Warriors: A Dark Sun

Chapter 23

"Help! Someone help me!" Lilymist heard a desperate yowl behind her.
"Quick! Rainwhisker take it to the fox area!" Icestar hissed. Rainwhisker took the small kit in his jaws and wrinkled his nose as if he was carrying mouse bile. Icestar, Echomist and Lilymist exited the nursery and ran to the queen desperately yowling in the middle of camp. Lilymist skidded to a stop, spraying mud on Duskflower. The black queen didn't notice.
"We were swimming in the creek and the storm came. The hail came and a huge piece hit him on the head he hasn't woken up yet!" Duskflower wailed. Grayheart was comforting Featherkit and Reedkit. Frostkit was trying to wake Ravenkit. The black tom lay unmoving on the wet ground. He opened his eyes a little bit, just enough to see pale yellow flick around before groaning and closing his eyes again.
"Hush my son. It will be okay. Please trust me, wake up!" Duskflower sobbed. Ravenkit flinched at the sound of his mother's voice. He opened his tiny mouth to speak.
"I believe you." Ravenkit croaked. He groaned then shut his eyes. His tail twitched then his small, wet body was still. Duskflower raised her chin to the sky.
"No! Give him back! Give me back my son!" Duskflower yowled in grief to the sky. Lilymist couldn't listen anymore. She folded her ears down and closed her eyes. She felt a jab at her leg. She opened her eyes and looked down. Cloudkit looked confused.
"What happened? Why is Ravenkit sleeping in the mud? The moss is much more comfortable." Cloudkit asked.
"He's dead." Duskflower answered for Lilymist. "If you were here you would have known. Where were you!" Duskflower yowled at the white kit. This time Cloudkit didn't cower like he had before. He stepped forward and raised his chin.
"I was with Adderpaw. He has treated me like a little brother. He has showed me love when you have not. I feel no grief for Ravenkit, as he treated me like a vermin, as if my life was worth no more than a bug." Cloudkit hissed at his mother. Duskflower raised her paw with her claws unsheathed to swat her son. Duskflower was knocked over by Adderpaw just as she was about to strike. Adderpaw was furious and he let her know it.
"You ungrateful fox heart! You deserve for everyone you love to die! You are a worthless rat and a horrible mother!" Adderpaw snarled at the queen with enough venom to make an adder recoil. Duskflower cowered down, but she tried to speak.
"Don't even speak you pathetic piece of Twoleg trash. You have rejected me and treated me like dung. I am now going to see if Brightcloud will take me in." Cloudkit said with a cold that would make leaf bare come early.
"Enough! Listen to yourselves! Duskflower I have noticed that you are a bad mother, but you are a first time mother with four kits. Seriously though handle yourself!" Icestar roared. Lilymist turned and ran into the forest.