Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 2 (Timberkit)

The early morning songs of birds rang through Timberkit's light sleep. The bracken-colored tom blinked open his sleep-crusted eyes and yawned. Beside him, Sagekit already lay awake, his eyes stared thoughtfully down at the moss bedding beneath him.

"'Morning," Timberkit nudged him with a paw, hoping to snap him from his daze.

Sagekit looked up and shook his head, "Good morning, Timberkit." The ginger kit let out a yawn, his white teeth glinted in the sunlight that filtered through the bramble foliage.

"Is Nightkit up yet?" Timberkit asked, motioning with his tail to the bundle of black fur beside his brother. Sagekit shook his head before prodding the she-kit's side with his paws.

"Hmm?" Nightkit mewled sleepily. Timberkit let out an amused purr and shuffled closer to his sister.

"It's morning," he whispered to her, "don't you want to see the dawn patrol leave?"

That made Nightkit lift her head, "If it's morning shouldn't they have already left? It's the dawn patrol not a morning patrol."

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Sagekit cuffed the sleepy she-kit on the ear.

"Fine," Nightkit grumbled as she slid from the nook of Blazetail's paws and stood up. Timberkit rose to his paws as well and stretched his short limbs. Sagekit was the last to get up, his tiredness slowing him down.

The three kits brushed out of the nursery, and the ferns that barricaded the entrance rustled behind them as they padded out. Sunlight bathed the clearing and dew dappled the ground, making the grass beneath Timberkit's paws wet.

It was true, the dawn patrol was just leaving as they padded out. It was led by Spiderstar with Adderpaw, Rattail, and Maplefrost following. The rest of the camp was just waking up while another patrol, a hunting party, trotted through the thorn tunnel and into the forest beyond.

"I can't wait until I get to join patrols like that!" Sagekit mewed.

"And be waken up before the sun reaches the treetops? Enjoy your long nights of sleep while you can," Goldenpaw, a golden-colored she-cat chimed in as she padded up beside the kits.

"Are you going on a patrol?" Timberkit mewed, looking up at the older cat.

Goldenpaw shook her creamy, sun-colored head, "No, Swallowfern is taking me to the training hollow to do battle training this morning."

"Wow! Can you teach us some moves?" Nightkit asked, her tail swaying from side to side with excitement.

"Sure!" Goldenpaw crouched down low against the dewy grass. She stalked forwards before swiping through the air with her paw, pretending to strike at an enemy warrior. "Now you try," she got up from her crouch to watch.  

Nightkit easily slid into the crouch and she stalked forward, keeping both her sides balanced. But as she swiped her paw at the air she tumbled and face planted into the earth. Goldenpaw's whiskers twitched and she purred a bit as Nightkit reared back and shook some wet earth from her ear.

"Nice crouch, you'll probably be a great hunter," Goldenpaw meowed. Nightkit brightened then fell into a crouch again. She stalked down a leaf that was strewn on the ground. With a leap she launched herself at it and pinned it beneath her paws. "Great!" Goldenpaw praised.

Sagekit was the next one to try. Goldenpaw said his sides were unbalanced but he still was able to give a strong swipe through the air. No doubt he'd make a good fighter and a strong opponent in battle.

"Your turn, Timberkit!" Sagekit mewed as he backed out of the way to let him try.

Timberkit wrinkled his nose, he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of his siblings and an apprentice. Reluctantly, he crouched down low against the soft grass and stalked forward. His haunches swayed back and forth unbalanced. Frustrated, he lashed out his paw but fell onto his face like Nightkit had.