The morning was misty and warm. Lilykit sat up out of her nest and gave a big stretch. She glanced over her shoulder to see Fishkit's black and white flanks rising and falling slowly. Good she's still sleeping... Lilykit hadn't slept much last night. The day before she had explored the forest, quite by accident. Lilykit felt guilty because for kits leaving camp was against the rules and now that Fiskkit had found out about her sister's adventures she wanted in on it.
As if gone rapid, Fishkit pounced onto Lilykit with a exuberant mewl. "Today we go to the forest!"
Lilykit fell to the ground with her nose shoved into the Nursery moss.
"Keep it down will you!" She snuffed out the words shoving Fishkit off of her. "We'll be caught before we even start!" Lilykit flicked some moss off her ear, an irritated look on her face.
Fishkit lashed her black tail, white fur bristling. "Yeah, whatever. Just show me the path you took before everyone wakes up!"
Lilykit let out a sigh and examined the den. She realized that it was strangly empty. The scent of the kits' mother, Swanfeather, was faint.
Lilykit purred, "The dawn patrol has left already. Things should be quiet." Fishkit purred back and was on her paws in an instant. In a black and white blur she raced out of the den.
"Let's go!"
Lilykit flattened her ears, wondering how it was possible her sister could be so carefree when at any moment they could be caught breaking the Warrior Code. She raced out of the den and nearly bumped into Fishkit who shoved her back with a hiss. Reedwhisker, their father who was also the Deputy, was padding his way into camp with a large silver fish firmly in his jaws. Lilykit prayed to Starclan they wouldn't be seen, but then again they were trying to leave camp so she didn't see why Starclan had reason to help them.
Lilykit thought in a panic. What would she do if they were caught? They hadn't left camp yet so they couldn't be accused of that. True, it was suspicious for kits to be up at dawn but Lilykit could just say they couldn't sleep and so had been playing ambush. A sick feeling filled her belly as she thought up that lie so quickly. Fishkit is a bad influence on me! Reedwhisker walked past the two kits without noticing them and dropped his kill at the prey pile. The brown tom then padded into the Warriors den.
Lilykit strained her ears to listen to what was going on. She could hear the yawns and shuffles of waking Warriors. Any moment now the camp would be swarming with cats. Lilykit pushed past Fishkit ,who had been intent on attacking a lady bug, and took a deep gulp of air. Its now or never. She saw the tip of a nose about to exit the Warriors Den, and without hesitating madly dashed for the elders log. Fishkit let out a squeal of surprise and dashed after her. Lilykit had remembered the first time she had tried to cross the tree bridge. This time she didn't have enough time to mess around. Bunching her hunches she sprang into the air and landing lightly on top of the log. I did it!
There was a thud and Fishkit's lower body dangled from the top of the log. She hadn't made the jump.
"Any louder and you'll wake the Elders! We don't have much time the Warriors will be out soon!" Lilykit hissed, glancing nervously toward the Warriors den. Apparently the older cats had paused to gossip about how Ripplefur had a crush on Streamtail. Lilykit sighed with relief, they would be distracted for a few moments more. Lilykit held her breath. They were so close to the root cliff behind the Medicine Den.
Fishkit grunted and growled trying to pull herself up. "Almost...." There was a sudden splash of water that sprayed the two kits. Lilykit shut her eyes and shook herself, but in that moment Fishkit lost her grip on the slippery bark. Lilykit didn't have a moment to think, but she didn't have to. Her teeth clamped firmly on Fishkit's scruff and she hauled the older she-kit up. Fishkit panted for a moment before Lilykit pushed her forward.
"Hurry!" Both kits ran across the log, careful not to look down at the swirling white water below. Fishkit jumped down on the other side first, then Lilykit followed. She was relieved to feel cool pebbles beneath her paws and felt more steady off the slippery bark.
"This way!" Lilykit called over her shoulder as she bound up shore behind the Medicine Cat Den. She sat for a moment panting and a heartbeat later Fishkit entered the den.
"This is it?" She asked giving her white chest fur a few embarrassed licks. Lilykit smiled, obviously Fishkit was thinking about how she had been saved by her younger sister. To bad Wildstar couldn't have seen that. Lilykit frowned, realizing that for the first time she had remembered the competition the two sisters were in. Who would Wildstar would choose for an Apprentice?
"Y-yeah, this is it." She pushed the thought away and felt for a paw hold in the rooted cliff wall. "You've just got to use the roots to climb up."
Fishkit shoved Lilykit aside and began climbing. She slipped a few times, dangling over the smooth pebbles below, but soon got her pawing and made it to the top. Lilykit found her climb much easier than the first time and she made it to the cliff top within a few heartbeats. Fishkit was no where to be seen.
"Fishkit?" Lilykit started padding through the reeds, soft moss guiding her paws. "Fishkit...This isn't funny if your hiding." There was a sudden yowled and Lilykit felt her heart skip a beat. The sound came from a few fox lengths away and she knew it was Fishkit. She's in trouble! Taking off through the forest, the tall stalks around her became a blur. The yowling echoed again and Lilykit followed it. The ground became rockier and a acrid stench hit Lilykit's nose. Yuck! Just as another yowl erupted through the silence, Lilykit burst through the trees out onto a thin, white, stone path. In front of her was a tall ugly creature. It stood on two legs and only had fur on its head if you didn't count the brightly colored fabric all over the rest of its body. In one of its pink paws it held Fishkit who was struggling fiercely.
"This monster, its got me!" She yowled, squirming as the pink creature stroked a paw over her soft, white, kit fur. Lilykit stood rigid unsure what to do. She didn't know anything about fighting and she certainly didn't know what this thing was anyway.
"Let her go!" Lilykit pounded forward and attacked the the monsters leg. It turned its head to look down at her and made some small ,excited cooing sound. Lilykit caterwauled in outrage as the thing picked her up in the paw not holding Fishkit.
"Let me go!" Squirming as hard as she could, Lilykit tried to escape. The creature said more strange things and pushed both kits into her chest where she stroked them both.
"Lilykit...If we don't make it out of this... I just want you to know Wildstar would have chosen me." Fishkit's green eyes were locked onto the pink paw petting her head when she said this. Lilykit growled indignantly, "Not true!" But she could say no more before the creature stroked her own calico fur. Maybe we wont make it out of this!
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