Book One, Batpaw's Courage

Chapter Eight

"Kits?!" Frogpaw exclaimed. "In the forest?" he looked utterly shocked.

"Clearly!" Batpaw replied, was Frogpaw an idiot? Featherdust, Emberstrike, Lightheart, Hawkpaw and Sweetpaw all came over.

"Why weren't you two practicing?" asked Emberstrike sternly. "Sorry, Emberstrike, but there are kits over there!" Batpaw mewed quietly.

"Kits?" Emberstrike looked cautiously through the bramble-thorn wall. "They are kits, they don't smell of any Clan I know."

"We need to help them!" Batpaw exclaimed, worrying deeply about the kits. "They're going to starve!" instinctivly, Batpaw raced for the thorn entrance, trying to find the kits.

She caught their scent quickly, beneath the dense undergrowth. Soon she found the four bundles of fur. They looked as if they could be apprentices.

"Ahh! Mean forest cat!!" squeaked the smallest kit. "Don't worry! I'll save you!" growled the biggest one, he was only a little bit smaller than Batpaw.

"Hey! I'm not going to hurt you kits, where are you from?" Batpaw sniffed at each kit. Two toms and two she-cats.

"Our mama abandoned us near the fence far from here." explained the largest tom. "Yeah, we came all the way from there." agreed the smallest kit.

They were probably talking about Tallpines. What kind of mother abandons her kits?! "Are you guys hungry?" Batpaw asked, seeing the hunger in their eyes.

"Y-yes but our mama said that she'd be back.." squeaked the biggest she-kit.

"Listen, some of my other cat friends are going to come, I think we should take you back with us to our Clan." Batpaw said.

"Alright, I guess that would be okay.. but what if our mama comes back?" asked the biggest tom. "I'm not sure, but you kits need food." she rested her soft gaze on the kits.

There was a rustle in the grass, oh, the rest of the cats. Emberstrike, Ambermoon, Lightheart and Featherdust padded out of the long grass.

"Oh my StarClan! There are kits!" Lightheart exclaimed. "Wh-who are you?" asked the biggest tom, sheltering the rest of the kits.

"I am Lightheart, the big ginger tom behind me is Emberstrike, the smaller she-cat is Featherdust, and that she-cat," she flicked her tail towards Batpaw, "is Batpaw" she finished.

The tom widened his eyes, "what strange names you have!" he gasped in astonishment.

"They're Clan names," Batpaw said. "If you're a kit, you'd have 'kit' at the end of your name, like Batkit" she explained.

"You'd be Russetkit!" The smallest tom flicked his tail to the biggest tom. "I guess so.." the biggest tom replied.

"What are your names?" asked Featherdust. "I'm Russet," said the biggest tom, he flicked his tail towards the smallest tom, "that's Toby," then Russet flicked his tail towards the biggest she-kit, "that's Missy, and the runt is Luna"

"What weird names." Emberstrike concluded. "We need to take them back to camp, they're half starved!"

Featherdust, Lightheart and Emberstrike all nodded and picked up a kit.

Batpaw took the smallest kit, Luna. She didn't squirm as much, she could tell she was starving.

They headed back along the grass heading for the ravine where they went down and into the thorn tunnel.

Once they arrived into camp, Featherdust flicked her tail for them to follow her to Acornstar's den.

They went behind the lichen that led to his den. "Oh my! Kits?" Acornstar exclaimed.

"P-Please dont eat us!" squeaked Luna. "I wont eat you, I'd never. I'm Acornstar, leader of ThunderClan."

All four of them put down the kits. "ThunderClan?" asked Toby, puzzled. "Yes, the camp you're in, and the territory you were in belongs to ThunderClan." said Acornstar.

Batpaw had a sudden realization, she wasn't anxious! Yes!!!

"We're sorry! We didn't mean to trespass!" exclaimed Missy. "Nonsense, you're kits, you didnt know any better," Acornstar looked warmly at them.

"Featherdust, get them a piece of prey" Acornstar instructed. "Where are Sweetpaw, Hawkpaw and Frogpaw?" he asked.

"We sent them hunting" replied Lightheart. "Good. Go make these kits a nest next to Swiftbreeze." Lightheart nodded.

"How long will we be here 'cause our mama said she would be back soon." asked Russet.

"For the night, I'll send cats to look for your mother in the morning-" Acornstar was interrupted by Luna's cry, "what if she's not there!"

"If she isn't there, then you have to stay with us because you wouldn't survive leaf-bare in the forest alone." he concluded.

"But-" Luna tried to reply but Batpaw cut her off. "Kits, let's go find Featherdust with that prey."

They all nodded, sadly. "How old are you?" Batpaw asked curiously. "We're 'bout three moons." replied Toby.

"Okay, come, I'll show you where the nursery is." The four kits bounded of with Batpaw to the nursery.

Lightheart was inside with a piece of prey and a nest right next to Swiftbreeze and her kits.

"Oh they're precious!" Swiftbreeze exclaimed. "They can sleep in my nest, I might have to expand it, but there's room." Lightheart pushed the moss to join it with Swiftbreeze's nest.

"They don't need that," Swiftbreeze said, spotting the rabbit Lightheart brought. "I have plenty of milk they can have."

Swiftbreeze opened her tail to reveal her two suckling kits. "Come here young ones." The kits reluctantly came up to Swiftbreeze and they settled down next to her.

"My name is Swiftbreeze," she introduced herself, "and my two kits over there are Oakkit and Moonkit.." Batpaw left them to talk.

She climbed out of the nursery, heading up to Ambermoon, "Is there anything you want me to do?" Batpaw asked, sundown wouldn't be for a while, and she wanted to keep busy.

"Hm, you could go hunting with Crowpaw." Ambermoon replied, unfocused.

What?! No! "U-Uh but I'd prefer to go alone!" Batpaw really didn't want to speak with Crowpaw at all.

"Why?" asked Ambermoon curiously. "Because, um.." Batpaw struggled to find a response.

"You're going hunting with Crowpaw, end of story." Ambermoon concluded.

"I'd rather search the elders for ticks!" Batpaw muttered under her breath, walking away.

Batpaw tried to find Crowpaw. The sooner I find him, the sooner I can get this over with.

Soon, not far from the warrior's den, sat Crowpaw and his mentor, Shadowheart.

Wonderful. Now I have to deal with my father and Crowpaw!

She padded up slowly. "H-hey Crowpaw. Ambermoon says we have to go hunting."

Shadowheart groaned. "Those new warriors seem to always think they control everything, don't they?"

Batpaw looked at her paws. "Let's go then." Crowpaw said as they padded out of camp and up the ravine. Batpaw's paws begun to itch. I don't want to hunt with him.

"I'm hunting near Sunningrocks." Batpaw announced finally. "You hunt somewhere else."

Crowpaw just nodded. Before Batpaw could race off into the bushes, Crowpaw stopped her. "Let's make it a competition, first to collect the most prey by sundown wins."

"But it's leaf-bare!" Batpaw exclaimed. "Exactly, making it a challenge." Crowpaw pointed out. "Fine." she replied, whisking off into the bushes.