Nettlefur- How are we supposed to make this journey?
Me-You'll find out soon enough.
Nettlefur-Well soon enough seems like too long.
Me- Be patient.
Chapter 5
"Wake up," Nettlefur tried to nudge Dreamkit awake. He moaned and rolled over. At least he was alive and made it through the night. Nightkit, Moonkit, and Starkit had already opened their eyes, but not Dreamkit. The kits were bouncing around chattering about exploring.
"Nettlefur! When do we get to go on our journey you were talking about?" Moonkit asked eagerly.
"Yeah, I want to play the game too!" said Nightkit. "I can be the leader!"
"Me too!" squeaked Starkit.
Nightkit puffed out his chest, "No. Only one cat can be leader. You can be my follower."
"But I don't want to follow! I just want to play a game! This is no fun," Starkit complained.
"Okay, calm down." Nettlefur said getting irritated, "We can't start the Journey game until your brother opens his eyes."
"AAAW!"
Nightkit bounded up to the sleeping kit and started prodding him and yelling, "Open your eyes! We want to play and if you open your eyes, we can go on a journey! Open your eyes!"
Dreamkit moaned, "Stop it, leave me alone. Let me sleep in peace!"
Well, there could only be one solution to this. Nettlefur padded over to where Dreamkit slept and picked him up by his scruff. "Come on, it's time to play the Journey Game." Nettlefur mumbled through a mouth full of fur. "But be quiet, that's the rule— you have to be quiet and not be caught by any other cat."
"Okay, Nettlefur," they chirped.
They started walking in the morning sun; weaving through the bushes and around trees and to the stream that bordered WindClan. Her plan was to follow the stream all the way to where there were no Twolegs, which wasn't a very good plan. So they would just follow the stream until StarClan showed them a sign.
_ Nettlefur decided that they should stop so she could hunt. She was worn out from carrying Dreamkit most of the way, but now that he had opened his eyes he could walk on his own. The kits were hungry again and she would have to keep her strength up if she wanted to give them milk every day. They stopped by a mossy rock in the sun and some weeds that would be just enough to hide the kits.
"Now you all stay here in this area while I go hunt or you will lose the game. I will be back before sunhigh." And with that, she walked off into the trees. They had been making slow progress, but surely as the kits grew they would journey farther in one day. The smell of the Clans had just begun to fade and now smelled like Twolegs and loads of prey. She froze.
She could see a squirrel munching on seeds. Nettlefur dropped into a hunting crouch and began to snake forward until SNAP! "Foxdung!" she cursed. She had stepped on a twig and the loud sound had alerted the squirrel and just like that, it was high up in the tree, out of reach. A one moon old apprentice could hunt better than this! Now in a bad mood, she carried on through the trees.
"Since Mama is gone, I am in charge and I say we play a game until she gets back," Nightkit announced climbing up on the big rock. The other kits looked up in awe. "Dreamkit, you are the tiniest so you stay over here by the stream. Starkit you're the fastest. You can chase off all of the badgers and foxes over here in front of the rock. And Moonkit you go over there in the weeds and… gather them! Yeah. And I will sit here and watch over our camp."
Moonkit narrowed her eyes, "Wait a second! Why do you get to sit around while we do all this work?"
"Hey!" he meowed indignantly, "I'm watching over the camp!"
"More like being a lazy, bossy furball," muttered Moonkit.
"Are you challenging me? I said I was leader!"
"Who made you the boss? Nettlefur surely didn't!"
"Take it back!"
"No. Make me!" Moonkit taunted.
Nightkit let out a huge squeak that sounded somewhat like a battle cry and lunged at Moonkit. They tossed and rolled all over the place and soon they were dangerously close to the edge of the stream which swirled with rapids carrying debris away.
Starkit looked up and yelled, "Dreamkit, lookout!"
But it was too late. Moonkit stumbled away from Nightkit and bumped into Dreamkit, sending him tumbling into the water.
"HELP ME!" he screeched as his head disappeared under the water.
The kits looked from one to the other with wide eyes and said one word: "Uh-oh."
Me- Dang. That totally sucks.
Nettlefur- (in alarm)What sucks?
Me- You'll find out ;)
Nettlefur- (rolls her eyes) Again with the fortune cookie crap.
