The pale predawn sun made Russetkit's eyes flicker open, and she blinked twice, trying to shield her gaze from the sky. But when nothing worked, the thick-furred she-kit got to her paws, her jaws opening in a large yawn. She looked around, wondering if any of her denmates were awake at such an early hour. When she caught the movement of a small body, she leaned closer, trying to figure out which of her denmates it was.
Blackkit's body twitched as she laid, curled at the stomach of her mother, Cloverwhisker. Cloverwhisker snored in her deep sleep, but Blackkit's green eyes were open. Russetkit hopped over her still sleeping brother and cast a glance at her mother, who showed no sign of waking. Blackkit got to her paws as Russetkit approached her.
"What are you doing awake?" Blackkit meowed.
"Shh!" Russetkit flicked Blackkit's mouth with her tail. "Come with me." Despite the black she-kit's grunt of confusion, Russetkit led her denmate out of the gorse bush and towards a small cleft in the moorland walls. When the two kits hid in the small rabbit burrow, Russetkit sighed.
"What are we doing here?" Blackkit asked, looking around the burrow.
Russetkit's tail twitched in irritation. "I want to impress my father," she declared.
"Okay." Blackkit tilted her head. "And how do we do that?"
Oh. That hadn't occurred to Russetkit, even though it should have been the first thing. Embarrassment made Russetkit's ears burn as she thought about what it would take to impress her gruff, stern father. Swiftstar always showed favoritism to Scorchkit while barely giving Russetkit a passing glance. How could she impress her father and show him she was just as good as Scorchkit?
An idea made Russetkit straighten up. "Maybe we can go to the ThunderClan border!" she proclaimed, feeling her green eyes shine with determination. "If my father sees that I traveled the entire moorland before I'm even apprenticed, he'll surely be impressed."
"Um…" Blackkit's voice trailed off, not showing the same excitement that Russetkit was feeling. "I hate to say this, Russetkit, but I don't think he'll be impressed. I think he'll be furious with you."
"He's always taking Scorchkit out, though," Russetkit pointed out. "I heard the other day they went halfway across the moor. Scorchkit is accompanied by him, right? He'll be impressed that I went so far without him. Come on, Blackkit." The ginger she-kit gazed at her friend pleadingly. "Please! I have to impress him!"
Blackkit let out a sigh. "I think it's a bad idea," she said, her green eyes shadowed, "but I can't let you go on your own." The sleek black she-kit got to her paws, studying Russetkit intently. "I would only do this for you."
"Thanks, Blackkit," Russetkit sighed. "Let's go!" The dark she-kit set off, but immediately she skidded to a halt as she felt Blackkit's paw pressing on her tail-tip, stopping her from going any further. Russetkit looked over her shoulder, frowning.
"We can't go outside the camp entrance!" Blackkit hissed under her breath. "Deerheart is on guard tonight. She'll see us. We've got to find another way out of camp."
Russetkit nodded. What Blackkit said made sense. The dark ginger she-kit examined her surroundings, studying the grassland walls of the camp that seemed to stretch for fox-lengths on end. Russetkit's gaze swept towards the branch that stretched across the tree that her father slept in. This might be absolutely crazy.
"You're joking." Russetkit looked over to see that Blackkit had followed her gaze. The black she-kit stared at Russetkit, her green eyes wide and her small claws working the grass. Russetkit glanced at the ground. Perhaps it was too grand. Maybe she was being foolish. Russetkit let out a sigh.
"We don't have to," Russetkit finally said.
Blackkit's black tail twitched nervously. "You don't want to impress your father?" she asked.
"I do, but—" Russetkit glanced at the base of the tree. Suddenly, resolve made her claws unsheathe and her ears flatten. "I do." The tree wasn't that big, and it led straight out of the camp. Russetkit bounded over to the root of the tree, thanking the gods that Deerheart wasn't looking towards them. Blackkit was on Russetkit's heels, and although Russetkit could hear her cursing under her breath, she never turned away.
Russetkit inhaled sharply as she gazed at the root of the birch tree. It's small enough to climb. Russetkit knew that she would waste time thinking about it, and that the best way to get things done was to go head-first. Taking a deep breath, the she-kit bounded forward to the root and sank her claws into the birch. When her claws were steady, she brought her back paws forward until all four paws were steadied on the tree. Biting her lip, the she-kit continued her descent up the tree, feeling her heart race in her chest the further she got. The moment she reached the branch, she let out a sigh of relief and pulled herself onto it. She looked down over her shoulder, seeing Blackkit following close behind.
"You're crazy," Blackkit muttered, but much to Russetkit's shock, the black she-kit was perfectly composed. She was not trembling, like Russetkit was. Russetkit's fur fluffed out. She would be just as brave as Blackkit!
"If we get to the end of the branch, we'll be at the edge of camp, and pull ourselves up," Russetkit told Blackkit, flicking with her tail towards the long, crooked branch, the end of it poking upwards onto the edge of the hollow. Blackkit followed Russetkit's gaze and nodded. Russetkit turned and bounded across the branch, her small paws taking her faster and faster. She skidded to a halt immediately before the branch ended abruptly, and looked up. The branch had taken her to the edge of camp. It would only take a leap until she was officially out of camp.
Bunching her muscles, Russetkit crouched down and waggled her haunches. Sending a silent prayer to the gods, she glanced over her shoulder, looking at Blackkit. "Ready?" the she-kit asked.
"Ready," Blackkit confirmed, dropping into the same position Russetkit had taken. Russetkit turned back, focusing her gaze on the edge of the hollow, and with all the strength she could surmise in her young body, she leaped. Her claws grasped the edge of the grassy walls, and she sunk her claws further in to consolidate her grip. The rest of her body hung in midair, and her ears flattened as she used her strength in her front paws to pull herself upwards.
Relief fell over Russetkit like a tidal wave when she landed on the grassland. She let out a sigh, and looked down to see Blackkit completing the jump much easier than she had. Russetkit blinked gratefully at her, and the two kits sat to catch their breath before they continued any further. Russetkit's gaze traveled over the moorland. She had never left camp before.
For as far as Russetkit could see, the vast brown-and-green moorland stretched, with no end in sight. Rolling hills swept through the moor, the grass being buffeted by the powerful newleaf wind. Blossoming plants dotted patches of the grass, the vivid colors of the plants stark against the pale hues of the moor. The stars of Silverpelt spread through the night sky, surrounding the crescent moon. Russetkit gazed at the territory that was her own, awestruck.
"My mother tells me that ThunderClan territory is towards the east," Blackkit told Russetkit. "Now's your time to turn back." Worry etched the black she-kit's green eyes.
"Are you kidding?" Russetkit asked. "No way I'm going back now. We've already left camp, haven't we?"
"You can say that again," Blackkit grumbled, but Russetkit couldn't miss the glimpse of wonder in her eyes as she examined her own surroundings. It was Blackkit's first time out of camp as well. Surely she was just as enthralled as Russetkit was.
"I'll impress my father, even if I have to travel to the end of the earth to do it," Russetkit declared boldly, letting her statement hang in the night sky. When Blackkit simply shook her head, Russetkit took the lead, marching through the moorland with her tail waving in the air. Blackkit was at her heels the entire time, and although her companionship comforted Russetkit, she had no idea where she was going. The moorland looked the same to her, never ending as Russetkit continued her travel through the grassland.
A rabbit darted from one rock to another. Russetkit was tempted to chase it, watching the brown figure cross the grass, but she had a different journey. One that she wasn't sure she would be able to accomplish. The amount of walking she was doing was making her paws heavy, and she could tell it was taking a toll on Blackkit as the small she-kit was falling behind. I shouldn't have taken her with me, Russetkit thought guiltily. But I couldn't do it on my own.
"Russetkit!" Blackkit called out.
"What?" Russetkit asked, her eyes half-closed with exhaustion.
"Look." Blackkit flicked her tail, and Russetkit followed it. In front of the two kits was a stream that carved the land into two, and although its current was slow and steady, it was still large. Across the stream stood mounds of trees, so tall that they reached the moon. The breeze brought the scent of mouse and oak towards them. Russetkit jumped up and down, her exhaustion completely forgotten.
"It's ThunderClan territory!" Russetkit exclaimed. "We're here!"
"We have to cross the stream," Blackkit said, "if we want to get there." She shook her head. "Why did I ever agree to come?"
"You can turn back," Russetkit meowed, gazing at her friend.
"And leave you to get eaten alive? No way." Blackkit dragged herself further along. "We've already gotten this far. Might as well keep going." The kit's black fur stuck out against the brown moorland, but the pitch darkness of the night helped conceal her. Russetkit's red fur, on the other hand, even though it was illuminated with moonlight, still stood out against the grassland, making her easily recognizable.
Russetkit pushed further, racing until she reached the riverbank. Blackkit skidded to a halt next to her, and the two she-kits stared at the stream, contemplating their next steps. Russetkit peered over the water, catching sight of massive stones in the water. "Look, Blackkit! Stepping stones!"
Blackkit chewed her lip. "You really want to do this?" she asked, a frown on her face.
"Yeah. Like you said, we've already come this far." Russetkit leaped onto the first stone, and a small gasp escaped her mouth as water lapped over the stone and soaked her belly fur. The sensation was so foreign and chilling that Russetkit, immediately wanting to prevent another interaction, leaped onto the next rock. Steadying her small body on the stone, she looked out to see the next stone. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing the current continuing to move. Now! Russetkit leaped onto the next stone, continuing her descent until she finally reached the other side of the stream. She turned around, hoping that Blackkit had made the crossing safely.
The night black she-kit had hopped from rock to rock and when she reached the last one, she steadied her balance. Then, she leaped from the last stepping stone to the bank, nearly colliding with Russetkit. Russetkit stepped away, watching as Blackkit shook out her fur. As Blackkit licked her fur clean, Russetkit looked around. The territory around them was completely different from WindClan territory. Whereas WindClan territory was wide and open, ThunderClan territory was completely concealed, the tall trees covering any hint of the night sky. The lack of space began to make Russetkit feel suffocated. How does ThunderClan deal with this? Russetkit asked herself, trying to find any hint of the sky. But there was none. The canopy of the trees covered any hint of the moonlight.
"It's so creepy here," Blackkit remarked. Only the green of her eyes was visible, the shadows completely covering her pelt. Russetkit stuck close to her, not wanting to lose sight of her, in fear that she wouldn't be able to find her if they got separated.
"Yeah," Russetkit agreed. Now that they had entered ThunderClan territory, what was the goal? To go into ThunderClan's camp? That's too dangerous! Russetkit bit her lip. They didn't have to go to ThunderClan's camp – they would just need some proof they crossed the border and had gone into the forest. Russetkit's gaze traveled to an odd-shaped leaf that laid littered on the ground, right in front of them. There was no plant like this growing in WindClan territory. The ginger she-kit padded forward and picked it up in her jaws. She would give this to her father, to prove she had left Clan territory.
"Have you done what you needed to do?" Blackkit asked, watching Russetkit pick up the leaf.
Russetkit nodded, holding the leaf in her mouth.
"Then let's get back to camp. I don't want to be here for too long." This time, Blackkit led the way out of the forest, following the way they had come until they reached the riverbank again. Russetkit watched the current move, swallowing a lump in her throat. They had to cross it again? Her paws already felt like stone, and she wasn't sure if she could make the long trek to WindClan camp again. The ginger she-kit fell, defeated.
"Russetkit! Blackkit!" The names echoed through the night sky, and both kits stiffened in alarm at the ferocity and fear in which their names were screamed. Russetkit peered her head over to look across the stream, where the voices were coming from. Even in the dead of night, thanks to the expanse of the moor, she recognized the cats. Rabbitfur and Adderpaw were traveling the moor, calling out their names
"We're here!" Russetkit cried out, hoping her voice was loud enough so the two toms could hear her. Rabbitfur halted, his ears twitching, and when Adderpaw meowed something in his ear, the tom turned in the direction of the river. With his green eyes narrowed, Rabbitfur led the way towards the stream, Adderpaw behind him. When the two cats came as close as possible to the riverbank, Rabbitfur's nostrils flared with fury, and Adderpaw's tail lashed back and forth.
The two toms glanced at the stream, exchanging uneasy glances. Russetkit realized they were deciding whether to cross or not, to get to the kits. Finally, resolve fell over Rabbitfur's face, and the skinny tom leaped onto the first stepping stone. Without pausing, he continued to cross, his paws skimming across each rock, and Adderpaw followed close behind, and they landed on the other side of the border.
"Father is going to kill you," Adderpaw hissed in irritation as he scooped Russetkit up and grabbed her scruff with his teeth. The kit hung from her brother's jaws, and the disdain in which his words were directed at her made her shiver. Rabbitfur only let out a growl as he picked up Blackkit, and the black she-kit said nothing.
Frustration and sorrow made Russetkit look at the ground. Adderpaw was right. The whole endeavor would be fruitless. Swiftstar wouldn't be proud of her – he'd be furious with her. And she had dragged Blackkit on with her, who had never wanted to go in the first place. By insisting she went with her, she had endangered her life as well. Russetkit's paws turned numb as Adderpaw held her in his mouth and crossed the stream again. Rabbitfur was behind him, with Blackkit swaying in his mouth.
The disappointment and anger was palpable from the two cats as they carried the kits home, racing through the moorland with the wind in their pelts. No words were shared, and Russetkit was beginning to think that perhaps it would have made her feel better if she heard a barrage of reprimands from the two cats. She didn't think she could handle the silence, and the shame made her ears burn.
The dip in the moorland ground that was home to their camp was visible in sight as the night sky began to make way for predawn. Russetkit's scruff ached from Adderpaw's teeth being embedded in it for so long, but she said nothing. Her half-brother skidded to a halt at the top of the ridge and exchanged a glance with Rabbitfur. When Rabbitfur nodded, the two cats plunged down into the clearing, running so fast that the wind whisked past Russetkit's whiskers.
When the two cats entered the clearing, Russetkit could see the entire Clan starting to gather. Adderpaw padded towards the Tall Branch and dropped Russetkit down on the grass. Russetkit huffed as she hit the ground, and glanced next to her to see Rabbitfur gently setting Blackkit down. Russetkit looked up at the Tall Branch, wincing as she saw her father's massive ginger-and-white tabby figure, his bright pelt stark against the pale sky.
Disappointment and anger burned in Swiftstar's eyes, and the force radiating from him made Russetkit cower in her own fur. The seething air his fury gave off chilled Russetkit to the bone, and she cast a nervous glance at the nursery. Sunleaf had appeared at the entrance, but there was no sign of Scorchkit. Sunleaf's green eyes were wide with worry, and next to her was Cloverwhisker, her brown pelt bristling. Russetkit watched Blackkit catch the eye of her mother, and guilt caused the fur on her spine to brick as Blackkit lowered her head. I got her in trouble too.
"I'm sorry," Russetkit whispered to Blackkit.
"So you should be." Swiftstar's deep voice punctuated the predawn sky, and the massive WindClan leader leaped from the Tall Branch to the ground. His voice was chillier than the winds of leaf-bare and as sharp as thorns. Russetkit turned her gaze to her father as he towered over her, his amber eyes flaring. "How were you so stupid to travel into ThunderClan territory? Did you want to get killed? Did you want WindClan cats to get killed, too?"
"I… I just…" Russetkit's voice trailed off.
"You just what?" Swiftstar snarled at her. "Tell me, Russetkit! Tell me! You think you'll be an apprentice with this foolish mind of yours? You even think you'll make it to warriorhood, when you're not even six moons and you've already put your Clanmates' lives in danger?" His amber eyes turned to Blackkit. "And you? What were you thinking?"
"I went with Russetkit so she wasn't in danger," Blackkit told the ginger-and-white tabby leader, her voice composed, her black fur unruffled as the small kit faced a cat three times her size. The calm, collected demeanor of Blackkit caught Swiftstar by surprise just as much as it caught Russetkit.
"Well, wasn't that a lovely idea," Swiftstar sneered. He turned back to Russetkit, his ginger-and-white tail lashing back and forth, glaring at her with so much contempt that it made her pelt burn.
"I just wanted to make you proud," Russetkit protested, finally finding the strength in her to protest the words.
"Make me proud?" Swiftstar's amber eyes widened. "And you thought something as idiotic as this could? It makes me furious!" His voice turned to a lion's roar, bursting with anger. "It makes me not want to consider you my own daughter!"
Russetkit flinched. She was tired of being yelled at, tired of being reprimanded. She was tired of being the one always left to the sidelines. Now that she wanted to prove herself, she had gotten in trouble for it. "You're always taking Scorchkit out!" she exclaimed.
Swiftstar's pelt bristled. "Because Scorchkit listens," he hissed through clenched teeth. "He's a good kit. He's strong and brave, just like me. You're a troublemaker, Russetkit. You run before you think, you run your mouth without regards to who you're talking to, and you're nothing more than a worthless she-kit."
What? Russetkit stared at Swiftstar, her jaw dropped, her green eyes stretched wide with horror. The ruthlessness of Swiftstar's words impaled her, sharper than any tooth or claw could. Her heart slowed its beating, and for a moment, the world stopped, and the only thing she could hear was Swiftstar's disappointment and fury. Nothing more than a worthless she-kit. Tears welled at her eyes.
"Swiftstar!" Sunleaf exclaimed, racing over to Russetkit with her green eyes round with fear. "Don't speak to her like that! She made a mistake! She won't do it again!"
Swiftstar swung his head to glare at Sunleaf. "Silence!" he snarled at her.
Sunleaf froze, staring at Swiftstar with an open jaw. The venom with which he spat at Sunleaf made Russetkit unsheathe her claws. Finally, she allowed herself to examine camp. Their stares had been burning into her pelt the entire time she had been scolded by Swiftstar. There was not one eye in camp that wasn't focused on Russetkit and Swiftstar. Rabbitfur's eyes were shadowed, and Adderpaw's face was unreadable. Bramblepaw sat next to Adderpaw, staring at Russetkit. Violetheart, the WindClan medicine cat, had her lips pressed in a straight line. Petalspring's claws dug into the ground, and Grayflight's jaw was clenched. Driftberry and Dovewillow exchanged uneasy glances. But no one spoke up, not to defend Russetkit or Sunleaf. Are they afraid of Swiftstar?
Russetkit dragged her gaze to the nursery, where her denmates had appeared. Wildkit's yellow eyes flared, and Russetkit couldn't tell what she was thinking. Gorsekit stared at the grass, scuffing it with his paw, worry and sympathy shadowed in his blue eyes. Scorchkit's gaze was focused on Russetkit, despair and misery in his orange depths. Russetkit had no idea what to say to him.
"Get out of here," Swiftstar snapped at Russetkit. "I'm tired of seeing your face. This won't go unpunished. I'll let you know when your punishment is when I think of something that'll teach you a lesson." The ginger-and-white tom turned on his heel, his tail still lashing, and stalked into his den.
When Swiftstar was out of view, the camp seemed to collectively relax. Several cats let out breaths they had been holding, and the other warriors who had sat with stiff faces and tensed muscles relaxed their shoulders and unclenched their jaws. But that didn't mean they stopped staring. Heavily aware of the stares boring in her pelt, Russetkit trekked away, her tail drooping, her head hanging as she walked over to Sunleaf.
"Russetkit," Sunleaf murmured, nuzzling the dark ginger she-kit's face. "Oh, honey, what have you done?"
"I just wanted to make him proud," Russetkit whispered, her voice breaking. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Blackkit padding over to Cloverwhisker. Cloverwhisker said nothing, instead leading her kit into the nursery. Russetkit stared at her small paws. "Instead, I made him hate me."
"Russetkit, he doesn't hate you," Sunleaf told her. "He loves you very much. He just doesn't know how to show it."
I don't believe it. Russetkit dragged her gaze up to meet her mother's eyes. "Even if he hates me, I'll still try to make him proud," the dark ginger she-kit declared. "I won't be the worthless cat he told me I was. I'll be more than that."
Sunleaf's face fell, and the ginger she-cat said nothing more. Instead, she nuzzled her daughter again, a faint purr radiating from her body. Russetkit glanced at Scorchkit, who fixed his gaze on his white paws, seemingly not knowing what to say. She wasn't sure what to say to him, either. He surely had heard what Russetkit had said to Swiftstar about him.
I'll be just as good as a warrior as he thinks Scorchkit will be, Russetkit declared silently. Just you wait and see.