Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 3 (Nightkit)

"Come on! Lets see the warriors' den first!" Nightkit mewed as she crouched down against the grass. Sagekit and Timberkit followed her in suit, their bellies barely touching cold bottom. Nightkit's paws tingled with excitement and curiosity for what the dens looked like. "Make sure to keep quiet," she reminded.

"But-" Timberkit was cut off as Sagekit covered his mouth with his ginger tail. Timberkit reared his head away but didn't say anymore. Sagekit nudged him playfully with his shoulder then crawled through the grass up to Nightkit's side.

"Lets go," she whispered before stalking silently to the edge of the clearing. The kept close to the bramble barrier, but not enough to brush up against it. The bramble's thorns jutted out of the tendrils warningly, and Nightkit didn't want any of her fur snagged onto one of those things.

They snuck up on the warriors' den, a hollow carved into the ground with beech tree boughs and a thicket of thorn branches acting as its barricade.

"How are we going to get in?" Sagekit whispered under his breath. But Nightkit was already dabbing at the sides of the den with her paw. She found a loose spot where the thorn branches could easily be shifted out of the way and replaced.

"Over here," she mewed. Carefully, she spread the thorn branches apart with her paws and slipped through the gap. A thorn snagged onto her back and she nearly yelped as the pain dragged along her flesh. She ducked down and crawled into the warriors' den.

Sagekit followed her in, dodging the overhang of thorns that had caught onto her. Timberkit filed in after and his eyes locked onto her scratch.

"I'm fine, just cover that hole up," she mewed as she twisted and began licking at the scratch.

"I could get Sweetscent to put some herbs on it," Timberkit mewed as Sagekit dragged the thorn barrier back into place.

"And let her know we're sneaking around?" Nightkit teased. "I'll be fine, trust me," she meowed.

"Wow! It's huge!" Sagekit mewled in awe as he looked around the den. Nightkit turned to see what he was seeing. A large den was laid out, moss beddings were strewn across the ground, even some extras were made towards the back.

"I heard stories from the elders about the Clan once holding many cats and the apprentice den overflowing," Nightkit mewed, remembering the one of many stories about ancient cats.

"I wonder why there isn't as many anymore," Timberkit narrowed his eyes.

"Dunno," Nightkit shrugged. Then she remembered that they had to be sneaky and she hushed them with a flick of her black tail. She crawled around the the warriors' den, sniffing the air and drinking in the scents of the forest that the warriors brought it.

"There isn't that much to see, maybe we should investigate the apprentices' den again," Sagekit suggested once they padded all the way around the den.

"Fine by me," Nightkit nodded.

"Lets get some dock leaves for your back first," Timberkit whispered.

Nightkit hesitated then nodded, "Go get the leaves. Sagekit and I will be waiting for you by the apprentices' den." The three kits nodded their agreement and Timberkit slinked away out of the den from the main entrance.

"I hope he doesn't get caught," Sagekit commented as the tip of the bracken-colored tom's tail disappeared behind the bramble screen. Nightkit nodded and the two kits waited before padding out of the den themselves.

"What are you two doing?" a low grumble sounded from behind them as they tried to sneak away from the den. Nightkit and Sagekit turned, it was Rattail. The patrol must've came back from refreshing the borders a while ago.