Chapter Three

"Come on Breezekit, you're taking too long!" Breezekit rolled his eyes when he heard Hazelkit's moan of annoyance. She was always in such a hurry to get started with the day. He on the other paw preferred taking his time. It was moments like this that made him appreciate being a kit.

Soon he would be an apprentice, and than he wouldn't be with mother for so long. Cherryfoot was the best mother any kit could ask for. She had even taken in Hazelkit when her mother died giving birth to her. Many cats had said that she should die for killing her mother, but Cherryfoot had spat at them, saying she was just a kit. No kit deserved to be killed, according to her.

"Alright, alright. Keep your fur on," he muttered when Hazelkit started prodding him with a paw. Breezekit scampered out of his nest and bounded after her when she started running. Since WindClan camp was so big it gave them plenty of space to run around in. "Why are you always in such a hurry?" he demanded after finally catching up to her.

He was out of breath when she seemed like she could just keep going. Hazelkit's eyes glowed with amusement when she looked at him.

"Because unlike you I'm up before the sun rises, and that gives me plenty of time to get my day started," she explained with a sheepish look. Breezekit was about to say something when Hazelkit suddenly went tumbling forward with a squeal of surprise. His eyes widened in alarm until he saw who had hurt her.

Harefoot was looking down at the pair with narrowed eyes. Faster than Breezekit thought was possible, Hazelkit disappeared before Harefoot could reach her. Seconds later and she appeared at Breezekit's side, causing the young tom to jump in shock.

"Leave her alone!" Breezekit spat. Harefoot, Hazelkit's own father, had never liked her since she was born. In fact he had made several attempts at killing her while Cherryfoot was fast asleep. Fortunately Breezekit was always looking out for her. She was like a sister to him, and his best friend. He would never let anyone hurt her if he could stop them.

"WindClan shouldn't be letting that little worm live," the gray tabby sneered. Hazelkit flinched beside her denmate. Breezekit let his claws unsheathe as anger burned within him at the insult. "You killed my mate and your mother, you heartless fox!"

The warrior turned and fled before Breezekit could call out an alarm. He looked back at Hazelkit and noticed the pain that flashed in her eyes. "Hey, don't let him get to you," he murmured softly. Hazelkit didn't seem to hear him and turned away. "Hazelkit—" She suddenly cut him off with a glare.

"He's right!" she snapped. "All I've ever done is hurt others, and I don't know why!" Before Breezekit knew what was happening she broke into a run. His heart nearly skipped a beat when he realized that she was trying to run away again.

It was difficult keeping up with her. Hazelkit was faster than him by a long-shot. Oatstar had never cared where the kits wandered so long as they stayed in the territory. And of course no one in the Clan bothered stopping to ask where they were headed, though Breezekit had a vague idea where Hazelkit was going.

Hazelkit was already fox-lengths ahead, and Breezekit found himself running out of breath again. How in StarClan's name was she able to do this? He desperately wished that he could share the same speed she had. Her legs were longer which gave her a major advantage.

It took him a long while to finally catch up to her. By now Hazelkit had reached the edge of the lake. Breezekit was gasping for breath when he caught up with her. She looked over her shoulder but didn't say anything when he sat down next to her.

Breezekit looked at her in alarm when he saw blood seeping from a cut on her leg. He didn't need to think twice to know how that cut had gotten there. Hazelkit remained silent as she let her leg rest in the water to clean it off.

"Hazelkit, you have to stop this," he whispered. He could still remember waking up to the scent of blood in the nursery. When he was even younger it had taken him a few moments to realize it was her blood he scented. This wasn't the first time Hazelkit had tried hurting herself. "Hurting yourself isn't going to get you anywhere," he added warily.

"All I ever do is hurt others," she suddenly wailed. Breezekit stared at her in shock and took a step back. "Because of me mother is dead, and father hates me!" All Breezekit could do was stare at her while she bowed her head in shame.

"You know that isn't true," he murmured reassuringly. Hazelkit looked at him in surprise when he flicked his tail across her shoulder. "You're the best friend I could ever have, and mother will always care for you. Don't listen to what Harefoot or the others say."

Cherryfoot had said the same thing not too long ago to her. At the time Breezekit knew that she had not been listening. But now Hazelkit's eyes widened in shock, as if she was surprised anyone would want to care for someone like her.

Eventually Hazelkit allowed him to lead her away from the lake and back to camp. To Breezekit's surprise her wound was already starting to heal. If the cut had been any deeper he knew it wouldn't have healed so quickly. As they headed back to camp Breezekit thought of what he had heard between Ivywing and Oatstar.

We might not become apprentices, he reminded himself. Oatstar might end up killing us in the end. And yet he couldn't help but notice how Oatstar had been desperate to gain more power. Ever since WindClan had nearly been destroyed by ShadowClan, it seemed like every leader was desperate to prove themselves. But Breezekit knew that no matter what he would protect Hazelkit. Even if it cost him his life.

...

"What in StarClan's name were you thinking?" Cherryfoot was eying the kits warily as she made sure they were okay. Her eyes widened when she saw the fresh cut on Hazelkit's leg. Hazelkit's ears flattened in embarrassment when she realized that Cherryfoot was staring at her. "You should have let me know what you were doing," she added in an accusing tone.

"Sorry mother, it was my fault." Hazelkit stared at Breezekit in surprise when he said that. Everything that happened today was her fault. She should have known better than to wander out of camp aimlessly. Then again it had been Harefoot who started the whole ordeal.

The Clan didn't care one way or another where they went. Only Cherryfoot seemed more concerned about them. The water's edge had seemed so tempting when Hazelkit reached the lake. For a moment she even thought of just jumping in. Maybe meeting StarClan early on wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Then Breezekit had to come in and ruin everything. She knew that he cared for her. She loved him like a brother. But there were times when she wished he would just let her go. No one in the Clan wanted her around. She had even heard a few cats whispering about whether or not she could be trusted.

"I'm just glad that you're safe," Cherryfoot murmured. She brushed her nose carefully across Hazelkit's fur to make sure there weren't any other injuries. It wasn't like Eagletalon would waste his herbs on her. He had never liked Hazelkit, and she doubted he ever would.

"Safe from what? The Clan will never be safe with those two around." Hazelkit stiffened when she heard her father's voice. She ducked behind Cherryfoot as the dark ginger queen rounded on him. "I don't understand why you bother caring for them so much. All they will do is make you suffer in the end," he added in a low growl.

"Leave them alone and torture someone else," Cherryfoot spat. "And I'll have you know that they would make better warriors than you ever will."

Harefoot only stared at the queen in disbelief. His mouth gaped open a few times before he closed it and turned away. Hazelkit held back a sigh of relief once he was gone. The tension around the nursery seemed to fade in a heartbeat once he was gone.

The Clan doesn't want me around, she thought bitterly. Maybe I really am better off on my own. Hazelkit felt a shiver run down her back at the thought. Would her mother have wanted this kind of life for her? She had never even seen the face of her mother, but Cherryfoot had described Silverwing to her many times. She had soft silvery gray fur that almost looked white. And bright green blue eyes that matched mine.

Hazelkit closed her eyes and tried to picture her mother's image. But all she could see was an image of herself. With a sigh of frustration Hazelkit opened them again, only to find herself somewhere else. Her eyes widened in shock and she nearly leaped out of her fur when she realized where she was.

She was in the forest, on ThunderClan's side of the border. What surprised her the most was that this was all real. This wasn't just a dream; she could feel the wind ruffling her fur, and smell all the musky scents that filled her lungs.

"I thought I smelled something unusual." Hazelkit stiffened at the sound of an unfamiliar voice. She recognized the stench almost instantly. ThunderClan cats were as distinctive as RiverClan with their musky forest smell. "Right over here, by that bush." The sound of pawsteps told her that the cat was approaching her.

Thinking fast Hazelkit ducked under a pile of leaves, hoping that would hide her scent. Her pelt was a major giveaway though. Any cat could spot her from a distance of they looked hard enough. And sure enough the cat that had scented her earlier did find her.

"Well done Mudpaw, you're tracking skills are superb," another cat purred triumphantly. "It looks as though you've found a WindClan kit." Hazelkit instinctively flinched at the warm breath as the stranger brushed the leaves away from her. "You do realize that you are trespassing, right?" he growled to her.

"I-I-I…. I didn't know," she stammered. Fear threatened to overwhelm her. Even if there were only two cats here they were both large, and very capable of killing her if they wanted to. She was after all trespassing into their territory. They had every right to kill her.

"Let's bring her back to camp," a lithe black tom with amber eyes sighed in annoyance. "Hollystar can figure out what to do with her from there." Before Hazelkit could protest he picked her up by the scruff. She let out a squeal of alarm until the dark brown and white tom shut her up with a glare.

"We're not going to kill you, mousebrain," he muttered with a roll of his eyes. "Honestly, do all WindClan cats think we're monsters?"

"Probably," the black tom replied.

The pair continued chattering on like songbirds until they reached what looked like a large hollow. Hazelkit felt her heart beating wildly when she realized just how dangerous her situation was. If this Hollystar decided to kill her than this could be the end.

"Quickbreeze, what are you doing here with that kit?" A young looking silvery she-cat with green eyes eyed the black tom warily. Her eyes narrowed into slits when she glared at Hazelkit. "It stinks of WindClan," she added with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Would you be quiet already?" Quickbreeze spat through Hazelkit's fur. "Go and warn Hollystar, I don't think this kit was trespassing, but it's better not to take any chances." To Hazelkit's surprise he placed her down gently once they padded down the slope.

She tried taking everything in at once. The hollow was so strange compared to WindClan's camp. A barrier of thorns protected the camp's entrance, which was higher than she could reach. To her right was a den made of stone that soared above the hollow, with a flat slab of rock covering the den.

"Hey." A new voice spoke up, causing Hazelkit to jump. She was still terrified as ever. This whole thing seemed so unreal. One moment she was back in the nursery trying to picture what her mother looked like. And the next she found herself here in the middle of ThunderClan's camp. "It's okay, I don't think the Clan is going to hurt you."

It took Hazelkit a few heartbeats to realize that it was a kit speaking to her. She stared at the kit in disbelief, but instead of looking offended the kit looked amused. "Who are you?" she suddenly blurted out.

"I'm Poppykit," the small tabby replied. "That wound looks like it could get infected, would you mind if I looked at it?" Hazelkit looked at the small tabby doubtfully. Poppykit was eying her leg where she had hurt herself. Eventually though Hazelkit nodded, and Poppykit leaned down. The wound had almost fully healed, but Hazelkit could still feel the pain.

Hazelkit watched the smaller kit suspiciously until Poppykit suddenly straightened up. Heartbeats seemed to pass before anything happened. Then Hazelkit's eyes widened when she saw what was happening. Her leg was actually healing; not just the pain but the scar that would have remained seemed to fade away.

"How did you do that?" Hazelkit asked once it was over.

"I guess I could always do that," Poppykit mewed, sounding embarrassed. "I only just discovered it a couple of days ago," she added when Hazelkit stared at her warily.

Maybe that's what happened with me, Hazelkit suddenly thought. One minute I was in WindClan's camp, and the next I'm here. All she had to do was close her eyes and think of something. Maybe she could do that again when she had the chance.

"What is your name, kit?" Hazelkit looked up to see an older looking light golden she-cat with bright green eyes. She flinched when she noticed the high authority the she-cat seemed to hold over everyone here. This must be Hollystar, the leader Quickbreeze had been talking about earlier.

"H-Hazelkit," she stammered.

"Well then, Hazelkit, I believe that you did not mean to trespass across the border," Hollystar began. Yowls of protest were quick to follow, but she waved her tail for silence. "So you will not be punished. Quickbreeze, Coalheart, I want you to escort this kit back to her camp. I'm sure her Clan has already begun missing her."

I highly doubt that, Hazelkit thought bitterly. If anything she would be punished for leaving the camp for so long. And on top of it she would never get to be an apprentice at this rate. Maybe she really was better off just running away. If the Clan would let her in the end.

AN: I am so sorry for the long wait. Again my Internet isn't working right, but before that I was working on Sharpest Thorn and the plot for Legacy of Fire... so yeah. My life's been kind of busy.

QOTD: What do you think of Breezekit and Hazelkit? Personally I think they make a cute couple ;)

Silverbird22 - XD Wolfheart is not liking what you did to him. Though he does deserve anything you throw at him :P And yep. I haven't exactly finished Bramblestar's Storm yet... *shameful face* Hopefully I'll be finished with it soon. I haven't had much time to read.

Skyfrost14 - He just might, we'll have to wait and see.

boscyboo - Hehe, yeah the chapter was just a tad boring. Hopefully this chapter made up for that. Each character is going to have a different personality which might make the chapters that much more intriguing. And thanks, now I feel embarrassed XD

sunburstkitty - Wolfheart probably would eat the berry too just to spite them :P And thank you, I really appreciate it!

Lunasparks - That's the way I like writing them out. It's always fun having the readers guess as to what sort of powers they might have, if they have powers at all. And I like Nightkit too, he's definitely my favorite out of the two. Also, I'm not making any promises ;)

frostdawn - Sorry for the long wait D: I should be updating this more often...