Warriors: Deserve's Beginning (Short Story) (COMPLETE)

Chapter 2

"Catch this, Song!"

"Got it!"

Deserve was awoken by the sound of his littermates playing. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times, groggy with sleep. They're up already? It was still very dark inside the barn, telling him that the sun hadn't risen yet. Boost and Song were throwing a ball of moss back and forth between them, laughing and yowling excitedly.

"Ha!" Boost pounced on the moss and dug his tiny claws into it, his eyes gleaming. "It's mine now!"

Song's blue eyes lit with protest. "No fair!" Her brother turned and fled with the moss ball in his teeth, and she took off after him. "Wait until I catch you!"

Deserve let out a groan and curled up against his mother, burying his face in her soft white fur. I just want to get some sleep!

Velvet shifted and sighed softly. "Kits!" She blinked open her blue eyes as Boost and Song paused and looked at her. "Some of us are trying to sleep. Please play more quietly."

"Okay, mom," Boost sighed reluctantly. He and Song began murmuring quietly to each other.

Thank goodness! Deserve thought and happily snuggled up against Velvet, closing his eyes. He'd just begun to get used to the peaceful silence in the barn when they began laughing again. He heard Boost yowl.

"Go get it, Song!"

Hey! The moss ball bounced off his head, and he let out a startled growl. "Guys!"

A moment later, his siblings leaped at him. "Wake up, Deserve!" Song purred and playfully batted her paws at his shoulder. "Come play with us!" Deserve's annoyance faded as she tickled him, and he began to laugh, playfully batting his paws at her chest.

"Yeah!" Boost playfully pulled on his ear. "We can team up against Song!"

"Or me and you can team up against Boost!" Song glared at the tabby. "We'll teach that furball a lesson!"

Boost bristled. "Who are you calling a furball?"

"You!" Deserve playfully pushed his brother over. "You never let anyone get any sleep! You're louder than a thunderstorm!"

"Well, you're lazy!" Boost retorted, his eyes gleaming. "Dad says playing makes you strong."

"Dad also says you need your sleep."

They turned to see that their father had padded into the barn. He was carrying three mice by their tails. Though his voice was stern, his yellow eyes were shining with affection for his kits. He padded over and dropped the mice by Velvet's nest, gently nudging her with his muzzle before turning to his kits. "You shouldn't be awake so early," He told them gently.

Boost frowned. "You're up early," He pointed out.

"Yup!" Song agreed, her eyes shining up at her father. "Every morning before the stars have disappeared."

"That's because I have to hunt for you all," Dice reminded her and crouched, licking her head. "You should take advantage of not having responsibilities. And if I remember correctly, you and Boost were awake very late last night."

"We were playing tag," Song purred.

"And I won!" Boost added, lifting his chin proudly.

Dice purred and nuzzled the tabby. "Winning isn't everything, Boost."

"And your father is right." Velvet stretched and stood up in her nest, sniffing at the mice Dice had brought before gazing at her kits. "You two hardly got any sleep last night. You need your rest if you're going to be healthy and strong."