Yellowfang’s Secret полностью

“I caught this kit taking moss from the store inside the den!” Sagewhisker meowed crossly. “As if we didn’t have to work to collect it!”

Brokenkit gazed up at the old cat with defiance in his eyes. “I wanted some to play with! You can always get more!”

Sagewhisker fixed Yellowfang with a stern gaze, clearly expecting her to deal with him.

“Brokenkit, if you want moss you know where to get some,” Yellowfang mewed. “There’s plenty behind the elders’ den. But please don’t take the moss from our store.” Does Sagewhisker expect me to punish him? she wondered. He’s only a kit!

She was trying to figure what to do when Deerkit and Tanglekit tumbled out of the nursery and bounded across to Brokenkit.

“Still hanging out with the medicine cats?” Deerkit sneered. “Old she-cats and a sick warrior are the only friends you’ve got!”

Tanglekit padded forward until she was almost nose-to-nose with Brokenkit. “What skills are you learning?” she asked in a mock-interested voice. “How to dry herbs? Ooh, our enemies will be scared!”

“Yeah, I can just hear him in a battle!” Deerkit added. “‘Come one step closer and I’ll slap you with this leaf!’”

Brokenkit’s neck fur bristled up and he swiped at Deerkit, catching him a blow on the nose.

Deerkit let out an outraged yowl. “That hurt!”

“And it serves you right,” Yellowfang snapped. “Go back to the nursery until you learn how to be nice.”

The two kits trailed off, casting resentful glances behind them as they went.

“Don’t listen to them, Brokenkit,” Yellowfang went on when they had gone. “There’s nothing wrong with—”

Brokenkit turned on her, anger flaring in his eyes. “They’re right. I’m not learning anything useful here! You’re just a dumb old medicine cat, not a warrior. Why do you make me come here all the time?”

“I don’t make you.” Shocked, Yellowfang reached out her tail to him, but Brokenkit batted it away.

“Quit bugging me, and leave me alone!” With a furious hiss, he ran off.

Yellowfang stared after him miserably. What have I done?

“Perhaps it’s for the best,” Sagewhisker murmured in her ear. “He needs to grow up as normal as possible so that he’s not singled out any more than he already has been.”

Yellowfang rounded on her. “What would you know?” she demanded. “He’s my son! I’d do anything to stop him from being hurt!”

In the days that followed, Brokenkit avoided the medicine cats’ den. Yellowfang never gave up hope that he would come back. Every time she heard him outside she would rush to the entrance, but he always turned away from her. Yet he was constantly alone; his littermates went on ignoring him, even Runningkit, who had never joined in the bullying since Yellowfang had interrupted them.

Watching Brokenkit wrestle with a stick in the middle of the clearing, Yellowfang’s heart ached for him. He was so strong and confident and handsome; even his crooked tail didn’t show so much now that his fur had thickened. But he doesn’t have any friends.

“Brokenkit never plays with the others.”

Yellowfang was startled to hear her own thoughts spoken aloud. The voice was Amberleaf’s; the dark orange she-cat was strolling past with Blizzardwing, on their way to join Raggedpelt, who was sorting out the patrols near the camp entrance.

“Well, he’s not like the others, is he?” Blizzardwing commented. “But he’s a strong young cat. He’ll be fine once he’s an apprentice.”

The two cats padded on, out of earshot. Yellowfang gazed after them, trying to comfort herself with the thought that Blizzardwing was right.

When the patrols had left, Raggedpelt bounded over to where Brokenkit was playing and stood watching him. After a moment, Brokenkit realized that he was there and looked up.

“Try attacking with both paws at once,” Raggedpelt advised. “If it was a real enemy, you’d need to leap on him with the full power of your claws.”

Brokenkit nodded and leaped on the stick again, smashing both paws down on it so that it splintered. Raggedpelt gave him a nod of approval.

Cedarstar had emerged from his den to watch the exchange between Raggedpelt and his son. “He looks very strong,” he remarked to Raggedpelt.

“Yes, he’s ready to be an apprentice,” Raggedpelt responded proudly.

Yellowfang glimpsed a flash of trouble in Cedarstar’s eyes as he studied Brokenkit battering the stick. “Being an apprentice isn’t just about being able to fight our enemies,” he meowed. “Brokenkit needs to learn the importance of patience, honor, and loyalty as well, just like any young cat.”

“He’ll have all of those!” Raggedpelt assured him. “Just you wait!”

As Yellowfang watched Brokenkit glowering over the pieces of stick, she tried to suppress the memory of Molepelt’s dire warning. Brokenkit is going to be fine!