Warrior Cats: Into the Unknown.(1/3)

Chapter 1

Fernkit scrambled out of the nursery after her littermates. Their mother, Ivypool, followed more slowly. She let out a delighted mew when she saw her father, Stormcloud, trot into camp, leading a patrol. His jaws were laiden with fresh-kill. "Alright, Swiftpaw, Acornpaw, take your fresh-kill to the elders." He mewed to the apprentices after dropping his prey onto the fresh-kill pile. Acornpaw nodded eagerly and sprinted away toward the elders den with a plump rabbit and a mouse in her jaws. Swiftpaw picked up two squirrels before trotting after her. Fernkit dashed toward her father. "Did any Windclan warriors cross our borders?" She asked eagerly. "Or foxes?" Cloverkit, her sister asked as she skidded to halt beside Fernkit. "Or Shadowclan warriors?" Oakkit asked, bounding up to them. Stormcloud let out a low rumble of laughter. "No, dear ones. No clan has crossed our borders for a while now." He purred, licking Oakpaw on the head. "But I did see a Shadowclan cat or two on the other side of our border." He mewed, sitting down. "Did you have to fight them?" Timberkit asked, scrambling to a halt beside Oakkit. Late like always. Fernkit thought, glancing at her brother. "No, they didn't cross our border." Stormcloud mewed, his tail tip twitching slightly. "But you could still have fought them." Oakkit pointed out as he unsheathed his claws. "You only fight other warriors when needed, Oakkit." Stormcloud let out a purr as Ivypool trotted up to them. She sat down beside Stormcloud and gave him a lick on the cheek. "Can you please show us some fighting moves?" Cloverkit begged. "Yeah, I know some very good fighting moves Pigeonpaw taught me the other day." Timberkit boasted, puffing out his chest. "Did he now?" Stormcloud asked, wrapping his tail around his paws. "Mhm, wanna see?" Timberkit asked. He didn't wait for an answer but spun around and dropped into an unsteady attack crouch. Fernkit watched him as he drove himself onward. Fernkit followed his focused gaze. He was stalking a dandelion. Suddenly, he sprang off the ground and landed on the dandelion. He crushed it to the ground before rolling over, his claws unsheathed and his pads pointing inward, as if he was pretending to hold someone between his paws. Then he sprang to his paws and placed one paw slightly in front of the other, as if he'd just pinned a cat down. "Great move!" Ivypool praised him, nodding her head. "Yes, and Pigeonpaw sure is turning into a formidable warrior." Stormcloud purred. "It won't be long until he, Willowpaw and Swiftpaw will be made apprentices." He mewed, standing up again. "Well, I'm going to have something to eat." He added before turning around and trotting to the fresh-kill pile. Ivypool followed him and picked up a plump thrush. She whipped around as she heard a squeal from Cloverkit. Oakkit had leaped onto her, and Timberkit was circling them as they scuffled on the ground. Fernkit dropped into an attack crouch and drew herself forward. Then she leaped off the ground and landed on Timberkit's back. He let out a surprised squeal as he collapsed. Fernkit placed a paw on the back of his neck. "I win!" She yowled, puffing out her chest. Timberkit wriggled underneath her, unbalancing her. She stumbled off him, and he sprang up and spun around. He bared his teeth and Fernkit lashed out at him with sheathed claws. Her ears pricked up when she heard paws thrumming through the tunnel entrance. What was going on? Icefeather, Cherryfall, Willowpaw, Frogpaw and Mousewhisker burst from the entrance. Tufts of fur clung from their bodies, and they were battered and bloody. Icefeather's pure white pelt was smothered with scarlet liquid, and Frogpaw's eye was swollen. Cherryfall had a nasty scratch across her flank, while Mousewhisker bore teethmarks on his throat. Willowpaw's creamy fur was matted with blood, and she was missing a lot of fur all over her body. Stormcloud and Ivypool sprang to their paws. Brackenfur, Cloudtail and Thornclaw scrambled to their paws where they'd been laying outside the elders' den. Squirrelflight hurried towards them from the warriors' den, followed by Ambermoon, Honeyleaf and Snowbush. Fernkit caught Ambermoon's eye, and flinched when Ambermoon gazed at her with fear in her eyes. "What's going on?" Squirrelflight demanded as she stopped in front of Icefeather, who was still panting hard. "We were ambushed just inside our borders by rogues. Six rogues, we didn't chase them away, they just left." She mewed between shallow breaths. Growls and gasps came from the cats in the clearing, but Ambermoon backed away, the fur across her shoulders rising so she looked twice her size. She spun around before plunging into the warriors' den again. "Where's Jayfeather?" Squirrelflight asked, turning around to look at the medicine den. "Out collecting herbs with Alderleaf." Biarlight answered who was sitting outside the medicine den. "But Leafpo-." Squirrelflight stopped midmew, her eyes clouding with sadness. Fernkit had often heard the story of how Leafpool had been killed by dogs on Windclan's territory. She's seen dogs chasing a cat named Crowfeather, and she went to save him, but paid with her life. Suddenly, someone rushed past Fernkit, ruffling her fur. She sprang away as Rosepetal hurried past, and skidded to halt in front of Mousewhisker and covering his face in licks. Daisy must be caring about the kits. Rosepetal's kits were only a bit more than a quarter moon old. They'd named them yesterday. Toadkit, Icekit, Foxkit and Hazelkit after Hazeltail, Foxleap, Toadstep and Icecloud. Sandstorm, Graystripe and Brightheart pushed themselves out of the elders' den. Graystripe's limbs were stiff, and his muzzle was light gray from age. Sandstorm was no better, the once beautiful she-cat was now almost deaf, and her sight had begun to fail her. Fernkit felt a shiver running through her when she remembered the greencough that had swept over Thunderclan a few moons ago, taking Millie's and Larkpaw's lives. "Honeyleaf, go and fetch Jayfeather and Alderleaf." Squirrelflight mewed to the white and yellow warrior. Honeyleaf nodded briefly before sprinting through the tunnel and away from camp. "Bramblestar is leading a patrol along the Windclan border, where exactly did this happen, Icefeather?" Squirrelflight asked, turning around again to face the white she-cat. Icefeather had finally managed to catch her breath. "We were closer to the Shadowclan border, near the Greenleaf Twolegplace." Mousewhisker answered, looking up from licking his chest. Squirrelflight nodded thoughtfully. "Alright." She murmured. Fernkit felt Cloverkit's presence beside her, and turned around to see her sister staring wide eyed at the battered patrol. Fernkit stood up and shook herself. She felt her belly rumble. Slowly, she crept toward the fresh-kill pile. She grabbed a mouse by its tail and pulled it off the pile. She dragged it across toward Cloverkit again. She dropped it at her sister's paws. "Care to share?" She asked, crouching before taking a bite. Cloverkit shook her head, as if she was trying to clear some thoughts out of her head. Fernkit pricked her ears when she heard Timberkit and Oakkit asking Frogpaw eagerly about the battle. "Did you fight him?" Timberkit gasped, the fur along his shoulders rising slightly. Fernkit took another bite before standing up and edging closer. She gulped down the morsel and settled down beside Timberkit to listen. Frogpaw was a big boaster, and arrogant too. "It was the biggest cat I've ever seen!" He mewed dramatically. "'Come close and I'll shred you to bits!' I snarled at him, flexing my claws. I swear I could see fear in his eyes." He mewed, closing his eyes. "And then..." Fernkit flinched and pressed her body aganst Timberkit's, who was staring wide eyed up at Frogpaw, his jaws gaping. "What then?" Oakkit whispered. "Then I sprang at him!" Frogpaw yowled, springing to his paws and flinching because of his wounds. "I gave him a good cuff around the ear, and I would've won him with two blows if that she-cat hadn't snuck up on me from behind." He growled in frustration. "You fought two cats?" Fernkit gasped disbelievingly. "You bet I did!" Frogpaw mewed. "She dragged me away from him by my hindquarters." He rose to his paws and exposed his hindquarters. Bare skin showed and there were three sets of claw marks on each side of his haunches. "She rolled me over, but I was too quick and clever for her, so I pushed up with my mighty hind legs and she flew away and landed in a bramble thicket." He mewed, raising his voice. Frogpaw was not big, and he was only 8 moons old, so it was hardly believable that he could take care of two adult cats. "Then I sprang to my paws, just to get clawed in the eye." He mewed, slowing his voice and pointing at his swollen eye with his tail. "It was the huge tom again. I reared up onto my hindpaws and slashed out at him, forcing him backward." He mewed, flexing his claws who still bore blood of his enemies. "Hey, you got some help from me!" Willowpaw chirped in. Frogpaw glared at her. "You were too busy helping Mousewhisker deal with that she-cat." He growled, trying to antagonize the she-cat. Willowpaw growled at him and flexed her claws. Fernkit backed a bit away. Then Ivypool butted in. "Frogpaw, there is nothing wrong to help your clanmates in the time of need. Willowpaw did the right thing to help Mousewhisker if he was being overpowered." She snapped, shooing her kits away. "Sorry." Frogpaw mumbled. "Come on, let's get back. The sun will set soon." Ivypool murmured soothingly. Oakkit groaned while Timberkit hissed in frustration. "Can I sleep with the elders instead?" Fernkit begged. She loved when they told her stories of the Great Battle, or the old forest or of Firestar. Ivypool shook her head. "Of course not, you'll have to wait until you become an elder yourself to join them." Ivypool purred. Fernkit scowled at her before stumbling into the nursery. She whipped around when Honeyleaf rushed through the barrier entrance, followed closely by Jayfeather and Alderleaf. Alderleaf's eyes widened when he saw the battered cats. "Go to our den and find some cobwebs, immediately." Jayfeather ordered before turning toward Cherryfall who flinched. "Careful." She mewed when Jayfeather began sniffing her wounds. "I am being careful." Jayfeather grunted. He sat down and signaled for the she-cat to lay down. Cherryfall obeyed and slumped to the ground. Alderleaf hurried out of the medicine den, his jaws laiden with cobwebs. "Thanks." Jayfeather murmured, taking a wad from the pile as Alderleaf dropped it beside his mentor. He patted them onto Cherryfall's scratch. "Go check on Mousewhisker, he seems to have a nasty nip on his throat there." He mewed without taking his sightless eyes off Cherryfall's flank. Fernkit's eyes widened as she watched. She looked up at her mother who was also gazing across the clearing. "How did he know that?" She asked curiously. "Jayfeather knows things that we'll never understand." Ivypool murmured before turning around and settling herself in her nest. Fernkit yawned as she climbed into the nest after her mother and settled in the curve of her belly. Oakkit scrambled in after her, Timberkit at his heels. Cloverkit curled up on top of Fernkit. Rosepetal returned soon after and curled up in her nest beside Daisy, who moved to make more space. Rosepetal's kits crawled away from Daisy and latched onto their mother's belly. Daisy nudged Crowkit after them, who was having a hard time to keep up with his sisters. Badgerkit rushed into the nursery, Smokekit at his paws. "Mom, mom! Acornpaw just showed be this hunting technique, wanna see?" Badgerkit mewed excitedly. "Shh! Be quiet!" Daisy snapped. "Rosepetal's kits are too small for all this racket." She mewed, pointing at Rosepetal and her kits. "You're just making excuses." Badgerkit grumbled, but he kept quiet and climbed into his mother's nest, Smokekit following him. Badgerkit was abnormally large, almost as big as Timberkit, who was the largest of Fernkit's siblings. And Badgerkit was only three moons old. Smokekit, however, was more slender and leaner, with long, swift legs. Fernkit sighed and closed her eyes, and soon she drifted into sleep.