New Flight - a warriors story, Book #1 in The Winding Fates

Chapter 9

Falling into sleep, Sparrowflight was welcomed with a dark void. Argh, this place again? He stood up, hearing yowls and caterwauls from the outskirts of the void. "Come on, Jaggedscar. I know you're here."

Jaggedscar's amber eyes glistened with pleasure as he stalked out of the shadows. "Come to train, Sparrow?" Sparrowflight narrowed his eyes and corrected, "Sparrowflight. And go ahead, train me."

At the words "train me" Jaggedscar yowled and launched forward to grab Sparrowflight. Sliding smoothly to the side, Sparrowflight jumped onto the Dark Forest cat, pinning his head down with paws. "Oh, how's that?" Jaggedscar rolled over on top of Sparrowflight, crushing him. Unsheathing his claws, Sparrowflight raked the bigger tom's shoulder, causing him to leap off and yowl in pain.

"Pfft, pathetic." Sparrowflight scolded, taking on the tone of a disappointed mentor. Jaggedscar turned narrowly, yowling in defiance and snarling. Catching Sparrowflight by the tail, he pulled him back and flung him into a rock. When did this get here? Sparrowflight wondered through dizzy thoughts.

As soon as Sparrowflight was dazed, Jaggedscar leaped and pushed him farther into the rock. "Stay where you are, apprentice." he jumped off the smaller tabby tom and stalked away.

Wake up, wake up! Sparrowflight closed his eyes, feeling himself being peeled away from the void and into his own nest.

"Sparrowflight, Sparrowflight!" Owlfeather was nudging him with his paw, urging him to get up.

Blinking his eyes open, Sparrowflight saw distress flashing in Owlfeather's eyes. "Hmm? Why'd you wake me up..." (me in the morning when my sister forces my light on and makes me get up)

"You... you were thrashing in your sleep, clawing me a few times." -he showed small scratches on his shoulder- "You have scars!" Owlfeather gasped, forcing Sparrowflight to his paws and dragging him to the medicine den.

Sparrowflight scowled. "I don't need this..." but faster than a cat could say 'mouse', Oakpaw was rushing up with cobwebs and marigold.

Chewing the marigold into a poultice, Oakpaw dabbed his wounds with cobwebs. Sparrowflight was extremely uncomfortable, glancing around as Oakpaw smeared on the marigold. "There," she mewed when she was satisfied. "Just don't do anything to straining for a while."

Sparrowflight got up and padded out of the den and out of the camp. Owlfeather followed him, and, according to him, 'keeping watch'. It wasn't long before Sparrowflight heard soft mewling sounds, like the meows of a kit.

Searching a nearby bramble bush, by a tree, Sparrowflight scented a cat scent, seeing little black tufts of fur caught on the brambles. "Owlfeather, come here!" he meowed quietly, and Owlfeather bounded up to him.

"Great StarClan, it's a kit!" Owlfeather mewed excitedly, pulling the small bundle of fluff out of the bramble bush. The kit let out startled squeaks as Owlfeather held it in his paws, squirming to get out.

"Look, it has a tiny white nose! We better get it to camp." Olwfeather passed the kit to Sparrowflight and he held the tiny fluff ball in his jaws by the scruff. Padding into the camp, the cats gathered glanced at them, but turned away, guessing it was fresh-kill. (how dare they!)

Sparrowflight padded up to the leader's den, and mumbled, "Cliffstar? Can we come in?" they heard the leaders mew, and padded in with the kit.

"Yes, what is-- what is that?" Cliffstar's meow sounded startled, and his eyes were wide. Sparrowflight set down the bundle of fur, whispering, "It's a kit, we found it in a bramble bush while we went out."

"A kit?? How?" Cliffstar shook his head and just said, "Take it to Poolflick, she'll know something."

Padding out of the den with the kit in his jaws, Sparrowflight headed for the medicine den.

"Great StarClan! Is that a kit??" Poolflick yowled and grabbed the kit out of Sparrowflight's jaws, setting it down onto the moss. It let out a tiny squeak and looked up through slit eyes.

The kit squirmed further into the moss, squeaking as Poolflick rasped her tongue over it. Flattening its just-opened ears, it burrowed further into the moss.

Poolflick hissed and moved away. Sparrowflight looked down and meowed, "I'll name you Hiddenkit. For your love of hiding." The kit squeaked and poked its head out. Poolflick came back in and meowed, "That kit is too small to be alone, it would need a queen to live..."

"What about Gingerlight? Her kits haven't even opened their eyes yet." Sparrowflight touched the kit's nose with his tail and Poolflick nodded.

"Carry him to Gingerlight, she'll ask," Poolflick told him, following the tabby tom. Owlfeather bounded from the other side of the camp. "Are you taking it to Gingerlight?" he asked, and Sparrowflight mumbled, "yes,"

Gingerlight was laying on the moss with her kits; when Sparrowflight padded in she meowed, "Oh! What is that? A kit?" He set down the tiny black kit and replied, "Yes. We found it by a bramble bush with nothing there to protect it, and we were thinking that you could take care of it. "

Gingerlight's eyes shot open and she meowed, "Of course! I'd always take care of a kit!"

Sparrowflight glanced at her and told her, "His name is Hiddenkit. You'll see why-" As he put the kit down, it bundled into the moss and burrowed further. Gingerlight chuckled. "He'll be safe."

A disrupt outside caused Sparrowflight to look out. The leader of SwoopClan and his deputy were inside the tunnel. Lightningstar and Rowanheart, Sparrowflight recalled. Cliffstar bounded out of his den to greet them.

"Yes?" he meowed and Lightningstar narrowed his eyes and snarled, "Don't think you don't know, Cliffstar! We know your Clan has been stealing prey!"