"Ready." Responded Joe. The pair crawled across the leaves. The invader looked at the kittens with a warm smile.
It faded into a look of amusement as the two kits lunged at her. Joe landed on her back and raked her spine until the grey furred she-cat went limp and fell onto her side
"Help!" She pretended to yelp in terror, laughing as the two kits clawed her shiny pelt.
A she-cat with light brown fur and amber eyes pursed her lips at Holly.
"Ari! Joe!"She called, fur bristling in indignation.
The two kits stopped giggling and faced Elena.
Joe was the first to get the idea. He hopped off Holly's flank and raced towards his mother, Ari at his heels.
Holly rolled onto her front and ripped a leaf from her hind leg.
Elena looked at Holly with an expression of extreme dislike.
"Sorry, Holly. The kits are already in training to be warriors, so they couldn't have helped themselves."
Holly smiled ruefully. She knew that wasn't a reason. Elena had given birth to eight kits and only three were alive. They were very close to her.
She continued on the way to the warriors den. It was a small tunnel-cave with a veil of leaves for the door plaited with wild flowers, and beyond the plants was a boulder for the door that could be rolled away.
She ducked under the flax veil and before she could touch the stone door, it rolled to a side and Perry poked her head out. Perry was a small, fluffy brown cat with grey eyes like chips of sludge, and, until recently, had been training Holly in the ways of being a medicine cat. Holly had been a dab hand with herbs and healing- but her brother Jacob had turned out to be the one who received signs from StarClan.
So Holly had convinced Frosty, the leader, to let Jacob be the apprentice medicine cat. Perry had been fuming at the news, because she thought Holly could too have sign from StarClan if she tried harder- and she could be better than Jacob could ever be.
Perry blinked at Holly.
"Oh, it's you is it?" She said dryly, scanning the young apprentice.
"Hi Perry!" Smiled Holly.
"Good to see you!"
Perry blinked again.
"What do you want?"
"How are you?" asked Holly cheerfully.
"What do you want?" repeated the medicine cat.
Holly blinked.
"I wondered if I could see Logan."
Perry murmured something about children being over optimistic.
"Please." begged Holly.
"Fine, young whipper-snapper." snarled Perry.
She brushed through the leaves and through the stone door.
She returned shortly with a scowling grey tabby with deep blue eyes.
"Here." Perry shoved the cat away from the entrance, at Holly's feet. The tom glared down at her.
"I'm Logan." he said finally.
"Yes, you are." replied Holly.
Logan raised an eyebrow.
"You have some cheek, girl." he observed.
"Well? What do you want, girl?"
Holly hesitated.
"Will you promise to say yes to my request?'
Logan frowned.
"I'm not promising anything." he snapped.
"Whatever." said Holly sharply.
"I want to be your apprentice."
The tom blinked.
"I don't need an apprentice."
"A rewarding experience." Holly goaded.
"A promising sign you care for your clan."
Logan bristled.
"Well-"
"Extra credit." continued Holly.
"An opportunity to pass your learning to future warriors."
"Maybe..." Logan muttered.
"Or even." whispered Holly.
"...with an apprentice... Frosty the leader will be more convinced one day you'll be leading the clan."
Logan blinked.
"Well, if you insist... I mean, absolutely not!"
"What?" cried Holly.
"No!" yelled Logan.
"I refuse to take the responsibility! All this leadership will kill me!"
He turned angrily.
"Can you get me Lara?' Holly called after him.
"Get her yourself, punk!" screeched Logan. Suddenly, Holly felt a hot anger. She darted to catch up to him, then squeezed under his stomach. She nipped slightly at his hind legs. Logan froze, then before Holly could escape, he fell on her, pinning her to the ground and gripped her shoulders, tugging her onto her side.
"Hey!" protested Holly.
Logan spat in her face.
"You should learn to be quicker than that." he sneered.
Grasping her with his front paws, he started raking her spine with his hind legs.
"You're hurting me!" screamed Holly, squealing in agony.
"Logan stop!" The tom turned his head slightly to look at a pretty ginger she-cat with green eyes like emeralds and a long patterned tail.
Logan hopped off Holly. She started licking her scratches.
The she-cat looked at Holly.
"You're Lara." said Holly.
The she-cat didn't confirm, but it was fairly obvious.
Lara looked at Logan.
"Go." she whispered, tears in her eyes.
"Just go."
Holly was alarmed to see her cry.
"What's wrong?"
Lara quickly wiped them away, smiling strangely.
"What is it, child?"
"You were crying." said Holly crisply.
"Oh, it's nothing, just a-" She looked over at the den.
"-just a argument. Over relationships."
"Well, Lara." said Holly.
"Can I be your apprentice?"
Lara smiled softly.
"Of course. It is fine."
She smiled sweetly at Holly, and left, still crying gently.
Holly walked off, perplexed.
"Psst, Holly!" hissed a voice in her ear.
Holly spun around, but her face softened when she saw her twin brother smiling.
"Jacob." she said cooly.
The grey tabby flicked his tail in amusement.
"Haven't seen you since yesterday." he purred.
"Missed you." mumbled Holly.
"So much."
Jacob's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"I think Drew's on his way."
"Not Drew." muttered Holly, sniffing the air.
"Elena."
She turned away from Jacob and sniffed again.
Jacob gagged.
"No, I can smell Drew."
Then he gasped as Drew and Elena went around the corner.
Elena's pelt was on end, and she was standing protectively over her kittens who were hissing and had their ears pressed against their heads.
Drew growled and crouched as if to pounce on the queen.
"Drew!" Jacob leapt up onto his brother's back and Holly yanked his tail. The warrior stumbled backwards as Jacob clawed his shoulders. With combined efforts they dragged him away from Elena and her trembling kittens.
Drew mewed in protest.
"Let go! Let go! As a warrior, I order you to-"
"Oh, just button it!"cried Holly softly, blue eyes wide in terror.
"Warrior schmorrior."
Drew snarled and tried to chase his tail to catch Holly, but she was quick turning around out of reach.
Jacob was screaming as Drew spun around with Jacob on his back.
"Ow!" Holly shrieked, as Drew managed to bite her leg. She started hobbling around.
Drew snarled and crouched to pounce.
"Can't catch me!" Holly hissed.
"I'm on your tail, stupid."
Drew yowled in anger and shook his tail., sending Holly flying.
Then he twisted his head to see Jacob sinking his teeth into his scruff.
"What are you doing?"he wailed.
Before Drew could react, Jacob flung him. Drew sat up, panting.
He snarled.
"Go! Leave!"shrieked Holly to Elena. The startled she cat bunched up her kittens and swept them from the clearing.
Drew snarled and landed a stinging blow to Jacob's head.
"Traitor!"
Jacob blinked.
"What?"
"She-is-a-kittypet!"shouted Drew.
"What?Elena?"
She continued on the way to the warriors den. It was a small tunnel-cave with a veil of leaves for the door plaited with wild flowers, and beyond the plants was a boulder for the door that could be rolled away.
She ducked under the flax veil and before she could touch the stone door, it rolled to a side and Perry poked her head out. Perry was a small, fluffy brown cat with grey eyes like chips of sludge, and, until recently, had been training Holly in the ways of being a medicine cat. Holly had been a dab hand with herbs and healing- but her brother Jacob had turned out to be the one who received signs from StarClan.
So Holly had convinced Frosty, the leader, to let Jacob be the apprentice medicine cat. Perry had been fuming at the news, because she thought Holly could too have sign from StarClan if she tried harder- and she could be better than Jacob could ever be.
Perry blinked at Holly.
"Oh, it's you is it?" She said dryly, scanning the young apprentice.
"Hi Perry!" Smiled Holly.
"Good to see you!"
Perry blinked again.
"What do you want?"
"How are you?" asked Holly cheerfully.
"What do you want?" repeated the medicine cat.
Holly blinked.
"I wondered if I could see Logan."
Perry murmured something about children being over optimistic.
"Please." begged Holly.
"Fine, young whipper-snapper." snarled Perry.
She brushed through the leaves and through the stone door.
She returned shortly with a scowling grey tabby with deep blue eyes.
"Here." Perry shoved the cat away from the entrance, at Holly's feet. The tom glared down at her.
"I'm Logan." he said finally.
"Yes, you are." replied Holly.
Logan raised an eyebrow.
"You have some cheek, girl." he observed.
"Well? What do you want, girl?"
Holly hesitated.
"Will you promise to say yes to my request?'
Logan frowned.
"I'm not promising anything." he snapped.
"Whatever." said Holly sharply.
"I want to be your apprentice."
The tom blinked.
"I don't need an apprentice."
"A rewarding experience." Holly goaded.
"A promising sign you care for your clan."
Logan bristled.
"Well-"
"Extra credit." continued Holly.
"An opportunity to pass your learning to future warriors."
"Maybe..." Logan muttered.
"Or even." whispered Holly.
"...with an apprentice... Frosty the leader will be more convinced one day you'll be leading the clan."
Logan blinked.
"Well, if you insist... I mean, absolutely not!"
"What?" cried Holly.
"No!" yelled Logan.
"I refuse to take the responsibility! All this leadership will kill me!"
He turned angrily.
"Can you get me Lara?' Holly called after him.
"Get her yourself, punk!" screeched Logan. Suddenly, Holly felt a hot anger. She darted to catch up to him, then squeezed under his stomach. She nipped slightly at his hind legs. Logan froze, then before Holly could escape, he fell on her, pinning her to the ground and gripped her shoulders, tugging her onto her side.
"Hey!" protested Holly.
Logan spat in her face.
"You should learn to be quicker than that." he sneered.
Grasping her with his front paws, he started raking her spine with his hind legs.
"You're hurting me!" screamed Holly, squealing in agony.
"Logan stop!" The tom turned his head slightly to look at a pretty ginger she-cat with green eyes like emeralds and a long patterned tail.
Logan hopped off Holly. She started licking her scratches.
The she-cat looked at Holly.
"You're Lara." said Holly.
The she-cat didn't confirm, but it was fairly obvious.
Lara looked at Logan.
"Go." she whispered, tears in her eyes.
"Just go."
Holly was alarmed to see her cry.
"What's wrong?"
Lara quickly wiped them away, smiling strangely.
"What is it, child?"
"You were crying." said Holly crisply.
"Oh, it's nothing, just a-" She looked over at the den.
"-just a argument. Over relationships."
"Well, Lara." said Holly.
"Can I be your apprentice?"
Lara smiled softly.
"Of course. It is fine."
She smiled sweetly at Holly, and left, still crying gently.
Holly walked off, perplexed.
"Psst, Holly!" hissed a voice in her ear.
Holly spun around, but her face softened when she saw her twin brother smiling.
"Jacob." she said cooly.
The grey tabby flicked his tail in amusement.
"Haven't seen you since yesterday." he purred.
"Missed you." mumbled Holly.
"So much."
Jacob's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"I think Drew's on his way."
"Not Drew." muttered Holly, sniffing the air.
"Elena."
She turned away from Jacob and sniffed again.
Jacob gagged.
"No, I can smell Drew."
Then he gasped as Drew and Elena went around the corner.
Elena's pelt was on end, and she was standing protectively over her kittens who were hissing and had their ears pressed against their heads.
Drew growled and crouched as if to pounce on the queen.
"Drew!" Jacob leapt up onto his brother's back and Holly yanked his tail. The warrior stumbled backwards as Jacob clawed his shoulders. With combined efforts they dragged him away from Elena and her trembling kittens.
Drew mewed in protest.
"Let go! Let go! As a warrior, I order you to-"
"Oh, just button it!"cried Holly softly, blue eyes wide in terror.
"Warrior schmorrior."
Drew snarled and tried to chase his tail to catch Holly, but she was quick turning around out of reach.
Jacob was screaming as Drew spun around with Jacob on his back.
"Ow!" Holly shrieked, as Drew managed to bite her leg. She started hobbling around.
Drew snarled and crouched to pounce.
"Can't catch me!" Holly hissed.
"I'm on your tail, stupid."
Drew yowled in anger and shook his tail., sending Holly flying.
Then he twisted his head to see Jacob sinking his teeth into his scruff.
"What are you doing?"he wailed.
Before Drew could react, Jacob flung him. Drew sat up, panting.
He snarled.
"Go! Leave!"shrieked Holly to Elena. The startled she cat bunched up her kittens and swept them from the clearing.
Drew snarled and landed a stinging blow to Jacob's head.
"Traitor!"
Jacob blinked.
"What?"
"She-is-a-kittypet!"shouted Drew.
"What?Elena?"
