Crookedstar’s Promise

Rippleclaw and Brightsky were clearing a space to drop the mice they’d caught. With the river so cold, the hunting patrols were scouring the willow wood for land prey.

“There.” Crookedkit tipped the kits off at the edge of the river. A thin frosting of ice coated the water.

Willowkit peered over the bank. “Can we go on it?”

“It’s too thin.”

“Then let’s play warriors!” Willowkit bounded away, so light she barely broke the surface of the frost-hardened drift. Graykit chased after her, scooping a pawful of snow and hurling it at her sister.

Crookedkit purred. He wanted to join in, but Rippleclaw was close by. It was bad enough being called a kit without acting like one. A shadow flitted over the clearing. Crookedkit looked up. A heron was circling. Its great wings flapped, white against the gray sky. Its beak was long and sharp like a newleaf reed spear. His heart lurched when he saw its beady eye fix on the camp. The kits were still small enough to be easy picking for a big, greedy bird.

“You’re WindClan,” Graykit called to Willowkit. “And I’m RiverClan. Try and invade my camp.” Graykit was in the center of the clearing. She’d piled walls of snow around her and was ducking behind them.

Squeaking a battle cry, Willowkit rushed one and struggled over the top. “Invasion!” she mewed, throwing herself on top of Graykit.

The heron drew into a tighter circle over the clearing.

Crookedkit stiffened. “Graykit.” He tried to keep his voice calm. He didn’t want to panic them and send them running in opposite directions. He had to keep them together. “Willowkit, come here.”

“Get away, you WindClan fleabag!” Willowkit had Graykit in a shoulder-lock and was pummeling her with churning hind legs.

“You won’t take the camp!” Graykit squealed, struggling to free herself.

“Willowkit!” Crookedkit pushed his way toward them through the snow. “Graykit! Let’s get back to the nursery.”

“Why?” Willowkit let go of her sister and blinked at him.

“We’re not cold!” Graykit complained.

Suddenly the heron stalled mid-air and dived. Its piercing cry split the air as it aimed for the kits.

StarClan, help us!

Crookedkit leaped.

“Heron!” His warning cry rang around the camp as he dived on top of Willowkit, pushing her deep into the snow. Reaching out a paw, he grabbed Graykit and dragged her underneath him.

The air whistled above him as the heron screeched down.

He held on to the kits and tensed the muscles along his back.

What about my destiny?

Closing his eyes, he prepared for sharp talons to rip his pelt.

Mapleshade! You told me I’d be leader!

He pictured the beak spearing his flesh. He was going to die for sure.

Suddenly Ottersplash’s shriek wailed over him. “You mangy river rat!”

The heron’s cry turned to a screech of fury and pain. Crookedkit looked up. Ottersplash was clinging to its back, hauling it down to the ground. Beetlepaw leaped and landed on the heron’s neck.

Rippleclaw reared at the edge of Crookedkit’s vision, claws unsheathed, ready to attack.

The great bird struggled, flapping against the snow as Ottersplash released it.

Rippleclaw dropped on to all four paws.

“Let it go!” Ottersplash called to Beetlepaw.

The broad-shouldered apprentice hung on, like soot against snow. “It’ll feed us for a moon!”

“We don’t eat heron!” Ottersplash yowled.

Growling, Beetlepaw let go and the heron floundered on to its spindly feet, then heaved itself out of the clearing.

“Why don’t we eat heron?” Beetlepaw frowned as he watched the great bird escape.

Rippleclaw padded forward. “If you’d ever tasted heron, you’d know.” He looked at Crookedkit. “That was fast thinking.”

Ottersplash nodded. “Well spotted.”

Brightsky darted toward them. “It’s a good thing you saw it!”

The nursery shook as Fallowtail burst out of the entrance.

Trembling with relief, Crookedkit sat up, letting Willowkit and Graykit struggle out from under him. They sneezed and shook snow from their ears.

“What did you do that for?” Willowkit snorted.

Fallowtail slewed to a halt beside them. “What happened?”

“It’s okay, they’re safe,” Ottersplash reassured her.

Hailstar appeared from his den.

“Crookedkit just saved the kits,” Ottersplash told the RiverClan leader.

“A heron tried to take them.” Rippleclaw shook snow from his paws. “Crookedkit grabbed them just in time.”

“He nearly crushed us!” Graykit complained.

Ottersplash flicked the kit’s ear with her tail. “He risked his own pelt to protect yours!”

“Thanks for fighting it off.” Crookedkit nodded to Ottersplash and Beetlepaw. “I thought I was going to lose my ears.”

Fallowtail wrapped her tail around her kits. “Thank you, Crookedkit.”

Hailstar circled them, tail high. “How big was the heron?”

“Huge!” Ottersplash gasped.

“I didn’t see it!” Graykit complained.

Willowkit sniffed. “That’s because Crookedkit was sitting on us.”

“Anyone can sit on a kit.” Beetlepaw huffed. “I helped fight it off.”