Warriors: A Twisted Path

Chapter 3

  Talonkit peered out from behind the nursery, his pale green eyes narrowing. His brother, Finchkit, was talking to Hopkit in front of the den. Talonkit smirked, crouching low so that his belly fur brushed the ground. Slowly and quietly, Talonkit stalked towards his brother. His tail lashed once before he pounced, landing on Finchkit.
  "Talonkit!" Finchkit squeaked, jumping up with surprise. "You scared the living daylight out of me!"
  Talonkit burst out laughing, and Hopkit joined in.
  "That was the point!" Talonkit laughed.
  "I'll get you back." Finchkit grumbled. His eyes suddenly brightened as he looked to the camp entrance. "Maplebranch is back!"
  Talonkit and Hopkit followed Finchkit's gaze as Blackstar, Timberfall, Orangepelt, and Maplebranch, his father, entered the camp. Brokenheart immediately ran up to Blackstar, her eyes blazing with fury.
  "You're expecting kits! You shouldn't be out of camp!" Brokenheart hissed. "Your kits are due anyday now!"
  Blackstar sighed. "I'm not useless! I can still hunt and patrol!"
  Timberfall narrowed his eyes at his new mate. "Maybe you should stay in camp, I don't want anything to happen to you."
  Blackstar grumbled but nodded. "Fine."
  Brokenheart looked at Orangepelt, her gaze softening. "Could you guard the nursery? I don't want Blackstar sneaking out."
  Blackstar began to protest but Orangepelt nodded, dipping his head. "Of course."
  Talonkit and Finchkit ran to Maplebranch, pinning him down. Maplebranch growled playfully and rolled over, this time pinning the kits down instead.
  "How was the patrol?" Talonkit asked.
  "Was there any intruders?!" Finchkit put in, his fur bristling.
  Maplebranch purred. "The patrol was fine. We didn't scent or catch anyone in our territory."
  "Aw, so boring..." Finchkit sighed.
  Maplebranch got off his kits, and they both sat up. Maplebranch looked up as his mate, Leaffall, padded over to them.
  "Looks like the kits are almost ready to become apprentices." Leaffall purred.
  "We are!" Both kits agreed.
  "So are these the clan's newest warriors?" Leaffall's sister, Spottedtail, exclaimed as she bounded over to them.
  "Yes, and the strongest in the clan too!" Talonkit boasted, puffing out his chest.
  The two she-cats purred with amusement, and Maplebranch smiled. 
  Talonkit and Finchkit looked up in amazement as the clans apprentices raced into camp, prey in their jaws. Redpaw took the lead, followed by Twopaw and Frostpaw.
  "I'm guessing they passed their warrior assessments." Spottedtail purred.
  "When can we start our warrior training?" Talonkit asked, his eyes shining hopefully.
  "Not until you are six moons old, so you've still got four moons left to wait." Maplebranch replied.
  Finchkit frowned. "That's going to take forever!"
  "The long wait is gonna be worth it!" Talonkit exclaimed.
  "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highedge for a clan meeting!"
  Blackstar's voice rang around the clearing, and Talonkit looked up at his leader.
  "Can we please watch the ceremony?!" Finchkit begged his mother.
  "Fine, but watch from the nursery. You are not yet old enough to go beneath the Highedge." Leaffall told them.
  Talonkit and his brother nodded, racing to the nursery. They sat down and looked up at their leader, who was sitting at the edge of a small cliff at the corner of the camp.
  "Three apprentice's have passed their warrior assessments and are now ready to become warriors." Blackstar began. "Redpaw, Twopaw, and Frostpaw, please step forward."
  Redpaw puffed out his chest as he stepped forward, his two siblings stepping beside him.
  "Redpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Redclaw. StarClan honors your courage and strength, and I'm proud to have you as a full WindClan warrior." Blackstar stopped and looked at her son with pride.
  Redclaw puffed out his chest as his name was called.
  "Redclaw!" Talonkit cheered.
  "Twopaw, from this moment you will be known as Twoeye. StarClan honors your honesty and skill, and we are glad that you are now a full warrior."
  "Twoeye! Twoeye!"
  Finally, Frostpaw stepped forward. Her eye had been scared from a badger a few moons ago, but that didn't slow her training down.
  "Frostpaw, from this moment on, you will be called Froststrike. Our ancestors honor your strength and bravery, and WindClan is proud to have you in its ranks." Blackstar finished, her eyes full of pride.
  Talonkit lifted his muzzle into the air and called out the new warrior's name.
  "Froststrike! Froststrike!"
  "Tonight these new warriors will sit vigil, and tomorrow will be sleeping in the warriors den." Blackstar yowled. "Meeting dismissed!"
  With that, the black tabby jumped down from the Highrock and walked over to her kits.
  Talonkit's eyes were still wide with excitement. That would be him and Finchkit one day! If only Sorrelkit was there with them...
  Sorrelkit was Talonkit's younger sister. When she was born, she was too weak and died two days later. Talonkit's parents often still grieved for their lost daughter.
  Finchkit prodded Talonkit on the side, his whiskers twitching. "Hey, you okay? You dazed off there for a moment."
  Talonkit shook his pelt. "Yeah... I'm fine. Just... thinking about how we will be warriors one day just like Redclaw and the others!"
  Finchkit purred. "One day little brother! And maybe I will be leader, and you can be deputy!"
  Talonkit crouched down, letting out a playful growl. "Are you so sure about that?"
  Before Finchkit could reply, Talonkit barreled into him, pinning his brother down. Finchkit kicked up with his hind legs, hitting Talonkit in the stomach.
  Talonkit rolled off, quickly getting to his paws in time for Finchkit's next attack. As his brother ran towards him, paws outstretched, Talonkit stepped aside, making Finchkit go face first into the dirt.
  Talonkit burst out laughing. "Would you look at that, the great leader was beat by his deputy."
  Finchkit's tail twitched with annoyance. Before he could get up, Orangepelt padded over and grabbed Finchkit by his scruff, setting the kit down back on all four paws.
  "Playing leader and deputy I see?" The orange tom said with a smile.
  "Yes! And I'm leader this time!" Talonkit declared, glancing at Finchkit.
  Finchkit brushed the dirt off his pelt with his tail. "Okay, okay. Fine."
  "Enemy warrior!"
  Orangepelt turned around to see Hopkit launch at him, landing on his back.
  Talonkit and his brother both crouched down, jumping up to join Hopkit on the warrior's back.
  Orangepelt fell on his stomach, mewing dramatically. "Ow, you've defeated me."
  "Yes! And you'd better go back to the territory you belong, ThunderClan warrior!" Talonkit hissed.
  The three kits jumped off of him, their chests puffed out with triumph.
  The medicine cat, Brokenheart, walked up to Orangepelt, helping him up.
  "Looks like this warrior needs a medicine cat's help." Brokenheart purred with amusement.
  "Yes." Orangepelt rasped. "These three brave warriors have claws like thorns."
  "And we will chase you out again if we have to!" Finchkit mewed.
  Orangepelt smiled as Brokenheart spoke again. "Orangepelt, would you mind coming with me to collect herbs? I need some help carrying them back and Shadowpelt is busy with our patients."
  "Of course." Orangepelt replied, then looked back to the kits. "Until next time youngsters!"
  Talonkit watched the two cats leave, calling out to them. "Bye!"