Warriors: Our Own Beginning

Chapter Three

Warriors: Our Own Beginning - Chapter Three

The water was colder than ice, and it quickly seeped into Ravenkit’s short fur and chilled her to the bone.  The current was stronger than she thought it would be, and though she pushed strongly with her legs, the river carried her in the other direction.  Bluekit was being pushed toward the middle of the river, and Ravenkit struggled toward her.  She wasn’t very far behind, and a spark of hope lit up inside of her.

    Her breath came out in gasps as the energy drained slowly out of her.  Will I get her in time?  What if she drowns?  What if I drown? she thought, panicking.  Bluekit’s head went under the water again, and Ravenkit pushed harder.

    “I can’t just give up!” she hissed to herself, “if I give up now, Bluekit will drown, and I might, too…”

    The drops of splashing water sprinkled her face and got into her eyes.  Her vision was blurry from the river, and for a horrifying moment she lost track of where Bluekit went.

    “Bluekit!” she yelled.  Water gushed into her mouth and she spat it out, coughing.  Suddenly a wave of foaming water pulled her under the water, she opened her mouth to yell, causing bubbles to spill out.  She couldn’t breathe.  She struggled to move in the icy water, but she couldn’t.  Her vision began to blur and with one last kick, she passed out.

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    Ravenkit blinked open her eyes to a mossy nest.  She closed her eyes again, exhausted, struggling to remember what happened earlier.  She twitched her tail, relieved that she didn’t open her eyes to an ancient cat like Fogtail, Moonshade’s grandmother, who had passed away many moons ago.  

    “Ravenkit?” a soft voice asked.  “Are you awake?”

    Ravenkit opened her eyes once more to see the medicine cat, Mapleleaf, standing above her.  Blackkit was next to her with his ears flattened, and Moonshade sat next to him, her eyes clouded with sorrow.  Smokefang was pacing by the entrance of the den, and when he saw that Ravenkit was awake, he walked quickly over to her, relief in his eyes.  

Where’s Bluekit? She thought, looking around.  Then it came flooding back to her:

    The images of Bluekit’s terrified face sinking under the water, the icy waves crashing into Ravenkit…

    “Where’s Bluekit?” she asked, her eyes growing wide with fear.  Mapleleaf and Moonshade exchanged glances.

    “She’s…” began Moonshade.

    “She’s dead,” spat Blackkit, his yellow eyes chips of ice.  Ravenkit flinched at the tone of his voice.

    “She drowned?  I didn’t save her?” Ravenkit asked in a small voice.  “B-but… she said we would be warriors together!” she wailed, starting to shake.  Mapleleaf sniffed her and ran her paw against her side.  She turned to Moonshade.

    “She’s not hurt, but she is exhausted.  We’ll let her rest, and then she can speak with Whitestar tomorrow.”

    “Whitestar?”  Ravenkit lifted her head, but then put it back down as a jolt of pain hit her skull.  “Tomorrow,” she muttered, closing her eyes.  Bluekit’s sparkling blue eyes flashed across her mind as she fell into a deep sleep.

    Ravenkit woke up almost instantly in a grassy field.  Everything was dark except for the silver moonlight and white stars.  She knew that it was a dream, because there were no fields near LightningClan.

    Ravenkit felt calm as she breathed in the cool air.  We’re becoming apprentices tomorrow, she thought.  Without Bluekit.  She closed her eyes for a moment.  When she opened them, she saw a skinny white and gray she-cat with dazzling blue eyes standing in front of her.  She didn’t recognize her, but she felt familiar.

    “Hello, Ravenkit.  You’ve gotten so big,” she said sweetly.  Ravenkit tilted her head in reply.  “I am Fogtail.  You don’t remember me; I dies of whitecough the day after you were born.  Don’t worry, this is not StarClan, only a dream.”

    “Did you see Bluekit?” Ravenkit asked.  Fogtail nodded.

    “I was the one who took her to StarClan,” she replied.

    “Is our father in StarClan?” she asked curiously.

    “No,” Fogtail mewed.  “But I cannot reveal who he is.  That is for you to find out,” she added, to Ravenkit’s disappointment.

    “Why have you come to see me n a dream?”

    Fogtail brushed her tail gently along Ravenkit’s shoulder.  “After your sister’s death, you need comforting.”

    “Then why hasn’t Bluekit come to see me herself?” Ravenkit demanded, a hint of anger in her voice.

    “She is still recovering,” Fogtail explained, “she misses you and Blackkit so much.  Speaking of Blackkit…” she meowed, “he is very heartbroken.  He has changed because of Bluekit’s death.  You must be with him.”

    Ravenkit nodded slowly.  “They were very close,” she murmured.  Fogtail’s expression darkened.

    “You have a great future ahead of you, little one,” she said.  With a sigh, she continued: “but is also holds great sorrow and danger.  Even StarClan does not know what will happen yet, so I must ask you something.”

    Ravenkit gulped, then nodded.

    “Follow your heart, Ravenkit, and trust that in the end, everything will turn out right, even if it seems like the Clans are falling apart.”

    Ravenkit nodded, not knowing how to reply.  In a flash, Fogtail disappeared, and Ravenkit woke up.