Warriors AU: The Darkest Hour

Chapter 10

Author's Note: Remember everyone, there will be no chapter tomorrow because it's Christmas and I will be with family! Happy holidays everyone!

Brackenkit was curled up in a mossy nest near the entrance to Cinderpelt's den. She raised her head as Sandstar approached with the medicine cat, but her eyes were heavy and it looked as though she was finding it difficult to move.

Fireheart was crouched close beside her on guard duty. "Poor little scrap," she murmured to Sandstar. "She nearly died. We've got to do something about Darkstripe."

The flame-colored she-cat was looking as anxious as Cinderpelt; she would have heard Brackenkit's story too, Sandstar realized. He nodded. "You can leave Darkstripe to me." Settling down beside Brackenkit, he mewed gently, "I'm glad to see you're awake, Brackenkit. Can you tell me what happened to you?"

The tiny golden brown tabby kit blinked up at him. "Sootkit and Rainkit were asleep in the nursery," she began in a faint voice. "But I wasn't sleepy. My father wasn't watching, so I went to play in the ravine. I wanted to catch a mouse. And then I saw Darkstripe." Her voice shook as she hesitated.

"Go on," Sandstar encouraged her.

"She was coming up the ravine by herself. I knew she should have had Sorreltail with her, and I... I wondered where she was going. I followed her—I remembered the time she took Squirrelpaw and Rowanpaw out of the camp, and I thought I might have an adventure like that, too."

Sandstar felt a pang of sadness as he remembered how Brackenkit was always so bright and curious, getting into trouble because of her misguided courage. This limp scrap of fur didn't look at all adventurous now, and Sandstar could only hope that with Cinderpelt's care she would soon be her lively self again.

"I followed her a long way," Brackenkit went on, sounding rather proud of herself. "I'd never been so far from the camp. I hid from Darkstripe too—she didn't know I was there. And then she met another cat—a cat I'd never seen before."

"What other cat? What did it look like? What scent did it have?" Sandstar questioned her urgently.

Brackenkit looked bewildered. "I didn't recognize the scent," she mewed. Her nose wrinkled. "But it was yucky. She was a big white cat—bigger than you, Sandstar. And she had black paws."

Sandstar stared at her as he realized whom she had seen. "Blackfoot!" he exclaimed. "Goldenstar's deputy. That was Shadowclan scent you smelled, Brackenkit."

"And what's Darkstripe doing, meeting the Shadowclan deputy on our territory?" Fireheart growled. "That's what I'd like to know."

"So what happened then?" Sandstar prompted the kit.

"I got scared," Brackenkit admitted, looking down at her paws. "I ran back to camp, but I think Darkstripe must have heard me, because she caught up with me in the ravine. I thought she would be angry because I spied on her, but she told me how clever I was. She gave me some red berries for a special treat. They looked tasty, but when I ate them I started to feel really ill... And I don't remember anything else, except waking up here."

She sank her head on her paws again as she finished, as if telling the long story had exhausted her.

Cinderpelt nosed her gently, checking her breathing. "Those were deathberries," he mewed. "You must never, ever touch them again."

"I won't, Cinderpelt, I promise," murmured the tiny kit.

"Thank you, Brackenkit," Sandstar meowed. He was angry but not surprised to discover that Silverstream had been right all along. The real shock was the news that Blackfoot had been seen on Thunderclan territory, and that Darkstripe had obviously arranged to meet her.