Icefog's Origins

Chapter 1

"Icekit, come on!" Icekit turned around from talking to Lionkit to see Slatekit and Pebblekit standing next to a ball of moss a tail-length away. "We wanna play moss-ball!"

Icekit rolled his eyes and flicked his tail. "Play with each other," he mewed, amused at his siblings' playful nature. "I'm talking to Lionkit." Turning back to the broad-shouldered black tom, Icekit felt something soft hit the back of his head, and he heard Slatekit and Pebblekit snickering behind him. Spotting the green ball of moss next to him, Icekit pretended not to notice as he picked it up with his tail and threw it back at his littermates.

"Hey!" Slatekit yelped as the moss-ball hit his chest, and he leapt back with a glare at Icekit. "That's not fair!"

Lionkit's eyes glittered with amusement as Pebblekit laughed at Slatekit. "You're a good shot," he commented, his blue eyes returning to Icekit.

"Thanks," Icekit licked a paw and drew it over his ears. "What do you want to do?" He asked the burly black tom-kit. Lionkit and his sister Honeykit were just a half-moon younger than Icekit and his siblings. Their mothers, Ravenfoot and Shadedpatch, were basking in the sunlight outside the nursery with a young crow between them. "Do you think Ravenfoot and Shadedpatch would let us play with Shiningstar and Tigerflame again?" Just a few days ago, while they were playing in the empty clearing while the other cats out on patrol, Shiningstar and Tigerflame- the leader and deputy- had played with the five kits. Even after Shadedpatch and Ravenfoot had ushered them back into the nursery and apologized to both cats for their ignorance, Shiningstar and Tigerflame had promised to play with them again.

Lionkit glanced over at the two queens as they not-so-sneakily watched their kits as they played. No other cats were in the camp, apart from the elders clustered out of their den to enjoy the newleaf warmth, so the kits had the camp to themselves. "I doubt it," he meowed, and Icekit's ears drooped with slight disappointment. "But maybe we can convince Slatekit and Pebblekit to let us play with them."

Icekit turned around to his brother and sister, who were tussling together as the ball of moss rolled away, now reduced to mere scraps of green. "Sure." Raising his voice as both toms appraoched, he called. "Could we join you?"

Slatekit pinned Pebblekit to the ground and looked up at them. "Now you want to play with us?" He sneered with a curl of his lip. He eased off Pebblekit and padded toward the other two toms, Pebblekit at his heels after she shook the dust from her fur.

Lionkit rolled his eyes. "Don't be a jerk, Slatekit." He looked at Pebblekit and twitched his whiskers as she sneezed. "What should we play?" He asked.

Icekit looked around for something to do, then got an idea once he saw a familiar orange-and-black striped pelt leaving what looked like the warrior's den. "Tigerflame!" He yowled.

The tabby deputy's yellow-orange eyes drifted to the kits and a curious light grew in his gaze. Trotting across the camp clearing, he stopped when he reached the kits. "Yes?" He prompted, his eyes on Icekit.

"Are you busy?" Icekit asked. He motioned with a paw to his denmates, and Tigerflame seemed to understand.

"I'm never too busy to play with my favorite little rascals." The deputy's eyes glittered with playfulness and he dropped into a crouch. A small growl came from his throat and Icekit felt excitement tingle in his paws.

Slatekit let out a yowl and launched himself at the deputy, only to thump to the ground when Tigerflame moved easily out of the way to avoid his attack. "Hey!" The tom-kit complained as he scrambled to his feet, the dust swirling around him. "That's not fair!"

Pebblekit crept up behind him and pounced on her brother's back, thrusting him back into the sand. "Nothing's fair in battle, little brother!" She giggled and ran behind Tigerflame when Slatekit threw her off his back and went after her.