleep. Moonstar looked over the rescued kits one last time then addressed the queens and Brightwhisker. "Dullkit and Mirekit will be returned to their Clans tomorrow."