Jaggedstar's Twist

Chapter Five:

Furzekit squeezed himself through the entrance of the well-patched nursery. A light coat of morning dew hung on the grass in the camp. It reminded Furzekit that
Leafbare -the first one he would ever see- wasn't too far.

Around the clearing, cats were slowly preparing for a new day ahead of themselves. A light brown tabby tom, who was Owlwhisker, barked orders to a pair of warriors that were hunkering near the fresh-kill pile. Furzekit watched as they stomped away from the prey, exchanging irritated glares at each other.

Duststar emerged from the interior of his den. His powerful muscles rippled beneath his pelt as he took his place on the Outlook Rock. Shadewhisker nimbly trotted over to join the large tom.
Furzekit sighed. He wondered how it felt being a full grown warrior, or leader. Did it feel great to be standing upon the Outlook Rock seeing every face of your Clanmate? Or serving your Clan through even at the toughest time?
He was snapped into reality at a rustle from behind him. Spinning around, Furzekit stood face-to-face with Hailspot. He froze.

Hailspot's piercing eyes narrowed at him. "Where's your mother?" She asked.
"She's still in Rainsong's den with Whitekit." He replied.
Mothfur had taken her son to have him checked out for any possible condition.
"I wonder what's taking so long," Hailspot grunted. "Maybe there's something wrong."

A pang of alarm jabbed Furzekit's chest as the queen spoke. What if there was something wrong?
"I can go check if you want me to." Furzekit quickly mewled. He turned to bound away just incase Hailspot insisted on going herself.
Hailspot shrugged. "Fine with me."

Furzekit dashed off towards Rainsong's den, swerving past a few warriors that were carrying a few wads a moss. Energy tingled at the end of his paws. He'd be perfect for running on the moors!

Skidding to a halt, Furzekit stood for a few moments to regain his breath. A few hushed voices from inside of the den make his ears prick. Mothfur's soothing scent drifted to Furzekit's nostrils.

"So you do not know what's the matter with him?" The she-cat's concerned tone made Furzekit strain to hear.
"I'm afraid I do not. He's not deaf, obviously." Rainsong's murmur was nearly a hum.

Furzekit couldn't take the anticipation anymore. Taking a short breath, he pushed through the entrance.
"Momma? Are you almost done?"

Mothfur turned to gaze at him. She nodded. "We're almost done. Is there something wrong?"
Furzekit shook his head. "No, I just wanted to check on you."
Rainsong stood beside Mothfur with a grin. "Sweet, isn't he?" The pale tom asked.
Mothfur copied the tom's expression. "Very sweet," she murmured, bending down to touch her muzzle to Furzekit's ear.
Whitekit remained beside the ginger she-cat, completely rigid. He hadn't even glanced once at Furzekit.

Furzekit shifted his paws, glancing towards Rainsong. "Did you figure out what's wrong with Whitekit?"
The medicine cat shook his head. "No, unfortunately not," he murmured. "but at the next gathering I will ask the other medicine cats to see if they have ever seen a cat that has something that Whitekit has."

"Oh, okay." Furzekit mumbled. Worry pierced his heart like a thorn penetrating through a pad. How come Rainsong did not know anything about Whitekit's unknown condition? He was a medicine cat after all, and had been mentioned as very skilled by a warrior.
"You can go back and play with Tawnykit, I'll be back shortly." Mothfur mewed to Furzekit, jolting him from his thoughts.
Furzekit nodded. Tail-low, he turned and padded out of the den and back into the sunlit clearing. It would be a long, boring day if they were going to take forever.

...

The sun was making its way towards the horizon by the time Mothfur had returned to the nursery with Whitekit. Tawnykit had been asleep around that time, but now she was awake and as alert as a warrior patrolling the border. She and Whitekit were tossing a small pebble back and forth to each other.
Furzekit remained rooted in the spot next to the nursery, watching as the pebble flew through the air over and over again.

Hailspot and Mothfur were plopped down near the kits, sharing tongues while discussing things with each other. A sudden loud, rustle made their heads instantly snap over to the entrance of the camp.

A large, dark-furred tom staggered through the barrier of the WindClan camp. Their pelt was covered in magnificent amount of blood, and a slash on their side dripped onto the grass below them.
Wild-eyed, the tom yowled. "Th-there's a dog! Get the kits in the nursery!"

Furzekit's eyes widened. A dog? Where is it?
He had heard a story about a dog that had driven Ferretheart and Softbird, two of the elders, into a rabbit warren. Luckily, the dog had left after a call of a twoleg.

Before he had the chance to ask his question, Mothfur shoved Furzekit towards the nursery. He could hear the high-pitched mewls of protest from Tawnykit. The three were pushed back into the nursery by Mothfur and Hailspot.
"M-mama? Where's the dog?" Tawnykit whimpered as she pressed against her littermates.
"If you don't shut up it will find you!" Hailspot snapped, then faced the entrance. Mothfur stood beside the queen, claws unsheathed and ready to slice any threat that dared to go near the nursery.

As the sun sank, the tension in the air was a giant cloud above the camp. Furzekit could not hear any barking, but judging by the warrior's wounds he knew that there was a dog somewhere. He tried to peer through the nursery between Mothfur's legs.

More screeches and yowls broke shattered the air of the clearing. Furzekit tensed. The dog!
But instead of deep barks, he heard crazed yowls that were louder than the wailing of the wind.
Mothfur suddenly dashed away from her place in front of the nursery. Hailspot remained rigid, her neck-fur bristling and eyes wide.

Paws tingling with anticipation, Furzekit crawled behind Hailspot and closer to the entrance. He leapt back as the she-cat let out a gasp of pure horror. "Duststar!"
Furzekit leapt to his paws and strained his neck to peer over at the commotion. He gasped.
A group of cats stood cluttered in the middle of the clearing as they stared wide-eyed at something.
Iceclaw, the same white tom that Furzekit had seen a few sunrises ago, pushed past the panicky cats with a body on his back. Nettlemask flanked him, while a ginger tom flanked their other side.

Duststar laid motionless as he was set down onto the ground. He wasn't the leader Furzekit had saw earlier. The tom's well-groomed, shiny pelt was now grimy and covered in strips of blood. Crimson seeped from a gash on the leader's neck.
He wasn't the only one injured. Iceclaw had a split in his ear and a wound on his shoulder, and a few other warriors were wounded. But these wounds weren't as severe as Duststar's.
Rainsong rushed over to the tom's side with herbs hanging in his jaws. Shadewhisker followed after him, staring wide-eyed at the leader.

Furzekit realized that Hailspot had left the nursery, for he spotted her among the group of dismayed cats. He crept into the clearing to catch a better glimpse of what was occurring.
"Furzekit! Don't leave! The dog might come and eat us!" Tawnykit hissed.
"I'll be right back!" Furzekit hissed back, then bounded towards Rainsong.
Nettlemask suddenly scooped him up in his powerful jaws. "No you don't. Stay away from Duststar." The warrior growled, then added, "where's Mothfur?"
"She's somewhere over there." Furzekit strained to see past the warrior's shoulder, but he couldn't catch a sight of his mother's pale ginger pelt.
Nettlemask roughly sighed. "Alright," he set down Furzekit, "but now, go back to the nursery and stay away from Duststar!" He nudged the kit towards the nursery.
Furzekit glanced towards Shadewhisker as he took small steps towards the den.
The black tom remained motionless, staring at the tom with huge, yellow eyes. Furzekit could hear the tom repeating the same words: "Oh dear StarClan no..."

Furzekit stiffened at a hiss from Nettlemask. "Go back to the nursery! Now!"
At the words, the young tom scurried back to the nursery. He stared wide-eyed at Whitekit and Tawnykit.
"You should've seen Duststar! He looks terrible!"