Missing Kits
Nightfrost opened his mouth to scent prey in the bushes. He dropped into a hunter's couch and padded forward. The vole was busy eating a bulb and being hidden in the bush makes it even harder to catch it. But it also dropped its guard down and the bulb will mask his scent, making it easy prey at the same time. For once, he was thankful for having a small body.
Nightfrost grinned. As long as he doesn't make a noise, sneaking into the bush won't be a problem. Paw by paw, he slowly slipped below the leaves. Just right behind it, he gave it a killing bite. Nightfrost sat up proudly, his first successful hunt under a bush. He padded back to an empty spot and dug up the rest of his prey.
Nightfrost padded though the tunnel and dropped his prey to the fresh-kill pile. It wasn't until he release them from his mouth did he smell blood. Blood from the nursery. Nightfrost ran there to see Spottedleaf laying in her pool of blood, her chest still rising and falling.
"Spottedleaf! What happened? Wait, no, I'll get cobwebs for you!"
The black tom ran to the medicine cat den and grabbed a pawful of cobwebs. He ran back and started to put them on her injuries. The cat stirred.
"Nightfrost?" she rasped.
"Be quiet. Mousedung! The blood isn't stopping."
"Nightfrost. The kits were taken. By... by Clawface..."
"Shhh. Don't talk. Rest for now. I'll go get to kits."
He ran out of camp, passing by a patrol of cats returning to camp. Following the scent trail, he soon reached the Shadowclan tom with another of the same clan at the border, carrying Frostfur's and Goldenflower's kits. He jumped on the closer Shadowclan cat, raking the Clawface's back. Clawface hissed in pain and dropped a kit.
Swiftkit landed on the ground, trembling. Clawface ignored the kit and continued. Nightfrost stayed there, wondering to continue and leave the kit behind or bring him back to camp.
He signed. "Swiftkit?"
"Yes?," he squeaked, his black and white fur sticking out everywhere.
"It's alright now, Swiftkit. I'll be bringing you back to Goldenflower, okay?"
The black and white kit nodded. Nightfrost was about to pick the black and white kit up when he noticed the size. Swiftkit was almost six moons right now.
"Can you walk, Swiftkit?" Nightfrost asked. The kit nodded and stood. His legs shook, but he had a determine look on. Nightfrost smiled and padded a couple paw steps before turning back to the kit.
"Don't force yourself if you don't have to. Tell me if you're tired."
"I'm not forcing myself, Nightfrost," the kit mewed. Nightfrost nodded and continued padding to the direction of the camp.
Going through the tunnel, the camp was alert but calmed when they see him. Bluestar padded to him.
"How are the kits?"
Nightfrost dipped his head. "Clawface got away from me, but I managed to get Swiftkit back."
The leader nodded. "I already sent Whitestorm and his group to get the kits back."
Nightfrost dipped again and lead the kit to the nursery. Goldenflower was waiting in the den. The queen looked up to see her kit with him. Swiftkit ran to his nest, pressing against Goldenflower. The queen gave the kit several strong licks and turned to the warrior.
"Thank you, Nightfrost."
"No need, I was doing what I was suppose to do. How is...how is Spottedleaf?"
"She...died."
Nightfrost's eyes widen.
"Spottedleaf told us that Clawface took the kits and that you and Yellowfang went after him. She asked for Firepaw. I don't know what she said but your brother was crying and pressing himself against her."
"I see...so where is Firepaw?" Nightfrost asked solemnly.
"I don't know. Nobody had seen him, Graypaw and Ravenpaw since."
"Hmm. I'll wait around here for now."
Nightfrost left as Goldenflower gave licks to her kit. Frostfur waited in the middle of camp, her head laid sadly on her paws, waiting. Soon after sundown, the patrol came back. Firepaw, Graypaw and Yellowfang were with the patrol with the remaining kits.
"My kits!" Frostfur cried. She leaped up and raced past Firepaw and Graypaw to meet the rest of the party as they emerged from the tunnel. The kits rushed over to Frostfur and nuzzled into her side. She curled her soft body around them and licked them each in turn, purring loudly.
Yellowfang hung back at the camp entrance and looked on silently.
Bluestar strode up to the returning patrol. She glanced fondly at Frostfur and her kits and then turned her eyes to Whitestorm. "Are they all right?" she asked.
"They're fine," meowed Whitestorm.
"Well done, Whitestorm. ThunderClan honors you."
Whitestorm bent his head to accept her praise, and added, "But it was thanks to this apprentice that we found them."
Firepaw lifted his head and tail proudly. "Thank you, Bluestar. But if it weren't for Yellowfang's help, we might not have won. She was the one who thought up of a battle plan that got us into the ShadowClan camp and gave us a chance to defeat Brokenstar!"
"Yes, Thunderclan is thankful for your help against Brokenstar," Bluestar mewed.
Yellowfang dipped her head and turned questioningly around her. "Spottedleaf had told us you went after the kit kidnapper." Yellowfang turned to their leader, surprised and gave another dip.
Frostfur's anxious meow sounded from the crowd. "Is Brokenstar dead?" she asked.
"No, he escaped," Whitestorm told her. "But he will never lead ShadowClan again."
Frostfur sighed in relief and returned to nuzzling her kits.
Whitestorm looked at Bluestar. "I promised ShadowClan we would leave them in peace until next fullmoon," he explained. "Brokenstar's leadership has left their Clan in chaos."
Bluestar nodded. "That was a wise and generous offer," she meowed approvingly. The ThunderClan leader walked past Whitestorm and the rest of the patrol and approached Yellowfang. Yellowfang lowered her eyes as Bluestar touched the gray cat's rough coat with her nose.
"Yellowfang, I wish you to replace Spottedleaf as medicine cat to ThunderClan," Bluestar meowed. "I'm sure you'll find all her supplies as she left them."
The other cats began to murmur to each other, tails flicking with excitement. Yellowfang looked around at them anxiously and said nothing.
Frostfur glanced at the other queens before she met Yellowfang's gaze and slowly nodded her approval.
Yellowfang bent her head respectfully to the white cat before addressing her new leader. "Thank you, Bluestar. ShadowClan is not the Clan I once knew. ThunderClan is my Clan now."
Bluestar turned to the patrol and noticed some cat missing. "Where's Ravenpaw?" meowed Bluestar.
"Yes," Tigerclaw chimed in, "where is my apprentice? Strange that he should disappear along with Brokenstar." He looked meaningfully around the Clan
"If you think he might have been helping Brokenstar," Firepaw meowed boldly, "then you are wrong!"
Tigerclaw stiffened, a menacing gleam in his yellow eyes.
"Ravenpaw is dead," Firepaw went on, dropping his head as if weighed down with grief. "We found his body in ShadowClan territory. From the scents around him, he must have been slain by a ShadowClan patrol."
Yellowfang shot Firepaw a questioning look, to which the orange apprentice returned her gaze.
"I never said that Ravenpaw was a traitor," hissed Tigerclaw. He paused and allowed an expression of sorrow to cloud his eyes before he turned to address the rest of the Clan. "Ravenpaw might have made a fine warrior. His death has come too soon, and his loss will be felt by many of us for a long time."
Tigerclaw appeared to be grieving for him, but Nightfrost noticed that his amber eyes seem pleased.
Bluestar broke the silence. "We will miss Ravenpaw, but we shall mourn him tomorrow. First there is another ritual that must be performed—one, I know, that Ravenpaw would have taken pleasure in." She turned to Firepaw and Graypaw. "You have shown great courage tonight. Did they fight well, Whitestorm?" she asked.
"Like warriors," Whitestorm replied solemnly.
Bluestar met his yellow-eyed gaze and gave a slight nod. Then she lifted her chin and fixed her eyes on Silverpelt's swath of stars. Her voice rang out, clear and measured in the hushed woods.
"I, Bluestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." She looked down at Firepaw and Graypaw, narrowing her eyes. "Firepaw, Graypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
Firepaw's eyes glistened with happiness, his fur fluffed a bit. "I do," he replied steadily.
"I do," echoed Graypaw, his fur bristling with excitement.
"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior names: Graypaw, from this moment you will be known as Graystripe. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Bluestar stepped forward and rested her muzzle on top of Graystripe's bowed head. He bent lower to give her shoulder a respectful lick, then straightened up and walked over to join the other warriors.
Bluestar stood and studied Firepaw for a long moment before speaking. "Firepaw, from this moment you will be known as Fireheart. StarClan honors your bravery and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Bluestar rested her muzzle on his head and he licked her shoulder. The clan started cheering, Nightfrost and Yellowfang louder than the others.
"Fireheart! Graystripe! Fireheart! Graystripe!"