THE PATROL CAME BACK AROUND SUNSET, and things looked like it wasn't fun.
"There was a RiverClan patrol at Sunningrocks!" Sunfall exclaimed. "We drove them off."
I stared, absentmindedly, adoring the warriors' battle scars.
"Where's Pinestar?" Leopardfoot's panicked mew got me to my senses.
*Where is Pinestar?* He was never at the camp, and he hardly sees us.
"Can I go outside?" I asked Leopardfoot.
She nodded. "But don't go to far."
I leapt out of the nursery. The warriors that were on patrol were wounded. I observed Featherwhisker, as he tended everyone's wounds. Right then, he was taking care of Bluefur's paw.
"...Comfrey?" she exclaimed.
Goosefeather, the medicine cat, nodded. "What else would I give you for that wrenched claw?"
*Boring!*
I stepped away, stopping when I saw Snowfur come in, She padded over to Thistleclaw, staggering.
"Are you alright?" Thistleclaw asked her.
"I'm fine," Snowfur grunted, "just a belly ache."
Thistleclaw froze. "You better check with Featherwhisker. I don't want you to die like Sweetpaw."
"I'm sure I'm fine, Thistleclaw," she winced. "I'll visit him afterwards."
Thistleclaw brushed his muzzle against hers. "I love you so much."
*Gross!* Everytime I look at them, that's all they'd say! I love you, I mimicked in my head, snorting with disgust.
"Pinestar!" Sunfall exclaimed, as my father went through the gorse entrance. He had something weird on his neck, but it was all a blur.
*Pinestar!* Leopardfoot has been asking for him all day! I leapt back into the nursery.
"Pinestar's here!" I exclaimed. "It looks like he's going to make an announcement!"
"I've heard," Leopardfoot stood up, letting Mistkit and Nightkit slide back into the nest. "Let's go, little ones," Leopardfoot encouraged my sisters. "Let's see your father make his announcement."
The two sisters feebly stood up and followed me and Leopardfoot. Everyone, wounded and all, were gathered at Highrock. Pinestar stood at Highrock, with a solemn look on his face. The thing on his neck jingled as he stood.
"Cats of ThunderClan," Pinestar yowled, echoing through the camp, "I can no longer be you leader." *What?* From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in Twolegplace."
"WHAT!?" I couldn't believe it!
There was a sudden burst of outrage throughout the camp.
"You're going to be a kittypet?" Stormtail grunted.
"Why?" Sunfall gasped.
Adderfang looked like he was going to explode.
Poppydawn looked up, pausing mourning her daughter, Sweetpaw. "How could you?"
Pinestar then bowed his head, the golden sphere jingling again. "I've been honored to serve you this long. The rest of my life will be spent as a kittypet, where I have no battles to fight, no lives depending on me for food and safety."
"Coward!" I heard Adderfang mutter.
*Coward? My father, a coward?* The bickering continued.
I looked over at Leopardfoot. My mother's eyes were tearing up, and she was whispering so quietly, so fast, that I couldn't figure out what she was saying. *Was she praying to StarClan?*
I interrupted her. "He's just joking," I didn't believe what was going on, "right, Leopardfoot?"
She shook her head. "No, Tigerkit. You see that thing around his neck, holding an obnocsious sphere? That is a Twoleg collar. Kittypets wear those."
"What's going on?" Nightkit squeaked.
Leopardfoot winced. "Pinestar's--he--your father's going to be...a kittypet."
Mistkit's mouth gaped open. "What?"
Leopardfoot started sobbing. *How dare he?* I thought that our father loved us! I guess I was sadly mistaken, since Pinestar was leaving us. Adderfang was right. He *was* a coward!
After Pinestar was taking to Lionpaw, his *former* apprentice, Leopardfoot made her way to his side.
"Pinestar," my mother sobbed, "what about ourkits? Won't you stay and watch them grow up?"
I was furious with Pinestar. *How dare he leave my mother behind; for the life of a kittypet!* I pounced on his tail, fighting with whatever energy I had.
Pinestar drew his tail away, and pressed his muzzle to Leopardfoot's "They'll be fine with you, Leopardfoot. I'm not a father they could be proud of, but I will always be proud of them. Especially you, little warrior." Pinestar then pressed his muzzle to my ears.
I growled, defiantly. *How dare he leave me!*
"Be strong, my precious son," my father mewed. "Serve your Clan well."
He nodded towards the Clan, and padded out of the gorse tunnel. The distant jingling of the hideous bell faded away. *He's gone!* I never saw my father again.
Leopardfoot looked towards Swiftbreeze, who was nodding towards the nursery.
"Let's go in the nursery," Leopardfoot sniffled.
Us three kits followed Leopardfoot back in the nursery, with Swiftbreeze following behind. Leopardfoot laid down in the nest, us following, and she cried. Swiftbreeze licked between her ears, as Leopardfoot gasped for breath.
"He left me," she sobbed, "he left the Clan, he left our kits! How could he do this to us?"
Swiftbreeze comforted her daughter. "I don't know, dear. It's alright, your mother's here."
Leopardfoot sniffled. "The kits will be without a father, and I overheard Featherwhisker and Bluefur talking about that Mistkit and Nightkit not being able to be a moon old!" She sniffled again. "Pinestar broke my heart!"
"I know," Swiftbreeze mewed, "but at least you have Tigerkit."
My mother nodded, licking between my ears. "Yes, at least I have you, my son."
I hugged closer to her. "Things'll get better, Leopardfoot," I reassured her. "I promise, I won't leave you."
Leopardfoot purred, pressing her muzzle to my head.
But, deep down inside, I was hiding my own anger and fury, that burnt in my heart like a flame. I can't believe Pinestar made her suffer like this! I now hated my father! He broke my mother's heart, and left his Clan in their time of need! He crushed me, with emotions, making me realize that I never wanted to be like him! *A coward! A mouse-brain! A traitor!* That day, I vowed to be a better Clan leader than Pinestar was. I promised to devote all the nine lives I'll get to my Clan.
*I will be strong, Pinestar,* I thought, hoping Pinestar would hear, *stronger than you'll ever be!*
Chapter 4 coming soon!!!
"There was a RiverClan patrol at Sunningrocks!" Sunfall exclaimed. "We drove them off."
I stared, absentmindedly, adoring the warriors' battle scars.
"Where's Pinestar?" Leopardfoot's panicked mew got me to my senses.
*Where is Pinestar?* He was never at the camp, and he hardly sees us.
"Can I go outside?" I asked Leopardfoot.
She nodded. "But don't go to far."
I leapt out of the nursery. The warriors that were on patrol were wounded. I observed Featherwhisker, as he tended everyone's wounds. Right then, he was taking care of Bluefur's paw.
"...Comfrey?" she exclaimed.
Goosefeather, the medicine cat, nodded. "What else would I give you for that wrenched claw?"
*Boring!*
I stepped away, stopping when I saw Snowfur come in, She padded over to Thistleclaw, staggering.
"Are you alright?" Thistleclaw asked her.
"I'm fine," Snowfur grunted, "just a belly ache."
Thistleclaw froze. "You better check with Featherwhisker. I don't want you to die like Sweetpaw."
"I'm sure I'm fine, Thistleclaw," she winced. "I'll visit him afterwards."
Thistleclaw brushed his muzzle against hers. "I love you so much."
*Gross!* Everytime I look at them, that's all they'd say! I love you, I mimicked in my head, snorting with disgust.
"Pinestar!" Sunfall exclaimed, as my father went through the gorse entrance. He had something weird on his neck, but it was all a blur.
*Pinestar!* Leopardfoot has been asking for him all day! I leapt back into the nursery.
"Pinestar's here!" I exclaimed. "It looks like he's going to make an announcement!"
"I've heard," Leopardfoot stood up, letting Mistkit and Nightkit slide back into the nest. "Let's go, little ones," Leopardfoot encouraged my sisters. "Let's see your father make his announcement."
The two sisters feebly stood up and followed me and Leopardfoot. Everyone, wounded and all, were gathered at Highrock. Pinestar stood at Highrock, with a solemn look on his face. The thing on his neck jingled as he stood.
"Cats of ThunderClan," Pinestar yowled, echoing through the camp, "I can no longer be you leader." *What?* From now on, I will leave the Clan and live with housefolk in Twolegplace."
"WHAT!?" I couldn't believe it!
There was a sudden burst of outrage throughout the camp.
"You're going to be a kittypet?" Stormtail grunted.
"Why?" Sunfall gasped.
Adderfang looked like he was going to explode.
Poppydawn looked up, pausing mourning her daughter, Sweetpaw. "How could you?"
Pinestar then bowed his head, the golden sphere jingling again. "I've been honored to serve you this long. The rest of my life will be spent as a kittypet, where I have no battles to fight, no lives depending on me for food and safety."
"Coward!" I heard Adderfang mutter.
*Coward? My father, a coward?* The bickering continued.
I looked over at Leopardfoot. My mother's eyes were tearing up, and she was whispering so quietly, so fast, that I couldn't figure out what she was saying. *Was she praying to StarClan?*
I interrupted her. "He's just joking," I didn't believe what was going on, "right, Leopardfoot?"
She shook her head. "No, Tigerkit. You see that thing around his neck, holding an obnocsious sphere? That is a Twoleg collar. Kittypets wear those."
"What's going on?" Nightkit squeaked.
Leopardfoot winced. "Pinestar's--he--your father's going to be...a kittypet."
Mistkit's mouth gaped open. "What?"
Leopardfoot started sobbing. *How dare he?* I thought that our father loved us! I guess I was sadly mistaken, since Pinestar was leaving us. Adderfang was right. He *was* a coward!
After Pinestar was taking to Lionpaw, his *former* apprentice, Leopardfoot made her way to his side.
"Pinestar," my mother sobbed, "what about ourkits? Won't you stay and watch them grow up?"
I was furious with Pinestar. *How dare he leave my mother behind; for the life of a kittypet!* I pounced on his tail, fighting with whatever energy I had.
Pinestar drew his tail away, and pressed his muzzle to Leopardfoot's "They'll be fine with you, Leopardfoot. I'm not a father they could be proud of, but I will always be proud of them. Especially you, little warrior." Pinestar then pressed his muzzle to my ears.
I growled, defiantly. *How dare he leave me!*
"Be strong, my precious son," my father mewed. "Serve your Clan well."
He nodded towards the Clan, and padded out of the gorse tunnel. The distant jingling of the hideous bell faded away. *He's gone!* I never saw my father again.
Leopardfoot looked towards Swiftbreeze, who was nodding towards the nursery.
"Let's go in the nursery," Leopardfoot sniffled.
Us three kits followed Leopardfoot back in the nursery, with Swiftbreeze following behind. Leopardfoot laid down in the nest, us following, and she cried. Swiftbreeze licked between her ears, as Leopardfoot gasped for breath.
"He left me," she sobbed, "he left the Clan, he left our kits! How could he do this to us?"
Swiftbreeze comforted her daughter. "I don't know, dear. It's alright, your mother's here."
Leopardfoot sniffled. "The kits will be without a father, and I overheard Featherwhisker and Bluefur talking about that Mistkit and Nightkit not being able to be a moon old!" She sniffled again. "Pinestar broke my heart!"
"I know," Swiftbreeze mewed, "but at least you have Tigerkit."
My mother nodded, licking between my ears. "Yes, at least I have you, my son."
I hugged closer to her. "Things'll get better, Leopardfoot," I reassured her. "I promise, I won't leave you."
Leopardfoot purred, pressing her muzzle to my head.
But, deep down inside, I was hiding my own anger and fury, that burnt in my heart like a flame. I can't believe Pinestar made her suffer like this! I now hated my father! He broke my mother's heart, and left his Clan in their time of need! He crushed me, with emotions, making me realize that I never wanted to be like him! *A coward! A mouse-brain! A traitor!* That day, I vowed to be a better Clan leader than Pinestar was. I promised to devote all the nine lives I'll get to my Clan.
*I will be strong, Pinestar,* I thought, hoping Pinestar would hear, *stronger than you'll ever be!*
Chapter 4 coming soon!!!
