Chapter 9

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Chapter 9

                Flamekit was pinned down by a massive warrior who was repeatedly raking her claws across his stomach. All he could think about was the terrible pain and the certainty he would die.

                Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his mother, Crazystar, fall to the ground with a cry of pain. A gray-and-white tom stood over her, looking triumphant, and a glow was found in sinister amber eyes. A nasty wound was in the ThunderClan leader’s throat and she was unmoving, staring blankly in Flamekit’s direction. No! She can’t be dead! I…

                The nightmare faded and Flamekit weakly opened his eyes to Crazystar leaving the den at sunset. Why do I keep having the same dumb dream almost every day? And it feels like it’s real but of course it’s not… “I’m sorry…but I really do have to go to the Gathering or else the other Clans will assume that ThunderClan is weakened by something or someone,” she whispered softly as she crept away.

                Once, Flamekit would’ve been angry. But these days, since the badger incident, she was at least around for half of the time, which was more than he and his brother could’ve ever hoped for. Just this morning, Crazystar and Stonestream had pretended to be ShadowClan warriors attacking camp. Blazekit had pounced on their father while Flamekit tackled the ThunderClan leader. Crazystar had collapsed dramatically, groaning with fake terror, as he sank his sharp claws into his spine. “It’s fine,” he responded, thinking of that. “We’ll be okay!”

                For some reason, Crazystar seemed worried. But she’d left them before, hadn’t she? “Well, just don’t leave camp,” their mother told them.

                Blazekit was awake now. “Yes, Crazystar!” they shouted in unison.

                The gray-furred she-cat padded reluctantly out of the den. As soon as she was out of earshot, Blazekit spoke. “I’m tired of listening to all the rules all of the time!” Flamekit’s brother complained. “Even Crazystar misbehaved as a kit, Leafstorm told us about it! I don’t want to be confined to this boring camp any longer. Once they leave, let’s explore the forest!”

                “But she’ll punish us!” Flamekit meowed in shock.

                Blazekit rolled his eyes. “She’ll never know. She’s going to the Gathering, remember?” he snorted confidently.

                Flamekit’s brother peered out of the nursery. “They’re just marching out of the camp entrance right now,” the black-and-orange kit announced.

                Flamekit stared as his brother lifted his head and padded out into the camp, where night was falling. “Sorry, but I just don’t want to get caught and get in trouble,” he meowed, assuming Blazekit wouldn’t go without him.

                “Fine,” his brother responded. “You don’t have to come.”

                Blazekit walked across the camp and Flamekit waited for him to turn around and laugh, saying it was all a joke. Making fun of Flamekit for actually falling for it. But he didn’t. The flame-colored tom sighed and sprinted to catch up with his brother. “I’m not going to let you go out alone,” he whispered when Blazekit gave him a questioning look. “Where do you want to go?”

                “The Sky Oak,” he replied quietly.

                “How do you find it?” Flamekit asked.

                Blazekit shook his head in disbelief. “Simple,” he answered when he realized Flamekit wasn’t kidding. “Leafstorm was talking about the territory and he said the Sky Oak is a little ways down the path leading directly out of camp. It’s the tallest, oldest, fattest tree you could imagine, and that’s how you know which one it is.”

                Flamekit’s concerns did prove to be pointless because it was obvious when they reached the legendary tree. It towered high above all of the others, and it was wider than three of the other tree trunks put together. “I bet you can’t reach that branch up there!” Blazekit challenged him, pointing with his tail to the lowest branch.

                Before Flamekit could try to talk Blazekit out of it, the kit had taken a giant leap and sank his claws into the light brown bark. He reached up with one forepaw and brought the other one up beside it pulling himself up slowly. Soon his brother was hauling himself onto the branch, panting with the effort.

                Blazekit carefully walked forward to the edge of the branch and gasped in amazement. “C’mon, Flamekit!” he shouted cheerfully. “You have to make it up here! The view is incredible!”

                Flamekit knew he couldn’t make it, but he refused to be beaten by his brother without an effort.

                Right before he was about to jump, he glanced up at the branch one last time. He watched as his brother took one more step forward and Flamekit guessed he was trying to see the Moonpool, all the way above WindClan territory. He’ll never glimpse it, he’s not high enough.

                The kit leaned forward slightly. And that’s when the tree branch sagged under his weight and Flamekit watched horrified and unable to do anything to help as Blazekit plummeted from the tree with a terrified screech.

A/N: Sorry for not updating today until now but I was busy for most of the day reading Tallstar's Revenge. It's amazing, you should totally get it! :)

Hope you're not too mad at me for leaving you on yet another cliffhanger! :D              

               

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