Breezeleaf's Calling // A Warrior Cat Story

Chapter Two

"That's ridiculous," Lightstar snapped, shaking his head in disbelief. "It must have been a Windclan cat."

Tallhawk shook her head. "No, it was Stormtooth, I'm sure of it. Stormtooth was given the name tooth from his irregularly grown tooth that reaches to his chin. And that's exactly what I saw."

"Are you positive?"

"I bet my life on it, Lightstar."

Riverclan's leader's eyes shook with fear. "They must have joined forces, then," he murmured. "Windclan has always been after the piece of moor Harestar gave to us moons ago. Now that he's dead," Lightstar paused, "they want it back."

Breezekit's paws began to shake. Is a war going to begin even before I become an apprentice? 

Breezekit turned to where the apprentices were; padding from warrior to warrior checking wounds. Suddenly Breezekit's eyes fell upon Quailfeather whom was talking with Raincloud. The kit padded over to her parents. When she arrived, they abandoned their conversation and looked at her. "Is a war going to begin?" Breezekit mewed. 

Raincloud shook her head. "Of course not. You have nothing to worry about. No war will start by just a border skirmish."

Breezekit glanced over at Honeybelly, watching as Lavenderkit, Blackkit and Bluecreek were laying some herbs onto her dangerous wounds. Just a border skirmish?

Lavenderkit's gaze fell over me, and after saying something to Bluecreek, she ran over to me. "Most of the warriors are going to be okay," she reassured, as if she knew Breezekit was worried. "Honeybelly, Streamfang and Ashenstep are the only ones who will be spending a few nights in the medicine cat den."

Breezekit sighed in relief. "That's good."

Lightstar leaped up into the Flat Stone from the corner of Breezekit's vision. Turning that way, the leader of Riverclan yowled to receive all of the clan's attention. When the clan came around the Flat Stone, Lightstar began pacing around the stone, his tail flicking irritably.

Breezekit sat beside Lavenderkit, and not only a moment passed until Blackkit padded over to sit by his two sisters. 

Lightstar finally turned toward the clan. "I have some obvious news to share," he meowed, almost growling. "Windclan yet again attacked our Riverclan warriors. The reason is obvious. Harestar promise us the few fox lengths of territory on the moor, but when she lost her last life to greencough, it's clear the new leader Flickstar wants it back."

From the corner of my eye, I could see Quailfeather stiffen in surprise.

"But this time it wasn't just them," Lightstar muttered. "Tallhawk brought to my attention Thunderclan was among the patrol as well."

This sent several cats to start yowling with shock. Breezekit's hair on her back rose as she looked around to see every cat surprised with anger. Several stood up, and for a moment Breezekit, Lavenderkit and Blackkit looked around as the whole clan was in complete turmoil. 

"Thunderclan?" Blackdapple yowled, "Why would they join forces to attack us? This situation has nothing to do with them!" Several cats meowed in agreement.

Streamfang, several tail lengths away from Blackdapple, nodded in agreement. "We must bring this up at the Gathering next moon!" he snarled. "Embarrass them in front of all cats."

"No," Lightstar roared, silencing all the cats in the clearing. "We mustn't show that we are scared enough to complain to Shadowclan. This worries us, and us only." Tallhawk beside him nodded curtly, glaring at Streamfang irritably. 

Streamfang's claws tug into the sandy earth below him as he looked at Sprucestar angrily, but didn't meow another word. Breezekit looked as one of his wounds on his broad shoulder opened.

"We will not say anything about this at the Gathering," Lightstar finalized, giving one last look to the warriors in the clan. After a long moment of glaring around the clan, Lightstar finally turned toward Breezekit, Lavenderkit and Blackkit. For a long, hard moment Lightstar looked upon the three kits, a spark of hope in his eyes. Then, he turned to his den, with Tallhawk behind him. Breezekit blinked curiously.

All the cats got up, huddling in groups. Breezekit looked around as the clan broke apart, then glanced at Streamfang. From over here, she could hear his mutter of hate. "Lightstar needs to understand we can't do this alone anymore..." A drop of blood dripped from his wound, but he didn't notice.

Suddenly, Quailfeather and Raincloud approached Breezekit, Lavenderkit and Blackkit, looking a bit ruffled. "I want you three to go to the nursery and clean up a bit," she meowed, looking behind the kits as if she wasn't even talking to them. "Clear your heads. Alright?"

Blackkit nodded. Lavenderkit looked toward him and turned back to her parents. "Yes, mother. We can check on Fawnkit and Whitekit as well."

Quailfeather's haunches relaxed. "Petalfoot would like that. Go on ahead."

Lavenderkit and Blackkit stood up, padding slowly to the nursery. Breezekit got up quickly and caught up, as is her mind was elsewhere in the conversation. When she caught up with her littermates, she asked, "when are we getting out apprentice names?"

Lavenderkit twitched her whiskers. "If you're upset about cleaning the moss, we're going to have to do that more once we leave the nursery for good."

"No, it's not that," Breezekit murmured. "Just curious." Breezekit thought back to when Lightstar glared at her and her littermates. There was something in his eyes, like a message. Was he telling us that our apprentice ceremony will be soon?

As the kits padded inside, a white pelt flew at them from the ceiling, snatching onto Blackkit's pelt. He yowled in surprise, and it wasn't a moment's notice until a light, furry brown pelt dug her paws into Breezekit's tail. Both littermates fell onto the ground, looking to see what had attacked them.

When Breezekit flopped onto the ground and raised her tail, Fawnkit was snatching on, her blue eyes wide and playful. "Gotcha!"

"I attacked first!" The white kit yowled, pawing onto Blackkit's neck to his head. "Victory is mine!"

Fawnkit turned to the white tom-kit, still gripping onto Breezekit like a pelt. "No way, Whitekit! I made it here first!"

Blackkit rolled his eyes, jumping upward to release from Whitekit's grip. The younger kit yelped in surprise as he flew in the air, then landed on his belly with a grunt. Blackkit snorted. "Nice try, bat-brain."

"Bat-brain?" Whitekit mewed, looking up. "I'm no bat-brain!"

"Says who just glided from the ceiling," Lavenderkit mrowed in laughter. "I should tell Lightstar to name you Whitebat when you become a warrior!"

Fawnkit padded over to her brother and pranced in circles around him. "Whitebat, Whitebat, Whitebat, Whitebat—"

Whitekit pounced onto his sister playfully. "Fawndirt, Fawndirt, Fawndirt, Fawndirt!" he mimicked.

Breezekit pawed between the two kits. "Stop it, you too," she meowed, laughter in her voice. "Petalfoot put you two to sleep, why are you awake?"

Whitekit huffed, falling down onto his back. "I have too much energy!" 

"If you're so awake," Breezekit meowed, "why don't you help us clean up the moss?" Once Breezekit said this, all it took was a look at each other for the kits to dash away outside. Breezekit turned around and rolled her eyes. Of course they wouldn't help.

"Better now than never," Blackkit muttered as he sniffed the moss in front of him. As he began rolling up the moss into balls, Lavenderkit joined in. Breezekit, who was watching as the kit's crashed into Petalfoot, turned back around to help out. As she padded over to the pile of moss beside the wall of the nursery, she then remembered Lightstar's green gaze. 

Apprentices soon, the kit thought, her eyes gleaming. Flicking her tail happily, she dipped down and began rolling the moss up.