Tangletuft's Mistake; (complete)

Chapter ten

"Tanglepaw! Play mossball with me please!!!" Redkit squealed, shoving a mossball in Tanglepaw's face, making her scrunch her nose in annoyance.

"It's not even sunhigh yet. I was up late last night." Tanglepaw replied, sighing. She had been at the gathering and the cats had chatted for longer than usual.

And besides, what was this kit doing in the apprentices' den anyway?

"Actually it's past sunhigh." Redkit giggled "So get up sleepyhead!"

"Fine, fine." Tanglepaw mumbled, sitting up "Let's go outside and play then."

"Yay!" Redkit squeaked, beginning to purr.

Although the kit was cute, he sure was a pain in the tail. But at least he had a fond for the fluffy white she-cat.

Once the two exited the apprentices' den, Redkit was right. The Clan buzzed with energy. A hunting patrol returned into camp, laden with prey which was odd for it being leaf-bare, a border patrol was leaving camp, the warriors huddled around the prey heap and Sagepaw was mooning over Crowflight again as she asked the tom several questions.

"Come on let's play!" Redkit yelled, gently pushing Tanglepaw.

"Yes okay." Tanglepaw veered in the opposite direction, not hearing her littermate's words to Crowflight.

Sagepaw had been interested in herbs but her interest in Crowflight was a different question. Tanglepaw knew that soon her sister would have to choose between medicine cat and Crowflight. Medicine cats couldn't have mates.

That thought of Sagepaw linked her mind to her promise to Rabbitfoot. If she kept coughing the way she did would she have to become medicine cat? It wasn't fair that she couldn't choose what she wanted. StarClan was choosing for her now.

"Okay okay here you go!" Redkit yelped as he flung the mossball, letting it land directly in front of Tanglepaw's paws.

"Wow! You're good at that!" Tanglepaw purred before throwing the moss-ball back."

"I know I am." Redkit laughed, throwing the moss-ball again but this time, it flew way over her head.

"I got it." Tanglepaw nodded to herself as she ran to the moss-ball, accidentally letting out a few coughs.

"Hey mommy! Tanglepaw's sick just like me!" Splotchkit mewled, getting shushed by her mother.

"Don't be silly." She mewed, casting Tanglepaw an apologetic look "Neither of you are sick. She just has a cough that's all."

"But Rustlestep told me she was sick all the time now." Splotchkit retorted, looking up at her mother.

"Well Rustlestep was lying. Now come on dear." She paused, giving her other kit a glance "Redkit come here!"

Redkit nodded and skipped over to his mother and the family of three padded away, leaving Tanglepaw alone.

She sighed as she passed over to the moss-ball and scooped it up with her claws. She placed the ball in front of the nursery before sitting down in an empty spot of camp.

Was that really what her own Clan thought of her? Just a sick apprentice holding on?