*ON HOLD* Our Rebellion (Sequel to Tigerstar's Apprentice)

Chapter 3

"Dogs! Dogs in the camp!"

Vinekit jolted awake. Dogs!? Outside the nursery, he heard his Clanmates hissing and snarling at the intruders. Heavy pawsteps thundered inside the camp, followed by low growls and loud barks.

"Kits! Come here now!" A pale brown tabby queen cried fearfully from the back of the nursery. Vinekit watched his littermates, Sandkit and Ivykit, bound over to his mother, along with Crowfrost's kits, Blackkit and Birdkit.

But Vinekit hid in the shadows of the nursery's entrance. I'm almost an apprentice! I'm not going to cower in my den like a mouse-heart!

His best friend, Larkkit, shuffled beside him. "Let's go fight some dogs!"

With a mighty roar, the two kits burst into the camp. Everything was in disarray. Hissing, battling cats filled the hollow, swarmed by massive brown and tan brutes. The elders' den was in shambles, looking as if it have been trampled by massive paws. A few bodies were strewn across the clearing, but it was impossible to tell who they were in the dim moonlight. I hope my father is ok.

"Let's get that one!" Larkkit hissed, flicking his tail towards a small terrier.

Vinekit lashed his tail. "Too small. I want that one." He nodded towards the largest dog in camp. It was sturdy and muscular, it's broad tan and black head swinging as it snapped its slavering jaws at the cats. Larkkit nodded, and the two launched themselves into battle.

Vinekit yowled in triumph as his tiny claws sunk into the dog's flank. The brute tossed aside one of his Clanmates like prey. Only Vinekit and Larkkit still clung on to its sleek pelt. Uh oh...

The dog yelped in excitement when it saw the small cats. Fear began to overtake Vinekit, but he pushed it down into his belly. Warriors don't get scared!

With a yowl, the lean tom climbed his way up onto the dog's back. Larkkit was no where to be seen, but Vinekit trudged on. He eventually made it to the brute's swinging head. The small tom yowled in triumph and sunk his claws into the dog's face.

The dog thrashed under him, causing Vinekit to lose his grip. With a yelp, the fur and muscles suddenly disappeared from beneath his claws and was replaced by thin air.

He heard a shriek nearby as he landed on the ground with an "oof." "Kits! There are kits out here!"

Several warriors froze, abandoning their opponents to search for the kits. Vinekit, unable to move, blinked up at the dog. Larkkit was yowling fearfully, barely managing to cling onto its tail. Larkkit! Vinekit tried to call out to his friend, but his mouth felt as dry as the coarse dirt on the moor.

Suddenly, he was lifted off the ground by his scruff. He thrashed wildly, striking out his paws frantically, and the cat holding him dropped him with a yelp. "Sorry!" The she-cat meowed. "Stay still. You'll be ok."

"L-Larkkit," Vinekit managed to croak. "Dog..."

The she-cat suddenly looked horrified, snapping her head towards the pack leader. "Oh my StarClan... Quailfeather! Slaughter has Larkkit!"

Slaughter? Vinekit glanced back up at the massive brute. Why did they give him a name?

Suddenly, a gray tabby and white cat flashed over Vinekit's head. Quailfeather yowled in outrage as Slaughter finally shook Larkkit off of his tail. Vinekit's heart lurched as his friend landed with a sickening thud in the coarse grass.

Vinekit's vision was growing dark. "Larkkit..." was all he managed to croak before he drifted off into the dark abyss.

                                  ~~❤︎❤︎❤︎~~

   "Are they alright?"

   Vinekit's eyes fluttered open. His muscles ached something awful, and his throat felt dry and itchy. A short-tailed brown tom stood beside him, eyeing Vinekit carefully.

   "You can ask him," Barkface meowed. "He's awake now."

   Brackenflower bounded eagerly over to her son. "Oh, thank StarClan you're alive. What were you thinking, fighting dogs!? You could've gotten yourself killed! You're lucky that Cherrypaw saw you in time."

   Cherrypaw... So that's who saved him and his friend. My friend! Larkkit! "How's Larkkit?" Vinekit asked, wincing as he tried to sit up.

   His mother exchanged a hesitant glance with the medicine cat, then sighed. "Barkface isn't sure yet. He hasn't so much as blinked since we brought him in here. But his leg—"

   Barkface cleared his throat. "Thank you, Brackenflower, but Vinekit needs to get some rest."

   The queen dipped her head to the tom. "Of course," she turned and licked her son behind the ears. "Good night, dear. I'll visit tomorrow."

   As soon as her feathery tail had disappeared out of the den, Vinekit turned to Barkface. "Can I see Larkkit?"

   "Um..." the tom sighed. "You'll find out sooner or later. Just... be prepared."

   Vinekit gulped, standing shakily to follow the medicine cat. His legs gave out a few times, but he assumed it was just from muscle strain or hitting the ground too hard.

   When they reached Larkkit's nest, Vinekit gasped. "W-what's wrong with him?"

   "The dog- Slaughter, wasn't it?- he-he..."

   Vinekit's eyes widened in horror every second he stared at his friend. His blue-gray and white fur was stained with dried blood, and where his front leg should have been was nothing but a stump covered in dried, crusty blood.

   "Can you fix him?" Vinekit squeaked, staring wide-eyed at the medicine cat. "Put his leg back. Please, fix him!"

   The medicine cat sighed and hung his head. "I can't, Vinekit. Larkkit will never be a warrior."