Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Thornclaw

     "Where did Spotkit go?"  Thornkit asked Redkit after her ceremony.
"Dunno.  Why do you care?" Redkit asked, but she laughed shortly after.  Thornkit smiled.
"Just wondering why it's so quiet around here!" Thornkit replied with a snort.
"On that note, where's Pebblekit?" Redkit looked around the clearing.  There was no sign of Pebblekit.  Twigtail was in one corner of camp.  The two kits padded up to her.
"Hey mom!" Redkit said to Twigtail.
"Hey, Redkit.  Have you seen Pebblekit?" Twigtail asked.  Redkit shrugged.
"That's what we were going to ask you!" Redkit exclaimed.
"We can look around camp!" Thornkit suggested quickly.  It hurts to see them like that.  Yellowspike doesn't love me that way.  
"Sure, but just in camp, or I'll have your tails pinned to the walls of the nursery!"  Twigtail replied with a laugh.  Redkit and Thornkit exchanged a glance as they walked away.
"Do you think she meant it?" Redkit asked Thornkit.  She looked behind her back and tucked her tail between her legs.  She ducked her head low as she walked.
"Don't be silly!  Twigtail was joking!" Thornkit replied.  But Thornkit pulled his tail to his side an looked at it nervously.  After reaching the heart of camp, the kits stopped.
"You take that side, I'll take the other," Redkit instructed.  Thornkit nodded and padded away.
"Dirt place, Thornkit, dirt place."
"Huh?" Thornkit looked around nervously.
"Dirt place.  Go to dirt place."
"But... I don't have to!  And you only come at night!" Thornkit whispered.  He backed up slowly, looking at the sky.  He felt something behind him and looked there.  Graypaw was looking at him.
"Sorry, Graypaw!"  Thornkit said.  She stared at him blankly.  "I really am sorry!"  Graypaw shook her head.
"My apologies.  I'm... tired today."  Graypaw picked up herbs that she dropped.  She slowly backed away, then turned around and ran.  Thornkit blinked.  What's her problem?  Thornkit just shrugged and walked away.
"Dirt place you mousebrain, dirt place!  Wrong way idiot!"  
"Oh."  Thornkit turned around and walked toward the smelly land called dirt place.  "Now what?" he asked the sky.
"Dude.  I'm not a flipping cloud.  You don't have to address the sky!"
"Sorry.  Now what?"  Thornkit looked around dirt place.
"Figure it out you piece of fox dung."
"Uh, okay."  Thornkit looked around.  Dirt place was just like any part of the forest, lined with ferns and other plants around the outside marking the camp's borders, just smellier.  Little paw prints led out of dirt place and deep into the forest.
"That's Pebblekit's, aren't they?" Thornkit asked.
"No, it's a rabbit's."
"Okay.  So then where's Pebblekit then?"  Thornkit asked the sky.
Sigh.
"Uh, okay.  So I'll just go get Twigtail and she can arrange for a patrol!"  Thornkit suggested and he began to walk out.
"What would a real warrior do?  Fetch others for help because he's too weak?"
"But..."  Thornkit began.
"Do you ever want to be a real warrior?" 
"Yes!"
"Then be a warrior and go rescue Pebblekit!"
Thornkit glanced at where the paw prints led to.  He crouched down nervously, tail twitching.  Thornkit finally took a deep breath.
"Okay.  Let's do this!"  Thornkit growled and sprang towards the paw prints, only to fall in a moist clump.
"Mouse dung." He muttered.  Thornkit got up and headed out of dirt place.  I hope the cat is right.  If anyone catches me sneaking out of camp...
"You know, they'll love you if you come back with Pebblekit."
True.  But still... I better come back victorious or not come back at all!