Morning Rays

Chapter 2

Oof, the kits have really done themselves in now. By the way, if any of you were curious, I can write and edit a chapter in under 2 hours, hee hee. I just choose to put off the editing because I hate editing. 

Moonkit looked horrified. "Oh, no," she murmured.

Sunkit shook his head. "Great. There goes our chance on sneaking back into camp."

"I don't think you'd be sneaking back into camp either way," snapped a voice. The kits whirled around, terrified, as a dark gray cat stalked towards them. Sunkit realized that the tom wasn't gray; he was silver.

Silversprout.

"What do you two think you're doing?" screeched the medicine cat. His fur was fluffed up in rage, and he bared his teeth. "Do you realize that the entire camp has been worried sick? Hawkstar has sent out five search parties for you. Five!"

Sunkit drew back. Even though the medicine cat had always been a bit short-tempered, he had never seen him this angry.

Silversprout shoved his muzzle in Sunkit's face. "What would Stormheart think if we lost you? Cloudchaser? Fawnspeckle and her kits? How would Hawkstar feel? What would happen to the Clans?" Silversprout was seeming to go crazy.

Sunkit looked at his paws. "We're sorry," he mumbled.

"'Sorry?' You caused more than enough trouble for the Clan, let alone how these cats feel! Your parents are worried sick, and you just skip around in the forest like everything's okay? You realize that you're not even on Clan territory, right? What if a rogue had gotten you?" What if. . ." Silversprout slumped down, clearly tired out by his fit.

Sunkit looked at him, full of alarm. Silversprout slowly got to his paws.

"Follow me. Now," the silver cat snapped.

The kits both nodded, looking downright awful.

The three cats padded through the forest, silent, all except for an occasional loud muttering coming from Silversprout. Sunkit realized they had passed the same spot that morning, only then, he had felt more excitement. Now he felt nothing but cold dread.

Walking into camp, Sunkit realized that there were hardly any cats inside. Silversprout seemed to notice his observation.

"See, you useless lumps of fur? All the cats are either out on patrol, hunting, or looking for you. How does that make you feel, knowing that your entire Clan has worked their tails off trying to find you? Stormheart and Cloudchaser have been out all day! Most cats have given up and think you're dead!"

Sunkit sniffed, suddenly feeling terrible.

A patrol crashed through the tunnel behind them.

"Silversprout! Where have you been? We thought something had gotten-" The leader of the patrol, Lightstep, paused suddenly as she say that the kits were alive. Then, as if the world had just unfroze, the patrol gathered around the two kits, asking nonstop questions.

"Are you okay?"

"How did Silversprout find you?"

"What took you from camp?"

"Was it rogues?"

Sunkit shuffled his paws, embarrassed.

"I'll tell you where they went," Silversprout hissed. "These two kits thought it would be funny to bother the entire camp by going out for a little playtime. I caught them outside Clan territory, wondering how they would get home without being noticed."

Lightstep and her patrol froze. Then Runningbrook spoke up.

"You're telling me, that this Clan has gone on countless, pointless patrols, just to come waltzing back to camp telling us you went out just to play for a while?" the tom growled.

Lightstep looked astonished. Then she shook her head, and glared at the kits. "Runningbrook's right. What will Hawkstar say? What will your parents say? We've all been worried sick!"

Fawnspeckle, hearing the argument, rushed out of the nursery.

"Moonkit! Sunkit! Thank goodness you're all right!" she exclaimed. Her eyes clouded. "You're in for quite a scolding, though."

Turtlekit walked out of the nursery with Quickkit and Oatkit. Turtlekit stared at them sympathetically as Silversprout went off to tell Hawkstar the news. A few heartbeats after Silversprout entered, Hawkstar stormed out angrily, beckoning to Velvetcloud. The deputy walked over, her face first full of joy at seeing that the kits were safe, and then confused when she saw how angry Hawkstar was. Sunkit hung his head in shame.

"Moonkit, Sunkit," growled Hawkstar. Several cats had gotten back from patrol, and now over half of the Clan was staring at the two misbehaving kits. Sunkit seemed to shrink inside his pelt.

"It's against the warrior code to leave camp as kits," the angry leader began. "And as the warrior code states, you must be punished."

The two littermates ducked their heads.

"I have decided that I will not delay your apprenticeship, but that you must take care of the elders for one moon. If you misbehave after that, I will delay your training. I have also informed Fawnspeckle that you are not to leave the nursery unless you have asked another queen for permission." Hawkstar looked satisfied on having given the punishments.

Sunkit relaxed a bit. Their training wasn't going to be delayed after all.

Stormheart chose that moment to enter the camp with Cloudchaser right behind her, and Berryfur following. As soon as Stormheart saw her kits, she and their father rushed over to them, covering them in licks, purring nonstop. Then, as if ice had just formed over them, they froze.

"Sunkit, Moonkit, where on earth have you been?" exclaimed their mother. Sunkit ducked his head, wishing the ground would swallow him.

Velvetcloud beckoned to his parents, and they glanced at him and then back to the deputy. Nodding, they walked over. Velvetcloud whispered rapidly into their ears, their eyes growing wider at every word. When the red she-cat had finished, they strode back over to their kits, glaring.

"Moonkit, Sunkit, what came over you? Do you realize that we have looked all day for you, just so you could have a few hours of play? I am disgusted wi-" She was cut off from the sound of pawsteps entering the camp.

"Hawkstar!" Briarberry, who was in the lead, gasped. "There's a dead dog on our territory!"