Darksong's Struggle

Chapter 1

Darkkit felt the warm rasp of his mother's tongue on his back. He purred softly, nestling deeper into Willowspeck's soft fur. His littermates, Webkit and Brindlekit, pressed against him, their flanks brushing against his fur. Darkkit's right front leg lay under Brindlekit's belly, and he leaned over and gripped it in his teeth, dragging his limp limb over.

"Time to wake up, kits." Willowspeck's soft voice soothed Darkkit. He pawed at the moss. Yesterday he had explored camp and played... now he just wanted to rest.

Brindlekit, his older brother, stirred and rose to his paws. Darkkit slid open his eyes and stared up at his littermate. Brindlekit, a black tomkitten with a short tail. He was tall and strong, with broad shoulders and small kit-muscles.

Beside Darkkit, Webkit was waking. He was a light colored tom with kind hazel eyes and a pale ginger tabby pelt.

Deciding that he should keep up with his littermates, Darkkit used his left front paw and heaved himself up. His right front arm dangled along the ground as he climbed out of the nest, stumbling slightly as he did. Glancing back, Darkkit saw Willowspeck, his mother- she was a long-haired black and white she-cat.

In the nursery, Crookedpool, a beatiful pale gray she-cat, lay in her nest. Her belly was heavy with unborn kits. She was the only queen in the nursery other than Willowspeck.

Webkit and Brindlekit scrambled out of the nest, disappearing as they exited the nursery. Darkkit limped after them, when a paw clamped down on his tail, restraining him from following.

"Mom!" He wailed.

Willowspeck pulled him back into the nest and began to gently lick him, her paw clamped firmly on his tail.

"Let me go! I wanna play with Brindlekit and Webkit!" Darkkit complained.

Willowspeck spoke through licks, her voice gentle yet stern. "You know you can't play with your brothers," She whispered softly. Darkkit ducked away from her tongue. "It's not safe out there, in the camp."

"Please! I'll just watch," Darkkit begged.

His mother stopped licking and pushed his right leg out from under his belly. "Fine, but don't talk to the warriors, espically not Ravendust." Ravendust was the deputy as well as Darkkit's grandfather, and sent out patrols every morning. "He has duties he needs to get done, and doesn't need to trip over a kit to do so."

"Okay! I will!" Darkkit promised.

Willowspeck hesitantly released his tail.

The second she did, Darkkit limped as fast as he could out of the nest, shooting toward the exit of the nursery. The leaf-fall sun shone through the gap, and the cool sunlight hit Darkkit's face as he exited.

The clearing was busy with cats when Darkkit emerged. Brindlekit and Webkit were play-fighting in the clearing, while the dawn patrol- Snakesplash, Badgersplash, Applemask, and Ashleap- exited the camp. A hunting patrol- Jaypaw, Birchpaw, Shortheart, Mossfur, and Pineflower excited the camp. The other warriors, Webeye, Tigerflower, Deadfrost, and Adderstep were digging through the last of the fresh-kill pile, while Sloeleap, Ravendust's mate, exited the camp entrance after a night of guarding.

Heatherblaze, a young warrior, emerged from the medicine den, her hind legs dragging behind her. She had been injured by a fox as a young warrior and broken her legs in a way that they were paralyzed, so she couldn't walk. But she still lived happily with her mate, Dewtail, who was sick with a cold at the moment.

The medicine cat, Fennelfeather, emerged from the medicine den with a bundle of herbs in his jaws and looked kindly at Darkkit. Darkkit blinked back at him, then turned away. Fennelfeather was always eyeing him, and he had no idea why.