Skykit's tail swished across the ground as he flattened himself, fur prickling with excitement. His whiskers twitched. His brother was sitting in front of him, oblivious as ever. Skykit suppressed a snort. Jaggedkit was staring dreamily at the sky, as if something wonderful was going to come floating down. Couldn't Jaggedkit ever get his head out of the clouds?
Not a problem, Skykit thought, grinning. He could bring his brother's attention back to the real world. He fixed his gaze on Jaggedkit, then shoved the ground with his back paws and barreled into him. Jaggedkit collapsed with a yelp into the dust, and shoved against Skykit in vain. Skykit held him down easily until his brother stopped struggling, sending up clouds of dust, and lay gasping.
"Hah! Do you surrender?" Skykit mewed triumphantly, his nose an inch from Jaggedkit's face. He felt pride rise within him. He might be the youngest of the litter, but he was no small, weak runt; he was bigger and stronger than both his siblings. Especially Jaggedkit.
"Yes," Jaggedkit wheezed. "Please get off of me."
Skykit hopped off his brother and turned to face him. "Come on, bird-brain. Stop staring at the sky. Aren't you going to join our game?" Foxkit had stopped and was sitting up, waiting for the two of them. Skykit turned back again and started walking to Foxkit, and Jaggedkit followed.
"Hey, Jaggedkit," Foxkit snickered when they reached her. "I didn't know you slept sitting up, with your eyes open."
Jaggedkit didn't say anything, just sat down. Skykit felt a prickle of irritation. Jaggedkit didn't even seem all that angry or upset by Foxkit's taunting. Wasn't he going to defend himself? Talk about a cat that won't make a great warrior! Skykit was positive that out of all of his siblings, he was going to be the greatest warrior. Maybe even leader.
Another flash of anger passed him. Why won't Jaggedkit ever do anything interesting? All he cares about is the sky! What's so entrancing about the sky?! Furiously, he located the mossball, hooked it in his claws, and hurled it as hard as he could at Jaggedkit. "Catch this, empty-head!" he yowled.
Jaggedkit flinched as it smacked him in the face. Jaggedkit yelped. "Hey," he protested meekly.
Skykit narrowed his eyes and was about to tell him to throw it back when he heard pawsteps behind him, passing him. He turned around and noticed Rustpaw and Tornpaw, the older of the two carrying a pigeon. He stepped back, jealousy burning in his pelt. Lucky apprentices! Why can't I be six moons now? He had a moon to go before he was to be apprenticed, and though excitement buzzed in his paws, it still felt so far away.
The pigeon dropped to the ground, and Tornpaw spoke. "Hi, Briarheart," she mewed cheerfully. "Rustpaw wanted to give you this."
"Rustpaw?" His mother meowed. "Really? Well… thank you." She sounded flustered.
"What's so weird about Rustpaw?" Skykit hissed under his breath at Foxkit.
"Didn't Mum tell you about that?" Foxkit mewed. "He can't smell anything. His nose doesn't work."
"Wow." Skykit sat still, trying to imagine not being able to smell things.
Foxkit purred with amusement. "You look like Jaggedkit when you're thinking about things!"
Skykit jumped and whirled around, indignant. "I do not!"
"Do too! Your eyes go all blank, and you stare at nothing -"
"Take that back!" Skykit scuttled through the dust and bowled Foxkit over, and hissed in frustration when he heard she was laughing. "Stop laughing!"