~*~ Chapter Two ~*~

The rest of that started off as usual, with only lots of tension in the air. Brightpelt fretted about her father and participated in many search patrols for him. Spottedkit played 'OakClan is attacking' along with his siblings like nothing was wrong. Stupid, Patchkit thought. Patchkit was a stronger kit, and he was the smartest, he'd be a better leader than Spottedkit. But alas, shyness over took him, but he was grateful he was not like the young tom he was named after, who killed himself in curiosity.

The patrol of Iceclaw, Stonepaw and Grayfire brought back news. Something was different with the old Twoleg nest. There was fresh scent of Twoleg, and cats, many cats. They weren't sure if one of them were Redpelt's or not.

Spottedkit was once again inspired to go on an adventure. Something was weird with the old Twoleg nest! They must investigate! Patchkit thought this was very much not a good idea but, as usual, he couldn't state so, but his eyes proclaimed his doubt. Snowkit resisted, "Spottedkit! That is not a smart idea! There are probably things in there that will hurt us!"

"Snowkit!" He spat at her, his green eyes full of disbelief, "Don't be mouse-brained, we have to go, and won't it be fun? I'm going; you three can stay here if you want."

"Spottedkit, you are a mouse-brain!" Vixenkit hissed at her brother, who retorted with a hiss and stalked off angrily. They couldn't let Spottedkit go and get his stupid self killed, so they followed him. In the turmoil of the camp, the four kits were hardly noticed.

The forest outside was big, and the smells were all jumbled up and there seemed so many of them, it made Patchkit's head hurt. He knew some from the prey he'd eaten or saw in camp, like voles, mice and squirrels. There was also a heavy scent of cat, and a little of what must have been the fox a patrol chased out of territory a while ago, when Stonepaw had been severely injured. It had been his first day of apprenticeship.

Spottedkit thought he knew where he was going, and of course, he did not. He set off right as soon as they left camp, no one noticing them. Vixenkit hissed at him, the kits remembered their previous adventures that way, and it led to the Thunderpath, and the fastest route to the Twoleg Nest was around the left side of camp and then straight. After a tiny argument between the siblings, they began left again.

Patchkit was getting hungry when the first thing happened. The kits smelled a cat, but it was strange. It must have been one of the ones the patrol had smelled. Spottedkit let out a happy meow and bounded into the trees, and Vixenkit sighed and whispered, "Let him kill himself, I don't even care anymore."

It was only when they heard the angry yowl of an unfamiliar cat when they jumped. They heard Spottedkit whimper and Snowkit ran forward, and Vixenkit after her, Patchkit couldn't be left alone so he followed.

There stood the old rock wall that bordered the old Twoleg Nest, and an odd smell was coming from an open square in the Nest. At first no one saw Spottedkit, but then they did. And he wasn't alone.

A twitchy she-cat stood near him, looking down at him, she was the color of their mother, but a tabby. She had a fierce look in her eyes as she surveyed the kit she'd just clawed the shoulder of. Spottedkit was staring in horror at her, his said shoulder bleeding a little. The she-cat twitched once more and then sat down and began to wash her face, meowing, "Stupid loud, rat-faced kits…they're just as bad as that annoying Cloudy, why did she have to bring her with Darky? They're always pulling at your tail…"

The she-cat continued to mutter for a while, and then saw Spottedkit was still staring at her, horror stricken, and she asked him, "What? Never seen an angry she-cat before? If you stay here much longer I'll yowl for her and she'll take you in the nest, and you'll never see your wild little forest family again. She never lets kits out."

"W-what?" Spottedkit stammered. Vixenkit was holding Snowkit back, Snowkit was always trying to help people, she was a truly nice cat. Vixenkit was murmuring, "He's not worth it. She's not gonna attack him again, but she will attack you!"

"Just leave kit. Just leave before Ice or Sabre come out, or Spark gets any more angry at you," The she-cat named Spark unsheathed her claws, "just go."

Spottedkit could take a message through his thick head every once and a while, so he scrambled up and ran to his siblings. The first thing he said was, "I could have fought her if she hadn't startled me so much! She'd be knocked unconscious right now!"

And to that, Patchkit and Vixenkit turned and walked away from Spottedkit.