Warriors: Empire's End ~Book 5 Series 3~

Chapter 14

Cinderkit's POV:

The young grey she cat closed her eyes, crouching close to the nursery entrance. Around her, she felt the rumble of countless bounding pawsteps as her den-mates pelted away to hide. "No peeking!" Cloverkit called out to Cinderkit. "Or I'll tell on you!"

Cinderkit obeyed Cloverkit's command and kept her eyes tightly shut as she counted to ten. Once she reopened them, the main clearing was deserted. Her den mates were no where to be found. Hm... The young she kit looked around for any clues as to where the other kits had disappeared to. Where was the most obvious place to hide?

Around the back of the dens seemed to be the most obvious answer, so Cinderkit set off behind the nursery first, checking behind the leaf-covered slope for her friends. They weren't there. Next was the medicine den, and she checked around there but still found no one. Sighing with contempt, Cinderkit started creeping towards the prisoner's den when she heard a giggle behind her. It came from inside the medicine den!

Cinderkit immediately darted back to the medicine den, peering through the entrance. Shinewing and Wrenflight were there inside, hard at work with the countless herbs stored in the back of the cave. Both medicine cats turned to Cinderkit in unison, and small smiles rested upon their muzzles. The small grey she cat knew they were up to something. "I know you're there. Come on out.!" She called out to whoever was camping out in the den.

No one answered, and Wrenflight purred. "There's no one here, Cinderkit, are you going crazy?"

Cinderkit rolled her eyes. "Unless you've suddenly started aging backwards, Wrenflight, I know that giggle came from a kit. You've got someone in here so don't hide it." The grey kit started sniffing around the den, immediately picking up Obsidiankit's scent. He was in the den somewhere...

Wrenflight turned back to her herbs with a soft laugh, leaving Cinderkit to seek alone. The grey furred kit sighed, she hadn't expected hide and seek to be this challenging.

As she walked further into the den, Cinderkit flinched in surprise as a squawk reached her ears, and Obsidiankit burst out from under the pile of moss beside her. "You stepped on my tail!" He cried, his large blue eyes watering with tears.

Forgetting about the game completely, Cinderkit crouched beside the weeping tom kit. "I'm so sorry Obsidiankit, I didn't see you." The grey she cat offered the black furred tom an encouraging nudge. "You don't have to seek, ok? How's that?"

The little tom sniffled, looking up at the older kit. "My tail hurts.." He flicked his injured tail around him with a small whine.

Cinderkit bit her lip, growing worried for the young tom. Had she really hurt him that much? Had she broken his tail? She looked down at her own grey forepaws, wondering how they held so much power.

Luckily, Wrenflight came to the rescue, and scooped Obsidiankit up with her paws, ushering him to the herb storage. "Here, have a poppy seed. It will ease your pain."

"Is he going to be okay?" Cinderkit asked, her voice trembling at she stared up at thr medicine cat worriedly.

"Of course," Wrenflight promised, "I doubt it'll even bruise. He's just in a bit of a shock, this poppy seed will help him calm down.. But do send him back to his nest, because he will most likely be tired as a result of the medicine."

Cinderkit nodded obediently, waiting until Obsidiankit choked down the tiny little black seed before she led the black furred tom kit out of the medicine den and towards the nursery cave.

However, on their way there, a pair of crimson furred legs blocked their path. Cinderkit peered up to see NoName looking down at them with a stern look on her face. The grey she kit realised with a jolt that Obsidiankit was NoName's son, and she was probably worried about his injury. "H-He's not hurt, NoName, don't worr-"

"I'm not here for him," NoName muttered, her ears twitching against the breeze that swept through camp. "I'm here for you, Cinderkit. Come with me to my den."

Cinderkit was stunned into silence, and obeyed her grandmother's command without a word. As she was hurried across the main clearing to NoName's den, she glanced back to see Obsidiankit watching them go with a look of pure loneliness. Cinderkit didn't blame him; he had just been ignored entirely by his own mother, even when he had a hurt tail.

As they entered the dreary leader's den, Cinderkit watched as NoName seated herself in her nest and faced the kit. "How was your little medicine cat outing?" She asked softly.

Cinderkit coughed back a gasp of surprise, her eyes wide as she stared at NoName, stunned. "You saw us?"

"Of course I did." The small red she cat muttered. "I see everything that goes on here. I know you went to that wretched StarClan worship site, and I know you met with them."

Terrified for her own life, Cinderkit tried to lie, "I-I didn't go with them! That wasn't me! Please don't hurt me!"

"Relax, Cinderkit," NoName mewed as she reached out to rest a comforting paw on the grey she kit's shoulder, "I'm not angry about it, because now I know you can get into StarClan through your dreams. You can help me now."

"Help you? Do what?" Cinderkit asked, her voice small and her breathing still uneven from the initial scare.

"I.. Can't get into StarClan." The red she cat murmured slowly. "They don't like me."

Cinderkit could imagine why that was so, but she remained quiet. Perhaps if she helped NoName with something she would be allowed to become a medicine cat apprentice sooner!

"I was wondering if you could help me prove to StarClan that I'm good now." NoName meowed. "All you have to do is get yourself into their hunting grounds through your dreams and do some.. watching for me."

"Watching? Watching what?"

"Search for any... Weak spots in their territory open to attack, or cats who look especially faded. Any kind of information would help me, really." NoName's voice was slow and quiet, her glowing white eyes glued to Cinderkit. "Will you do that for me?"

"I-I can try but.. Why do you want to know their weak points?" The grey she cat asked.

"So I can help them be stronger of course." The red furred she cat smiled down at the she kit. "I want to be accepted by StarClan once more, to have my name cleared and my past forgotten. I was once part of a clan you know."

"Really? That's cool!" Cinderkit mewed. "But.. Why do you still have the prisoners if you want to show StarClan you're good now?"

"I have to keep them contained otherwise they'll.. Hurt me- and hurt you! They'll hurt our family, your brothers and sisters, Shadeheart, Dime.. Those Clan warriors are ruthless, they have forgotten the Warrior Code."

Cinderkit whimpered. "Oh no.."

"So please, do this one thing for me." NoName whispered to Cinderkit. "It would be the best thing you've ever done. I will be forever grateful."

The little grey she kit nodded her head, "Yes, I will, NoName."

"Good. Now get into StarClan for me, now." The red she cat ordered, her voice soft.

Cinderkit looked down at her paws, wondering how she could get to StarClan. Was it the same as at the MoonFall? Just.. fall asleep? She knew she would be able to contact StarClan from the safety of camp, it was a rare skill that all medicine cats held. And since her ancestors had accepted her as a true medicine cat apprentice, she was sure she would be able to do it.. Somehow..

_________________________________