Warriors: Falling Petals [Discontinued]

Chapter Two - The Quest to Prove

Chapter Two
The Quest to Prove

For the rest of the day, Flowerkit was nervous. He couldn't believe he was actually going to try and steal from another Clan. ShadowClan, no less! There was no way he could succeed. Yet he had to try. If he didn't... There would never be an end to the bullying.

Mosskit, Acornkit and Spikekit had left him alone after he'd agreed to their test. They were still watching him, though. He glanced over at the group of kits by the nursery, and Mosskit noticed his gaze and shot him a mocking smile before returning her attention to Acornkit and Spikekit. The three were deep in conversation. Flowerkit sighed and walked on.

He was heading towards the freshkill pile, but before he reached it another cat jumped in front of him in a flash of brown fur. Flowerkit arched his back and bared his teeth, thinking it was Spikekit, but quickly realized the cat in front of him was not a tabby, and was too big to be another kit. "Sagepaw!" Flowerkit cried in both relief and irritation.

"Hey Flowerkit," the pretty brown and white she-cat meowed. "Are you alright? I saw that Mosskit and the others had you cornered."

"I'm fine," Flowerkit huffed. Anxiety clenched his stomach as he was reminded of the mission he had taken on. "N-nothing happened."

Sagepaw blinked her pale green eyes and shook out her fur. "Alright. You know, if you ever want me to teach those bullies a lesson, just ask."

"Right," Flowerkit grumbled, but immediately disregarded her offer. He didn't need anyone to come to his rescue.

"Do you want to play something?" Sagepaw asked. "My mentor's out on patrol, so I have nothing to do." She scuffed her paws and sighed in pretend boredom.

Flowerkit laughed at her dramatics. "Sure, let's play," he meowed, beginning to feel himself cheer up. "You good with mossball?"

"Absolutely." Sagepaw smiled. "I'm not going easy on you this time, though."

"Hey, I'm only three moons," Flowerkit replied, scooping up a pawful of moss and squishing it into a roughly circular shape. He tossed it in the air to check that it kept its form, then batted it over to Sagepaw.

Sagepaw snagged it in her claws and threw it back over to him. "So what?"

Flowerkit jumped and caught the mossball in his jaws. He dropped it and kicked it back over, and didn't reply, concentrating on the game. Sagepaw swiped it back. The ball of moss went over Flowerkit's head. He turned and grabbed it, then flung it at Sagepaw as fast as he could. The apprentice caught it easily. She threw it again, but this time it fell short of Flowerkit, who was expecting another long throw. He growled and hit it again. The mossball went sideways, and Sagepaw had to run over to get it.

"Sorry," Flowerkit grunted, but Sagepaw just smiled and batted it back.

After a few more passes, Flowerkit grew bored. The worry gnawing inside him was making it difficult to enjoy the game. He kicked the mossball back at Sagepaw and shook his head. "I'm getting a bit tired. I think I'm going to take a nap," he told her. Sagepaw nodded.

"Okay. I'll see you later then." Sagepaw flung the mossball into the bushes, where it disappeared with a rustle of leaves. Then she touched Flowerkit's shoulder with her tail and smiled. "Don't let the other kits get to you. You have a great name. They're just a bunch of mouse-brains."

"Yeah, whatever," Flowerkit grumbled. He'd heard it all before. He turned and headed back towards the nursery.

The other kits had started a game of their own, and Rainkit, Spikekit's brother, had joined them. The four kits were split up in teams of two according to kin; Spikekit and Rainkit were facing off with Mosskit and Acornkit. It looked like each team had an object they were guarding. On Mosskit and Acornkit's side there was a feather, and Rainkit and Spikekit protected a pinecone. Each team was trying to get the other team's treasure without losing their own. As Flowerkit watched, Mosskit pushed Rainkit down and grabbed the pinecone in her jaws. Spikekit looked over from where he was circling Acornkit, who was guarding the feather, and Acornkit pinned the younger tom. Mosskit then ran over and set the pinecone down beside their feather, proclaiming, "We win!"