The stars promise

Chapter two

Sunkit yawned. She tossed the ball of moss, boredly waiting for Acornpaw to come back. The young apprentice was out training today. Sunkit laid down when she suddenly saw Acornpaw. "Hi, Sunkit!" His excited mew was muffled by a small gray mouse. He dropped it at her paws. "I caught this for you!" He purred, sitting down gently. Sunkit purred "My first prey! Want to share it?" He smiled. "Sure, thanks Sunkit!" Acornpaw replied. "You have the first bite." She took a small bite concentrating on chewing for the first time. I wonder how Poppykit likes her first prey. She thought. "So how is it?" Acornpaw asked, his paws tingling. "I hope it's good!" He whispered. "It's wonderful! Here you try." Acornpaw took a bite. "Mmm. It is good!" He purred, pushing the prey back to her. "I can't wait to hunt with you someday!" "I can't wait to hunt with you! We'll be the best hunters in all of Thunderclan! Poppykit will be so jealous!" Sunkit purred. Acornpaw smiled. "Yeah! You'll be a great hunter!" He purred, flicking his tail proudly. Two cats padded into camp, their tails flicking anxiously. "Hey, that's Greenclaw and Oakleaf!" Acornpaw said, getting to his paws. "We should go see what's wrong, they look upset." Acornpaw went over to hear what they were saying. "you're sure it wasn't stale or that it was a cat?"  Greenclaw nodded. "Yes! Four or five-plus kits." Oakleaf sighed. "leaf-bare is hard on every creature maybe once. The foxes see our part of the forest is prey less they'll move on." Greenclaw growled. "Or it'll get desperate and come into the camp." Acornpaw stiffened. "Foxes?" he whispered. "That's not good..." He muttered, turning back to Sunkit. Firefang continued. "we'll report to Mapletar right away." She spotted Acornpaw and Sunkit. "Hey, you two! If you have so little to do that you can eavesdrop, then go clean the elder's den!" Acornpaw glared at the deputy before looking back at Sunkit. "Let's go." He growled. "Awww!" She didn't walk away completely. "What are foxes?" He stopped. "They are big red animals like dogs but kind of like cats. Oh, and they eat kits." Sunkit froze. "Kits! Do you think Poppykit will be okay?" He smiled at her. "Of course, her clan will protect her." One of the elders overheard this and snorted with amusement. "Trust me, Sunkit. She's fine." Acornpaw mewed. "Okay..." Sunkit said. "Do you think she's happy?" "Yes." Acornpaw meowed. "Probably" One of the apprentices. Foxpaw purred with amusement. "If Shadowclan doesn't feed her to some badgers!" Acornpaw whipped his head around. "Shut your maw!" He hissed. Foxpaw's eyes flashed angrily and she lashed her tail.
"You know Dustheart said that if the kits are too weak they'll make them live in fox dens!" "Dustheart was just telling stories so that we would listen!" Acornpaw hissed back, his fur rising along his spine. Sunkit's tail lashed and her ears flattened "This is mouse brained! We should be in the same clan!" She dashed into the nursery. Acornpaw watched her leave. "I'm sorry." He whispered. Hazelmist smiled. "There you are, what's wrong?" Sunkit didn't answer, instead, she dove into Hazelmist's fur, sobbing. Acornpaw padded in quickly. Hazelmist looked up and gave him a questioning look. "Not my fault!" He muttered, flicking his tail. Hazelmist shook her head. "What happened?" "She's worried about her sister..." Acornpaw replied. Hazelmist sighed. "Perhaps Shadowclan would exchange her for prey? It's not fair to tear littermates and raise them in separate clans..." "I agree, but I wouldn't mess with Shadowclan at the moment," Acornpaw replied. "Agreed...Toadstar was menacing enough. Now that Tawnyfall is his deputy..." Hazelmist meowed. "I just feel bad for Sunkit and Poppykit," Acornpaw said.

It was moon high. Sunkit snuck out of the nursery as quietly as she could. She had to make sure Poppykit was ok. She glanced to the apprentice den wondering if she should tell Acornpaw. The wind blew, ruffling the kit's Ginger and White fur. It was cold, and thunder yowled up overhead. She stood kneading the ground anxiously in front of the apprentice's den. Acornpaw was practically her brother but would he prevent her from seeing her sister? Should she risk waking the other apprentices? She knew Foxpaw would alert the camp in a heartbeat. She carefully avoided the sleeping shapes of the other apprentices and nudged Acornpaw. He growled and slapped her with his tail "Ugh I'm not hungry for fish..." He groaned. Sunkit stifled a giggle and nudged him again. Slowly, Acornpaw woke. "Wha- Sunkit what are you doing in here...?" She whispered "Quiet! Don't wake the others. I need to go check on Poppykit." He stared at her, lowering his voice. "Poppy'kit...? But she's in your den..." Sunkit blinked puzzled. "No, she isn't? She is in Shadowclan." Acornpaw was half awake, clearly not understanding what she was saying. "Eugh?" He rolled onto his belly and then stood up, shaking out his fur. "Shadowclan? More like Stinkyclan..." He yawned and flicked his tail. "What did you say about her?" Sunkit flicked her tail impatiently. "I have to go make sure she is okay." "You can't leave!" He growled, "There are foxes, what if you got hurt?" She raised her chin a little. "I'll be fine. If a fox can get me what about Poppykit?!" He stared at her. "I'm coming with you." He muttered, standing up. "Come on, let's go to the Dirt place tunnel, we'll be suspected less that way." She nodded purring a bit before touching her nose to his. "Thank you Acornpaw." She meowed. "Of course." He purred, flicking his tail gently around her ear. He got up. "Follow me, quietly." He whispered. Sunkit followed him. Acornpaw got to the dirt place tunnel and meowed a bit louder, "Here, next time ask your mother to take you." He said. "Come on." He whispered. The two snuck out into the forest and Sunkit followed him. It's cold, She thought. Suddenly, Sunkit bumped into Acornpaw's leg. He stopped dead in his tracks. "Sunkit! Get under me now." He said sternly. She looked up puzzled. "What's wrong?" "Fox," Acornpaw said, not looking away from the bushes. His fur began to rise. Suddenly a large orange animal jumped out of the bush, snarling and growling. "Fox!" Acornpaw hissed. The fox outstretched a paw and scored Acornpaw's muzzle. Blood blurred his vision and he hissed and began scratching wildly at the fox. "Sunkit hide now!" He hissed, turning to look at her. The fox snapped his jaws at Acornpaw's paws, nearly catching them. Sunkit gasped in horror, suddenly instinct took over and she would never know why but she stepped forward and spoke in fox language, "Stop!" which Acornpaw would only hear as a strange bark. Acornpaw turned and stared at her, the fox tilted his head, flattening his head. The fox barked back. "I'm just hungry." Acornpaw moved away from the fox. She whimpered a little. "New leaf is here. Why have two scrawny cats when you can have most of the prey in the forest? Especially because if you do our clan will see you as dangerous and will chase you out!" The fox growled. "Sorry." And ran away. Acornpaw was sitting, very confused. Sunkit wrinkled her nose. "That was very rude of him!" Acornpaw was breathing heavily, blood dripping from his muzzle. "Yeah, it sure was." He said sarcastically. "Were you talking to the fox?" He asked.  Sunkit didn't catch his sarcasm. "Yes? Why?" He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just go." Suddenly there was a rumble from a nearby bush. Sunkit turned and backed away suddenly worried. Acornpaw glared at the bush, snarling. "If it's another fox we are leaving." But then a scent hit him. "Cat!" Then, a large tom came out of the bush. His ribs were showing, but he was familiar. "Owlspark!?" Acornpaw gasped. "We thought you left for good!" He snarled. "You are on Thunderclan territory, rouge!" He hissed. She froze, wrinkling her muzzle to determine where she heard that name before. "Owlspark." Owlspark flattened his ears at Acornpaws harshness. "There is no need to be upset. I'm not a threat." The tom turned to Sunkit. "Who's this? She looks like..." he didn't finish. She blinked and another voice came from the shadows. "first of all, you are on Shadowclan land, and Owlspark..." Owlspark turned and looked at the Warrior. "A fox was attacking these kits." He meowed, gesturing with his tail to Acornpaw and Sunkit. Acornpaw growled. "I'm no kit!" He snarled. "You're still a banished warrior...I'll let it go though. You two are coming with us." The two toms glanced at each other and dipped their heads. "Fine." Sunkit looked at her paws when suddenly it hit her. My father. "W-wait!" Owlspark turned to look at her. "What is it?" Ratfur saw where this was going and snarled. "Another day little kit." "P-please I think I'm your daughter!" Owlspark's gaze softened. "I knew it. You look just like your mother...Do you have any siblings?" He asked, touching his nose to hers. She nodded "Poppykit is in Shadowclan..." "Shadowclan? Are you two separated?" He flattened his ears. " Is that why you're here?" Ratfur gave a soft hiss. "Enough!" He picked Sunkit up, grumbling about being away from his nest. Sunkit dipped her head and let him take her to Shadowclan's camp.