Warriors: Hidden Secrets - Blood Moon

Chapter 3

    Rainkit stood up and stretched. Today they would start their punishment of taking care of the elders. Dewkit and Rainkit had finally convinced Tinykit that it was the right call, especially since there was only one apprentice in the clan now.
    Rainkit thought about how Thrushleap had to stay in the snow all night when he became a warrior three days before. He shivered at the thought and shook Dewkit to wake her up. Rubbing against Tinykit, who was blinking tiredly, he made his way out of the den and into the sparkling sunlight.
    The ground was covered in dirty snow, which would hopefully start to melt soon. The air was getting warmer, and some plant life was already starting to grow. He looked at the leftover fresh kill from last night and decided that he would wait to eat. Once the other two came out Rainkit led the way towards the elder's den, where an apprentice was waiting.
    "Hi Spottedpaw!" Tinykit said enthusiastically. Spottedpaw rolled her eyes and flicked her tail in annoyance.
    "I will show you how to take care of the elders, since obviously you can't follow simple rules." Spottedpaw said in a bored voice. "You aren't worthy of doing this job anyway," she mumbled under her breath. Rainkit was the only one who heard and flicked his ear at the insult.
    Spottedpaw were among those cats who thought since they were not clanborn they shouldn't be in the clan. Rainkit really wanted answers as to why they are part of the clan if no one wanted them here. But he learned that he would have to grow up a little in order for anyone to listen to him.
    "Kits!" a brown tabby with a short tail exclaimed as they followed Spottedpaw into the den.
    "Hi Smalltail, Poppymist, Thornfur," Spottedpaw said with a respectful dip of her head. "I assume you know what's going on."
    "Of course," Poppymist said with a purr. "Kit's can't resist the smells outside of the camp. Clan life would be boring without a little mischief." She glanced at the kits, her eyes gleaming.
    "Well, I am here to show the kits how to take care of you." Spottedpaw announced.
    "Consider it the beginning of your apprenticeship," Thornfur said. "You will be doing this for a long while yet."
    "Good," Rainkit said. "I can't wait to hear more stories about when you were warriors!"
    "Let's just get to it so I can go hunting with Emberfur," Spottedpaw said, annoyed.
    For most of the morning Spottedpaw showed the kits how to clean away the old bedding and replace it with new bedding. How to pick the right piece of fresh kill, and give it to the elders respectfully. How to dab mouse bile on ticks to get them out of the elder's fur.
    By the time they had finished Spottedpaw was in a very bad mood. "Now you don't have to do anything until the evening meal, You're welcome." She said the last words with what sounded like an ungrateful tone. Dewkit snorted.
    "It would almost seem like we were from a different clan, the way she treats us," Dewkit grumbled.
    "But we belong to this clan, don't we?" Tinykit asked. They all walked over to the edge of the clearing, settling down together beneath some overhanging brambles.
    "We belong to this clan, they just don't accept us." Rainkit spat. "I think we need to solve this mystery once and for all."
    "Let's finish our punishment first," Dewkit reasoned. "When we are apprentices we can get some answers. We will be more respected, especially if we do our best and follow the rules."
    "I guess you're right," Rainkit said, playing in the dirt with his claw. "So what do you want to do now?" Since they were almost apprentices, they didn't feel like they had much to do that didn't feel too silly. In the end they ended up finding anything they could in camp and placing them in random spots for the others to find.
    "I'm hungry," Tinykit complained, sitting down in the middle of the clearing. "I don't want to search for the moss ball anymore."
    "If you're hungry, then the elders may be hungry too," Dewkit commented, looking up at the sky. "Maybe we should give them something to eat."
    "I don't understand, can't they get their own food?" Tinykit complained. "I just want to be a kit, or grow faster." Rainkit looked at her sympathetically. Because of her stunted growth, it will be really hard for her to be a new apprentice. But Rainkit had faith that she would grow.
    "They deserve it, serving the clan for as long as they have," Rainkit explained. "Come on, maybe Smalltail will share a mouse with you." Rainkit led the way towards the fresh kill pile, which had grown since the last time he saw it. The fresh kill was still looking a little scrawny, but it would get better.
    Finding the best vole he could find, Rainkit brought it into the elders' den and placed it in front of the elders. "Hungry?" Dewkit asked, bringing a mouse. Thornfur licked his lips. Tinykit came in carrying a third, very scrawny bird.
    "Sorry," she muttered, placing the bird down and looking at the vole and mouse. "If you don't want it,"
    "Nonsense," Smalltail said with a purr. "Picking off feathers is a good pastime. You can have some for your nest too if you'd like." Tinykit perked up at this and Rainkit gave a mrow of amusement.
    "How about we share these and you take this," Poppymist said, grabbing the vole and blackbird, shoving the mouse towards the kits.
    "Really?" Dewkit exclaimed. The elders nodded and they enjoyed themselves as they ate together. In silence for a long time.

***

    The days stretched into weeks as the kits continued to look after the elders. Their least favorite part was having to use mouse bile to get rid of ticks, then having to go with a warrior to rinse their paws off in a nearby melting snow puddle outside of camp. Newleaf was coming fast.
    Rainkit waited patiently for Thrushleap, who promised to teach him some fighting moves when he came back from patrol. This was one of the rare moments where the three littermates were not together. Rainkit thought he remembered Tinykit talking to Seedpelt, but he had no idea what she was doing now. He was content crouching at the entrance, waiting for a certain cat to appear.
    Rainkit smelled the air, and he could hear footsteps coming towards the camp. First, Brightwing pushed through the bramble entrance, then Redwhisker. Finally Thrushleap pushed his way through. With a yowl, Rainkit threw himself against the tom, catching him by surprise and making him bump into the fourth cat on patrol.
    Standing up from his fall in the dirt, Rainkit looked apologetic at the older cats. The senior warriors turned around to see what happened and their pelts shook with laughter.
    "Sorry, Spottedpaw," Rainkit said apologetically. "I was trying to attack Thrushleap."
    "I see, looks like you lost your balance," Spottedpaw said, with a flick of her whiskers. She pushed passed Thrushleap and towards her mentor, Emberfoot, who was standing by the warriors den talking to Cloudstone.
    "Follow me," Thrushleap said, walking towards the middle of the clearing. He stopped and faced Rainkit, who listened intensely. "You were trying to attack me by surprise, but your spring was unbalanced, and your aim wasn't there."
    "Aim and balance," Rainkit repeated. Thrushleap twitched his whiskers, amused at how serious this kit was.
    "Crouch for me," Thrushleap commanded. Rainkit crouched down low, like he was about to attack. "Your weight is too much on your front paws, you need more power in your back legs when you spring. Use your tail to pinpoint where you are going." As he said it, Rainkit moved his weight and limbs to match the warrior's description.
    "Like this?" Rainkit asked, concentrating hard on a dirt spot.
    "Very good," he praised. "Now leap." They continued this for a while, until Rainkit felt he had the move down. When Thrushleap was called on a hunting patrol, Rainkit went looking for his littermates to show them what he learned. It didn't take long to find one.
"Hey small scrap," said a voice. "Do you want me to show you what an actual warrior does?"  Rainkit looked around to find Liontooth and Flintdust cornering Tinykit against the brambles. Rainkit creeped up behind the two young warriors and crouched there, in leaping range.
    "Leave me alone," Tinykit yowled. "I am a clan cat, just like you." Liontooth's fluffy golden tail twitched and Flintdust changed his position, giving Rainkit a target.
    "We'll see about that," Flintdust growled, moving towards Tinykit. With a yowl, Rainkit threw himself at the grey warrior, who was caught by surprise and was knocked down into the dirt. Rainkit quickly jumped off of him and growled, standing in front of his sister.
    "Don't you dare try anything," Rainkit growled. He saw Dewkit staring at them, and flicked his tail, telling her to go get help. Even though he wanted to, he couldn't hurt someone of his own clan, and they were full warriors. Rainkit watched her go, and focused on Flintdust, who was getting back up.
    "Hey, don't attack clanmates," Liontooth said, glaring at Rainkit.
    "Don't you do it all the time in training?" Rainkit shot back, digging his claws into the dirt. "Now, what were you doing again?"
    "Teaching her how to respect clan boundaries," Liontooth said, pointing at Tinykit, who looked relieved that Rainkit was there. "And how you don't belong here."
    "Is there something wrong?" Honeystar's voice asked, coming up to them. Dewkit was right behind her, with Seedpelt following.
    "Tinykit went into the warriors den," Flintdust explained. And Rainkit pounced on me."
    "I don't see the problem," Honeystar said in a calm voice. "Tinykit was asked to give Rosetail a poppy seed by Seedpelt. And by the looks of it Rainkit was protecting his littermate from being cornered. Am I correct?" Both kits nodded and walked between the two young warriors, rubbing against Dewkit.
    "Thanks," Rainkit purred.
    "No problem," Dewkit responded. He turned his attention back to the warriors.
    "I don't want to hear anything against it," Honeystar said, in response to something Liontooth was trying to say. "They are part of the clan, and that's final. Now, what to do with you."
    "We can't get punished for that!" Flintdust argued.
    "No, but I think it's fair if you take one day of the kit's job and take care of the elders tomorrow." Honeystar said, "I think they would love to have your company." The two warriors opened their mouths to argue, but seeing the look on their leader's face, decided against it.
    "Yes Honeystar," they said in unison.
    "Good, and I suggest you to give some respect to the future 'paws," Honeystar added, walking away. Seedpelt thanked Tinykit for trying and walked into the warrior's den. Rainkit ran to the far side of camp before Liontooth and Flintdust could do anything else, his littermates on his heels.