Splashflight's Mistake (book one)

Chapter 4

Splashkit watched, feeling rejected and alone as Morningkit left Splashkit behind to finish clearing her nest while she snuck back out of the nursery prison yet again, meeting up with Dawnkit, Fallingkit, and Dustykit. The bigger kits. The normal kits. He sighed. He was never going to be good enough to matter, and he knew it. Morningkit made sure of that. His eyes followed them laughing and giggling, playing, and having a blast, while he cleared both Morningkit's and his own nest.

What I wouln't give to be bigger... He thought gloomily as he watched them. His paws gathered up the dirty moss, and he wished his mother was there to help him. But Aquastar was out on an investigation patrol on the borders, and all the other kits were outside playing. They pounced on each other, goofing off. Then the two older kits flicked their tails, beckoning Fallingkit to her.

Without warning, Morningkit and Dawnkit broke the suspicious huddle; Fallingkit ran off, and so did Dawnkit. Splashkit saw Morningkit press her claw into her paw pad and smile at the others as a bead of crimson blood dropped into the dirt.  The rest of the kits had come back with something, and they hunched together, forming a plan. Splashkit watched with interest. What was happening?

Fallingkit tied his item- a long, spindly vine- to Dawnkit's gift, a bundle of marigold. Then Morningkit padded up to Poppystem's apprentice, Nightgaze. The blind grey tom was sorting herbs. Splashkit strained to hear her wail.

"Nightgaze, I stepped on a thistle, and I need marigold," she complained loudly, holding back a giggle. She made eye contact with Dawnkit, who was holding the marigold tied to the string in her jaws. Splashkit groaned as he realized what they were planning to do to the grumpy, blind tom. The mousebrains! Nightgaze'll murder them!

Nightgaze smiled. "Alright. I just gave Dawnkit some, Dawnkit?" He raised his voice to call Morningkit's biological sister. Splashkit watched Dawnkit suspiciously as she nodded, carrying the bundle of marigold connected to the vine and smiling innocently, even though Nightgaze couldn't see her. Don't do it, Dawnkit. Its not right. He thought tensely, tail flicking.

"Here Nightgaze," she offered sweetly, and a groan erupted in Splashkits throat. He could almost taste the honey of innocence in her voice. Time seemed to move slower as he watched Morningkit suppress giggles. As the blind tom reached down to grab the herb, Morningkit tugged it away with the vine and all three of the kits burst into peals of mocking laughter as Nightgaze came up with nothing, looking baffled and embarrassed. He reached down again, slower this time, but just as his teeth began to close around the herbs Morningkit tugged it away once more, yanking it out of his jaw. Splashkit grimaced as he saw the medicine cat apprentice's ears flatten and his fur rise when he realized what the kits had done, and Splashkit knew the kits were in big trouble.

They deserve it, Splashkit thought to himself as he watched Nightgaze open his mouth to yell at the kits. Silently cheering the grumpy tom on in his head, suddenly Splashkits ears perked with interest; he wanted to see Morningkit punished this time. But much to Splashkit's disappointment, Nightgaze stopped mid-breath and pricked his ears, while Splashkit did the same.

Thrumming paws echoed in the camp entrance. Uh oh... Here comes mamas patrol! He thought, diving under his own half-cleaned nest. His mother had led an investigation patrol to sniff some feathers and blood near the border this morning that the Clan suspected was from rouges.  It was already sunhigh. Rouges had never really given them much trouble, but today was different.

The strange muddy scent of the rouges hit Splashkit first, and his eyes widened when ge realized the scent carried nothing of his mother or her patrol. He shrank back, his ears now flat.

Splashkit peeked out of the nursery to see Brightkit obliviously patting some tiny flowers near the entrance. She seemed to be completely engrossed in how delicate they were, and didn't realize that she was about to be stampeded. Splashkit gulped fearfully, his voice leaving him. He wanted to call out to her. No! Looking around, he gulped even harder. I can't leave the nursery!

He watched in horror as his best friend was trampled by the rouges.

"RougeClan, attack!" The call of the strange cats rung in Splashkits ears as he shrank back, his fur bristled.