Warriors: Our Own Beginning

Chapter Two

Warriors: Our Own Beginning - Chapter Two

Ravenkit hated being outside the nursery at night in leafbare.  It was frosty and windy, and darker than other nights.  But she never would’ve imagined that she would be out in the forest on a leafbare night.

She padded beside Bluekit with her tail drooping and ears flattened.  Bluekit’s eyes were lit up as she bounced over bushes and branches, but Ravenkit absolutely hated it.  She hated breaking rules because she always held the fear of being caught.  And if she was caught, there would be major consequences.  She was even more scared since they were so close to becoming apprentices.  What if they had to wait extra long?  She and Bluekit would still be kits while Blackkit was an apprentice.

She wished Blackkit was with them.  He was a lot braver and quicker than she was, so they wouldn’t get into much trouble.  She looked over at Bluekit.  “Why did you have to wake me up?  Why not Blackkit?  Or both of us?” she hissed.  Bluekit stopped.

 “What?  Why?” she asked.  Ravenkit stopped beside her.

“Because I don’t want to take a walk in the forest!” she snapped.  “And you listen to Blackkit more than you listen to me, so he could’ve stopped you from making a stupid decision like this!”

Bluekit glared at her.  “I thought that you would want to impress your mentor.  Or just have some fun with me.  You never play with Blackkit or me anymore!” she mewed.  Ravenkit flattened her ears guiltily.  It was true that she didn’t play with them anymore, but at the same time she knew that Bluekit was only saying this to make Ravenkit feel guilty and come with her.

“Alright, fine.  I think I hear a river up ahead.  Let’s go,” Ravenkit meowed.  They began to walk again, the sound of rushing water growing louder with each step.

Ravenkit loved the water.  Whenever it rained, she would always jump around the camp and roll in the puddles.  Bluekit loved playing with water, too, but Blackkit hated it.  So did their mother.  So, when Ravenkit saw the river, she was in awe.  Across a sandy clearing surrounded by bushes was a wide, clear river.  Red and silver stones were beside it with a few reeds.  It was beautiful.

Bluekit and Ravenkit walked into the middle of the clearing.  It was open, without the shade or cover of the tall forest trees.  The sand was smooth on Ravenkit’s paws, and she felt happy to walk on the sand instead of grass for a change.  She looked up and could see the stars.  “StarClan,” she whispered.  She then peered over the tall reeds to see a flat field that belonged to StreamClan.  There were few trees, but there were flowers, and she even thought that she saw a pond.  She tilted her ears toward the StreamClan territory to hear the splashes of fish and lapping of water against rocks.  She could even hear… voices?

“Bluekit, I think there’s a StreamClan patrol!” she hissed, nudging Bluekit’s shoulder.  Bluekit rolled her eyes.  

“What?  No, don’t be silly.  Why would StreamClan be patrolling at night?” she asked.  Ravenkit waved her tail anxiously.

“I don’t know, but--” she was cut off as a lithe black tom leaped into view.  He had dazzling forest-green eyes and his jet-black pelt was sleek and glossy.  He stopped at the edge of the river, staring at them.  Ravenkit stood frozen for a heartbeat, and then bolted into a bush at the side of the clearing.  Bluekit stood there a moment longer before following her.

“What did I tell you?” she hissed softly.  “What if he does something to us?  He obviously saw us run to the bush.”  Bluekit remained silent, her blue eyes big.  Soon two other cats joined the tom by the river: a big white-and-brown tabby and a tortoiseshell.  The tortoiseshell looked like an apprentice.  Through the leaves, Ravenkit could see that the black tom was still looking at them.  She backed deeper into the bush.

“Do you smell anything, Ashpaw?” the tabby asked, probably the tortoiseshell’s mentor.  ‘Ashpaw’ lifted her nose.

“LightningClan,” she said.  “It’s fresh.  Do you think they’ve taken more prey?”

The black tom shrugged.  “I don’t think so.  Plus, our prey hasn’t been stolen for three moons now.  I’m sure it won’t happen again.”

“Alright, Rippletail,” the big tom muttered.  “But if we smell them again, we’ll have to tell Reedstar.”

“Sure thing, Otternose,” Rippletail replied.  He flicked his tail for the other two cats to follow as he walked away.  When she was sure they were gone, Ravenkit came out of the bushes.

“I can’t believe the black tom didn’t say that we were there!” she mewed.  Bluekit nodded, picking a leaf out of her thick fur.

“And have we stolen prey from them?  I don’t think so,” she answered herself, “and how could we?  The river looks way too scary to cross, even if I don’t mind water much.”

Ravenkit flicked her tail in agreement.  Bluekit eyed her, and Ravenkit flattened her ears.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she demanded.  Bluekit shrugged.

“You and that black tom have the same eye color.  You’re fur is lighter though, and more thin,” she mewed.  Ravenkit shrugged.

“So?  Moonshade told me that once at a gathering there was another cat that looked almost exactly like her.  I don’t see why it matters,” she said confidently, though she was a little unsure.  What if there was a connection?

She shook it off.  “Whatever.  There, our walk is done.  We should go back now,” she said.  Bluekit groaned.

“Why?” she complained.  Ravenkit looked at her sternly.

“Do you realize how much trouble we could have gotten in?  We’re lucky that black tom -- Rippletail, I think -- was nice enough to keep us out of trouble!”  

“Fine,” Bluekit agreed reluctantly.  “But can we watch the river for a few more minutes?  It’s calming.”  Ravenkit sighed.

“Alright.  But then we have to go.”  She walked up to the edge of the river, looking into the deep water.  It was scary to think about falling in, but it was beautiful to look at.  Bluekit was right, it was very calming.

“You know,” she said quietly, “if you look hard enough, you can see the stars in the water.”  She looked over at Bluekit.  She nodded, her whiskers twitching.

Ravenkit closed her eyes and breathed in the fresh scent of water.  “We’re going to be apprentices soon.”

“And we’ll become warriors together,” Bluekit mewed.  She paused, then continued, “You know… I don’t really care anymore that you don’t play with us.  We’ll always be together either way, even if we don’t play.  I love you, Ravenkit.”  Ravenkit opened her eyes, not knowing how to reply.

“I love you, too,” she purred softly.  Suddenly, the sand gave way from where she was sitting.  She opened her mouth in a silent scream as she slipped.  Everything seemed to happen slowly.  She flung out her claws, trying to grip the sand, but the tiny particles slipped away.  Then she was thrown aside as Bluekit grabbed her scruff.  She rolled back onto the sand, and stood up, running towards Bluekit as she fell into the river with a sickening splash.  Ravenkit halted at the edge of the river, trying not to slip.  Fear clogged her brain and made it difficult to think, and her breath came out in terrified gasps as she tried to spot Bluekit.  Her eyes went blurry with panic when she didn’t see her, and she ran along the shore, thinking that the current pulled her farther down the river.  If she didn’t reach her soon, the water would take Bluekit into StreamClan territory, and she would never find her.  She could her her heart thumping out of her chest as she scanned the foamy water.  She let out a growl of frustration as she began to lose hope.

“Bluekit!” she screamed, her eyes stinging.  “Bluekit!  Bluekit!  B-Bluekit!”  She looked up as Bluekit’s head popped out of the water.  She coughed and spat out the water and gasped for air as her head went under again.  Ravenkit sprang up.

“Come on,” she told herself.  “Bluekit needs me.”  She took a deep breath as she prepared to jump into the river.