Melody of the Rain

Chapter 1

"Over here Amberkit!"

A young tortoiseshell kit was waving her front paws in the air, beckoning to a fluffy reddish-brown tom. The tom batted the moss ball towards her, and she caught it in midair. "Nice catch, Rainkit!" he mewed.

Rainkit pranced proudly outside of the nursery holding the moss ball in her jaws. She tossed it back to him and he pounced on it eagerly. "Toss it again!" she mewed, readying herself to catch it. Amberkit kicked it back towards her. Rainkit jumped for it, but it flew over her head and into the nursery behind her. An angry yowl rang out of the den. "Mouse-dung!"

Rainkit sheepishly crept into the nursery, her brother on her tail. A thin, light brown queen was bristling at them from her nest. Her mate, the clan deputy Lionshadow, batted the moss ball back to them. "I believe this is yours," he mewed, amusement in his gaze. Rainkit took the ball from him and handed it to Amberkit. The queen cleared her throat, still glaring at them.

"Sorry Heatherdust," muttered Amberkit. Heatherdust continued to glare at them. "Be more careful next time!" she hissed, "You could have injured my kits with your carelessness!" Rainkit's attention turned to the four little bundles of fur at the queen's side. The younger kits were two moons younger than she and her brother and were just starting to crawl around the nursery. They still slept a lot. It was frustrating to finally have denmates, but not be able to play with them yet.

Lionshadow nudged his mate. "Take it easy, Heather. They were only playing. Kits are clumsy and never check to see where they're going. It happens." Heatherdust snorted at him. The deputy turned his attention back to Rainkit and Amberkit. "Our kits are trying to take a nap. How about you go and see what stories the elders could tell you? Jaggedbite loves having visitors."

Rainkit remembered Meadowfrost telling her that Lionshadow's parents were both elders, Jaggedbite and Dreamgaze. He also had a sister, Roseheart, who had always been friendly towards them. She frequently visited her brother's kits in the nursery. Rainkit wondered why she didn't have any kits if she loved them so much.

Amberkit's eyes lit up. "I love their stories!" he squeaked, earning him another glare from Heatherdust. "Sorry," he mewed, a bit quieter this time.

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They streaked out of the nursery and made a beeline for the elders' den. The elders' den was across camp from the nursery. It was located in a hollowed-out tree stump and reinforced by brambles. Jaggedbite and Dreamgaze were sharing tongues as they walked in. Sagebreeze was eating a mouse. Darkblossom, Snowstar's mother, and the oldest cat in all three clans, was asleep at the very back of the den.

Jaggedbite looked up as the kits entered the den and gave them a friendly smile. "Well hello youngsters!" He turned his head to the others. "Looks like we've got some company!" Dreamgaze had been a senior warrior when a badger attack took her sight. She still had both eyes, but they were scarred and blind now. She turned her head towards the kits with a smile. "Who's all there?" she asked. "It's Amberkit and Rainkit!" Amberkit shouted louder than necessary. Dreamgaze twitched her whiskers. "I'm blind, not deaf, silly kit." Amberkit shuffled his paws sheepishly. "Right, sorry."

A low growl echoed throughout the den. Darkblossom's black pelt blended in with the darkness at the back of the den, but her annoyed yellow gaze was unmistakable. "Some of us would rather not be woken up by noisy kits, thanks." Jaggedbite rolled his eyes, turning back to the kits. "Ignore Darkblossom, she's always cranky." Darkblossom snorted. "Hmph! Maybe I'd be a bit less cranky if I didn't get woken up by loud kits every time I try to nap!" 

Jaggedbite chuckled and gave the kits a wink. "So, you want a story, eh?" Rainkit and Amberkit nodded vigorously. The old tabby tom settled into a more comfortable position beside his mate. "Alright, how about the time I single-handedly fought off a fox that had become a nuisance to the clan?"

Darkblossom scoffed at that. "Single-handedly, Jaggedbite?" He ignored her.

"It was the middle of Greenleaf. I was out walking through the territory when I was tackled by a fox! But this wasn't any old fox. It was the biggest fox I'd ever seen! Huge claws and teeth, scars all over its pelt!" The kits gasped. "But I wasn't scared! Oh, no, I ran at that fox before it had a chance to lay a claw on me. I scratched at its eyes until it screamed for mercy. It tried to run, but I was unstoppable! Of course, that fox must have been starving to be desperate enough to attack such a mighty warrior." He puffed out his chest. "I pulled it back by its tail and it went for my throat, missing by a mouse-length!" He pointed to the long scar over one of his eyes. "This scar is my trophy from that fight!"

"Ooooooohh!" the kits mewed in awe.

Darkblossom snorted. "Oh please, Jaggedbite. That's not how it went, and you know it!" Rainkit giggled. "Tsk," grunted Jaggedbite, "Well that's how I remember it anyway."

Rainkit bounced over to Darkblossom. "Tell us what happened!" She begged.

"Well," began Darkblossom, "There are a few details you should know first. That fox was the same size as any other fox, maybe a little bigger." Jaggedbite stuck his tongue out at her. "It had been wreaking havoc on the clan for a few moons. It was actually responsible for several warriors' deaths, including your mother's father, Antspeckle." She gestured to Sagebreeze, who had finished her mouse and was listening intently. Sagebreeze sighed. "I was there too, Antspeckle was my mate." Rainkit suddenly remembered Meadowfrost telling them that one of the elders was their kin.

Darkblossom continued, her eyes widening. "I guess later on, the fox also ended up killing a rogue who stayed with us a few seasons ago. Anyway, a few of us were on a patrol to look for the fox and chase it out of SnowClan territory. When we found it, Jaggedbite immediately went for the throat and got smacked into a tree. That is how he got the scratch on his eye." Jaggedbite grumbled at them from his nest and the kits giggled. "Sagebreeze, Antspeckle, and I picked up Jaggedbite's slack while he lay unconscious and drove out the fox. Unfortunately, Antspeckle was severely injured in the fight and died." Sagebreeze pointed to her muzzle. "That fight was how I got these scars. The fox bit me, but I was too quick for it to do much damage!"

As the elders finished the story, Amberkit had already fallen asleep next to Sagebreeze. Rainkit smiled drowsily, snuggling deeper into Darkblossom's thick fur. Her eyelids became droopy, and she fell asleep. Darkblossom snorted but let a small smile creep onto her face.