“A little TOO easy, but let’s take it anyways.” Foxkit shook his head, and they both walked off, Starkit carrying the jewel.
They began re-tracing their steps again, hiding at the slightest and smallest of sounds. They kept running and soon found themselves in the Medical Den with only Starkit’s victim which she attacked earlier in there, asleep.
“We must be close.” Foxkit whispered, trying not to wake up the clanner. Starkit nodded in agreement, and they ran out. They ran down some stairs and down another staircase. There was a turn, and the two kits peered around the corner. There was about only 50 warriors left; the others had gone off to find the other kits.
“Ok, we found the entrance, but we need the other kits and a medal like the un-deadly kit napper’s!” Foxkit said to Starkit, and she nodded in agreement with her friend. She put the jewel down to speak.
“We can’t split up ow Dawkstaw, maybe one of his wawwiows, could find us.” Starkit whispered. Foxkit looked confused with how much, “w,”s Starkit used, but then he figured out what she said and nodded. “True.”
“What do we do then?” Starkit asked.
Foxkit thought for a moment, then his face appeared to light up. “Deathwolf!” He whisper-shouted. “Deathwolf is the deputy- wise and smart. He should be able to help with our plan, and I am sure he will approve of it!”
As soon as Foxkit finished telling his friend his plan, they heard a footstep. It must be a Shadow Clan wawwiow, thought Starkit. Starkit picked up the jewel. She and Foxkit looked around in panic to try and find a pot to hide in, but none lay in sight. They both panicked even more as the footsteps sounded as though they were closer.
Starkit was about to run for it when the two kits saw that it was only Galaxykit, Fallkit, Grasskit, Lightning kit, and Thunder kit. Starkit’s sisters, however, were not in the group.
“Foxkit! Starkit!” All the kits whisper-yelled, and they all hugged the two kits.
“Sshh!” Foxkit shushed them. “Where are Starkit’s sisters?”
“We wewe all in a gwoup, but the sistews thought we came fwom a diffewent way. They awe lost now!” Fallkit informed the two kits.
“Where is Deathwolf? He will help.” Foxkit asked.
“We do not know- he went solo!” Thunder kit answered.
“But we can’t just split up, or keep walking! We need a new plan!”
“What can we do, Foxkit?” Starkit turned to her friend. Foxkit looked at the ground, unsure of what to do. He shifted his paws a moment, lost in thought, as the others listened to warriors telling stories of how they either killed other warriors in Thunder Clan or in other clans. Some told stories of catching food.
But something came up which made Starkit want to go out there and scream. It was the story of how her parents got killed.
“Hey, fellow warriors, you will not believe what I did a couple moons ago,” the warrior began, “I entered the Thunder Clan camp as told by Shadowruler, and saw two wolves giving DarkStar a hard time. They were so focused on trying to kill our deputy, that,” Starkit peered around the corner seeing all the others lean in closer in interest, “Out of nowhere, and I mean, NOWHERE,” (the warrior was now smiling), “I pounced on the male, and he put up heck of a fight, I’ll tell you that. He pinned me down, then I pinned him again. I scratched his shoulders since I was weaponless and forgot my sword. He was harmed badly. He yowled in pain. THAT was when I...bit into his neck, sinking my teeth in. I felt his pulse after he stopped moving, and it stopped. He was dead!”
The others laughed at the dreadful story over that warrior’s victory.
“What else happened, WindFace?” The warrior who threatened Starkit earlier to release his comrade asked.
“Well,” WindFace began, his smile slowly fading, “The female pounced on me and scratched my neck, almost making me faint. But I figured if a male was going to lose against me, I shouldn’t let a weak female wolf stop me, the great warrior, WindFace.”
Starkit wanted to go out there and kill WindFace, to show him how tough a female could really be (and for revenge), but Foxkit must have known what Starkit was thinking, because he pulled her back from too close to the corner, and Foxkit started thinking about a plan again.
WindFace continued, “So I push the female off me as if she was a coyote, pinned her down and bit her face. She was hurt and knocked out. To finish her off, I sank my teeth into her neck. Check her pulse- she’s dead as well!” The others laughed again, and then they slowly stopped laughing, seeing that WindFace was about to say more. “So DarkStar was very impressed by my kill, and he says, ‘You are a good apprentice, Wind. For your kill of a kit’s parents, you are now a warrior, and your name is WindFace- may Shadowruler reward you for your skills.’ And so now, I’m a warrior.” WindFace smiled.
Everyone cheered.
“Yay for WindFace!” Some said.
“Killing two kit parents is something neither of us done in a long time!” Others said.
“Got it!” Foxkit suddenly whispered, as everyone turned their attention to them. “We should stay together and find Deathwolf. We get him, find Moonkit and Lynxkit, find a medal, then leave and go home!”
Everyone muttered to one another and agreed.
“Then we can head home to the safety of our nursery!” Foxkit sighed. All the kits sighed in comfort too, thinking of the soft bed and roaring fire of their own nursery.
They all ran up the stairs. The kits took a right, and walked into Shadow Clan’s nursery. No one was guarding. All the kits exchanged looks, all thinking of the same thing: kit-napping Shadow Clan’s kits, taking them to their den for revenge on being kit-napped by Shadow Clan.
Each kit walked in and saw about 20 kits, eyes not even opened yet, laying on the ground. Some crawled around slowly. Whewe is the mothew? Starkit wondered, but she dropped the thought as they all slowly crept in, each taking one kit. The kits were all mostly black, except for one, who was tan. Foxkit had grabbed the tan.
“Let’s go.” Galaxykit muttered while holding a black, squirming kit which looked like a piece of fur. The others nodded, and they ran out of the den. They heard footsteps. Fast footsteps. Coming their way. The kits backed into the nursery, and looked. They saw Deathwolf running with Moonkit and Lynxkit.
“Guys!” Starkit whisper-shouted with a kit still in her mouth. She was followed by the rest, each still holding a kit,
“Good job, Thunder kits!” Deathwolf shouted in approval of their kit-napping. “I got these two.”
“We got the jewel, too.” Fallkit said to Deathwolf. He looked so happy, you would think he was just appointed leader in Thunder Clan.
“Great! Where is it?” Deathwolf asked.
Starkit showed Deathwolf the jewel that she had put on the floor.
“We need to get that and the medal.” Starkit mumbled, still holding her kit.
“Medal?” Deathwolf echoed.
“Yeah, it will twanspowt us to ouw den.” Starkit explained.
“I know, Starkit, but no other kit has never known anything about a medal. In fact, nobody knows about the medal. Only the warriors are let in on information about medals.
“You see, depending on what the medal looks like, it leads to a different place. The medal which leads to our den is one with a wolf howling and a star by it. Shadow Clan’s is a moon with many stars around it, and by pressing the moon, you enter Shadow Clan’s castle. Dragon Clan is a volcano with fire spouting out, you press the fire to enter Dragon Clan’s volcano.
“To enter Moonlight Clan, which is occupied by deadly, evil owls, you need a medal which has a tree. Press the leaves on it to enter the Moonlight Clan’s forest.”
“Wow, that is a lot of info!” Lynxkit exclaimed.
“Yes, Lynxkit. Warriors are only let in of that thing because it is like a weapon, and as some of you kits may know,” Deathwolf explained, looking at Foxkit, “Weapons are used by warriors and higher levels only, because kits cannot handle it. Apprentices use i
t as well, and stick with it. But they learn about it.”
“What is an appwentice?” Lightning kit asked.
“An apprentice is an animal in any clan which is in training to become a warrior. Other than that, they help the clan with anything which needs backup.”
“Ok, we need that medal and jewel, NOW.” Foxkit reminded everyone. Everyone nodded, showing that they knew they needed to escape.
***
At Thunder Clan, the warriors, mothers, and WolfClaw himself were all worried- they knew that the kits were missing and not anywhere in the den. RainWolf and Bloodclaws had not remembered that they were knocked out by the kit-napper’s howl. In panic everyone was searching the den, in every corner, every pot.
WolfClaw howled, calling a meeting. Everyone walked to his chair.
“We cannot find these kits, we need a new plan.” WolfClaw told the others.
“They must have joined Shadow Clan!” Came a warrior’s voice. Everyone looked.
“How and why would they, young WaterClaw?” WolfClaw’s voice stopped all the muttering.
“The kits must have thought they should join Shadow Clan because they do not have minds like us warriors! They thought Shadow Clan was great, and went to their side.” WaterClaw explained.
“No, that is not possible! After what they did to Starkit, Moonkit and Lynxkit’s parents!” Pointed out a warrior, EternalStar.
“True, EternalStar.” RainWolf nodded in agreement. “True.”
“Perhaps they were kit-napped?” Lighteye asked, coming to the group. She had returned from wherever she had gone off.
Everyone gave cold stares at Bloodclaws, Darkmoon and RainWolf.
“You foolish warriors, you are to guard those kits with your wolf lives! What have you become of, letting someone kit-nap our beloved kits and you not even knowing?!” WaterClaw shouted in anger. Everyone else growled.
“Yeah!” Said some of the warriors.
WolfClaw howled to silent his clan, and everyone turned their attention to him. “Enough!” WolfClaw shouted among them. “We shall not accuse fellow members of not guarding our kits! It is nobody’s fault; only Shadow Clan’s!”
Everyone started growling. “Shadow Clan! Those great, cruel wolves! Kit-napping, destroying our homes, killing our loved ones! They have gone too far- we shall invade their castle to show them how much we appreciate all they do!” EternalStar shouted. Everyone agreed.
“Wait! Before we do anything...” WolfClaw began, and everyone stopped growling. “We cannot attack without our deputy, Deathwolf.”
“Face it, WolfClaw, your deputy has been wolf-napped, never to return to our clan.” WaterClaw said.
“We shall attack Shadow Clan, show no mercy! Until we get our clanners back, then we shall attack with no questions or hesitating!” Darkmoon called out.
“Very well, my fellow warriors. We shall go out, attack Shadow Clan, and bring back our others.” WolfClaw agreed. Grabbing their weapons, all of Thunder Clan ran to invade Shadow Clan’s castle.
Chapter Five: The Great Escape
Although Thunder Clan was on its way to give Shadow Clan revenge, the others who were stuck in the castle were trying to plot a plan to escape their enemy’s castle. With Deathwolf, their plan could be excellent since he was the deputy, and a great warrior who fought many enemies.
“Fellow kits,” Deathwolf finally said after a while of thinking, and the kits were relieved to finally be able to return to their home, “I know Shadow Clan keeps their medals in a secret stash, in a secret room. A Thunder Clanner was once undercover as a Shadow Clanner. So we basically need to endure all the warriors out in the room, since their room has the door. We run for the door, and escape, and return to Thunder Clan. It only matters that we escape. Nothing else.”
Everyone nodded. Starkit was determined to escape and return to her soft, comfy home. “What about the kits?” Starkit mumbled, still holding her kit. It started bobbing around and whining. It struggled to get free, but Starkit kept a tight grip. “If Shadow Clan wawwiows find out thiew kits awe in ouw clan, they’ll attack!”
“And some of the wolves here used to be on our side...” Deathwolf sighed. “We need to run so fast that the kits are not seen. One shall stay behind and make sure the kits were not spotted, and that shall be me. I know what to do if they see it.”
“Ok.” Everyone nodded.
“Now, kits, run! Run through the room, bust the door open, and run to the forest! I will met you there later! Stay in the forest until I come!!” Deathwolf ordered, and all the kits ran. They ran through the warrior room. Many warriors looked their way.
Please do not see the kits... Starkit thought as they busted the door open. Some warriors growled; but the kits kept running, running into the distance, running into the forest.
They arrived in the forest. The kits put down their Shadow Clan kits, and panted. The Shadow Clan kits whined, their eyes closed since they were young, slowly crawling around. They all sat down, silent, and waited for Deathwolf, who came in 5 minutes. He held the blue jewel and put it down.
“The Shadow Clan kits were not spotted. They are going to DarkStar now to tell him we escaped, so-” Deathwolf was interrupted by steps. Fast steps. They heard shouting.
“Shadow Clannews!” Starkit shouted. The kits went down to the ground.
The kits and Deathwolf strained their ears forward to listen and heard this:
“Shadow Clan will pay!” (That one sounded like RainWolf)
“Revenge!” (Lighteye)
“Those do not sound like Shadow Clan warriors...” Deathwolf whispered to the kits. They all got up.
“SHADOW CLAN SPIES!” EternalStar shouted as they got up.
“Wait! Halt! Stop, Thunder Clanners! It’s me, Deathwolf, and the other kits!” Deathwolf shouted.
There was a pause.
“It’s them!” WaterClaw declared, and they all ran to the kits and Deathwolf. The Shadow Clan kits all started to cry, and the other Thunder Clanners looked at them.
“Shadow Clan kits?” WolfClaw asked. “This is what you bring, Deathwolf?”
“No, WolfClaw, no!” Deathwolf said to WolfClaw, worried he was angry.
“It’s a brilliant idea. We shall have more warriors by having these Shadow Clan kits.” WolfClaw smiled.
“It was not my idea, sir, it was the kits’ idea.” Deathwolf looked at them.
“Good job, Thunder kits!” WolfClaw exclaimed.
“Leader, our attack!” WaterClaw reminded WolfClaw.
“No, young warrior, not now, we must plan and attack later. Since we’re all here together now, we shall return to our camp.” WolfClaw explained.
Deathwolf picked up the jewel.
“The jewel!” WolfClaw exclaimed in relief. “Very lucky you guys got that back, we probably wouldn’t be able to live without it!”
And with that, everyone padded off to their camp.
***
When they were almost at the camp, the clan stopped when they heard EternalStar shout.
“Halt!” He shouted among the others and sniffed the air. “It’s an out-clanner...”
“Who used to be in which clan, EternalStar?” WolfClaw asked, sniffing the air too. The other warriors did the same, but the kits did not know how to sniff, so they held onto their Shadow Clan kits.
“The smell of their coat is to muddy to know. But they do not stench of any clan.” EternalStar reported.
They heard a twig snap.
“Get down,” WolfClaw whispered, and everyone crouched down.
They heard slow footsteps, and there was a pause. The out-clanner stepped on another twig, then another.
Suddenly, the out-clanner was visible. It was white and gray, with no weapons and covered with mud. It had blood beneath it’s eye, and it’s bones were visible. It looked very weak and as if it could die any day, by how miserable the creature looked.
EternalStar and Darkmoon ran up to it, their swords right by it- Ete
rnalStar’s by it’s neck, Darkmoon’s by it’s paw.
“Stop!” Darkmoon growled. The sad-looking wolf breathed fast in panic, looking at both warriors.
“Where do you come from?” EternalStar demanded.
“I-...I...” The out-clanner stuttered.
“STOP!” WolfClaw shouted. Both warriors looked his way. “Ok, now drop your weapons; that out-clanner is harmless.”
The warriors did as they were told.
“Now, as my warrior asked, who are you from?” WolfClaw growled.
“I-I-I am h-hungry, perhaps close to dying and f-from S-Swift Clan...” The out-clanner answered.
“Swift Clan?” Starkit whispered to Foxkit.
“From what I heard from mom, it’s the newest clan. They plan to stop Shadow Clan and Thunder Clan from fighting, and they think the only way to stop us is to kill us all,” Foxkit explained. “They haven’t heard of Dragon Clan or Moonlight Clan, so we are their only targets.”
Starkit replied by nodding.
“So, Swift Clan...” WolfClaw whispered, and thunder was heard. Everyone looked up at the sky, and the out-clanner fainted, weak.
“Quick! Get the out-clanner a rabbit!” WolfClaw commanded, and EternalStar pounced on a nearby rabbit, threw it into the air, the pounced on it again, sinking his teeth into his victim’s neck, and it died.
WaterClaw shook the out-clanner and it slowly woke up.
“You fainted.” WaterClaw told it. “Now you should eat this rabbit.”
EternalStar handed the out-clanner a rabbit, and the out-clanner gobbled it down in less than 10 seconds. “Thank you, Thunder Clanner, your clan is more kind than Swift Clan told me.”
“Don’t let your guard down,” Lighteye snarled. “We can be as fierce as a Lava Dragon.”
“Enough, Lighteye.” WolfClaw ordered, and she looked down at her paws. “Now, Swift Clanner, we will take you to our camp, and you must not cause trouble.”
The out-clanner nodded, and everyone returned to camp.
***
The kits all returned to the nursery, and in celebration, they played with the mats, sniffed the air that they all knew, and sat down by the roaring fire. RainWolf assumed her usual position. Deathwolf put the jewel back in WolfClaw’s chair. Darkmoon and his brother Bloodclaws went back to the outside of the nursery. Lighteye sat next to her sister, and the out-clanner sat in the prisoner room next to the nursery. No one had been in that room for a while; it had been a long time since they got a prisoner. EternalStar and WaterClaw each got food for the out-clanner when he was hungry.