Chapter 5: Boredom
"It's too cold to being playing outside." A squeaky voice bounced off the cramped cave walls that were dark and musty den.
A delicate tabby she-cat flicked her kit away with a sweep of her tail. "The fresh, cool mountain air would do you all some good." Her grey nose pressed against her kit's cheek.
Featherkit just glanced at his mother and sister. His lips curling up, eyes flickering in contempt. He honestly couldn't understand their relationship; mother and daughter. Two sides of the same mossy-rock. He shook his fluffy ginger head not wanting to explore further into something he didn't fully perceive.
He wasn't allowed to lose himself to a lulling slumber when a husky shape came inside the low den. A rabbit dangling from the tom's jaws and several scars ran along his face. He dipped his head to the queen and their kits. "Morning,"He muffled before placing down his catch of the day.
Featherkit watched the display of his mother and his supposed father's morning ritual. She didn't seem all that interested in his on-going warrior-like duties. After all, he was only contributing his share to the Clan of lesser rank. He hunted and patrolled while she raised and taught the next generation of mountain Clan warriors or medicine cat.
"You're not going to ask how I got these?" He gestured his tail to his severely scratched face and dirt-crusted muzzle.
The young queen's ear twitched with displeasure. "Ah, yes. How hare-brained of me. How did you get those scars?" She asked airily.
Beetlekit tumbled toward her father who ignored her. He felt slightly awkward around his own kits-in the very least-until they themselves contributed to their Clan.
The cream colored tom snorted. "Thanks for asking," he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I got them from catching this here critter." He pointed a paw to the limp rabbit that Beetlekit was trying to fight. Annoyed, Volewhisker moved her away.
"Stop that. Go sleep or something." He reprimanded her. Giving a firm look at his only daughter. She shrunk and hid behind her brother, Featherkit.
He just glanced at her, shuffling towards Finchkit who was sheltering under the cool shadows of the cavern.
Hawkstep's mouth pulled into a frown. "Be a little gentler to my kits."
"They're my kits too," he shot back, feeling another one of those furballs' tail angle around his forepaw. He shook him or her away, he couldn't tell the gender apart from them at such a young age. He backed away to the den's entrance.
"They'll be spoilt before you know it. The world isn't nice nor pretty, you should remember that." He warned, stepping his head out into the sunshine and cool air. One paw drinking in the warmth of the day, the other placed in the shadows of the mountain rock.
The queen growled, something Featherkit recognized only once or twice in his dreams.
"Kits," she said stiffly, "go outside and play."
Beetlekit began to whine again. "But mom, it's too coooold." Her kit-fluff sprang up, exaggerating her claim.
"Go on Beetlekit, I promise it'll be quick," Hawkstep replied. She turned her back on them and Fetaherkit instinctively knew that this was the end of the conversation to stay behind.
"Finchkit let's go." His head ducked between his rounded shoulders as he went past his father and into the camp.
Beetlekit huffed feeling she had lost the battle before it begun. With sorrowful eyes to her brothers she padded out of the warm, cozy den. She glanced back as the towering figure of Volewhisker and half-crouching Hawkstep as the image burned into her memory.
"Now what do we do?" Finchkit mewed sleepily. Eyes drooping as if reflecting his dark gaze to that of the rising sun.
Featherkit looked around finding himself bored out of his mind. It was just another day in camp usually being fed before being called to sleep and grow for another uneventful day.
He was about fed up playing the nice kitten. "I want to hear what Father has to say."
His sister's cream and white fur prickled with unease. "Urhm, I don' think that's a good idea. He already looked pretty mad."
He rolled his eyes. "Both of them looked madder than a fox in a fit but I want to know why. Haven't you ever wondered what the fuss was all about besides him always bringing prey, and she never once returning with a greeting purr or smile when he enters?"
Featherkit just stared as his brother and sister who gave a curious look to one another. It was a brief glance but shared by all three kits, in the end.
He nodded. "Then it's settled." Not giving them time to follow he scampered back toward the nursery den. Large bounders-matching in size-blocked most of the sunlight and buffeting winds. His fluffy pelt rippled in waves of stripes and dark ginger fur. Claws scraped the rough terrain as he inched closer; ears pricked and eyes peeling under a cleft in the rocks.
"-Only had kits for the good of our Clan. I love them, but I don't love you or even care about you, so can you just leave us alone," the she-cat hissed.
Featherkit was mildly shocked never actually witnessing his mother in an uproar. She was the best at concealing her true intentions. Shielding her kits from the worst of the world and sheltering them to be well behaved and protected by the warrior cats around them.
Volewhisker retaliated with his own equal frustrations. "I was only trying to build up a healthy relationship between the five of us. Since you don't seem to care about me much only them, then the kits will be weak. You may not see it now but you will and regret your choices." He swatted the rabbit closer to her, hoping the head or foreleg would bop her on the nose, knocking some kind of sense into this stubborn she-cat.
"Have a good day, you won't be seeing me near you or the kits for a while." He exited the den.
Featherkit backed up against the rock before climbing half-way up hoping to avoid another collision with his father. He kept his eyes on the slowly trudging tom. He didn't spare so much a glance at the nursery. Only his whiskers drooping and eyes downcast to his cream-colored paws.
The ginger kit heard his mother again, one ear turned to the entrance. "Whatever, Volewhisker. I'll respect you as a deputy, but nothing more. You will stay away from my kits!" The tabby queen growled back. As the tom left, she looked towards the entrance.
"Kits!" Hawkstep strained a meow. "Come back inside, we're done talking."
Featherkit appeared from behind the boulder surprising his mother to say the least. Her hard blue gaze gentled before lowering her head to place a gentle lick of her son's cheek.
"Forgive me if you heard any of that. Your father and I just need some...distance between us. I promise nothing else will come of it." Those words were meant more for her than Featherkit. Either way, it didn't matter to him nor did he really care.
Adult cats had more complicated lives than he could imagine. Featherkit was not about to wrap his head around such nonsensical drama. He was a kit after all. Barely weaned and even so, did't declare himself anything greater than a mischievous trickster. Delving his boredom into the everyday lives of the Clan and its mountainous dwellers.
Featherkit let his mother brush down to feathery tips of his ears one more time before doing her next mechanical lick. "Is father coming back soon?"
Hawk step's eyes darkened. "'Fraid not, love he has duties to attend to. When you're older you'll see him more often."
The bright ginger tabby gaped his mouth open to the max just as his sister and brother was ushered in followed closely by a very stressed out Russetfoot.
"Honestly, you can barely take an eye off these two." She gazed sternly at the pair of siblings who shrunk under her meaningful stare.
The tabby queen huffed before going to scold her kits leaving Featherkit to roam his eyes over to the seemingly plump looking reddish-brown warrior.
That's odd. He mentally said. Never noticed that before.
"Russetfoot," he mewed, "I think you're getting fat."
"Featherkit!" His mother screeched making the young tom-kit flinch.
"Well, it's true. Look!" He pointed a paw to her round belly that swayed with every pawstep. Her eyes blinked shyly at her belly and back at Hawkstep who was about ready to snap at her son again.
The warrior she-cat looked down at her paws that were caked with dust and sand. "Oh, and to think no cat would notice let alone a kit." She whimpered.
Hawkstep had the right to cuff him over the ears for being so rude. Russetfoot was a sensitive creature when it came to her body weight. Trying to impress her mate Cinderfur with her astounding good looks in hopes to bridge their shaky partnership. He still hadn't fully forgiven her for leaving him with their first litter of kits.
Though, now they were fully grown and exploring the ventures of the outside world.
Where I should be, Featherkit thought ruefully. Another sharp blow to the ears made him hiss and shoot a seething glare at his mother. His paw rubbed the soreness away but the sting lingered.
"What?" He grumbled just as Hawkstep shot him a look from him to Russetfoot and back again. He sighed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound so mouse-brained."
"It's alright. I mean, I'm already looking about ready to burst with them."
"Yeah, well, you do look on the bigger side of things."
Another swat to his ears silenced any more scathing remarks. He stepped out his mother's range to smack him again, fur fluffed out twice his size.
"Okay," He growled, white paws shaking in anger.
The tabby queen nostrils flared minutely. "Oh, go bother some other cat and leave Russetfoot to me."
And with that the dark ginger tom-kit padded out of the nursery tail stuck straight in the air as he marched back outside. His siblings ran close behind him.
. . .
"Just think for a minute you guys we'll have more kits to play with!" Beetlekit sighed dreamily. Already thinking of new games to try for their to-be denmates.
Featherkit snorted. "That won't happen." He switched a forearm that was wrapped around the other, relaxed.
"Why's that?"
He thought for a heartbeat before answering. "We're the favorites in everyone's eyes."
"That so?" She didn't sound convinced.
"Yes, and it's because I said so!" He howled, standing up again, teeth bared. Beetlekit blinked at her brother before glancing at Finchkit who had his attention on a certain golden pelt warrior.
Featherkit followed their stares and smirked. "Oh, and Finchkit is gawking over Amberflame. Like that's anything but old news."
His brother glanced over his shoulder in disdain. "You know what Featherkit? I'm just about tired of you and your hissy-fits. You got too much kit-fluff in your ears, so why don't you do yourself a favor and groom it out for once." The light brown and white tabby strutted over to the young warriors; Amberflame and her sister Mistfur.
Not bothering to spare any mind to the heated glare that Featherkit left him. Beetlekit folded a pebble under paw feeling the tension crackle in the air.
"Er," she coughed awkwardly as Featherkit's gaze seem to burn invisible holes in Finchkit's pelt that prickled uneasily.
"What?" He grunted moving on to better things.
"Why don't we see if Blackpelt has something for us to do?" Beetlekit sounded hopeful.
Her brother spat in disagreement but the words found some sort of meaning to him. After all, the skinny black tom despised his mischievous behavior and had little patience with kits already. Putting the worst of odds together-in the same scenario was sure to spark some sort of excitement, for today at least.
The russet-colored tom nodded rising up to meet the challenge eagerly. His sister rose up to meet him, eyes twinkling with relief finally able to deter her hotheaded brother into something other than tackling Finchkit and his jeers.
What's the worst that could happen?
. . .
"Oh, no."
"You got that right."
"He's going to use our pelts for bedding."
"Not while I have something to say about it."
The duo managed to just about abolish all of the herb stock. Leaves mingled with once-carefully wrapped bundles that spilled small black seeds and some other sour-smelling plant-life everywhere.
Beetlekit sneezed, a feather sucked down her throat making her cough and spilling more precious herb into the disastrous pile of mess.
"Klutz," Featherkit muttered under his breath as he saw his creamy and white sister tumble around the disorganized small mounds of herbs.
She coughed again, narrowing her eyes at the dark tabby tom-kit.
She sputtered,"shut it!"
"Make me," he challenged, claws unsheathed for the second time today. His sister's eyes grew wide, a smile of triumph spilling over his muzzle but this was more than a look of wariness in her eyes. It was more of pure horror that shook her gaze, and a trickle of realization kicked him in the hindquarters, literally.
He collided with Beetlekit sprawling on the sand covered den; moss and crushed leaves danced in the air around them. His world swam dizzily around him. When his eyes stopped seeing double and adjusted was when he realized that a black shape loomed over the pair of littermates.
Huge golden eyes rivaling that of the dazzling sun bore down on the two. Beetlekit shrunk under his intense demeanor. Her brother stood up against the underfed tom.
"What in gods' name have you two been doing, here, of all places!" His voice shrieked as high pitched as if claws were scoring against jagged stone.
"W-we were waiting for you to return and ah," Beetlekit swallowed the shriveled up response as medicine cat narrowed his eyes at her.
He hissed. "You just so happen to be fumbling with the stock I collected for the past sunrise, eh? Day in and out I've toiled over collecting and cleaning out the musty old den. Now you two show up and my hard work goes up into smoke."
Featherkit's eyes flickered with guilt for a split second before stilling himself over when the tom raked his eyes over him more so than his sibling.
"Get out," he commanded, moving to one side to give a small space for both kits to escape. "You're not ever welcomed here, Featherkit. I know you. I remembered your birth and how fiercely you grew up to outpace both of your littermates. You're going to be one challenge that I do not wish to complete. Out, if you know what's good for you."
The ginger tabby glowered under him as he slipped past him, beckoning for his shaky sister to follow not parting stares until they exited out of the den entirely.
. . .
"Sour puss," he said hotly.
"I'll turn you into mousemeat if you keep up that charade." Tangleburr mocked. "Besides, I wouldn't mind having Beetlekit as my apprentice. She knows her place and isn't as loud and boisterous as another kit-whom I wish would disappear-that I know of."
"Enough you two!" Brightfeather puffed. "Honestly, Featherkit, couldn't you find a better way to past time than to pester us?" She licked her lips half-way eating a pathetic excuse for prey. The scrawny hare lied between both warriors who just recently returned from a hunting patrol. It was difficult enough to hunt in mountainous terrain.
As usual the three moon-old kit sauntered over to forget his previous scolding by Blackpelt. Spotting to relaxed warriors eating and chatting in the sun-patched rocks was far too good of an opportunity to pass up. But then Featherkit took the warrior tom's words for granted and started a fight all over his size and small meaning to FrozenClan.
Fur fluffed up twice his size as he confronted the well seasoned brown tom. "Say that again, mangepelt!"
Beetlekit and Brightfeather yowled in astonishment. "Show some respect, Featherkit!" The she-cat warrior insisted.
Tangleburr snorted in laughter. "Don't waste your breath on this scrap of bones and fur. As if he'll ever make it beyond apprenticeship let alone the next moon, anyways." He lapped twice over his paw before drawing his ear in one smooth movement.
"Act smug all you want you'll eat those words. Maybe it'll make a far better meal than the one you're having." He hissed, claws sliding out from their cover.
Teeth snatched up the tom-kit just when he was readily about to pounce on Tangleburr's face just to see what he was really made of.
"I thinks it's about time to take you back to your mother. I wouldn't suggest getting on my denmate's bad side. He can be very brutal to any cat and has no mercy on whom he takes it out on." Brightfeather meow was muffled through fur and skin.
Featherkit dangled like half-dead prey in the small she-cat's jaws. His white paws swatted angrily before him imagining the brown tom's pelt under his raging fits.
It's always troublesome Featherkit and wrecking havoc on his Classmates when I've done nothing to be in fault for. He added silently. "Not much."
"What was that?" Brightfeather asked, placing him in front of the cleft side of the nursery.
"Nothing," he muttered, twisting around to lick down his spiked fur.
Hawkstep and Russtefoot was there to greet him along with two other faces that he didn't recognize. His eyes widened at the newcomers as Amberflame was graciously showing them the ropes of camp. Finchkit clung to Amberflame's side much to her happiness. He cast his brother a glance lit with amusement.
One of the rogue she-cats was trip-colored; red, gray and brown patched her pelt sewing in every detail. The other new face was a carefully speckled white cat with sparkling blue eyes. He was mesmerized by their appearances.
His throat was dry as not a single word seem to come out as they drew closer to him. Their breath tasted of far-off lands and a tiring journey that brought them closer together.
"Nice to meet you," the smaller of the two mewed. Her eyes wandered of his smaller size. "Why, you're no bigger than me!" She squeaked making Featherkit stare down at his white forepaws.
"The name's Meadow. I've been living in the lower parts of the mountain so you're group probably haven't detected me before, until now."
Meadow turned to her quieter friend he dipped her down to Beetlekit as they shared a few words with one another. When she glanced up at the tom-kit a sense of wisdom and understanding flashed in her green gaze.
Featherkit felt weak in the knees as a whole new world opened before him. Beetlekit brushed pelts with her brother, excitement dancing across her eyes as they both experienced something most kits these days would not.
"We should get to know one another a little better." Hawkstep intervened, glancing at all the young cats around her. "Come inside. Russetfoot and I were just sharing some prey together. There should be plenty for all."
Misty-eyed with relief Featherkit-for once in his bored life style-followed orders directed from his mother. Things were about to change for him and his siblings. He was sure of it.