Chasing Shadows Chapter 4: The Kits And The Rogues

Chapter 4: The Kits and the Rogues

"That's mousbrained, especially after what Wolfstreak just said" Chaoskit sighed, shaking his head in mild disbeleif.

After Stingkit's long winded explanation on how they should sneak out of camp one last time while they were still kits, Chaoskit had adamantly objected to the plan, claiming it to be too close to their apprentice ceremonies to be worth the risk. They'd done it before and had been caught by a ptrol on several occasions, but there had been a few times when they had come back succesful.

"Dont be such a mouse-heart!" Stingkit retorted, his icy blue eyes gleaming in the sunhigh light.

The five kits were sat on the edge of the pool under the FallRock, lazing around in greenleaf sun. All around them, warriors and apprentices were busy with their daily tasks, as well as constructing the enlargement of the apprentice's den. Cheetahstar and Darkheart were sat either side of the stream on the FallRock, discussing who to take to tonight's gathering. Wildstripe, Wolfstreak, and the white tom Skyhawk were busy pulling leaves away from the wall of the den where the enlargement was to be. The medicine cat, Shimmerpool and her apprentice Ghostpaw were just padding back through the enterance log, each with a jaw full of sweet smelling herbs. Two of the four currant apprentices, Cinderpaw and Flamepaw, were dragging the huge leaves that the warriors had taken from the den away to the camp barrier, where Yellowgaze, the ginger she-cat and Thunderclaw, the golden tom were adding the leaves to make the barrier stronger.

"I think we should go for it!" Leopardkit exclaimed, excited as ever.
"Again, I think it's mousebrained" Chaoskit repeated, trying to enforce his willingness not to go.
"Wont they notice if we're not here?" Razorkit chipped in, swaying more to Chaoskit's way of reasoning over Stingkit's impulsiveness. His brother gave him a hard stare.
"Well then, me and Leopardkit will go!" He announced, standing up and defiantly padding away from the pool, Leopardkit bouncing along behind.
"Oh, you're going to walk stright out the entrance log?" Chaoskit rolled his eyes, "What a great plan"
Stingkit glanced back, eyes blazing, "Who said I was going that way?" He snapped, "I know we'd usually wait 'till night to sneak out, but now I've found a secret exit!"
"Really!?" Leopardkit squealed.
"Really?" Chaoskit asked in a somewhat dissmissive tone, almost as if he didn't beleive him.
"How did you find...?" Razorkit asked, glancing to Silentkit - who looked slightly worried.
Stingkit shrugged, "I saw Nightraven go out that way. Big deal" He turned away and headed for the Nursery. For a moment Razorkit was sure he was going to go inside, but his defiant brother headed around the side of the den and dissapeared around the back, Leopardkit in tow.

There was another breif moment of silence.

Razorkit looked from Chaoskit to Silentkit, "Should we go after them...?"
"They'll probably be eaten by foxes if we dont" Chaoskit grumbled. Silentkit nodded in agreement. Slowly, the three remaining kits wearily padded towards the nursery, trying to act as normal as possible. When they had confirmed no cat was looking, they dived around the back of the den.

Just as Stingkit had said, behind the den was a small hole in the barrier, just tall enough for a warrior to fit through. One by one, the kits hopped through the gap in the barrier and into their camp's surrounding forest. All around them, tall trees and lush green grass surrounded the kits as they padded through a part of the forest they had never explored before.

"I've got their scent" Chaoskit reported, taking the lead. Razorkit and Silentkit filed in behind him as they swerved around plants and bushes. Twigs poked at their pelts and the grass tickled their bellies. They could feel the ground raising underpaw - they were heading upland, in the direction of MountainClan territory. The only reason Razorkit could tell was that whenever they had previously snuck out of camp, they had always been on the other side of the river where the forest was at it's fullest. Here, the land sloped upwards and crags jutted out from the green landscape. The tree's were becoming more spaced out and the sun beat down on the open land.

"Be careful" Razorkit warned, "We dont know where the border is"
Chaoskit nodded and they carried on. The scent of the other two kits eventually wandered away from the open space and back into the dense forest surrounding the camp. They were still on the higher ground, presumably just behind the camp as the scents of familiar warriors were blown along with the wind. The sound of flowing water reached their ears as they found themselves standing on the riverbank.
"There's the flower feild" Razorkit noted, nodding at the open feild dotted with brightly coloured flowers on the other side of the river. That was where the kits had gone the previous times they had snook out.
"And there's the travelling kits" Chaoskit flicked his ears to where Stingkit and Leopardkit sat on the Riverbank, beside a clump of reeds.

The three kits approached the riverbank with caution - the edge wasn't always stable and the elders told stories of cats who had been swept downriver, right the way down to where the forest ended and the Twolegplace began.

"Hey!" Razorkit called, padding slowly onto the sandy bank.
Stingkit looked back, "So you decided to come? How did you find us?"
"I can track scents, you know" Chaoskit sighed, "You should try it. You might actually catch some prey for once"

It was true, even though they were only kits, Chaoskit had managed to catch a mouse once. Razorkit had tried, but never been able to himself.

Stingkit sneered, turning his head back to the river. Leopardkit was greeting Silentkit and patting a space on the bank for her with her tail. Chaoskit sat on the edge of the grass just before the bank, licking his paw and swiping it over his face. Razorkit decided to sit next to his best friend.

"So how long do you intend to stay here?" Chaoskit asked.
"As long as I want" Stingkit retorted, adamant to argue with Chaoskit. Sometimes Razorkit wished the two would just get along.

The kits settled down and let the warmth of the greenleaf sun wash over them. There was a breif scare when they spotted a patrol near the edge of the forest on the other side of the river, and they had to crowd behind the protection of the reeds to remain hidden. Apart from that, it was mostly peaceful.

"So they say birds the size of foxes fly over MountainClan territory" Leopardkit was saying, entertaining the entrigued Stingkit and Silentkit. Razorkit and Chaoskit were only half listening.

"You never said what you thought about being apprenticed" Chaoskit stated, glancing at Razorkit.
"I dont know what to say" Razorkit sighed, "I know the life of a clan cat means fighting for the clan and protecting the code" He paused a moment, "But I cant help but think we live in such a static way, living the same, dying the same, only to be forgotten in the stars"
Chaoskit blinked at him, "What would you like, then?"
"I dont know" Razorkit admitted, "Maybe a change would be nice..."
He was about to explain further, but Chaoskit silenced him with a flick of his tail. The black tom's chestnut eyes were focused hard on something over the river, and he had become stone still.
Curious, Razorkit followed his friends gaze.

Two cats were stood in the Flower Feild. One a ginger-brown, one a dusty grey. They sat facing eachother, seemingly in conversation.
"Who are they?" Razorkit whispered, he knew even if he spoke normally they wouldn't be able to hear him, but he couldn't force himself to speak up.
"They're not JungleClan" Chaoskit's eyes narrowed, he was whispering too.
"OceanClan...?" Razorkit suggested, knowing only the river seperated the JungleClan territory from OceanClan territory. A bit disadvantagous for the forest dwelling cats - seeing as they couldn't swin while the Marsh-dwelling OceanClan cats could.
"I dont think so" Chaoskit answered. Razorkit was about to ask how he could tell, when he spoke again, "They aren't making any effort to hide themselves" He noted, "If they were OceanClan preparing an attack, they wouldn't be so open"
Razorkit glanced to the sandy bank, where it was obvious the other kits had noticed the strange scent too. They watched, all still, staring at the cats on the other side of the river.
"They aren't clan cats" Chaoskit deduced, his voice dropping even lower, "That must mean..."

"Rogues"

OMSC that was greaT!!! I loved it!! Keep it up Razorwing!!

Thanks! I didn't realise it was that long until I read it through again...x]

Hahah, yeah it was pretty long for a fanfiction!!! That chapter I mean .

I'm always thinking I write chapters too short, and then I write them really long xD Just habit.

Ha, yeah, I do that a lot sometimes. One time I wrote a 22 paged story for this thing we have in our school called Young Authors....

I used to hate writing (My Handwriting is horrible) But ever since I started writing using a computer I've started loads of stories I havent finished...Another habit xD

Haha, yeah everyone in my class LOVES my handwritting but I think it stinks,

Stonestep wrote:

Ha, yeah, I do that a lot sometimes. One time I wrote a 22 paged story for this thing we have in our school called Young Authors....

what did you write about?

I wrote about this one girl who was living in a world with werewolves, and she got bitten by one. Then she traveled to the underworld, because she was the only decendant of a Lycan left. And the underworld had a batle with the hevens. It is sorta like the Apocalypse. AND I WON NOTHING FOR THE STORY!!! The story is a lot better than it sounds, to me at least. It is called Revenge, parts 1 through 3.