Tough as a Branch - Fragile as a Twig

Prolouge
The wind rustled the trees, it was a cold night. Inside a cave, that was a massive labrynth, were many cats, up to fifty, separated in the massive labrynth. Only the cats living here could possibly know the way around the maze. In one of the rounded dome-like stretch outs, was a place that smelled deeply of herbs. Three cats and two kits were in there, the kits were newborn. 
"Their beautiful, Sparrowsong!" One of the adults meowed out loudly. "I agree." The only adult tom mewled in reply. The shecat, who birthed the kits, smiled gently. Her ruffled brown pelt was just now calming. "Thank you, Crowmask, Dapplepool. Crowmask, do you want to name one?" The shecat- Apparently Sparrowsong- Meowed. "Sure. I'll name the tom." Crowmask replied cheerily. "The shekit will be... Willowkit." Sparrowsong meowed. Dapplepool smiled gently, beginning to clean up the area. 
"The tom will be Branchkit." Crowmask announced. His glossy, jet-black pelt was glossy, and face beaming with pride. "Our rogue pack will be rejoicing at the new members." Dapplepool told her from the corner. "Thank you, Dapplepool." Sparrowsong purred, beginning to groom the suckling kits. They had little to no fur, their ears and eyes closed. 
Chapter 1
"Eek!" A chocolate brown tomkit yelped happily when a pitch-black shecat tackled him. "You're so easy to beat!" The she-kit giggled, hopping off, and beginning to groom herself in a sort of annoying way. "Oh come on, Willowkit." He grumbled under his breath. "Oh come on, Branchkit." Willowkit copied him. 
Branchkit rolled his eyes in a grumpy fashion, standing. "Imma see big brother." Branchkit trotted out. The two siblings' brother was a nearly-warrior apprentice, who was born many fazes before them, named Skippaw. Him and Branchkit had always been close. "Yo, Branchkit!" Skippaw grinned when he saw his little brother. The young kit replied in greetings, then raised his brow at the shecat he'd been eating with. "Hello, Puddlepaw." Branchkit said in a little of a lower tone. "Oh come on, what's wrong?" Puddlepaw jumped to her dark grey, pretty much blue, paws.  
"Nothing, nothing." Branchkit shrugged. Personally, Branchkit had despised Puddlepaw, as she always tried to suck up Skippaw's attention. What was absolute, was Puddlepaw and Skippaw had some sort of feelings for each other. The thoughts of their almost certain becoming mates made Branchkit's fur bristle. 
Later that day, Branchkit was sharing a mouse with his little sister, Willowkit. Skippaw returned with Puddlepaw, and their two mentors, and the mentors, side by side, went to the leader, Tawny. The leaders never had a prefix- And same with any in general high rank- As in, only the leader's son or daughter became leader, and were given only a prefix, similar to medicine cats, who were allowed to have kits. Tawny nodded when the mentors were done talking. The huge space, in the very back of the labrynth, was similar to a Clan's 'clearing'- It had sunlight shafting through just dimly at the top.
Tawny padded up to the equivalent to high-rock- A mound of collected up pebbles and rocks, carefully placed to make sure it would stay. "All rogues old enough to find their ways through our winding mazes, come to Rock-mound!" The beige shecat called out, her voice echoing a little annoyingly much. Most cats came, including the older kits, such as Branchkit. They formed a cresent-like shape around Rock-mound. "Today, we have a special ceremony. Puddlepaw, Skippaw, step up!" Tawny shouted. The two proud apprentices, side-by-side, trotted up to Rock Mound.   
"Skippaw, you have trained many fazes. Kinkfang has trained you hard and long, and it is time you recieved your full rogue name. Skippaw, you are now Skipjaw!" Tawny began. Branchkit's eyes were wide. This was great! "Puddlepaw, you have trained many fazes. Stormdrop has trained you hard and long, and it is time you recieved your full rogue name. Puddlepaw, you are now Puddlesplash!" Tawny repeated the same type of wording. "Puddlesplash! Skipjaw!" The words chanted and echoed throughout the room in a mind-boggling way. 
Sparrowsong, Willowkit, Branchkit, and Crowmask were the first to congratulate Skipjaw fully, then the rest. "Your so big now!" Sparrowsong licked her son's ear. "I agree." Crowmask meowed to his mate. Branchkit had a massive grin, beginning to trot off. He turned just around a corner, somehow knowing the way around the maze, and came into a smaller dome room where there were kits and their mothers. "Hi, Branchkit! One she-kit and two tom-kit's meowed in usion. "Hi, Copperkit, Ratkit, and Rabbitkit." Branchkit mewled in reply.   
"Wanna play?" The shekit, Rabbitkit, asked the three toms. "Sure!" Ratkit and Copperkit meowed in usion, and Branchkit gave a nod. "Hmmm! How abouttttt..." Rabbitkit stretched out the word, whiskers twitching. Suddenly, a loud yowl screamed, echoing throughout the labrynth, to all the dens. "Wh-what?!" Branchkit trembled. He bounded out to where he heard it from. There, laying dead on the ground, was his sister, Willowkit, in a dead end. Blood driplets made a thin path towards the exit. 
The pale she-kit had a gaping wound on her stomach. Branchkit prodded her with his paw, getting blood on his paw accidentally. Dapplepool hurried to the scene, looking at Branchkit and his bloody paw. Her eyes darkened, supposing Branchkit had killed her. "Branchkit! Why did you do this?" She growled, nipping the kit's ear and carrying the kit, going to heal her before anything more. Branchkit followed. "I didn't do it! I promise!" He yowled after the medicine cat.
"Fine, fine. You'd be too weak to do it anyway." Dapplepool muttered, not meaning for Branchkit to hear. She set down the she-kit in her den, scavenging up herbs. Before she could heal the poor kit, another shriek rang through camp. "Leopard!" It screamed. "Leopard?" Branchkit and Dapplepool spoke in usion. Leopard was the name of Tawny's firstborn son- Her only son. "Has the murderer killed Leopard, too!?" Branchkit meowed under his breath. Before either of them could get to the scene, Tawny ran in with the limp kit in her maws by the scruff.
The wound was in the same place as Willowkit's wound. Dapplepool, for the next thirty minutes, worked on healing the dying kits. They stared anxiously, hoping that they'd survive. The first kit to awaken was Willowkit, who stared foggily at her brother with half-open eyes. "Willowkit!" Branchkit meowled out loudly in joy. He licked his sister's head a few times in hope. Leopard still hadn't woken, his breathing worsening instead.
"Leopard..?" Willowkit's hoarse voice mumbled out quietly. Leopard had a pained expression, as Dapplepool quickly gave him more herbs. They stared, but Leopard didn't regain. His breathing stopped. "Leopard!? Leopard!?" Branchkit yowled out loudly. Tawny was in the corner, speechless with tears streaming violently down her face, mouth gaping.
Chapter 2
"Tawny..." Dapplepool meowed out slowly, as Tawny turned away, and stormed out. Droplets made a dim path behind her as she walked. "Leopard?" Willowkit mumbled quietly, and hoarsely. The little kit coughed out loudly, but breath not regaining. Branchkit prodded the limp youth. The body was loosing heat. 
"He's dead..." Dapplepool whispered under her breath, nudging Branchkit away from the small body. "But who will be the heir?" Branchkit blurted out. "This has only happened ever once, but Tawny must pick one kit of Leopard's age to take his place as heir. Their suffix will be taken away." Dapplepool meowed in a hushed whisper, one or two tears trickling down.
"Oh." Branchkit mumbled out slowly. "All rogues old enough to find their ways through our winding mazes, come to Rock-mound!" They could hear Tawny's voice. "Go on, Branchkit." Dapplepool urged. The chocolate brown kit sighed, trudging to the clearing, where most had already gathered. "As some of you know, My son, Leopard, has passed away by an unknown murderer- Who WILL be caught and killed as he has done." Tawny started, anyone could see she was still trembling and her face was tear-stained. 
"As tradition goes, I must pick a new heir. A kit, who must be around Leopard's age. And I have chosen this kit." Tawny added, voice shaking violently. Sparrowsong and Crowfang had big grins on their faces, as if they knew who the heir was going to be. "Branchkit, step forward." 
Branchkit's eyes widened, a quick tremble running through his pelt. He slowly stood, stepping only a few paces. He knew what Tawny was going to say. "Branchkit, I have chosen you to be the heir. You are tall, lithe, stealthy, and have the traits of a good leader. Branchkit, your name is now Branch." Tawny announced. He glanced back at his mother and father, who seemed overjoyed. Branch gave a big grin, hearing his new name chanted. "Branch! Branch!"  
Sparrowsong, Crowmask, and Skipjaw were the main cats to congratulate him, swarmed by others seconds later. Finally the congratulating was over, and he trotted off with a new feeling over himself. "Branchki- I mean, Branch!" Rabbitkit bounded up to him, face fading red once she caught up. "Yeah, Rabbitkit?" He blinked, cocking his head. 
"Sorry for not saying earlier, but congratulations!" Rabbitkit panted out in her adorably squeaky voice. Branch, though being lithe, Rabbitkit had always still been smaller than him. Branch looked into Rabbitkit's crimson eyes, and her silky white pelage. Her big ears were flattened, and her bob-tail was perked up.  
"Thanks." Branch meowed after staying silent for a few seconds. Rabbitkit licked his cheek and trotted off to her brothers. Branch's face was red, not really for any known reason by his standards. Him and Rabbitkit had been close friends for a long time. As she ran off, he noticed something attached to her ear. "Rabbitkit, what's that on your ear?" He called after her loudly. The shekit stopped, turning. There was a hawk feather on her ear. 
"Oh, I found it when Ambertooth and Scarheart killed that hawk... I thought it looked nice. What do you think of it?" She purred squeakily, a big grin on her face. "Oh- I like it." Branch nodded violently. "I also got you one, for like a little thingy that signifies we're friends or something!" Rabbitkit purred, trotting into the nursery and out in an instant, back with another feather, slightly larger than hers. 
Chapter is a WIP
Category:Cats
Category:Stories