Warrior Cats; Smokeskull's Revenge [ 1 ]

Chapter 30

"Get it, Redkit!" Sandkit mewed as watched her brother toss the mossball in the air. She quickly dived for it and sent it flying back towards him.
The queen sat patiently by, waiting for the hunting patrol to come back. They were due soon. Meanwhile, Smokefur watched her kits playing the game she'd taught them about a moon ago. The days had been sunny, even though leafbare was soon.
Sunlight filtered through the trees overhead as Redkit reached for the mossball one last time. The kit bounced up and smacked it with one paw. Then, he was caught off balance and fell onto his side. Redkit meowed loudly and rolled over onto his back. Smokefur watched Sandkit bound over to him and lift him up gently. Her whiskers twitched in amusement.
Suddenly, Foxlight, Tigerfrost, and Halfwind raced into camp with blood drooling off their pelts. CloudClan scent was matted on their fur as the scent wafted the camp.
The deputy was at the lead, yowling orders, "Blackfoot, Foxlight! You guard the nursery. Tigerfrost, Silverclaw! You guard the elders' den. Everyone else, wait for my command to attack!" Halfwind growled loudly.
The Warriors obeyed and rushed to their stations. All the others, Snowstream, Cherryfeather, Firebreeze, and Owlstone, poured out of their nests and formed a line a fox-length away from the entrance where they expected CloudClan cats to break in any second. Otherwise, Patchpaw, Skypaw, and Cloudpaw scrambled quickly into the line as well. Cloudpaw was growling, Skypaw hissing, and Patchpaw snarling at the front of them with every muscle in his body tense.
Smokefur was pushed into the nursery by Blackfoot as Foxlight nudged her kits into the nursery. "Come on, little ones. Go inside..." The warrior mewed softly.
"Get away from them!" Smokefur growled. At this point, with CloudClan cats streaming into the camp, the queen knew she couldn't trust anyone. Not even her own Clanmates. What if they were secretly working for her old Clan and wanting revenge for something? Smokefur wrapped her tail around her kits and pulled them back, licking their heads calmingly.
Her kits mewled in fear. Sandkit gazed up scaredly at her mother. "What's happening, mama?" The cream kit asked with growing eyes.
Smokefur began to tear up. "Stay close and I promise no one will hurt you..." She lapped her again comfortingly.
Redkit didn't bother to talk. He winced and tucked his head in Smokefur's stomach. Not long after, Sandkit did the same. Smokefur felt her kits' pain and fear run within her as she smelled in the scent of her own Clan, CloudClan, and blood.
Cats scrambled over each other outside. Smokefur's eyes turned to slits as she spotted a familiar warrior; Lionstripe. The tall, broad-shouldered tabby snarled as he brought himself down onto Blackfoot. The MapleClan cat screeched and hauled himself up, clinging onto Lionstripe's fur like a burr with his sharp claws. Foxlight carried on alone guarding the nursery. She hissed as another CloudClan cat charged for her. At first, Smokefur didn't recognize her, but the name came by in a flash...Willowstorm!
The pale warrior opened her jaws in a harsh snarl as she came down on the MapleClan warrior after rearing up. Her long claws sunk into Foxlight's shoulders and she dug her fangs into her lower neck. Foxlight hissed and twirled around under her, kicking up with her hind legs underneath. Willowstorm squealed in surprise and backed up, only to have Tigerfrost pounce on her back. The MapleClan cat's eyes filled with hate as he unsheathed his claws and pulled them down her ribs. In response, Willowstorm screeched and darted towards Smokefur, her eyes blazing with hatred.
The queen got up right away and hissed. "Get away from my kits!!" She growled as her sister bowled into her chest. Smokefur unsheathed her claws and backed into Redkit and Sandkit, push them back.
Willowstorm hissed back at her. "Make me!" She yowled and pressed forward, thrusting her muzzle into Smokefur's. Her long claws unsheathed as she held her glare steadily into the reflecting emerald eyes.
Without a thought, Smokefur pushed herself forward and grabbed onto Willowstorm with her claws. "Stay away from my kits or you'll be crowfood." She threatened, puffing out her chest. Smokefur forced her claws into her sister's ribs where Tigerfrost had made his mark.
"I'll kill them!" The pale warrior yowled and thrust her body over Smokefur towards her kits.
Fangs felt heavy as Smokefur sank them into her sister's scruff, pulling her back. She whipped around and saw another CloudClan cat stalking towards her kits. She didn't recognize him at all, but he came on quickly. Again, Smokefur pulled back and Willowstorm flew back. She leapt at the other cat and was instantly whipped off.
As the CloudClan cat turned, Smokefur noticed Pinepaw right away. She must be a warrior, her shoulders were thick and she was bigger than ever. The CloudClan warrior snarled and snapped around, hitting Smokefur on the head with her giant paw.
Shocked, Smokefur cried out for her kits, then crashed onto the nursery floor.

The queen blinked herself awake. She couldn't see where she was. Her eyes were somehow sewn shut. No pain ran her by until the cries of her kits ran in her ears. "Redkit! Sandkit!" Smokefur yowled into the air.
"Hush, hush..." A calming voice meowed softly, "Everything will be alright."
Smokefur knew she was in the medicine cats' den right away. Honeywhisker's touch and scent wafted her nose.
"Redkit has gone!" Sandkit breathed heavily and pushed her muzzle into her mother's scruff. Her body was pushed up against her in fear. "He wasn't strong enough to make it through the thick bramble wall with me...and he disappeared!"
The grey queen's eyes burst open. "What?! My precious Tom-kit!" Smokefur cried, then turned to Honeywhisker and growled.
The medicine cat dipped her head. "I think you need to rest, Smokefur." Honeywhisker bowed to her apprentice that was holding a beech leaf poultice. "I've given you poppyseeds and they should kick in any time now." She meowed to Smokefur.
"Is my mama gonna be okay, Honeywhisker?" Sandkit looked up at the medicine cat and her apprentice with her round, dazzling blue eyes.
"Yes, Sandkit. But your mother must rest now." Honeywhisker replied gently.
"Firebreeze!" Smokefur jolted her head up at the thought of the name. The warrior would be so devastated to hear the news of one of his kits missing because she couldn't take care of him. He'd never forgive her!
The red warrior was spotted in the clearing by Sandkit. "He's over there," she pointed with her muzzle at her father.
Worried, Smokefur sighed. "I need to speak with him before anything else happens-"
"No," Cardinalpaw mewed and touched his muzzle against hers, "You need to get some sleep. We will tell him on our own."
Honeywhisker nodded and sat down, folding her tail over her paws. "I promise it will be okay," She rasped gently, "Cardinalpaw and I will let him know without panic, and hold no trouble for you." The medicine cat nodded to her apprentice.
Cardinalpaw dipped his head in return, then took a quick glance at Smokefur. Her face was painted with worry. "Sorry," He mouthed and turned out into the clearing.
The queen bent down to touch noses after feeling flushed with tiredness. "I trust Cardinalpaw," Smokefur whispered to her cream she-kit, leaving out Honeywhisker's name. She didn't quite understand the way the medicine cat acted, therefore Smokefur knew she mustn't be fully trusted. "He will take care of everything." She watched Sandkit hang her head and lowered hers to doze into the mossy, herb-scented nest.
Smokefur awoke in the same mossy bed. But no scents or sounds came from anywhere. The air was cold and the trees acted like shadows, not frost-slowing filters. The queen shivered, not knowing whether to get up, or to go back to sleep. Hesitation caught her off guard and she instantly tipped over.
Her kits both ran into the medicine cats' den. Smokefur had a look of great joy on her face at the sight of her not-dead son. "Redkit!" She cried loudly.
Her cry made her lift her head from the nest in Honeywhisker's den. It was quiet and still, and Smokefur could hear nothing but herself twitching and fumbling around in the moss. She blinked, startled. Looking around, she saw the two medicine cats in the corner of the den. Honeywhisker was speaking formally and sternly to her apprentice.
"Try again," The old medicine cat scorned, but continued more peacefully, "Do you promise to cherish and uphold the gift of becoming a full medicine cat of MapleClan?" Honeywhisker was glaring into his eyes as if mind-controlling him to do what she told him.
Cardinalpaw nodded his head and grumbled. "I do," The medicine cat apprentice looked back into her eyes, "My Clan will come first at all causes; I promise I will always try my best, heal the sick, tend to the wounded, and never turn a cat down no matter what size, colour, gender, or anything else."
He's going to become a medicine cat! Smokefur cheered in her head. She knew he was definitely trying his best and very hard. A pain in her head snapped her back to reality. She cleared her throat loudly.
The medicine cats turned. "Smokefur! You're awake," Cardinalpaw mewed happily and bound over to her. One of Honeywhisker's stares made him stop and begin to tiptoe. Smokefur didn't understand.
"Yes, I am," The queen looked over her shoulder andbegan to tremble herself back to the real forest and not her dream woodland. "Did you find Redkit yet?" She asked nervously, making her eyes dart back and fourth across the clearing.
Firebreeze was sitting at the entrance. His front paws covered something underneath his underbelly. Smokefur tilted her head and tried pushing herself up, but the pain on her head pulled her down.
"Firebreeze!" Honeywhisker glared at him worriedly and trotted across the clearing. She met him and began to share words with the warrior, and soon they came back to Smokefur. It seemed Firebreeze had a small leaf bundle in his mouth. Otherwise, the medicine cat's eyes glittered with happiness as she came back. "He has him!" Honeywhisker meowed in a rasping purr, "Firebreeze has Redkit!"