First off, I would like to thank Etolie du Tigre and Song's Wolf for the kind reviews they left on my first chapter. I haven't written anything for this site and I have never been more pleased and happy to get my first reviews! This chapter is dedicated to them. Thank you guys and I hope you enjoy this one.:)
Chapter 2.
Goldenkit glanced wearily over her shoulder. She could hear her brother and sister coming after her, and she knew it wouldn't be long before they discovered what she was doing. Ever since Tigerpaw had showed her how to do the hunter's crouch, she had been trying her best to do it perfectly, but now that her siblings were coming, she knew she could not practice with them around. She didn't want them to start practicing too, because Tigerpaw might find more interest in her brother or sister and leave her behind, and just the thought made her heart ache.
"Goldenkit!" Blackkit mewled as he ran over to tackle his sister to the ground. She grunted in response and flailed her paws as if she were dying. Blackkit looked like their father, Mouseheart, while Goldenkit and Rosekit looked more like their mother, Cinderwing. However, Blackkit had their mother's eyes; amber eyes that glistened in the sunlight, while Rosekit had their father's eyes; ice blue eyes that reflected in the water. But Goldenkit shared her grandmother's eyes, the only kit out of the bunch that shared any resemblance to their deceased grandmother. Goldenkit was proud of her emerald green eyes.
The young she-cat purred at her brother and licked his ear, before chomping down on it, and causing him to squeal in protest. "Hey!" He mewed angrily and tried to pull away. He was unable, until Goldenkit just let go and he stumbled awkwardly to the ground.
Goldenkit purred in amusement and got to her feet. "Do you guys want to play?" She ran to the fresh-kill pile and grabbed a fresh mouse. Her mouth watered at the scent and taste of it, but she wanted to play instead of eat.
Rosekit and Blackkit both mewed in agreement and so, Goldenkit flung the mouse in the air and the three kits charged after it. They played catch-the-mouse for a while, up until the point when Tigerpaw approached the kits and caught the mouse in his jaws as Blackkit had flung it into the air. "What are you frisky kits doing? You should show more respect for your prey. Your clan worked hard to catch this, you know."
The kits felt horrible and mewed their apologies. Tigerpaw purred in amusement and gave Blackkit and Rosekit the mouse. "Now you eat this, and don't play with it." He scolded them. The two kits ran off with the prey, glancing back at their sister wearily, but didn't make any effort to run back and get her.
Goldenkit didn't care.
"Have you been practicing?" Tigerpaw asked, glancing down at the young kit. She wasn't much younger then he was, but she was still tiny in size. He had barely left the Nursery when she was born, so he was only six moons older then she was, and Tigerpaw had been an apprentice for a few moons already, which meant that soon, Goldenkit would also be an apprentice soon.
Goldenkit nodded her head and crouched down to show him that she had, indeed, been practicing. She copied his moves quite accurately, until she went to go pounce on his tail, and he moved it out of the way. Goldenkit caught nothing, but air. She bristled in anger. "Hey! You said I could get your tail next time!" She mewled angrily.
Tigerpaw just purred in amusement and rolled his amber eyes. "I said it would be yours, but I'm not just going to paw it over to you." If cats could smirk, he would have been.
Goldenkit's fur slowly laid back upon her shoulders and back. "Mouse-dung." She purred and sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws like she had seen him do earlier. Her stomach growled, but the kit made no effort to go to the fresh-kill pile to get something to eat. She was stubborn and sooner or later some cat was going to realize that.
Tigerpaw watched her carefully. "Are you hungry?" She didn't move. Tigerpaw rolled his eyes and walked over to the fresh-kill pile, picking up a fresh shrew and walking back to her. "Here. I'll share this with you." Tigerpaw laid down beside her and set the shrew in between them. He motioned for her to lay down with his tail, and he waited.
Goldenkit would have stayed like that, but glancing at Tigerpaw and his amber eyes, she knew she couldn't resist and laid down beside him. He took the first bite, and once the scent invaded her nose, she decided to take a bite as well. She had never had a shrew before, and she had to admit, it was delicious. Not as good as mouse, she decided, but it was still good.
"Tigerpaw!" A voice growled from the trees.
It scared Goldenkit to the point where she jumped away and tripped over Tigerpaw's tail, landing on her side, with her tail puffed up in fright.
Tigerpaw growled and got to his paws. He helped Goldenkit to her paws and then glanced wearily over to the trees. "I'm sorry, Goldenkit, but I have to go." His mew was apologetic and seemed almost heartbreaking. Goldenkit wondered what was the matter with him, and why he seemed so upset, but she decided it was better not to ask.
So, instead, she just nodded her head. "See you later, Tigerpaw." She mewled back and watched as Tigerpaw retreated back to the forest, where two amber eyes glowered in the shadows. A shiver ran down her spine and Goldenkit decided that whatever cat was out there, he was not a good cat. And as she retreated to the Nursery, she grabbed the half-eaten shrew, glanced towards the trees, and headed back to the Nursery, her tail dragging on the ground.
There was a darkness in the forest, and even young Goldenkit could sense it.
/ Just an FYI, I created Mouseheart, Cinderwing, Blackkit, and Rosekit, because I don't think it ever tells us who Goldenflower's family is, and if it did, well, I don't remember reading about it, so here you are. I thought the names were quite brilliant myself. Thank you for reading and please review. It would mean a lot to me.:)