Emberstar's Journey

Chapter 1

"There's something wrong with him."

"He's a twig, a leaf, a mouse!"

I'm worthless.

Emberkit looked up and stared out as sleep evaded him once again. He stood and slowly crawled out of the den, careful not to make a noise as his paws trembled and his heart rate increased, as it always did when he faced the possibility of talking to someone that wasn't his mother.

He sat at the entrance and glanced behind him, emerald eyes trailing over Tigerkit and Lionkit before resting on... Lilykit.

By StarClan, was she beautiful... A gorgeous white she-cat with slightly darker ears perfect in seemingly every way just like her mother. She never once has talked or looked at Emberkit, too busy fawning over his stronger counterparts of the bracken monster twins as he called Tigerkit and Lionkit.

He hated them.

"Hate who now?"

Letting out a yowl he stared up at the medicine cat, a reddish she-cat with white spirals all over her. "Who..?"

"Heatherspirit, I'm the medicine cat." She purred, explaining why she smelled thickly of herbs. "Come along, young Emberkit, I have something I want to share with you."

Emberkit glanced back into the den, "C-c-c-c-c-c-can my mom-"

"Yes, wake her and come to my den, you've been there once before, though I doubt you remember." Heatherspirits eyes grew soft, "You were so small..."

Emberkit gulped and nodded, letting out a nervous chuckle before slowly backing up but the medicine cat was quick to notice his discomfort.

"Sorry," She said briskly before repeating orders once again as though Emberkit had forgotten, "wake your mother and come to my den." With that, she was gone.

Emberkit stared after her before rushing inside. "Mom.." He called, biting the she-cats ear and tugging it.

"Snrrk-" Redflare looked up, "Huh..? What do you want Emberkit, you need to start eating meat."

"I'm not hungry, the.. uh.. uh-um.." He stumbled as he tried to talk and his tail twitched in annoyance.

His mother eyed him patiently, having done with song and dance since the tom started talking.

"Uh- the... uh- medicine cat.. Heatherspirit?" He shook his head, "You knew that.. uh she.. wants us." He let out a breath happy to have gotten it out. His mothers eyes flickered in response before she stood, tail tip twitching in the manner it did when she was annoyed.

Had the medicine cat mentioned something to her? The thought made Emberkits heart race and he stared down at the moss bed helplessly, wanting nothing more than to curl up in its warm but alas that wasn't his destiny it seemed as Redflares mew came from outside the den.

"Emberkit, come on, didn't she ask for both of us?" How could she have known? Emberkit blinked, eyes still fixed on the green moss before he sighed, rushing to his mothers side.

The russet she-cat fixed her yellow eyes on the tom before she sighed, shaking her dense coat to wake herself up, Emberkit supposed, before she led the kit off.

The trek was short but panic rose in the toms chest as he neared the half oval-shaped entrance of the medicine cat den. His paws trembled and seemed to root to the ground as he froze in place, fear and panic making tears gather in his eyes.

"Emberkit...?" Redflare glanced behind her, eyeing her son. "Emberkit, come on.." She cooed softly, her soft tail tapping his head.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I..." The kit stammered, eyes wide with fear. "I can't."