Warriors: Finding Myself: Downcasted (Book Two)

Chapter One: I Want Freedom

CHAPTER ONE

The snow falling in leaf-fall, Cloudsong said, was normal, and that there was nothing to worry about. But when she and her siblings went outside, they were practically blown away in the wind. Twigkit was definitely too small to be outside anyways and his eyes just open a few sunrises ago. Cloudsong said that her eyes had been open since two sunrises after she was born. Moonkit was soon after.

"Winterkit?" Cloudsong called for her and she pricked her ears, turning around in the nursery to see her mother looked at her sternly. "Before you go out make sure you watch your brother," she purred.

She smiled at her mother. Twigkit would be fine on his own, but she wouldn't dare disobey her mother. Beestar had said Cloudsong took out a dog all by herself when she was an apprentice. "Of course, mom." she purred back and led her siblings out of the nursery where instant cold hit them.

The camp, despite the cold, was busy with activity. Shadowclaw, Cometmoon, and Stonepaw entered camp with prey in their jaws, Lightheart, Strikefang, Slateleaf, and Clumsypaw entered the camp after them, Lightheart mewing something to Clumsypaw. Whiteeyes, Birchwing, Echopaw, and Tigerheart left camp after them, Lionfur and Mudpaw were at the edge of camp and everyone else was out of camp or in their dens.

"Hold on, Winterkit!" Twigkit squeaked, struggling to keep up with me. Winterkit was the biggest out of her littermates. "We can't walk that fast!" He had his tiny claws out and was rushing to keep up with her. Moonkit was in front of him.

We were the only kits in ShadowClan right now and we definitely didn't need anymore, ShadowClan was busy and active and the warrior's den was getting full, according to Slateleaf who visited us often despite having Clumsypaw as an apprentice, who was quite kind to us as well.

Her eyes darted around the clearing, eager to do something fun, but everyone seemed to be in a bitter mood due to the cold and she knew Kinkfur was having problems with an aching in her bones. She was getting old, all of us knew.

Moonkit paused beside her, breathing lightly. "I will never get use to how big camp is!" Her sister's eyes were darting around the clearing uncomfortably. "Cloudsong says we'll get use to it eventually."

Winterkit ignored her sister, watching Tawnypelt cross the clearing while glancing around the clearing anxiously. Her pelt prickled with unease. She knew Tawnypelt and her brother, Bramblestar, were littermates of Tigerstar, the evil tom who took over ShadowClan many moons before she was born and Tawnypelt decided to go with her father. But she had always been a kind and loyal ShadowClan cat.

She willed herself to go after the deputy, but didn't, knowing it was against the warrior code. Winterkit looked back at her siblings, paws itching. "We should surprise attack Stonepaw!"

Stonepaw was the brother of Clumsypaw and both were the sons of Needleflower, who died giving birth to them as well as Featherpaw. She was glad Cloudsong was still alive, they must've been heartbroken when their father, Junipernose, informed them of what happened to their mother when they were just kits. Beestar and Flowerstem had taken care of them until they were apprentices and raised them with their own kits.

Twigkit crouched down low, his brown pelt sticking out against the snowy ground, but he continued to snake towards the apprentice who was talking to his mentor, Cometmoon, who was watching us sneak over to them.

She knew she had the best crouch out of her littermates and she had heard her mother mention something to Flowerstem once.

Her pawsteps were quiet since the wind was blowing so hard and then, she wiggled her hindquarters and lunged at the apprentice, using her back paws to go farther. She saw her siblings lunge too and she clung to Stonepaw's back.