Emberstar's Journey

Chapter 2

"Leaf-eater! Leaf-eater! Wow, you really are a mouse aren't you?" Tigerkits annoyingly cocky mewed made Emberkit want to claw his own ears off.

"Embermouse!" Lionkit jumped on the old bandwagon of teasing the russet tom and StarClan please don't make that a-

"Embermouse! Embermouse!"

-thing.

With a sigh, Emberkit swallowed his Goatweed and stared at the two bracken-colored toms silently, waiting patiently for them to end the torment.

"Hey bro, he's staring at us." Lionkit noticed, whiskers twitching. Tigerkit stopped chanting the name and stared back at Emberkit, "What Embermouse? Have something to say?" He snarled, fluffing his fur up.

Today the lot of them turned six moons and of course he was the runt, making the other two much bigger.

"I-I-I'm... my name is Emberkit." He said lamely, ears flattening against his head as he pressed against the ground submissively. Tigerkits whiskers twitched in response before the brown tom broke into laughter. "That was pathetic!" He wheezed, rolling on the ground as he cackled. Lionkit wasn't far behind him and soon the two were laughing like senile elders.

Emberkit cringed slightly before he slowly began to creep out of the Nursery but alas the monster twins were fast.

"Aww, where are you going Embermouse? We wanna play!" Lionkit bounded up, blocking the exit. Tigerkit smirked and crept out of his moss bedding, careful not to wake his sleeping mother who was supposed to be watching them as Willowcoat and Redflare were out sunbathing.

"L-Leave me be. Stop.... stop.. stop calling m... me Ember..mouse." Emberkit mumbled, glaring at the two. The twins glanced out of each other before they stared at the russet tom eerily.

"Say, remember Lynxstar talking about the victory they had over StormClan yesterday? How about we re-enact that battle?" Tigerkit purred, malicious intent dripping from his voice. Emberkit felt his heart stop as the twins crouched, eyeing him like he was the fattest mouse they've ever seen before they both leaped.

"Mrrrow!" Emberkit yowled in fear, leaping out of the way. He ran away from the twins circling the den. He squeezed behind Darkpoppy, thankful that he was small enough. He snickered softly when he heard the twins let out confused mewls and almost died when he heard Lionkits singsong.

"Embermouse.. come out, come out wherever you are~"

Go choke on my dirt. Emberkit thought before he shot out from behind Darkpoppy, hope soaring in his chest as freedom was near but a heavy force on his back made the hope shatter and collapse as he did.

"Oof!" The tom grunted and trembled when Tigerkits voice whispered in his ear.

"Got you~"

They're going to kill me. I'm going to die today. Emberkit thought, paralyzing fear making him stiffen and freeze.

He felt thorn sharp claws dig into his shoulders, close to breaking his skin when the force was suddenly lifted from him. He looked up at his defender and was shocked to see Amberpaw there, amber eyes glinting with anger. "Will you two shove off already, two against one is hardly fair especially when Emberkit is half your sizes. Learn respect, even if he is small he's still a Clanmate, understand?" she snapped, glaring at the toms.

They nodded dumbly, Emberkit was positive the golden tabbys words went in one of their ears and out the others but he made no comment only followed the apprentice out.

It was awkward but he finally let out a choked, "Thanks for that." Making the she-cat turn her head, eyeing him in slight confusion. Panic set in and instantly he rambled, trying to clarify his words. "For getting them off- well not them, it was Tigerkit but you know what I mean. I promise I'm six moons old, I'm just small and well that has nothing to do with it, or rather it does because I'm so small they think I'm a mouse or something. Obviously I'm not I mean how ridiculous would that be a cat thinking he's a mouse-"