Young Writers Society

Smallkit

As my anger faded away, along with my confidence, I began to circle around the camp. Looking down into the hollow, I saw the older cats going about their business. Why couldn't I just grow up? I felt my forehead crease in concentration on the actions of the older cats, trying to absorb the activity, trying to make myself seem older, more mature. I straightened my posture, smoothed my fur, stuck out my chest, curled my tail neatly over my paws.
"My Clan," I mewed to myself, feeling my pelt prickle at the familiar words leaders spoke. "We have won the battle!" I mewed again, louder. I opened my jaws to speak again, but a loud hiss cut me off. Scrambling back, I saw Maplekit land in front of me, a snarl on her face.
"M-Maplekit!" I stammered, lost for words. "What are you d-doing out here?" She didn't look happy at all. Her fur was bristling, her head low, and her back arched. "I could ask you the same thing. Playing leader, now, are we?" She growled. Backing up a few tail-lengths, I ran into a tree. "Why is it you got the dream, eh, Smallkit?" Maplekit continued, and I was beginning to fear for my life. "And why is it that no other cat got the message? Why wasn't it Sparrowkit? Or me?" Her eyes flashed, and, as adrenaline took on, I glared.
"Who said no other cat got the message?" I hissed. "They've already told the leader about us. And how in StarClan am I supposed to know why they told me? You think I wanted to have this load on my shoulders?" I retorted, shifting the upper hand of our conversation. Maplekit's ears flattened and she opened her mouth to say something, but sat down and looked away.
"What was it like?" She mewed quietly. "The cats." I hesitated, then took the opportunity to make her believe me.
"Shiny..." I meowed. "And...powerful. You could tell by looking at them. Noble, too. They had done great things in their lives." Maplekit sighed. "I'm sorry, Smallkit. Our lives are getting crazier by the minute. It just seems so mouse-brained, for StarClan to think we can save a forest. We're just kits! And the fact that no one else got the dream..." Her voice trailed off. "Mouse dung, Smallkit. What I'm trying to say is...I guess I believe you." Relief spread through me in a wave. I padded up to her, and nudged her to her paws.
"C'mon, Maplekit. Let's get back before we're missed." As we plodded toward the den, a nasty stench filled my nose.
"What in the name of StarClan is that?" I hissed. I was interrupted by a low growl, and the ground thumped beneath our paws. The last thing I heard was Maplekit's screech.

"Smallkit! Look out!"

Stonekit~

Stonekit took his chance then to intervene. He lept out from under the shade of brambles, and landed on the dog's back. How long it'd been watching Maplekit and Smallkit, he didn't know, but it was obviously smart enough to have been downwind. Dogs weren't natural around here. They weren't supposed to be in these areas! Stonekit reached over and dug his claws into the dog's eyes, the dog howling in misery. "Go Smallkit, Maplekit! I've got it!" Both gave him a look like he was insane.

Oddkit bounced out of the brambles just then, a mouthful of herbs hanging from her jaws. She dropped them to the ground at the sight of her brother fighting the huge dog. "What are you two doing just standing around?!" She screeched. "Go get help if you're not going to join in with this!" A newfound confidence filled her every fiber as she sprung at the dog, biting down hard on his tail. He spun around, jaws snapping wildly to grab his tail.

"GO!" Stonekit howled. "It's better Oddkit and myself lose our lives then one of the prophecized!"

Oddkit nodded her head in agreement, digging her claws into the dog's flank and shaking her head wildly, the dog suddenly grabbing her scruff violently and throwing her into a tree trunk. She hissed and ran at the two siblings, shoving them down the embankment through the bush behind them. "Now go get a couple warriors!" She snarled, not caring at that moment if they were the ones that should be bossing her around rather than the other way around. She turned and ran back at the dog, this time clutching to the fur around his jugular.

Maplekit

Smallkit was leaning on me, eyelids drooping. "Stay awake, okay? We've got to go get help!" I whispered fiercely. She hadn't been out for long before, and I had managed to shake her awake before Stonekit had intervened. As much as I wanted to stay and fight, I had to get Smallkit out of here.

I scampered quickly, wincing at the pain in my hip. It had been a while since it had hurt, but I had gotten knocked to the ground by the oafish mutt. I crept along as quickly as possible while half-supporting Smallkit.

"Please, please, please be okay!" Tears were threatening to spill over now. I had been so selfish before, so conceited. I couldn't believe myself. "I really am sorry about earlier, I was being stupid."

Smallkit didn't say anything, which began to worry me more.

I was shouting for help before we even got back, praying desperately that they would come quickly, no questions asked. I didn't have time to answer them right now. Every second it took, the chances that Stonekit and Oddkit would be killed were increasing.