⠀ "Woah! Look at this!"

⠀ Foxkit, a bundle of fluffy ginger fur, gasped as he looked at the ominous branch that loomed above the back corner of the camp. Lostkit, his dark tabby brother, grinned and trotted up to him.

⠀ "That's big," he mewed, though not as awestruck. "We should see what it looks like on the outside of the camp," the tom mewed in a suddenly hushed tone. Foxkit gave Lostkit a reluctant look, but eventually nodded. Lostkit smiled and examined the camp. It wasn't vacant, but many of the cats had either left for dawn patrol or were busy chatting. The pair bolted through the dirt tunnel and into the open forest, stifling laughter.

⠀ Lostkit led to way to the tree on the other side of the camp. The terrain was much more difficult to maneuver through with such short legs, but nothing would stop the determined duo from reaching their destination.

⠀ After several long minutes of trudging through the foliage, they reached the large tree. Lostkit frowned when he realized that it was only slightly bigger than the other trees, and that it just had a cluster of branches hanging out over the camp. The tom was about to suggest that they go back into the camp when the sound of scuffling caught his attention. He immediately tipped his head to the right, where he spotted a mouse contently nibbling on a seed.

⠀ "Watch this," Lostkit whispered with a devilish grin. The tom, to his best ability, mimicked the way he had seen the apprentices play. However, the kit's stubby legs were not long enough for him to keep quiet. He charged at the rodent, but it easily escaped, unharmed, while the kit plunged into a small ditch.

⠀ "Lostkit?" Foxkit asked nervously as he peered down at the tabby tom. He was laying flat at the bottom, but there was no blood to be seen. "Lostkit, wake up!" the ginger tabby whimpered. As if on cue, he looked up.

⠀ "Ow," he mewed, voice muffled by the dirt he had face-planted into. Foxkit was already searching for a way to help his brother out. He eventually came to a very thin branch that could reach down just far enough that, if Lostkit really stretched, could pull him out. The bulky ginger tom pushed down as hard as he could, thankful that he was four moons old and not two, as without the weight to press the branch down, he wouldn't be able to help.

⠀ With a grunt, Lostkit latched onto the branch with white forepaws and ivory teeth. Foxkit slowly back towards the trunk of the tree, but when he tripped and lost his grip, it sent his brother a couple tail lengths into the air. He landed with a soft thud, torso shaking with laughter. "I need to get stuck in ditches more often," Lostkit mewed, giggling.

⠀ Foxkit nodded. "We should get back in the camp before someone finds us," he mewed. Lostkit nodded and rose to his feet, resentfully looking at the tangle of undergrowth that lay ahead. "I'll go first," Foxkit mewed with a dull grin, the bulky tom stepping ahead of his brother and clearing a path.

⠀ The pair let out a sigh of relief upon reaching the dirt tunnel. They had never had so many burrs in their fur at once.

⠀ "How did we manage to only get these while walking back?" Foxkit huffed as he yanked a thorn from his hind paw. Lostkit shrugged and peered through the dirt tunnel.

⠀ "All clear," he mewed, feeling like a spy. The tunnel was about two fox lengths long, making it difficult to get through without being seen. However, the kits learned that if they stuck close to the right wall, they wouldn't be visible until they exited.

⠀ Thinking they had gotten away with sneaking out, the pair happily trotted to the nursery. However, the pride they held in sneaking out was quickly shattered, as their mother was staring at them with a scornful expression.

⠀ "Just what do you think you were doing?" she asked. Lostkit flattened his ears and crouched down, lowering his head in false shame. Foxkit, on the other hand, stood in front of his brother.

⠀ "I'm sorry. We went to make dirt and I tried to get a mouse. Lostkit just followed me because-"

⠀ "That's enough, dear," she mewed, gaze softening. "Please don't stay out for so long next time, okay?" she mewed. The brothers nodded in unison, their nerves gradually settling.

⠀ "I heard that Yellowgaze was feeling rather hungry. Why don't you take her a mouse," Littlefern suggested. "I bet she'll tell you a story."

⠀ At that final statement, the two bolted to the fresh kill pile and chose the largest mouse they could find. They carried the prey together, quickly falling into step.

⠀ Yellowgaze was the friendliest of the elders. Her white fur hadn't faded with age, nor did her eyes grow hazy. She was obviously a very beautiful cat in her time, as demonstrated by her ability to move gracefully at such an old age.

⠀ "Hello, Lostkit. Hello, Foxkit," she purred, dipping her head to the pair as they approached her nest. They dropped the mouse at her paws and dipped their heads in return.

⠀ "Mama said you'd have a story to tell us," Foxkit mewed. Yellowgaze thought for a moment, attempting to unscramble her thoughts.

⠀ "Ah, yes I do," she chirped. "Did you ever hear the one about Ryejaw?" The pair shook their heads, eagerly waiting for her to begin. "Alright then." Yellowgaze repositioned herself and cleared her throat.

⠀ "Many moons ago, long before even I was born, a kit was born by the name of Ryekit. He was an innocent kit, afraid to kill a mouse, as he feared he would not do it quick enough and it would suffer. When he became an apprentice, his sister, Fernpaw, became the laughing stock of the clan, as she had fallen victim to a horrible accident."

⠀ "What was that accident?" Lostkit asked, eyes round. Yellowgaze chuckled. "I'm getting there," she replied with a purr.

⠀ "Fernpaw had climbed a tree to get a squirrel, but she slipped and fell. Everyone thought she was dead at first, but when she shifted her head to look at her mentor, he nearly vomited. The young she-cat's face had been snagged by a branch, puncturing her left eye and slicing her left ear in half. Ryepaw, enraged by the clan's teasing of his sister, began to plot. First, he struck Thicketpaw. Thicketpaw had been Fernpaw's crush, and the feeling was mutual until the she-cat had her accident. He placed Thicketpaw's body somewhere outside of the territory, and after clawing his own ears a few times, Ryepaw ran back to the camp with false tears, claiming that a dog had taken Thicketpaw. Everything went downhill from there. Some of the cats that openly teased Fernpaw ended up with some disfiguration. Some were simple scars, but others were much worse. Ryepaw became Ryejaw, and Fernpaw became Fernpool. No cat associated with Fernpool, as they feared that the Dark Forest was injuring all who spoke to her. Eventually, Fernpool fled the clan, as she could not deal with the idea of being so cruelly rejected. Moons later, Ryejaw made a fatal mistake. While leading a group of rogues to a patrol, which contained a cat that had once insulted Fernpool, he was spotted. Ryejaw, without an explanation, was chased out of the clan. He was never heard from again," Yellowgaze finished.

⠀ The kits stared at her in awe, as they had never heard such a story. They were about to bombard the elder with questions, but their father, Crowtalon, called them out of the elders' den.

⠀ "Yes?" Foxkit mewed, staring up at the dusty-brown tom with marbled stripes.

⠀ "I just wanted you two to take your mother this sparrow. I have to go on a border patrol," he mewed hurriedly, licking each of their heads before turning and bounding out of the camp.