Briarthorn's Torment

Chapter Two

     "M-mother, it really was scary!" Briarkit told Sparrowheart, her ears flat against her small skull. "Le-Leopardkit was dying..." Why didn't her mother listen?
     "It was just a dream, sweet." Sparrowheart repeated once again, Leopardkit was asleep still. Her small sides heaved up and down like waves reaching the sand, washing back again and repeating the calm rhythm.
     "It seemed real, Sparrowheart!" Briarkit tried her hardest to convince her mother, her tail flicked in annoyance as she sighed. Why didn't her mother get it? Scrunching up the bridge of her nose, Briarkit ran outside to go play with her friends.
"Dreamkit, want to train with me?" Briarkit asked, she had to train once every day to be the best apprentice she could possibly be! The dusky brown she~kit turned to her friend and nodded vigorously. Briarkit beamed happily, she pounced on a leaf before quickly getting up to find somewhere to train.
"Hm... maybe we should get Starrykit to join us," Dreamkit suggested, she looked around for the gray she~kit. Briarkit noticed her dear friend talking to the warrior known as Littlebriar.
"Starrykit!" Briarkit called after nodding her agreement, Starrykit turned around and said her goodbyes to the warrior before racing over to Dreamkit and Briarkit.
"Yes, Briarkit?" Asked the gray she, Briarkit wore a sneaky smirk on her face.
"Want to go out of camp with me and Dreamkit?" Briarkit asked with a sly grin, Dreamkit made a noise of objection but quickly excused herself. Starrykit gulped and gave a nod.
"Alright, then let's go!" Briarkit giggled, she turned around and led her two friends to a parting in the bracken that no warrior seemed to be around. Luckily, Blackkit was busy distracting the queens with his leaf battling, how silly. Briarkit was planning on catching a real piece of prey and bringing it back to show it off.
"Briarkit, what if we run into a patrol?" Dreamkit breathed, she was too occupied looking up at the large looming trees to give Briarkit her gaze.
"Then... then we hide!" Briarkit decided, although she felt her answer was mediocre and very general, it could work. Briarkit's black nose twitched as she lifted her white muzzle into the air to attempt to sniff something out. Instead of getting anywhere with her smart thinking, she just smelled the closest scent... she was going to be a horrible apprentice! Her senses were full of green leaves and the bark of trees, she wanted to detect an upcoming patrol not some... some greenery!
     Starrykit was looking straight ahead, her blue eyes widened in surprise as she shrieked. There was a rusty red figure with black paws and a white muzzle... dear StarClan!
     Briarkit's ears flattened against her head before she let out a horrified whimper. Her small legs shook as a small figure emerged from the bushes, Dreamkit let out a meow of confusion as she looked to the apprentice-sized canine. The elders had spoken stories of these animals, this one's pelt matched the description... but its size didn't at all.
     Her ears perked up before tilting her head, was this a fox-kit? Surely foxes had to have their own young, so it would make sense... right? Starrykit whispered into Briarkit's ear.
     "If this is a fox... why is it so small? Shadespark said they're much bigger." Commented the gray kit, she was dazed. Briarkit just answered with a simple shrug, her yellow eyes bright and wide.
     Starrykit murmured before hopping back in surprise, the fox-kit dropped down where his front legs rested on the ground, but his haunches stuck high in the air. What was he doing? Briarkit felt her legs buckle beneath her, before falling to the ground with a loud thump. Starrykit gasped and looked to Briarkit, while Dreamkit helped Briarthorn up.
     "Thank you," murmured the she~kit before containing eye contact with the fox-kit. This fox couldn't be abandoned, where was its mom? Maybe they don't have mothers? Sparkshade had said they don't travel in Clans like cats do, if so... do fox young get left alone when they're old enough? This one didn't seem old at all, Briarkit thought. She inhaled deeply through her small nose, remaining eye-to-eye with the fox-kit.
     There was a rustle of the luscious green bushes behind the fox-kit, Briarkit's only hope was that it was an upcoming border patrol. She shook like a light fern does when tough winds shake its stems, as if she was a freezing kit in the middle of cold snow. The figure revealed itself, Briarkit gasped in surprise.
     A much larger fox, almost tripling the size of the cub, emerged. The fox was snarling with petrifying yellow teeth, Dreamkit whimpered with her ears pinned against her brown head. Briarkit could almost feel it, it was the end of them...
     Was this the fox-kit's mother? If so, their chances of survival would be even lower. Briarkit knew her mother would fight if a dangerous creature came across either of her kits instantly, without the slightest hesitation. She whined in a high tone that only seemed to anger the mother even more. Her legs shook like bulrushes in the fall breeze, how terrifying could a creature be?
     The fox lunged forwards, snapping her jaws fiercely which only made Starrykit screech. The beast seemed only more aggressive because of her sensitive ears, Briarkit exchanged a glance with Dreamkit. Sympathy rushed through her for Starrykit, who seemed to regret her sudden, earsplitting reaction.
     It seemed as though Briarkit's prayers were answered, or maybe it was her friends. She'd no idea, but a band of warriors— Icicleclaw, Gemface and Foxheart— trampled through. Foxheart wore a determined look on her face, as though she spoke for a million demons. Gemface ushered Icicleclaw from the fox, in fear that her... close friend would risk a dangerous action. Briarkit looked to the warriors, were three enough for a full grown mother fox to take on? Briarkit backed into the undergrowth, trying to hide her presence as she called for her friends to join.
Starrykit and Dreamkit immediately retreated to the sheltered growth with Briarkit as they examined closely. What would happen if a warrior died? Fear scent drenched the clearing, not only from Briarkit, but from practically every cat or fox. Foxheart let out a loud war cry before throwing herself at the mother beast, Briarkit felt the air trap in her throat as she attempted to warn the warrior to retreat.
Briarkit feared this moment, it was too traumatizing. Starrykit directed her gaze elsewhere, while Dreamkit hid her face in Briarkit's pelt. Foxheart snarled, clamping her teeth down on the fox's foreleg. This only seemed to anger the mother even more, she roared in pain and reached down to clamp Foxheart's head in her jaws. Briarkit choked on her oxygen, her yellow eyes wide and fearful as she was forced to watch the poor she~cat's fate unfold.
Foxheart screeched in surprise as her head took a traumatic toll, she dropped to the grassy ground, unconscious. She was too still, bleeding severely and Briarkit even thought she had a few misplaced bones. Icicleclaw bellowed in fury as he raked his vicious claws through the fox's chest. Doing a good deal on her, the mother fox yelped. She picked up her young and turned, running off as quick paced as she could. As soon as it was safe, the two-faced she~cat known as Gemface whipped around to stare at the three kits.
     Icicleclaw was already taking Foxheart back to camp, which meant Starrykit, Briarkit and Dreamkit were going to be scolded by the strict Gemface. "Great," breathed Dreamkit grumpily.
     "The three of you, out here now!" Exclaimed the warrior in disbelief. "Do you know how close you were to death? You aren't supposed to even be out here!" Hissed the warrior, her blue and amber eyes darted from the three of them crazily.
     "We know, sorry Gemface." Meowed Starrykit restlessly, Briarkit was still shaking- but now it was the feeling of queasy relief instead of heart aching fear. Gemface continued on with her lecture as Briarkit scanned around the forest behind the fluffy she. The trees seemed to stretch all the way to Silverpelt, maybe their warrior ancestors lived up there, Briarkit wondered innocently. Her tiny pink mouth gaped open in awe, the trees were beautiful and green with tall oak and birch trunks. There was moss covering some of the trees, some cobwebs danced around in the wind as they hung from branches. There was a beautiful willow tree that's branches slanted down, the leaves were close to the ground... it was so beautiful!
     The green grass on the floor went up to just below Briarkit's shoulders, that was only the tallest areas where no sign of trampling was seen. However, most of it was stomped down by recent, or even ancient, border patrols or hunting parties. There were strange mushrooms sprouting here and there, while some light streams trickled through the forest. Briarkit then looked at the bushes, they seemed to be a bubble that couldn't surface. They were well shaped and could even use for dens, Briarkit kept a mental note of her surroundings. She was brought back to the present by Gemface's prodding.
     "Briarkit! Do you understand?"
     "Yes..." grumbled the kit in annoyance, it was irritating how she had to be scolded by Gemface and then Sparrowheart.
     "Good, then back to camp we go." Meowed the warrior as she forced the kit trio to follow her back to camp. Briarkit glared at the ground before kicking a pebble in annoyance. She understood! Now Gemface was going to tell her mother and Mouseear and Icetail!
Dreamkit grumbled as she looked to Blackkit, running off to greet him. Briarkit suppressed a devastated sigh, she looked off for something to escape to. Her yellow gaze trailed over to the elders den, perhaps Shadespark could help with one of her thrilling stories! She nudged Starrykit to follow her as she ran off to the den, sneezing at the dust she tracked up in the sky from her light paws skidding on the dirt ground. She came to a sudden halt in front of the den, padding in respectfully as she kept her head high.
"Ah, 'ello Briarkit, Starrykit!" Greeted Shadespark, the kindest elder of them. Briarkit meowed her own hellos before asking Shadespark to tell her of an interesting story. The elder sat back in deep thought, her eyes squinted. Briarkit waited patiently, watching the elder closely with an expectant sparkle in her gaze.
"How about one of... why not I tell you of how I defeated a fox?" Asked the elder before cracking a lighthearted smile. Briarkit was excited, she'd only heard of encounters with other animals! Not one of a cat of LemonClan defeating one all by herself! She gave a vigorous nod.
     Shadespark chuckled in a jolly tone before clearing her throat, preparing for a long story. The other elders faces seemed to straighten a bit as they listened in as well.
     "One day, the Clan was at ease; going about their duties normally. Until... Azurepa- Azurepelt," She corrected. "Crashed into camp with a fox following him! I went to assist my Clanmate immediately! As soon as the fox attacked our Clan, I showed it my fury! When the fox slashed at Snakewhisper, I ducked under the fox and slit its belly as I quickly dodged its attack!"
     Briarkit furrowed her brow in confusion, who was Snakewhisper? She knew of Azurepelt, but not Snakewhisper. "Shadespark, who's Snakewhisper?" She was puzzled.
     Shadespark chuckled, tapping her feathery tail atop Briarkit's head. "Snakewhisper was a young warrior in my times, he died somehow which was all very tragic and heartbreaking!"
     "So he was a good warrior?" Asked Briarkit, she was surprised, seeing as the tomcat's name was intimidating.
     "Yes he was! Cats spread rumours about him murdering city cats, but rumours are just rumours." Shadespark reminded sharply, she still had a jolly tone.
     Briarkit nodded, she was interested in this... Snakewhisper, did he really kill city cats? Was he a Place Of No Stars cat...?