Warriors: Larchbounce's Victory

Chapter Two

Larchkit padded out of the nursery, blinking rapidly. 

"Wow!" Petalkit mewed. At least, Larchkit thought it was Petalkit.

"The world is so huge!"

The thudding of paw steps startled the three kits. "What are you three doing out here? Does Mapleshade know you're out here?" Someone mewed behind them. Larchkit turned around to see a dark brown tom. 

"Y-yes." He stuttered. 

"Well, then," the tom meowed. "Have fun exploring 'the outside world'."

Larchkit nodded. He wondered if this tom could show them around the camp. "Can you show us around...." His mew trailed off; he didn't know this tom's name.

"Beetail," the tom meowed. "and sure, if my duties don't need me for now."

"Okay," he meowed once they were in front of a large den. "This is the apprentice's den. You'll be in here very soon, maybe in about five moons."

A/N: Larchkit and the other kits are one moon old, if anyone's wondering.

Larchkit peeked inside. There was one thing inside there. It appeared to be a lump of ginger fur, and Larchkit realized that it was a cat. "Who's that?" He asked.

"That's Nettlepaw," Beetail meowed. "He's the only apprentice in the Clan. For now, anyway. Until you kits get your apprentice names."

Larchkit bounded forward, eager to look through this entire den. He suddenly felt a pricking in his scruff, and he suddenly saw Beetail and his littermates. 

"This is the elder's den." Beetail meowed.

They were in front of a large den, and Larchkit saw someone inside there, and he heard munching sounds. "Is that a monster?" He mewed.

"What? No, that's Rabbitfur, the Clan elder. Soon, one of you might become one." 

Larchkit looked at Rabbitfur once more, and then he padded forward, his head held high.

"Show me more of the camp." 

"This is the leader's den, where Oakstar, the ThunderClan leader, sleeps."

"Then where do you sleep?" Larchkit mewed, poking his head in. He saw a dark brown tom, most likely the Clan leader, conversing with the golden she-cat from earlier, Frecklewish. 

"I sleep in the warrior's den, which you're going to see next."

Larchkit saw another den, simalar in size to the apprentice's den, that was the warrior's den. He poked his head in, and he saw one cat in there, licking her pelt. 

"Hello, Deerdapple." Beetail dipped his head to the she-cat, who only grunted and continued licking. "Don't get on her bad side," Beetail warned. "She'll make you as an apprentice pick ticks off of Rabbitfur for a moon!"

"This is the medicine den." The den in front of Larchkit was large, and he saw a small pool of water next to it.

"Can I go in the pool?" Larchkit asked.

"No," said a voice behind him.

Larchkit spun around to see another black tom. 

"Ravenwing," Beetail dipped his head.

"You could have grit on you or in your pelt that could kill sick cats." The cat said. Larchkit looked at the water with a wistful look. "Why do you want to go into the water? ThunderClan cats don't like to get wet." 

"I don't know." 

Larchpaw tramped after Frecklewish, his heart swelling with happiness. "What do we do now? Can we check the RiverClan border? How about the ShadowClan one?" Larchpaw asked eagerly. Frecklewish laughed, and looked at him. 

"How about," she suggested. "We can patrol the RiverClan border while I tell you a story about a cat that looked very much like you?"

Larchpaw's eyes widened. "Is he my father?" 

Frecklewish shook her head. "I wish he was, but no. His name was Birchface, my brother. Your father....I don't think anyone besides Mapleshade knows." 

Larchpaw looked at her with surprise, and he wondered if he could ask his mother later. "Tell me more. Is he still around? Can I meet him?" I wonder who my father is....maybe I can get Mapleshade to tell me more later....Larchpaw listened intently to Frecklewish's story, and he looked around, searching for the cat. 

                                                                           ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Birchface was a loyal brother. He had excellent hunting and stalking skills, and he was a dark brown tom, much like your sister, but darker. He was fierce in battle, but he was struck down by a warrior of RiverClan, Appledusk, along with his apprentice named Flowerpaw, in a battle for Sunningrocks. I was there.

                I ran through the battle, slashing my claws towards any RiverClan warrior I saw. My paws pummeled an apprentice named Splashpaw. I rushed towards my brother, who was running towards Appledusk. His apprentice, Flowerpaw, flanked him, rushing towards the RiverClan warrior. I rushed forwards to help them, but Appledusk scratched Birchface, who swept his legs out from under him. 

             Appledusk slipped, and he scratched Birchface's back, digging in deep into the scratches already there, knocking him into the rushing silver torrent of the river. Flowerpaw tried to grab him, but she accidentally got knocked into the river along with him, and they disappeared from view. I tried to help, but Oakstar held me back. I yowled with fury when I realized that Birchface and Flowerpaw weren't going to come back, I leapt towards Appledusk, biting and clawing him fiercely. Appledusk yowled, and Oakstar grabbed me back, and I kept trying to kill Appledusk. Later, we found Birchface's and Flowerpaw's bodies, their fur pressed to their flesh. We sat vigil that night, and I swore revenge on Appledusk."

Larchpaw looked at Frecklewish, sorrow in his gaze. By the time she had finished the story, they were already heading towards the ThunderClan camp. Larchpaw looked again at Frecklewish, who was looking up at the dimming sky.

  I hope Appledusk isn't my father! I wish Birchface was!