Oakheart's Promise - A Warriors AU

Chapter 6

As Crookedkit rolled over in his nest, he tumbled straight into his mother, Rainflower. Grumbling, he tried to keep his eyes closed while finding a comfortable place to rest. Eventually, he was able to settle down and relax. However, as he stopped squirming, he suddenly felt as if he wasn't tired. Opening his eyes, he peered around the den.

Squinting, Crookedkit noticed that Oakkit wasn't in his nest. His brother was forced to sleep alone in a corner of the nursery, but his scent was stale. Where did he go? Lifting his head, the light brown kit began to pull himself to his paws. He moved slowly as to not wake up Rainflower. Then, once he was standing, he cautiously padded out of the den, sniffing at the ground as he left.

Raising his head, he caught Oakkit's scent once again. He wasn't going to the dirtplace tunnel. Where is he? His trail instead led towards the entrance of camp. Did he sneak out?

Crookedkit felt worry pulse through his fur. The last time he had snuck out of camp was the day he had broken his jaw. I shouldn't have been so bold. Shaking his head, he made his way towards the entrance of the camp. He walked slowly and silently, determined not to wake up the rest of the cats. Oakkit's scent was fresh, and he wouldn't have gone far. The last thing Crookedkit wanted was to get his brother in trouble for going on a brisk walk.

Now, he was almost out of the clearing, pushing his way past the reeds near the entrance of the camp. He made his way onto the first stepping stone in the stream that laid ahead of him. Oakkit's scent swirled around the stone, and small, muddy pawprints coated it. The only thing stopping Crookedkit from giggling was the risk of waking up the warriors. He must have fallen into the mud on his way out!

I don't blame him for it, Crookedkit grunted as he awkwardly stepped onto the land, nearly dipping a paw into the cold water. It's still really dark out here. Stumbling across the damp grass, he blinked. A figure sat ahead of him, facing away and staring off towards the river that separated RiverClan and ThunderClan's territory.

"Oakkit?" Crookedkit asked as he neared the reddish-brown kit. He shifted at the mention of his name, flicking his tail but not turning around.

After a moment, Oakkit responded. "Do you need something, Stormkit?"

"I'm Crookedkit now," the young tabby corrected.

But Oakkit shook his head. "Don't you think it's wrong that you got a name change before becoming an apprentice?"

Crookedkit tilted his head. "No..." his voice trailed off. He was fine with his name. It represented his strength and how he conquered his struggles with his broken jaw. Why should he suddenly be unhappy about it?

"I don't think Rainflower was trying to be nice when she renamed you," Oakkit explained as Crookedkit approached to sit next to him. "Or maybe she was. She just wasn't thinking completely."

Suddenly, Crookedkit came to a realization. "You're saying this because she's unhappy with you, right?"

"Yes," Oakkit sighed. He quickly added, "I don't want you to be unhappy. If you really like you're name, it's fine. I just was thinking. How can she love one of us without loving the other?"

He's worried about me, Crookedkit felt his heart warm. He cares about me, even after our mother's choices. He turned and faced Oakkit. "At least we have each other."

Oakkit slowly smiled. He met Crookedkit's gaze. "We do."

The two kits sat together for another moment, the sun rising behind them. The river flowed quickly by their paws, washing away small stones and anything that dared get too close. Crookedkit noticed the rushing river, but only continued to grin at Oakkit. As long as we have each other, we won't get washed away.

Breaking the silence, Crookedkit reached his paw into the river. Scooping quickly, he flung droplets at Oakkit. "Hey!" His brother laughed, sticking his muddy paws into the water and flicking drops over the grass. Crookedkit skillfully dodged, stepping out of the range of Oakkit's dripping paws.

"You can't catch me!" Crookedkit teased, hopping away and subtly leading Oakkit back to the camp. The warriors will wake up soon. We want to be in our nests when they do.

"Yes, I can!" Oakkit lunged, sliding across the grass and leaping onto one of the stepping stones. They crossed into the camp together, Crookedkit escaping Oakkit by ducking into the nursery.

Just when Crookedkit thought Oakkit had given up, he felt damp paws on his back. Turning around, he saw Oakkit standing beside him, half of his body outside the nursery. He's using the gap in the wall near his nest!

As Crookedkit moved his paws, he realized he was standing in Oakkit's nest now. However, instead of moving to Rainflower's side, he laid down, leaving space for Oakkit. After only a few moments, Crookedkit was able to relax. Maybe we don't need Rainflower.