Noblespirit's Clan by Chocolatemeerkat (story reading .txt) 📕

me that those kits will find good mentors." A blue she-cat meowed. "Anyone got any ideas?"
"I think Clawfur should mentor Rockkit or Lightingkit." A black tom suggested. "And perhaps I could train one of the kits. I'd like to try out Heartkit."
"Dimstar should train Talonstrike's son, the little gold and white one." Scatterdust added. "I've forgotten his name, was it Nettlekit ot something like that?"
My name is Noblekit, not Nettlekit!

Noblekit thought angrily. He wanted to shred Scatterdust's fur off, but he listened as the young warrior continued. "You know, just to keep an eye on him. He seems a little mischievous."
"He's a kit

, for StarClan's sake. How can he be suspicious at his age?" The blue she-cat argued. "And it's Noblekit, not Nettlekit, you mouse-brain."
Noblekit then felt hot breath on his pelt, making him shiver a bit. He turned around and saw the most frightening thing he ever saw in his life. "Monster!" He cried, but the cat hushed him. "I understand why you are so terrified of me. But you have nothing to fear. My name is Rushpaw."
"The medicine apprentice?" Noblekit guessed timidly. "My friend Softpaw told me about you. Aren't you Hedgefoot's apprentice?" The small tom nodded. "I was training to be a warrior, but in a fox attack I lost my ear and my tail. When I went to flee, I got hit by a monster on the thunderpath, and it crippled my leg. Thank StarClan I survived!" He then stared at the little kit. "Aren't you Talonstrike and Brightflower's son?" He asked.
"Yeah." Noblekit told him. "My sister is Heartkit. I'm Noblekit." Rushpaw nodded. "Ah. Thought I heard about you somewhere."
Surely every cat in the clan knows me?

The kit thought. He then nodded at the apprentice and padded away towards his mother.
"Tag!" Heartkit squealed as she batted Lightingkit's tail. Lightingkit stopped and spun round, baring her teeth at her friend.
"Can I play?" Noblekit asked hopefully. Heartkit stuck her tongue out. "No way! I don't want to play with my irritating brother!" She complained, pushing him away. "Go away and find something better to do!"
Noblekit felt a little bit hurt, to be rejected by his sister. Maybe she didn't want to play with him anymore? Or perhaps Lightingkit had said things behind his back? Whatever had happened, something had snapped in Heartkit.
"Kits." Smallwhisker sighed to Emberpatch and Brightflower. "Some will never learn to get on."
"I hope my

kits will have some respect." Emberpatch meowed, looking at her swollen belly. "Ferretfang is dying for them to come." For some reason after that comment, Brightflower purred in amusement. "I think he's a little too desperate. I don't see why you accepted to become his mate in the first place, he can be very irritating!"
Noblekit had to agree with his mother. Ferretfang was a bit of a worry guts, especially now Emberpatch was so close to kitting. He kept pestering the apprentices to make sure she had the softest moss and the tastiest fresh-kill. He would visit her everyday and try to make Hedgefoot check that she was healthy. Noblekit found this rather strange and annoying, as he had never known any toms to do that.
"He does love me, Brightflower." Emberpatch insisted. "He was the closest friend I had after my sister died from greencough. I am aware that he is a little over-protective of me.."
"You mean a lot

." Smallwhisker corrected, wrapping her tail around her paws. Emberpatch just sighed and continued on. "As I was saying, he is over-protective of me because he didn't realise I was expecting his kits until a couple of moons ago. He just wants the best for our kits."
As the ginger queen finished speaking, two cats appeared at the entrance of the nursery. Noblekit reconised the smaller cat to be Ferretfang, but he didn't know who the golden tabby was. That cat's got fur like me!

He realised. The kit watched as the cat went over to his mother and greeted her with a friendly lick on the cheek. Brightflower purred in delight, but then motioned for Noblekit to come over.
"So, this is him?" The golden tabby warrior asked, fixing his gaze on the little kit. Brightflower nodded, and then turned her attention to her son. "Noblekit, this is Talonstrike. He is your father." She explained. "He is one of CourageClan's senior warriors, and a trusted friend of Dimstar."
Wow!

Noblekit thought to himself. I can see the connection now! Heartkit has fur like Brightflower, and my golden fur comes from Talonstrike!

He slowly padded up to the tall warrior, trembling with fear and excitement. His fear was washed away when Talonstrike's eyes shone with pride. "He looks very handsome and strong. I can sense that he will become a great warrior." He complimented, touching noses with the young kit.
Noblekit then realised that his father hadn't met his other kit yet, and the little tom kit was delighted to see a look of envy on Heartkit's face as she observed what was going on.
"I have to go now." Talonstrike meowed quietly, standing up. "I'll come back and see you tomorrow." He licked his son's ear and pressed his muzzle against Brightflower's before leaving the nursery quietly with Ferretfang, who had been fussing about Emberpatch as usual.
"Does Father know about Heartkit?" Noblekit asked, snuggling up against his mother's warm pelt. Brightflower nodded. "He knows about her, but she hasn't met him properly yet. I will introduce Heartkit to him tomorrow."

3

At sunset, the camp was eerily silent. Not many cats were around, but if they were, they were all talking in hushed voices or quiet whispers.
Noblekit did feel a little afraid, but he knew that he was safe, knowing that Brightflower was around to protect him.
"Can we go and play outside?" Wildkit begged Smallwhisker yet again. As she had done earlier, the queen shook her head. "Stay here and be quiet. Perhaps try going to sleep, it might take your mind off playing." She suggested, wrapping her tail around her three kits. Noblekit was instantly suspicious. The kits were nearly always allowed to play, and the camp was silent, so why were they told to go to sleep?
"I'm bored." Heartkit complained, wriggling around. Brightflower hushed her and nudged the little kit between her paws. "Shhh, it will be alright. Just wait a bit."
"Hey, why don't we play a game?" Emberpatch suggested. "Whoever can stay quiet the longest wins!" The kits were silenced, and Noblekit was still curious. Why are we being quiet?

Ferretfang then appeared at the entrance of the den, with Rushpaw and the apprentices. They looked very tired and defeated, which Noblekit had never seen before.
"It's true." Ferretfang panted. "There are ForestClan intruders on our territory. They're here seeking revenge for some cat's death. I think Dimstar mentioned Daisystem or someone like that."
"Oh great StarClan, not her." Brightflower was horrified when Ferretfang annonced the cat. "She helped me with my kitting when those ForestClan cats were taking shelter in our territory from the dogs."
"I remember that." Smallwhisker added. "She was a friend to the clan. Who killed her?" Ferretfang just shook his head. "She wasn't murdered, she was killed when a tree fell on her while chasing Scatterdust back over the border. ForestClan blame it on us, so they want revenge."
"We're here to defend the nursery!" Softpaw chirped. Emberpatch wasn't convinced by this. "But you apprentices are so young. And Rushpaw, you're a injured medicine apprentice who almost died. You're in no condition to fight!"
"I still had battle training." Rushpaw pointed out. "I may not be as sharp as I used to be, but I can still fight, and I will do what is best for my clan." Ferretfang nodded briefly to the medicine apprentice and padded over to his mate. "We'll look after you, don't worry."
What about us? Will everyone look after us?

Noblekit thought anxiously.
There was then a deafening battle cry, followed by furious yowls and hisses. Lifepaw jumped back in surprise and fear. "Who is that?" She asked, hiding behind Treasurepaw.
"That cat who called the battle cry was Hailstar, leader of ForestClan." Softpaw told her. "He is a huge blue tabby with long claws and green eyes. Trust me, he's the scariest cat you'll ever meet! He just glares at everyone at the gathering!" She then looked at the kits, who seemed terrified of this cat they had never met. Apart from Noblekit.
"Watch out!" A voice yelled from the elder's den. Everyone turned around and saw four ForestClan warriors racing towards the nursery, hissing and spitting. The apprentices and Ferretfang leapt at them, ready to defend their clanmates.
"Can we

fight?" Noblekit begged. Brightflower chuckled coldly. "Not for a while. You're only five and a half moons old."
"What about us?" Rockkit asked, flicking his tail towards his siblings. "We can fight better than the elders!"
"Not a chance." Smallwhisker growled, wrapping her tail around the three kits. "You may be a quarter of a moon away from becoming apprentices, but you're still too young."
A small apprentice then crept in and pounced onto Wildkit. "Just avenging my mother." She said bitterly, holding up her sheathed claws. Noblekit threw himself at the apprentice, who was only just bigger than him. He dug his little claws into the apprentice's leg and sank his jaws into her forepaw. The she-cat howled in pain before picking up the kit in her jaws and thrusting him away.
Noblekit felt nothing as he hit the ground, but he could hear a high-pitched scream from behind him. "The kits are coming!"
That must be Emberpatch. Where's a medicine cat when you need them?

The kit thought. Rushpaw quickly limped over and checked over the screaming she-cat. "The first one's coming." He told her. "Push." He then turned to Noblekit. "Could you get me that stick over there?" Noblekit went towards the corner of the crowded den, picked up a smallish stick in his jaws and padded back over. Rushpaw took the stick from his jaws and passed it to Emberpatch. "Bite on that while you push, it will stop the amount of noise you make." He ordered. The queen bit hard onto the stick until there was a small bundle of fur huddled beside her.
"Second one." Rushpaw meowed. "Keep going."
Within five minutes, Emberpatch was suckling three kits. The warriors who had tried to break into the nursery and the apprentice had fled, and Ferretfang purred in delight. "What are their names?"
"I would like to call the white and ginger she-cat Brightkit, the brown she-cat with white paws Ivykit and the dark brown tabby tom with a black chest and white paws Adderkit." Emberpatch told him, wrapping her tail protectively around them. Ferretfang nodded in approval and licked her cheek.
"ForestClan, retreat! CourageClan have paid what they needed to pay!" A loud voice yowled. Noblekit guessed it was Hailstar again. But he was confused by what he said. I don't think anyone died, did they?

Noblekit got his question answered when someone yowled "Cloudscream! Cloudscream is dead!"