Flame Rising

Chapter 7

Vinepaw tackled Grasspaw. Puddlekit was watching their battle moves. They were training for their assessment, which would be coming up in a couple moons. Vinepaw, Grasspaw, and their brother, Twigpaw were the oldest apprentices in the Clan, and they were bound to be warriors soon.

"Hey, Vinepaw! Grasspaw!" Twigpaw called from across the clearing. "Come share a thrush with me!"

Vinepaw dashed off immediately, forgetting Puddlekit. Grasspaw started to leave too, but Puddlekit interrupted her.

"Can I come too?" He begged her.

Grasspaw shrugged. "Sure. Why not?"

Puddlekit followed Grasspaw to the fresh-kill pile, where Twigpaw and Vinepaw were already eating part of the thrush.

"Hey!" Grasspaw meowed playfully, shoving Twigpaw. "Save some for Puddlekit and I!"

"Sorry!" Twigpaw mewed through a mouthful of feathers. Vinepaw just took another bite.

Puddlekit and Grasspaw dipped their heads, digging into the feathery thrush.

"Mmm!" Grasspaw meowed once the thrush had been demolished. "That was good!"

Puddlekit let out a mreeow of laughter, looking at a feather stuck to her muzzle. His paw shot out and batted the feather off of her, and Grasspaw laughed when she saw it too.

"Hey, Grasspaw!" Mintpool called from the camp entrance. "Time to go hunting!"

Grasspaw stood up. "Coming, Mintpool!" She flashed a glance at Puddlekit. "Sorry! Got to go!"

She ran off to the entrance. Puddlekit wished she had stayed. He had really started to like Grasspaw.

Thornpelt padded up to the fresh-kill pile. He jerked his head towards the camp entrance. "Twigpaw, Vinepaw, let's go. It's time for battle training."

"Yes!" Vinepaw licked his lips. "Twigpaw, you're going down!"

"Not if I beat you first!" Twigpaw retorted.

The two apprentices bolted off, Thornpelt running more slowly behind. Puddlekit really wanted to be an apprentice, and he could train to beat Vinepaw and Twigpaw.

He walked over to the entrance of the nursery and saw Marigoldkit play fighting with Seedkit. Shimmerkit sat to the side, cheering her littermates on.

Puddlekit sat down beside Shimmerkit, watching Seedkit and Marigoldkit intently. "Whoever wins gets first pick from the fresh-kill pile." She whispered in his ear.

Puddlekit nodded. He watched as Marigoldkit jumped high into the air, about to land on Seedkit. But Seedkit dashed under Marigoldkit, trying to make her land behind him, but Marigoldkit twisted in the air, landing on Seedkit. Seedkit let out a squeal.

"I win!' Marigoldkit yowled triumphantly. "I get first pick from the-"

Her victorious celebration was cut off when Seedkit heaved her off, launching her away and onto the ground.

"Sorry!" Seedkit smirked playfully, "You were saying?"

"Fine, you win." Marigoldkit mumbled grudgingly as she lifted herself off the ground.

Seedkit started off towards the fresh-kill pile but stopped and turned around, amusement glittering in his eyes. "Actually, I'm not hungry."

Marigoldkit jumped up immediately. "Yes!" she exclaimed, glancing at the fresh-kill pile. "I'm starving!"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Seedkit blocked her way with his tail. "You can't eat until after I eat."

"Fine." she spat, annoyed.

"I'd say Marigoldkit gets a little overconfident in battle." Puddlekit whispered to Shimmerkit, who let out a mreeow of laughter.

But suddenly Shimmerkit stopped, her eyes widening with worry. "What's wrong?" Puddlekit asked.

"I smell blood!" she whispered. "Some cat's hurt!"

She bolted suddenly out of the nursery, dashing to the camp entrance. Puddlekit ran after her. "Shimmerkit, wait!" he called to his sister.

He stopped when he saw cats coming through the entrance. Leafpetal was being half dragged, half carried between Creamfur and Treeleg, who was whispering something in Leafpetal's ear.

"What happened?" Stonestar demanded as he leaped down from the Highledge.

"A badger attacked her." Creamfur replied seriously. "It was a mother defending her cubs."

Suddenly, Yarrowleaf barrelled through the vine covering of her den. She sniffed Leafpetal's body. "Bring her to my den." she ordered Creamfur.

Treeleg and Creamfur carried Leafpetal towards the medicine den. Yarrowleaf followed, muttering words under her breath. As the cats disappeared into the den, Elmpaw and Rosepaw padded out of the apprentices' den. "What's going on?" Elmpaw meowed casually.

Treeleg walked out of the medicine den and over to his kits. "She got injured by a badger."

"Will she be alright?" Rosepaw mewed fretfully.

"I don't know." Treeleg replied grimly. "I don't know."

(Without reading ahead, DO YOU THINK LEAFPETAL WILL LIVE???)

P.S. There's that part at the beginning of Thunder Rising (or maybe the end of The Sun Trail) where Clear Sky calls Leaf and Petal over by saying "Leaf.Petal." And I thought Erin Hunter included my OC and I had a mini heart attack but then I looked closer and got really sad. 😊