Brokenkit

"Who's making fun of Frostear?"

The four kits jumped around to come face-to-face with a tall gray tom, Tallclaw, Frostear's son. Her daughter, Otterheart, was currently on a patrol, fortunately.

"T-Thornkit!" Splashkit blurted out, he received a fearful glare from Thornkit.

"Oh, really?" Tallclaw snorted, his fur bristling. "Well, I-"

A loud, frightening yowl came from the entrance of camp. Three cats stood there, bloodied and injured. One cat - a black tabby tom - carried a blue she-cat on his back; she was clearly unconscious. The two other cats with them looked barely older than the four kits themselves. One was a black tom with two white paws and the other was a white and black she-cat.

An amber she-cat rushed out from the medicine den, caring a leaf that held some seeds and bright orange and yellow flowers. Next to the she-cat was another she-cat, she was brown and much smaller than the first. The brown one carried cobwebs.

Tallclaw turned to block the kits' view of the horror but a golden she-cat called out to him. She bounded to them and looked him in the eyes.

"Tallclaw, Darktail reported a patrol of RiverClan cats in the forest. Mudstar wants you to track them down and scare them off." The she-cat pointed with her tail at a group of cats that were quickly forming. "Go, be careful. I'll take care of the kits."

Tallclaw nodded silently, he nuzzled the golden she-cat and she licked his cheek before he sprinted to join the group.

"Goldenwing," Squirrelkit piped in a tiny, scared mew. "What's happening?"

The golden she-cat flicked her warm golden gaze over to them, for a second Brokenkit could see the worry and sorrow that pooled in her eyes. Then she purred, hiding her fears from the kits. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this and you'll be safe."

"You promise..?" Squirrelkit shivered, he looked as though he was going to burst and start running around camp, clawing at whoever got in his path.

"Yes, I promise." Goldenwing bent down to nuzzle him comfortingly. "Now, lets get you all back to the nursery."

Splashkit looked deep in thought as he nodded and Goldenwing directed them to the milky scented den. Once they got there she turned and left them with their mothers.

Stonepelt curled around Brokenkit, her yellow gaze soft but also forced and worried.

Ivyheart looked the same, as though someone they loved was about to die.

"Mother?" Brokenkit mewed quietly, finding warmth in her mother's presence. "Is father..." Brokenkit couldn't finish the sentence even though she hadn't even seen her father with her own eyes yet.

Stonepelt nodded her head solemnly, her gaze dropping. "I told Falconblaze that you had opened your eyes but Darktail, Seawhisper, Blackpaw, and Snowpaw got here before he could come and see you. He really wanted to but he has to go with Mudstar to get rid of these nasty RiverClan cats."

Brokenkit nodded, snuggling into Stonepelt's chest as a shiver crawled down her spine.

Come back to us, father....

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Dawnlight

Dawnlight and her patrol waded deeper into ThunderClan territory. She really hadn't meant to attack that ThunderClan patrol and, currently, she was carrying a dark gray she-cat by her scruff.

I should've brought Ivyfrost! She could save this poor she-cat! Dawnlight growled to herself as they trudged on, through the undergrowth.

"Dawnlight?"

"What, Foxstep?"

"Your mumbling again."

"Oh..." Dawnlight suddenly stopped, her ears pricked. There it was again; a rustle of leaves. It was too loud and big to be prey.

"What is it?" Waterpaw's small mew pulled Dawnlight from her concentration.

"I don't know," she replied through a mouthful of fur. "Here," she shoved the she-cat at Risingleap, who took her.

Dawnlight crept forward, her tail flicking silently. She continued forward, ears pricked, fur bristling. Then she leapt, her claws met soft fur and flesh, the creature bucked and thrashed but it was smaller than Dawnlight and it fell to her superior weight.

Dawnlight raised her claw to slash it's windpipe when she realized it was a young ThunderClan apprentice. She quickly released it and moved away but she kept her eyes locked on him.

He was a tan color with a large white patch on his shoulder, his brown eyes glaring at Dawnlight with much hatred.

"What are you doing in ThunderClan territory?"

"We're looking for the rogue, Wolfcry," Waterpaw mewed, standing up to the ThunderClan apprentice.

"He stole my kits as well as Stormfang's kit." Growled Stonefang, the gray warrior tensed his muscles as though he would pounce.

"Stop!" Dawnlight hissed, her gray gaze blazing. She arched her back, "We only want our kits back."

"Then why did you attack our patrol?" He spat, suddenly his brown eyes lit up in surprise. "Otterheart?!"

"You know this she-cat?" Dawnlight's eyes widened at her stupidity; of course he knew the she-cat! They're in the same Clan for StarClan's sake!

"Otterheart..." He ignored her question, padding up to sniff her limp form in Risingleap's jaws. "Come, we need to get to camp before they attack and Otterheart gets hurt even worst."

The apprentice turned dramatically, his muscles rippling underneath his pelt. He started toward where the camp should be at a quick pace.

"Do you really trust him?"