Darkriver's Divergence

Chapter 1

"Pricklekit! Pass it here!" Darkkit squealed, running to her brother's side.

"No, I want it!" Otterkit shouted from behind her. Pricklekit glanced at the two of them, then slapped the rock he was holding to the side, where Splashkit was waiting.

"Nooo!" Otterkit yowled, though Darkkit didn't expect to feel him climbing over her.

"Otterkit, get off you fish-brain!" She hissed, wiggling to try and throw him off.

"Ha! Let's get Darkkit!" Pricklekit called, joining his brother in harassing his sister despite Darkkit's cries of protest.

"Hey, that's mean! Get off her!" Splashkit called, abandoning the pebble they had been playing with.

"You two are no fun!" Pricklekit whined. "Why don't you ever play like me and Otterkit want to?"

"They don't have to play like that if they don't want to," an older voice purred, and the kits looked up to see Mistheart approaching them.

"But then what are we supposed to play?" Otterkit asked, and Darkkit had to hold herself back from nipping at him as he climbed off her back.

"You kits are creative," Mistheart responded, "you'll think of something."

"I wish we could just leave the camp," Darkkit muttered. "There's probably loads of stuff to do out there."

"There is, but you're only four moons old," her mother said, giving the dark gray kit a lick on the forehead, much to her disapproval. "You'll get plenty of chances to explore when you're apprentices."

"And then we'll be warriors!" squealed Pricklekit, now bouncing on his toes. "And then I'll be leader!"

"Nuh-uh! I'm gonna be leader!" Otterkit argued, pouncing on his brother. Darkkit just rolled her eyes. Do they ever stop play-fighting?

"The clan needs good warriors, too!" Splashkit pointed out. "I'm gonna be the best hunter!"

Mistheart chuckled at the kits, then turned her gaze to the silent gray kit. "What about you, Darkkit? What do you want to be good at?"

Darkkit thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Dunno. I think I just wanna explore. Fighting would be cool."

"Yeah, 'cause you suck at it now!" Pricklekit sneered before being knocked over by Otterkit.

Before Darkkit could retort, her attention was taken to the camp entrance, and she gasped. "The morning patrol is back!"

"Yeah, dad!" Darkkit's brothers stopped fighting to approach the dark tom that had returned, and she and Splashkit quickly followed suit.

"There's my little warriors," Shadeleap purred, reaching his head down to nuzzle the kittens swarming his paws.

"Did you fight any sneaky ShadowClan cats? Did you win? Did they run home crying?" Otterkit asked, leaving no time to respond between his questions.

Shadeleap laughed. "No, no ShadowClan cats. We patrolled the WindClan border today."

"And you fought WindClan cats!" Pricklekit exclaimed excitedly.

"You've sure got your paws full with these four, Shadeleap," Waspstalk chuckled to the dark tom. "Just imagine how much trouble they'll be when they're apprentices."

"Hey, we're not trouble!" Splashkit protested. "I've been good, I promise!"

Darkkit suddenly became aware of another cat from the patrol waving her over, and she padded over to Willowpaw with a purr.

"What did you see today?" the kit asked, hardly able to contain her excitement.

"We patrolled all the way to the lake!" Willowpaw replied, setting down the item she had been holding in her mouth. "And on the way back, we stopped by the river, and thats where I found this!" She then pushed the item over to Darkkit, and the young cat gasped as she investigated the strange stone.

"It's a rock with a spiral? Cool!"

"Even better," the apprentice purred, "it's a shell."

"A shell?" Darkkit tilted her head.

"It's something that some creatures in the water use to live in sometimes. At least, that's what Waspstalk told me. I don't think anything's living in this one," Willowpaw explained, though Darkkit found herself barely listening as she admired the... shell in front of her.

"You can keep that one, if you want, Darkkit."

The kitten perked up instantly. "Really?!"

Willowpaw nodded. "I can always find another one next time I visit the river!"

"Can I come with you? I wanna go to the river and find a shell, too!" Darkkit exclaimed, though she became disheartened when the apprentice laughed.

"You've gotta be an apprentice before you leave camp!" Willowpaw mrrowed. She then turned a kind smile to Darkkit. "Don't worry, once you become an apprentice I'll take you there."

"Willowpaw!" Waspstalk called, and the she-cat dipped her head to Darkkit.

"I've gotta go. See you later, Darkkit! Have fun with the shell!"

Darkkit watched her friend walk away, then looked down at the shell at her paws, thoughts filling her head. I want to see the river, she decided. And I'm not gonna wait until I'm an apprentice!