Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 4 (Timberkit)

Timberkit's ears pricked at Sagekit's mew. He looked up from intwining two blades of grass with his claws to see Spiderstar bound onto the Highledge. The black tom let out a yowl to gather the cats who were going. Blacknose padded from the warriors' den quickly and joined the ThunderClan leader on top of the boulder. Willowwhisker padded from the medicine cat den, her fur smelling thickly of the herbs she works with in her den. Once the cats had gathered, Spiderstar leapt down from the Highledge and signaled with a flick of his sleek black tail for his warriors to follow.

"I wonder what it's like at a Gathering," Nightkit meowed as she watched the patrol leave camp. The tips of their tails disappeared behind the thorn entrance as they left the Clan behind them. 

"You wonder a lot of things," Sagekit teased and he nipped her on the ear. Nightkit squealed then dove at him, her paws outstretched. The two kits rolled around on the grass, mewling as they took turns tugging at each other's ears.

"Nightkit! Timberkit! Sagekit!" Timberkit's ear twitched as he heard his name being called from the nursery. Sagekit and Nightkit pulled apart and licked down some of their ruffled fur. "Time to come in!" Blazetail was peeking her head through the ferns outside the nursery, watching them with her amber eyes.

"Coming!" Sagekit called back. The three kits bounded off towards the nursery and Blazetail shooed them in with her bushy ginger tail.

"You weren't planning to stay out there all night, were you?" the ginger queen purred. She settled herself on the moss and pulled the three kits close with a gentle paw.

"Of course not, Mom," Sagekit gave their mother a mischievous grin before settling in beside his mother's warm belly. Nightkit and Timberkit snuggled in too, their backs pressing up against Blazetail's white belly fur.

"Goodnight," Blazetail yawned and settled her head on her paws. Timberkit lay awake, waiting until every other cat was asleep before closing his eyes himself. He had a nagging feeling that tugged at his paws and stomach, keeping him awake until finally he slipped off into a light sleep.

Timberkit blinked open his eyes, he was in the medicine cat den. Around him were the shelves of herbs, their smells were stronger than before and their scent lingered in his nose mercilessly. There was a bright, golden light bathing into the den, sending the stone wall's shadows across the floor.

"Why am I in the herb storage?" Timberkit murmured to himself. He stood up and shook his bracken-colored fur before padding out of the den. The clearing that spread out before him was not of a Clan he's ever seen before.

The clearing definitely belonged to a Clan. There was a tall rock that jutted out from the ground with a hollow carved into it, probably by an ancient stream, Timberkit guessed. The medicine den behind him was not the one from ThunderClan camp, it was formed into a crack in a rock with a sturdy fern tunnel. He turned his attention back to the clearing, it was deserted and the scent of cats was stale.

"W-where am I?" Timberkit called out into the muted silence. He looked around frantically, checking each den in hopes to find a some cat. But no one was there. As Timberkit padded out of a fallen tree formed into a den he saw a cat sitting with slumped shoulders by the large rock in camp. "Who are you?" he called out to the cat.

"Greetings, young kit," the cat rasped. The shaggy gray she-cat dragged her paws over to him and licked him behind the ears. Timberkit drew away, not knowing why this stranger was being so friendly towards him.

"Who are you? Where am I? Where is my sister and brother?" Timberkit demanded.

"Silence, kit, you are dreaming," the old cat meowed. Timberkit looked around, it didn't feel like a dream but he could see bright stars dotting the old she-cat's pelt.