Warriors: Icestep's Curse (A Scourge in Windclan AU)

CHAPTER 1

Icekit blinked against the shining sunlight, his blazing blue eyes flashed with excitement.

"Throw it my way Badgerkit!" He called. His brother only scoffed, tossing the scrap of moss back to his sister Silverkit. "Silverkit! Silverkit!" He purred. She held the ball in her tiny thin claws, extending the paw out to her brother with an inviting smile.

"Come on Icekit!" She yelped. Joy flooded over the young toms body as he ran forward, only to tumble on his face. His vision flashed white, rolling over and scrabbling in the dirt with a thud. As the dust settled, Icekit could hear his littermates laughing hysterically. Their little yowls filling his ears. Silverkit was flopped over on her back, the mossball still firmly in her claws. Badgerkit came bounding over and gave Icekit another shove as he tried to find his footing. The tiny kit hit the dirt before he could even take a breath and whimpered this time as his shoulder landed with a hard thud. It felt heavy to Icekit and the pain roared in his body almost as much as his littermate's taunting laughter. He hissed, annoyance prickling his sleek black pelt. Suddenly enraged he thought he might claw his brother into a new mossball. But Badgerkit only pawed him into the dirt again with another loud laugh. And this time, Icekit did his best not to let his eyes cloud over. They had promised him he could play this time, but it was all a cruel trick still. Icekit burned with embarrassment. It wasn't the first time his littermates had acted so cruel with him. It was hard enough being the runt, all of them only a few moons old but Silverkit and Badgerkit seemed so much bigger. His brother Badgerkit with his hardy muscles and shaggy black and white coat. While his sister Silverkit, was a soft sleek misty gray she-cat just like their mother, but lean and limber like their father. Icekit felt like a mouse compared to them. A little sleek black kit, wiry and skinny. He'd heard some senior warriors comment on how he'd of made a good tunneler back in the old days of Windclan. Right before a biting remark about his mother that Talltail had shielded him from properly hearing.

"You done yet Mouse-kit?" his brother hissed over him. Silverkit had finally relented her laughter and bounded over to her brothers.

"Oh no, I think you scared the little mouse" Silverkit giggled. Icekit stayed quiet. He didn't want his siblings to hear the crack in his voice if he dared to defend himself. Though it seemed he may not have too, as their bodies stiffened and the scent of fear laced the air. A dark shadow soon engulfed them all, looming over the three. Icekit glanced up with clouded blue eyes to see his father, the Windclan deputy, Talltail.

His yellow eyes were blazing. Icekit nearly flinched away at it before realizing his furious gaze was being brought down upon his siblings.

"Mousekit? Is that anyway to treat a clanmate? Let alone a littermate..." he hissed. His voice was calm but stern. Icekit could tell he was hiding his anger. Not wanting to unleash it all upon a few kits in front of the whole camp. He blinked gratefully at his father and slowly crept out from beneath Badgerkit. Talltail touched his nose to his forehead and gently groomed the dust from his son's fur.

"We were only playing father" Silverkit mewed. Talltail shot her a look that made his siter back down again, before letting out a deep sigh. The massive tom sat up, pulling Icekit close. Letting him bury himself in his fathers white and black fur. Icekit almost thought better of it, not wanting to show any more weakness in front of his siblings but his father's worn warm pelt offered so much comfort it was hard to resist. His fur was still hot with the morning sun and he smelled faintly of rabbit's blood. Icekit guessed the deputy had just returned from a bountiful hunt. "I saw what was happening" his father retorted and turned his gaze to Badgerkit. "Starclan does not look proudly upon a warrior who fights cats weaker than him" He explained, narrowing his eyes. Badgerkit lowered his head indignantly, unable to meet his fathers gaze. "Your brother may be small, but that is no excuse for cruelty. You must always look out for one another. Your not just clanmates, your blood" a growl was deep in his throat. "Now apologize to Icekit" Talltail snapped.