Chapter 5 – Aggressive Kits

It was days after the burial of Bloodclaw, Lionkit's mother. Leafkit watched the calico kit as he chased a leaf that always seemed to be a claw's stretch in front of him wondering what it was like to lose a parent. Ever since she was born, Bluefeather and Smokefoot had always been there for her and her sister Berrykit. It was hard to imagine the pain Lionkit was probably going through although he didn't show one second of it. He was a strong kit and Leafkit knew that whenever he became an apprentice and then a warrior, he'd be one of the best.

Lionkit captured the leaf and tore it to pieces with his claws. The gray she-cat flicked her ears in surprise. The anger the calico kit just showed was violent and focused as if he was envisioning the leaf as something.

"Lionkit?" she asked padding up to him. He glanced at her sharply before returning to the scraps of the leaf. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay; I'm great," he muttered, swatting at the leaf scraps. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugged, moving in front of him to make him look at her. "You've attacked that leaf like it's a rogue cat. You are not 'okay'."

Lionkit glared at her. "If I say I'm okay, I'm okay."

Leafkit returned the glare not afraid of the calico. Ever since the first day she met him and he practically threatened her she wasn't afraid of what the kit could do. She was sure in her abilities. "I would beg to differ," she growled.

He launched himself at the gray she-cat and they rolled on the ground claws unsheathed trying to get at each other. Leafkit pulled herself away and they faced each other. Lionkit hissed and launched himself at her again; she sidestepped and jumped on top of him biting his ear. Through the fur and ear she growled, "You stupid fur ball! Why do you have to turn everything into a fight?"

Shaking her off, he faced her crouching in preparation for another attack. "Because I want to!" He ran towards her, but she didn't get him the chance to jump onto her. She ducked and hooked her paw behind one of his legs and tripped him. He fell to the ground and stayed there breathing heavily. Leafkit relaxed. Maybe the fur ball had finally decided the fight was stupid.

"Yaa!" Lionkit hopped onto her back and raked his claws along the length of her back. She screeched, but before she could shake him off his weight was pulled off and she turned to see Blackblaze, Lionkit's father, holding him by the scruff. Her mother was standing off to the side and Silverwing, the medicine cat, ran up to her with a bundle of herbs and inspected the scratches along her back.

"She'll be okay," Silverwing told her mother who, in her worry, had padded up behind her. "I'll put a herb poultice on it and check every day for infection. Other than that, she'll be good as new in no time."

Silverwing started rasping her tongue in soothing motions over the scratches and Leafkit purred some relaxing. Lionkit squirmed in his father's jaws in anger and swiped at his muzzle. Blackblaze dropped him immediately. "Never pick me up again! You're not my mother!" At that, the calico stalked off into the nursery. Leafkit flicked her ears and let the medicine cat pick her up by her scruff and carry her to the medicine den. She was laid gently on a soft moss nest and as the medicine cat gently patted the poultice into her scratches she fell asleep.

A noise woke Leafkit and she flicked her ears hearing small paw steps. She raised her head to see Lionkit making his way quietly out of the nursery. Curious, she got to her paws keeping her mouth closed so her soft moans of pain wouldn't wake anyone and followed. As her paws left the nursery she saw the calico kit's tail disappear into the warriors' den. Leafkit looked around the camp and, seeing no one, followed the kit into the den.

"Lionkit!" she hissed into the dark being careful not to wake up the warriors. She spotted him making his way to Blackblaze. His claws came unsheathed as he reached his father. He crouched beside the nest and where Leafkit stood she could hear him growl quietly. Her fur bristled and she weaved as fast as she could through the sleeping cats tackling the kit right as he landed on his father. Lionkit managed to scratch his father's eye as she tackled him to the ground and rolled right into the back wall of the den. The two kits faced each other glaring and growling. Lionkit screeched in frustration. "Why do you keep messing things up?"

She tensed, ready to defend herself if he attacked again. Her scratches were burning and she could feel blood trickling from them. Instead of attacking her, he turned and jumped onto his father. Leafkit shook herself loosening her muscles and jumped on top of the kit that was trying to reach Blackblaze's throat. Blood started to trickle then flow as the kit made the scratch become deeper and deeper. She bit his hind leg making him let go of the medicine cat turned warrior and she grabbed him by the scruff yanking him back.

"Lemme go!" Lionkit hissed starting to struggle. Leafkit gripped onto his scruff more tightly as Blackblaze, who just woke up, started to tend to his wounds. Other warriors had also started to awaken from the noise. One warrior had ran from the den to get Silverwing to help Blackblaze. "Lemme go you gray snot of an excuse of a kit!"

Leafkit growled through his fur in anger but didn't let go. There was no chance she was going to let him get his claws on his father again. He might have hurt her, but she wasn't going to let him hurt other people just because. Silverwing came into the den and rushed to Blackblaze's side sniffing his wounds. Lionkit stopped squirming and warily she let go of him but sat on his tail so he couldn't move.

Silverwing licked the blood from the wound to his neck. "Not too deep. You'll be okay, Blackblaze. Let's get you to my den."

"Thank you, Silverwing," the black, orange and white tom mewed tiredly. He got to his paws and wavered slightly. The gray medicine cat pushed herself against his pelt and supported him as they padded out of the den. At the entrance, Silverwing turned and mewed, "Come along too, Leafkit. Your scratches have reopened."

With a glance at Lionkit, she got up off his tail and followed to the cats to the medicine den suddenly feeling all her aches and pains especially the scratches along her back. They stung and burned making her eyes water slightly. As she entered the den she promised to herself that the next time she and Lionkit fought she wasn't going to hold anything back. Not ever again.