Warrior Cats: Fallen Leaves

16 Major Problems

Last Updated: 2016 September 12

"I'm not getting caught!" Stormkit barreled through the quivering ferns like a terrified dog, wind coursing through his thick gray fur. Rosekit scampered beside him, tortoiseshell pelt blurred amongst green, and Skykit's four-moon-old paws tripped to keep pace behind them.

"But shouldn't we help Wheatkit?" the tom-kit panted to Rosekit, already exerted from the sprint. Stormkit slowed to allow Skykit to catch up, dry grass scratching his pawpads. He whipped a glance back. The whiskers on his chin stiffened when he realized they weren't even a tree-length from Wheatkit. He speeded up, just as Rosekit meowed, "You're thinking like Pebblekit and he's weird enough. Just run!"

Skykit was quiet but the scent of doubt clung to his white fur. Suddenly he skidded to stop. "Hide!"

They all sprang inside a thick heather patch.

"What-"

"Ssh, Stormkit!" Rosekit batted him with a red-brown paw. "Look!"

The grey kit squinted his eyes, breathing hard. Poky stems jabbed his muzzle, and crackled violently when he pushed through them. His chin whiskers stiffened again. Two rogues: a dark grey tabby she-cat, barely taller than the brown apprentice-sized tom scampering beside her, shouldered through the heather, but the tom kept crashing into stems kitten-steps from his face. He mewed, "I definitely heard a kit in pain, Whisper; my hearing is much better than sight!"

Whisper didn't stop to guide the tom, "You hear everything, Kestrel, hurry up!"

"I would if you weren't so bossy." Kestrel, nevertheless, tackled the slope Whisper was already half-way up. Compared to the heather, he zigzagged through the ferns swiftly. They passed right next to the kits' hiding spot, where Rosekit had to bop Skykit on his ginger stripes before he raced out in surprise. They all hesitated -

- then slunk backwards when the rogues had passed. Stormkit hissed, "Normally I would fight them, but since they have already found Flea..."

Skykit opened his maw with quick defiance, but then they all heard the rogues' surprised yowl and Wheatkit's pitiful mewl. Guilt seared them all. Shame biting his ear fur, Stormkit glanced at his sister, hoping for guidance. Not that he would admit it aloud.

Rosekit shrugged.

And Skykit padded forward, "We must stay and try to rescue our den-mate again! Even if he's an idiot!"

The guilt within Stormkit bubbled with mixed frustration, until the racing memory of the harsh words he spoke to Wheatkit churned like an angry river. Like the one that had drowned his litter-brother. Would Wheatkit die without any help? Dawnkit did. His fur spiked, shame spilling over into anger in his whisper, "Maybe, but we can't! Rosekit said so! If you want to save Flea, you should have brought Featherkit and Pebblekit too!"

Skykit recoiled for a spitting reply, then blinked. "Where is your litter-mate?"

They both glanced at Rosekit.

"She's at camp distracting our parents, remember?" Rosekit was peering through heather, angling her ears for any sign of the rogues. "Otherwise we'd be caught already."

Skykit shook his pelt. "We won't be. Their scent is staler than before. This Whisper and Kestrel must have found Wheatkit and gone back to their rogue camp."

Stormkit could only nod in agreement; all he smelled was stinky heather sap and ferns. And his belly and paws ached for food and rest. The kits poked tiny noses out of poky grass and listened with tiny ears. Only the wind, other cats. When they sneaked away, oily fur stiff with apprehension, Skykit added, "This is weird but, those 'rogues' smelled like the fur of CreekClan patrol cats. Whisper and Kestrel were reeking of marsh but those other kits smelled of trees."