Willowbounce's Tale

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Stopping for the night, all of the clans settled into a clearing on the mountain side. It had been at least a moon since Direkit lost his mother, and Willowkit had been ever quiet since his attack. After Icekit's moment with Willowkit, he had been seemingly more relaxed. Maybe it had something to do with me. Willowkit thought. As the clans tucked into the edge of the field, where there was limited cover of rock dens. Willowkit and the other kits were pushed to the back of the large, low roof den with the queens.
"Willowkit come here. I don't need you getting hurt again." Rainstripe said to her while beckoning her over with her tail. Willowkit didn't show any reaction to her mother's call. She had gotten used to her mother telling her to stay closer. Ever since Direkit had attacked her, Rainstripe was more vigilant as to where Willowkit was. She sighed as she walked over to her mother's temporary nest.
"Mama, can Icekit sleep in our nest?" Willowkit asked, she hadn't been able to be with him as much because of Rainstripe.
Her mother thought for a moment, then said, "No Willowkit." Willowkit huffed and plopped down beside Splashkit.
"Oh quit being so sad. It's just Icekit. It's not like he's a cat from StarClan or something." Splashkit said to Willowkit. She noticed she had a hint of annoyance in her voice. Willowkit ignored her sister, which made it worse.
"Willowkit..do you like him?" She said with a hint of suggestion in her voice. Willowkit flattened her ears and blushed. She ducked her head, casting a shadow over her eyes. Splashkit gasped.
"You do, don't you!" She said a little louder than she should've.
"Splashkit shut it!" Toothkit hissed from his nest, which was right next to Rainstripes.
"Toothkit, don't be rude." Hawkwing said. Toothkit glared at Splashkit in response.
"And Splashkit, keep your voice down." Rainstripe added.
To her relief, Splashkit curled up and fell asleep. Rainstripe sat up though, instead of tucking in to sleep.
"Willowkit, I'm going out to hunt with some other warriors for a while. You will be careful—and watch your sister for me?" She said, getting up carefully. Willowkit nodded.
"Mama, before you go, I just wanted to say that I love you." Willowkit said, feeling sorry for some reason she couldn't pin down.
Rainstripe gave her a loving look, then bent her head down to nuzzle her. Willowkit gladly nuzzled her back. Rainstripe bent her head down and gently nuzzled Splashkit too. Then she padded around the other sleeping cats to a patrol at the shallow dens entrance. Willowkit curled up next to her sister, sharing her warmth, and fell asleep.

A while later, Willowkit woke up. Splashkit was still sound asleep beside her, and judging by the moon's position in the sky, it hadn't been long since she fell asleep. She figured she might as well look outside, since beside her, her clan mates were all asleep. Some other clan cats were awake, mostly Shadowclan. As she crept around the other cats to the entrance, she took a moment to remember the adventure she and Icekit had the night before they left. She smiled to herself, thinking very fondly of the memory.
When Willowkit reached the entrance to the den, she saw the patrol near the middle of the field. They seemed to be running after something. But why are they all running? Warriors usually hunt their own prey right? Not together..Willowkit thought. Then she saw it. A large shadow suddenly shon over the patrol as they ran across the field. She noticed one of the cats in the back was lagging behind. That looks like...Frostspots! Willowkit gasped as she remembered how the she-cat had gotten suddenly weaker over the last moon. Frostspots was lagging behind severely now. Willowkit could tell she was fighting to keep up, but in what seemed like a heartbeat Frostspots tripped and stumbled to the ground. Willowkit widened her eyes as she realized that Frostspots had to get up.
Willowkit began to bound across the field as fast as her legs could take her. But before she was more than halfway there, the shadow appeared again. It began circling Frostspots. Willowkit pushed harder to reach her.
Skidding to a halt, she sat down beside the she-cat, who was panting and coughing. She also appeared to be trembling from the cold.
"W-Willowkit! You can't be out here! It's way too dangerous!" Frostspots heaved the words as she noticed her.
"Frostspots you need to get help from Nestleberry right away! Your very clearly not ok!" Willowkit urged her. Before Frostspots could protest, an ear splitting call broke the air. Willowkit looked up just in time to see a hawk swooping down towards them. She jumped out of the way with a yelp, but the hawk wasn't going for her. Instead it hooked its talons into Frostspots sides and picked her up. Frostspots yowled in fear and distress. Willowkit cried out in fear.
"Frostspots!" She shrieked. Out of nowhere, Shredtooth came bounding from the patrol aiming to where the hawk was flying, slowly rising. Shredtooth leaped up on the hawk and started viciously attacking it, trying to get it to land. But the hawk only lashed out. It began to dive down, then turn sharply, then turned upwards. Shredtooth lost her grip and was thrown off the hawk. Willowkit heard her blood-curdling yowl as she plummeted back to the field. She landed with a heavy thud, and lay still. Willowkits eyes widened in horror. She turned her gaze back in the direction of the hawk, who was now flying off with Frostspots still hooked to its talons. Willowkit cried out in grief. A few heartbeats later Stormcloud, her father, came bounding over to her and picked her up. He began to run back to the rock den. As they neared, Willowkit noticed that most of the clans were awake. Most seemed to have looks of concern, others annoyance. Stormcloud slowed to a trot as he entered the den. He brought Willowkit to her nest, where Splashkit still slept. Her father bounded back out to the field as soon as he put her down safely. Willowkit was so overwhelmed with what just happened that she just decided to curl up next to her sister and fall back asleep.