Two Paths

Chapter Two

     The sun scorched Darkkit's eyelids through the bracken.  She felt the presence of her mother and sister next to her, seeping warmth into her body.  Dripkit stirred and opened her eyes.  She squeaked in surprise to see her father's whiskers in front of her.  

    "Raintail!  You scared me!" She meowed.                                                       

"Don't you know what today is?"  He purred. Dripkit sprang to her paws.                       

"RAINTAIL!" She screeched, slamming into her father, "You're back!" Raintail purred.   Darkkit stared at him blankly.  

 "What is today?"  She asked.  Dripkit clearly had the same question on her mind.  Raintail gave them an exasperated look.                                                                                           

       Sighing, he meowed,"I'll give you a hint.  Your age."                                                   

 "How old are we again?"  Dripkit questioned.  Darkkit cocked her head to show she wanted to know.

        "You two are very forgetful kits," Raintail teased, "Doesn't you mother tell you anything?  It's your apprentice ceremony!  You are six moons old!"

       The kits' eyes widened in excitement.  Raintail licked their ears and beckoned with his tail for them to follow.  They padded towards the fresh-kill pile, and the kits shared a vole while their father gnawed at a tough old crow.  Darkkit turned her head at the sound of pawsteps coming from the nursery.  Flickerpelt made her way towards the mound of prey, sun glinting off of her golden fur.  Her eyes glinted with curiosity, but she said nothing and lay down beside them.   Raintail wound his tail around hers and purred.  She returned the gesture a gentle gaze.  

   "Darkkit!  Let's play mossball!"  Dripkit meowed excitedly, dashing towards the patch of moss at the foot of an old oak.  While they were tossing the moss back and forth, Darkkit noticed  Moonswipe, the clan deputy, watching them.   She must wish that she had raised kits before becoming deputy.  She barely  has enough time to watch us, Darkkit thought.  Just as Darkkit was turning her head to glance at Moonswipe, she vanished into Mintstar's den.  Unfocused and daydreaming, the moss slammed into the side of her head.                                             

"Could you focus for once in your life?"  Dripkit moaned.                                                           

"Why don't we go to the Elder's den instead?"  She suggested,"Then we could listen to stories of when Mintstar was still Mintleaf!  Before she was leader."  Dripkit rolled her eyes and nodded.   They entered the Elder's den, and Darkkit prodded Redstream with her tail.     

 "Redstream, wake up!"  Dripkit meowed forcefully.                                                                         

 "Kits these days," He rasped," No respect for the elderly,"  Shakily rising to his paws and stretching, the unused muscle he had was still clearly visible.                                                  

"Well, what do you want?  A story I presume?"                                                                                                         The kits nodded.                                                                                                                                         

"Alright then.  I was still an apprentice then, so I don't remember too much, but it was leafbare, the coldest leafbare anyone had seen for a while..."    The kits listened intently, drinking in every word he spoke.

            The kits exited the den, the sharp sting of the frosty air on their tails and faces.  The story Redstream had told them was about an adventure with Falcontail, his brother, who had died just after Dripkit and Darkkit were born.  Once again, Moonswipe was eyeing them suspiciously.

         "What is her problem?"  Darkkit asked.                                                                                          

 "I don't know.  She's been eyeing us all day," Dripkit replied,"Do you think she has something to ask us?"

Maybe she's trying to determine who our mentors will be,"  Darkkit suggested.               

 "Maybe..."  Dripkit's voice trailed off.  The kits headed back towards the nursery area, and began playing "Gorsetooth's Defeat", a favorite of kits.                                                                                            

 "I'll be Redstream, you can be Gorsetooth,"  Dripkit commanded.                                                     

Oh, come on!  I was Gorsetooth last time!  I should be Redstream!"                                         

"Fine," Dripkit meowed.                                                                                                                                            

   Of course, as the name of the game depicted, Gorsetooth would always loose, however poorly the "Redstream" fought.  They tumbled through the bitterly freezing snow.  The white flakes clung to their pelts as mouse-like squeals echoed through the Camp.  This was how it always had been.  This was how it always should be, Darkkit thought.

            Bounding through the grass she was, tracking scent trails she was     

Traveled she had, stopped she would                                                                                                                 

Always running, always fighting                                                                                                                                    

 In her endless mission of the dead          

          The strangely-tensed words echoed in Darkkit's head.  She didn't know what was happening.  Everything seemed normal, yet she was overcome with dizziness and nausea.  She collapsed onto the ground, worried murmurs becoming quieter by the second as darkness engulfed her.

          It wasn't leafbare anymore, as the grass was visible and lush.  She could hear whispers, but she didn't know where they were coming from.  The moon shone brightly, sending beams of silver light through the clearing.  In her confused state, she nearly slammed into a silver tabby tom with distorted features and lavender eyes.                                                                                                             You, he narrowed his yes at her, his mouth unmoving.  You have options, choices.  Don't make the wrong ones... disaster... Dark...s,  disaster...   His ghostly voice faded away with the dream.  She opened her eyes to see the worried faces of her mother and father.

      "Dripkit!  She's awake!"  Raintail yowled.  The sound of tiny pawsteps raced towards her.

        "Darkkit?  Are you okay?"  Dripkit asked, her voice shrouded with worry.  A shaky and muffled "Mrow" was all she could manage.  She lapsed into darkness once again.