A Curse's Start: A Warriors Fanfiction, Book One of Element Clans

Chapter Two

Shiningstar was out the next day, making her way to the nursery. Her sister, Hazelmoon, had just had her four kits.

"It's Shiningstar, she's coming!" Shiningstar heard a yelp from one of the kits. It was a tom. There was at least one tom.

"Settle down!" the FireClan leader heard his mother order.

Shiningstar poked her head into the nursery, seeing four kits and Hazelmoon. "May I come in?"

"Of course! You don't need permission." Hazelmoon beckoned Shiningstar to sit down next to her.

"You're the Clan leader!" squeaked the black-and-white kit.

Shiningstar nodded. "Yes, I am."

"And you're Hazelmoon's sister, too!" added a black she-kit.

The ginger one stood silent. She's shy. thought Shiningstar, as I was.

"Let me introduce you to my kits," Hazelmoon mewed quickly. "This is Newtkit-" she pointed to the black and ginger tom-kit, "Puddlekit-" she pointed to the black-and-white she-kit, "Cloverkit-", she pointed to the black she-kit, "and Sunkit." Hazelmoon then pointed to the tiny, shy ginger kit.

"The Clan leader!" squeaked Puddlekit. "We met the Clan leader!"

"Hi!" Newtkit mewed.

Cloverkit bowed. "Nice to meet you, Shiningstar. Would you like some fresh-kill?"

Well, Hazelmoon has sure taught these kits manners... Well, at least Cloverkit. Thought Shiningstar. "No, thank you, I'm fine, Cloverkit, dear."

Sunkit stared at Shiningstar, as if something was wrong. She noticed a scratch on the little kit's shoulder.

"Hazelmoon, have you noticed that scratch on Sunkit's shoulder?"

"What? No, I haven't-" Hazelmoon looked at Sunkit's shoulder. "Sunkit, what happened?"

"I...I...I-I don't know... But it hurts," mewed Sunkit.

"Hazelmoon, I'll take Sunkit to Poolstep," mewed Shiningstar. "She'll treat it."

"Thank you, Shiningstar. I appreciate it..." Hazelmoon muttered.

Shiningstar picked up Sunkit by the scruff, and made her way to the medicine cat's den. "Poolstep!"

Poolstep looked up. "Yes, Shiningstar?" she sounded sort of alarmed.

"Sunkit is injured." She set the kit on the ground.

"Let me take a look." Poolstep examined the scratch. "Does it hurt?"

"Yes...," Sunkit said. "It really hurts."

"Well, no kidding, because the scratch is pretty deep. And it is infected as well..." Poolstep turned around and started to pick up herbs.

"I'm going to put horsetail on your scratch," said Poolstep. "Come back every morning and it will be healed in a few days."

Sunkit looked somewhat alarmed. Well, I guess she's never been treated before... thought Shiningstar.

Poolstep chewed the horsetail and put it on Sunkit's shoulder. "This will help," the medicine cat mewed. Then she put another herb, which was catchweed, onto the kit's shoulder as well. "And this will keep the poultice from rubbing off," she added.

"Thank you for your help, as always, Poolstep," Shiningstar mewed and dipped her head.

"Of course. It is my duty, after all," Poolstep said, then returned to sorting more herbs.

Shiningstar picked up Sunkit again, and then carried her into the nursery.

Hazelmoon eyed her kit's shoulder. "What are these for?"

"The scratch. It's deep and infected. And the catchweed is to keep the poultice from getting rubbed off."

"You're not a medicine cat," her sister retorted.

"I know," said Shiningstar, letting out a mrrow of laughter.

Then she poked her head out of the entrance. It was getting dark already. "I better go," Shiningstar mewed. "These four kits need some rest."