Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 1

Bramblekit watched Leafkit hurl himself at Rockkit with everything he had. The dark grey tom ducked under him and battered at his hind legs to throw the light brown tom off balance. His brother landed in the dirt with a grunt before he was up again and charging at Rockkit again.

His gaze wandered from the two toms and landed on Hawkkit and Brightkit, who were playing together in the soft grass outside the nursery. Brightkit had her paw on Hawkkit's head and the golden brown she-kit was batting at the silver tabby's nose playfully.

Bramblekit padded over to them and watched as Hawkkit rolled over and their eyes met. The she-kit jumped to her paws and bounced over towards him.

"Hey! Wanna play with us?" She squeaked. Bramblekit blinked and nodded. Brightkit and Hawkkit charged at Bramblekit and the three were sent into a tumbling mess of fur. The queens watched from their sunning spots close to the nursery with drowsy and amused eyes.

Bramblekit pinned Hawkkit against the grass while Brightkit battered at his pelt with soft paws. The golden brown she-kit under him was squealing with laughter as she tried to roll him off. Bramblekit let the smaller kit roll him over and pin him down. Hawkkit playfully bit his ear gently and the tabby tom lay his head on his paws with exhaustion.

Brightkit curled up next to Hawkkit and closed her eyes, taking a light doze as the golden brown she-kit yawned sleepily and nuzzled her nose into Bramblekit's shoulder. The three kits fell asleep and didn't wake up as their mothers rose from their spots and gently picked them up by the scruff and carried them into the nursery.

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Bramblekit woke up when a soft paw prodded him in the side. His drowsy amber eyes traveled over towards the source of the paw and met the emerald green eyes of Hawkkit. Jerking awake and standing up, Bramblekit looked at the small she-cat with confusion.

"What? Why'd you wake me up?" He asked.

"Because we're about to be made apprentices." She mewed, blinking at him. Bramblekit's eyes widened and he loped out of the nursery with Hawkkit on his tail. He bumped into Leafkit and the two toms were sent toppling over. Over the moons that they had grown, the clan was shocked to see that Bramblekit had grown larger than his brother, who was originally bigger than him.

"About time you woke up! You were about to miss it!" Leafkit mewed, amusement shining in his honey colored eyes. Brightkit and Pebblekit were swatting at each other not too far off, and Hawkkit was talking to Birdkit about something that the two brothers couldn't quite hear.

A light brown tom padded past the group of kits and Hawkkit abruptly stopped talking and pounced on him, bringing the two cats crashing to the dirt.

"Hawkkit, what in the name of Starclan are you doing?!" The tom mewed, shaking the smaller cat off. Hawkkit swatted at his tail as it lashed back and forth, and the tom rolled his emerald eyes at the golden-brown kit.

"Thrushpaw, are you going to be here when we're made apprentices?!" Rockkit asked, bouncing up and down excitedly. The light brown apprentice rolled his eyes and cuffed the dark grey tom on the ear lightly.

"Of course, fish-brain. Everyone's going to be there for it." Thrushpaw answered. Hawkkit cheered and started bouncing around. She crashed into Bramblekit and sent them both tumbling down in the dirt. Bramblekit let out a strangled mew and craned his head to look at his back, on which the rambunctious golden-brown she-kit was sprawled over.

"Ouch!" She hissed, ears flattened against her head and eyes squeezed shut. Bramblekit looked up as a shadow loomed over them and his amber eyes widened. Blacktalon stared down at him with cold blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked, his deep voice filled with scorn. Bramblekit flinched and shook Hawkkit off his back and stood up. Leafkit flattened his ears against his head and seemed to shrink before the grey tabby warrior.

"I-I was just-" Bramblekit started to stutter, but Blacktalon shook his head and turned away. His paw steps receded and Bramblekit was left feeling sad and a bit angry. Why couldn't he be good enough for his father?!

"Hey, are you ok?" A soft mew asked, and Braamblekit turned his head to stare into the wide emerald eyes of Hawkkit. He nodded his head and followed her back to the group of kits that waited patiently for the announcement.

This was the start of a brand new day.