Disclaimer: I don't own the Warrior Cats series!
Title: Red Pearls
Summary: Brightfur just wanted to be a medicine cat. Her mentor, Ravenwind, has very different ideas on what that means- for her and for ShadowClan. With Ravenwind controlling her every move and more than willing to kill to keep it that way, Brightfur will need more than just luck to live to tell the tale.
Chapter Title: Man that's a lot of kids
...
Guest- Thanks! Yeah, Ravenwind is pretty dang sketchy lol.
Lulurocks01- Thank you! =)
...
Something warm on Brightkit's fur made her twitch, trying to roll away from it, but there was only so far to go with a belly on one front and siblings on both sides. She batted her tiny paws at the weird sensation and hit a muzzle.
"Graykit," someone was scolding. "Don't hover like that. It puts pressure on the kits."
Graykit didn't answer. Brightkit strained her ears, but didn't hear him moving away, either. Deciding it was best to check, she rolled onto her back and cracked open her eyes for the very first time. The sunlight streaming from the holes in the thorn walls of the nursery made them hurt, but before she could think to close them again a gray blob was inches from her nose.
"Graykit!" the voice repeated. This time, Graykit did back away, revealing a big, long-furred black queen. She was frowning down at him. "You could've spooked Brightkit!" Her ear flicked as she looked at her. "Oh! You opened your eyes!"
Brightkit scrunched up her nose, eyes half-lidded. "You're loud."
The molly drew back with a look of mortification. "Sorry, dear. I forget how sensitive little ears can be. I'm Fallingfeather."
"Fallingfeather," she repeated, feeling the name cross her tongue. She'd heard her own mother say it before at some point. Brightkit twisted around to look up at Smokepaw, who was fast asleep, then her siblings. Berrykit and Darkkit both were all black, just like their mother. She glanced down at herself, all sandy yellow with light stripes, and decided that Flamekit was a lot like her. The odd kit out was Brackenkit, who was a dark tabby tom.
Berrykit shifted and lifted her tiny head. Her eyes were a dazzling green. "Blech. It's all ouchie."
"And loud," Brightkit agreed.
Flamekit stretched with a yawn, showing off tiny needle teeth. He'd yet to open his. "No thanks. I don't like ouchies."
Graykit reached out a hesitant paw and poked Flamekit in the side, sending the kit scurrying over Darkkit, who only grunted. The black tom was easily the smallest of the litter. Brightkit thought he looked odd- his head was too big and his paws too small. Flamekit glared at Graykit. His eyes were green too.
Brackenkit shook Flamekit off his tail with a grumpy hiss. "Ow!"
"Sorry, sorry. Graykit poked me."
A new voice suddenly exploded out from around Fallingfeather's belly, making them all flinch. "They're up! Finally!" A black and gray kit pushed past Graykit to get a good look at them. "Hi! I'm Hawkkit!"
"You're loud," Brackenkit huffed.
"Everyone's loud," Brightkit told him, covering her ears with her paws.
Another black kitten appeared on Fallingfeather's stomach. Just like Hawkkit, she blended in with the queen's fur. "Mama, since their eyes are open, can they come to Rainkit and Barkkit's ceremony?"
"They can watch from the nursery," she replied. "They're still too young to go out in the camp. Hawkkit, Graykit, get back over here. It's rude to leave Flowerkit by herself like this."
"I don't mind," Flowerkit meowed.
Smokepaw's back paw twitched, signaling she had awoken. The apprentice sluggishly curled her paws under her as she sat up. Her fur was sticking up at odd angles. "What's all the racket about?" she yawned. She looked at her kits and was startled to see four sets of eyes looking back up at her. "I take one nap and miss something huge?"
Fallingfeather laughed. "Being a mother is like that."
Brightkit's mother grew somber all of of a sudden. She reached out a paw and gently shook Darkkit. "Come on, kiddo. Show me those pretty eyes." Darkkit squeaked, shifted, then slowly opened his eyes. Smokepaw's breath caught at the deep amber color of them. "Oh, you've got Birchpaw's eyes."
Darkkit's nose scrunched. He squeezed his eyes shut and buried his nose in his mother's belly. Smokepaw looked at Fallingfeather helplessly, but the older queen was busy cleaning Hawkkit and didn't notice. Berrykit draped a paw across Brightkit's back and stuck her tiny nose in the pale ginger molly's scruff.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey meet me at the Clanrock for a Clan meeting!"
Flowerkit let out a tiny trill. "It's time!"
Smokepaw had Fallingfeather and her litter leave the nursery first, then corralled her kits at the very edge of the thorn bush. Brightkit was squished between Brackenkit and Flamekit, while Berrykit had to peer over them. Smokepaw held Darkkit up by the scruff; the tiny tom didn't even seem to notice, eyes still tight-shut.
Though she couldn't see the entrance or the warrior den due to the small hollow surrounding the nursery, she could just barely make out the medicine den and Clanrock. Alderstar had already leapt up, while the gray pelt of Duskspring blended in amongst the stone. A blue molly sat just in front of them with two kits- another blue she-cat and a black and white tom. Smokepaw leaned her head down to murmur they were named Puddle, Barkkit, and Rainkit.
Next came Honeywater and Stonebreeze, the oldest warriors in the Clan, who sat close by each other. Badgerthroat and Briarpaw met up with Flowerstrike and Skyberry, greeting the elders with respect. Leafleg and Addershine were chatting, sneaking hopeful glances at the two kits. Slatestep, Newtfrost, and Mossyear were last to come, smelling of fresh-kill.
"Look," Brackenkit whispered. At the very edge of the Clanrock sat an all black molly, smaller than any of the other warriors. Brightkit assumed that was Ravenwind, who she knew, vaguely, to be the medicine cat. Ravenwind caught her eye and nodded a greeting. Brightkit nodded back, hoping that was what she was supposed to do.
Alderstar looked ancient to Brightkit. His long fur was ruffled and brittle, his muzzle sprinkled with gray. There was a friendly twinkle in his eyes. "We've got quite a lot of kits this Newleaf, haven't we?" he meowed. A ripple of agreement shook ShadowClan. "StarClan has blessed us with young blood, and ShadowClan will honor this blessing with two new 'paws. Barkkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Barkpaw. Your mentor will be Mossyear. I hope she will pass on her wisdom and courage onto you."
The gray-striped warrior stood and padded forward to brush noses with Barkpaw. Brightkit thought she looked fairly surprised by the turn of events.
"Rainkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Newtfrost. I hope he will pass on his patience and kindness onto you."
Rainpaw didn't hesitate. Rather, she stood and sprinted across the clearing, almost smashing heads with Newtfrost.
"Barkpaw! Rainpaw!" Alderstar started the chant. "Barkpaw! Rainpaw!"
Once the chant was over, warriors started to disperse. Newtfrost and Mossyear found each other almost instantly to discuss their plans for the day, Rainpaw and Barkpaw both looking eager to go. Badgerthroat and Briarpaw met up with them, the older apprentice bumping noses with the new 'paws. Smokepaw should be with them, shouldn't she? Brightkit thought, tipping her head back. Her mother was staring at her paws.
"It's been three moons," she meowed finally. "And Alderstar still hasn't sent a battle patrol to deal with WindClan."
Flamekit licked her arm, blinking up at Smokepaw. "I'm sorry, mama. Maybe next time."
"Maybe next time," Smokepaw repeated, then sighed. "Maybe next time."
Author's Note: Woot woot! I wanted to introduce the kittens, so I wrote out chapter one real quick. Don't worry, ya'll- I don't expect anyone to remember all of them. I'll put their descriptions down below. Also, this is set in the forest territories.
Brackenkit (dark tabby tom), Berrykit (all black she-cat), Darkkit (tiny black tom), Flamekit (pale ginger tom), and Brightkit (pale ginger she-cat).
-Mandaree1