Warrior Cats; Smokeskull's Revenge [ 1 ]

Chapter 14

Smokekit giggled and waited for Willowkit to leap at the leaf. Her green eyes darted back and forth as the leaf swayed in the strong wind that was slightly lowered by the tall oak trees. "Catch it already!" Smokekit chuckled again, forgetting all her fears on purpose.
Her sister's convincing words made Willowkit tumble at the leaf that lay on the early newleaf floor. "I didn't mean to do that," Willowkit started, but suddenly stopped at Smokekit's mocking laugh. "I bet you can't do any better than that!" She spat with narrow eyes at her sister, copying some irritation that she once heard.
"I bet I can! I'd make a better warrior than you, any moon!" Smokekit shot back at her sister. The two glared at each other for a couple seconds, then broke out in a laugh. "But, you are better at stalking prey than I am..." She pointed out. Smokekit's sister's frown turned around and Willowkit chuckled as well.
The breeze brushed their pelts softly as Willowkit flicked her tail with a groan of boredom. Her head turned to the nursery where their mother, Coalstorm, lay peacefully watching them from the nursery entranceway. Willowkit turned back to Smokekit, her patched pelt breezing away. "It's cold, I'm going back to the nursery to warm up. We can play later, okay?" Willowkit got up from her sitting position and started padding off to the den.
Smokekit nodded. A sigh escaped her muzzle. Willowkit turned around to look at her again. "You can show me how to hunt better, like you, and I can show you how to stalk, like me!" Willowkit assured her. But still, Smokekit felt a little sad that their fun had to end so soon. "Can I come with you?" A spark of excitement ran through the grey kit as she stood up.
"No, you have to stay outside in the cold alone!" Willowkit teased with sarcasm.
Smokekit mewed with amusement and followed her sister into the nursery where they'd warm up closely together.
Coalstorm met them inside, her tail flicking as she got up. She touched noses with Willowkit and nodded to Smokekit in greeting. Coalstorm and Smokekit have never been as close as her and Willowkit. Smokekit knew it was just because she felt once betrayed by her mother. She guessed Coalstorm was not as comfortable with her now.
Smokekit noticed Pinepaw walking along the nursery wall. Her scent was strong and a trace of freshly killed vole hung from her mouth. Smokekit was surprised she could smell it so intensively. It was like Pinepaw was right beside her!
The apprentice walked into the den and the scent was stronger than ever. Smokekit licked her lips and padded over to her.
"What kind of fresh kill do you have for us today?" Willowkit had come up from behind. She sat patiently, but her whiskers twitch hungrily.
Pinepaw dropped the vole on the ground and smiled, proud of herself. "Can you not smell it?" asked the brown tabby apprentice. The question made Willowkit stick her nose into the dead animal. "Is it suppose to be some kind of mouse?" She answered, looking up at Pinepaw.
"Close! This kind of mouse is called a vole." Pinepaw explains. "They are somewhat like a mouse, but voles have round muzzles. Take a look," The apprentice pointed at the head with her tail.
Smokekit flicks her tail in amusement. As my sister didn't know that! I'm smart, she should've gotten her brains from me, not our father. She squints at the floor at the thought of her old father. "Who cares what it is?" She shakes the thought out of her mind. "I'm starved." Smokekit relaxes herself and lowers her head to take a bite. She feels Willowkit dive in beside her.
The two kits began to chow down until their mother walked up beside Willowkit. Coalstorm craned her neck to get a better view of the CloudClan leader, Skystar. The leader was hauling her way up the Highrock.
Smokekit looked up at Skystar as well. Her yowl was loud and clear. It echoed through the trees; "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here under the Highrock for a clan meeting." She announced, sitting on her hind legs and waiting patiently for all the warriors to gather around.
Willowkit had finally finished munching on her half of the vole. The two sat together and watched Coalstorm charge away after a few other warriors that were also headed for a seat at the meeting. Her ear twitched when she sat down beside a pretty dappled tortoiseshell she-cat. They started whispering at each other, making Smokekit curious about what they were saying.
Her curiosity got the best of her when she leaped over the vole, landing on her paws with a quiet thump. She heard Willowkit flinch then start storming after her. "What are you doing?" Smokekit's sister finally caught up.
Smokekit pretended like she was surprised. "You stalk very very well, Willowkit." She complimented. Smokekit noticed when Willowkit started coming after her, she didn't hear a thing after.
"I wasn't trying to stalk you, I was-" Willowkit was cut off by a flick of Smokekit's tail.
Smokekit fell into a creeping position. The voices of Coalstorm and the dappled cat came into hearing. Her stalking had improved since last moonhigh. Willowkit had been teaching her a lot about creeping up on all sorts of animals. This one is going to be used nicely.
Willowkit had stayed behind at the nursery entrance. She sat in the light of Silverpelt, silently licking her paw. Her eyes stayed locked on Smokekit though, she didn't want her sister to get in trouble for spying on their mother.
The low crouch that Smokekit had laid on had been nicely set up. Her underbelly was flat against the grass and her paws were spread out perfectly. Smokekit gazed up at the two warriors and one of her ears pricked up.
"Do you think it's something bad?!" The tortoiseshell sounded worried.
Coalstorm looked down, then up at Skystar. "She doesn't look very happy, so maybe... I just hope this doesn't make our kits upset." states their mother. Her eyes were full of hopefulness in StarClan bringing good news instead of bad.
"Me too, if they find out Bluesong is dead, they'll be really upset. The kits had such a good relationship with him!" The she-cat shakes her head and sighs.
"It's been a secret since the last gathering. The kits shall never know, they'll be devastated." Coalstorm breathes in deeply and let's it out in a harsh rasp. "But, on the bright side, Skystar might be calling out the new deputy!" Her eyes turn bright.
The tortoiseshell she-cat's eyes lit up as well. "I think it'll be Lionfire, he's so helpful around the clan!" She purrs.
Smokekit squints with sadness clouding in her green eyes. She turns and trots silently away.
Willowkit looks at her sister in concern. "What happened? Is everything okay?" She runs after her sister into the den, almost galloping. At last, Smokekit stops at the back of the nursery. The two came to a halt and Smokekit turns around and looks at Willowkit.
Smokekit takes a deep breath in, then let's it out in a long sigh. "Bluesong is dead," She starts, waiting for Willowkit to register what she had just said. "and the Clan has been keeping it a secret from all the kits because we have such a good relationship with him." Smokekit starts to sob a little bit, lifting a paw and wiping a tear now and then.
Willowkit stares in horror. Her face was robbed of emotion. Her tail had fallen flat on the ground and her worried face turned into a face of disbelief and betrayal. "But Smokekit," She had started, but never came to a finish. Willowkit finally showed emotion and fell into her sisters paws. "That can't be true!" She cried into her sisters dark grey fur. "Bluesong can't be dead!" A small wind swept over the room and the two lay on the moss bed, feeling betrayed by all their clanmates.