Chapter 4

                Crazykit padded into the camp, stretching in the golden sunlight, enjoying the warmth soaking into her fur. It had been a while since the incident in the medicine cats den, and Crazykit was now four moons old.  So far, she had managed to stay out of trouble, and that was good. Crazykit couldn’t forget how angry Honeywhisker had looked when she saw her supplies lying on a messy pile near the entrance to the den.

                Oakpaw and Stormpaw were now Oakstream and Stormpool, and Mousekit and Shrewkit had moved to the apprentices den, taking the names Mousepaw and Shrewpaw. However, Crazykit had new denmates in Smallkit and Graykit, the two toms who had been born to Nightflower, a black she-cat, and Rainfoot, a gray tom.

                Mousepaw and Shrewpaw had just left the apprentices den, walking slowly towards the fresh-kill pile. Shrewpaw nodded politely to Crazykit, while Mousepaw snorted and meowed, “I won’t talk to weakling kits, because I’m an apprentice!”

                Crazykit stiffened, green eyes blazing and gray fur quivering with anger. Shrewpaw halted and looked Crazykit in the eyes. “Ignore Mousepaw,” the she-cat meowed. “She annoys even me sometimes.”

                Crazykit lifted her head and met Shrewpaw’s gaze. “Don’t worry,” Crazykit meowed loudly, making sure Mousepaw would be able to hear her. “I’m not bothered by mouse-brained, disputatious furballs like her!”

                Mousepaw stopped walking and spun around. She marched up to Crazykit and shoved her nose in her face. “Who’s calling who mouse-brained?” Mousepaw hissed, neck fur bristling.

                “You heard me,” Crazykit meowed boldly. “And I’m not scared of you!”

                “You should be!” Mousepaw snarled, lifting a forepaw and swiping unsheathed claws across Crazykit’s muzzle.

                Crazykit’s claws were already extended, and she raked them across Mousepaw’s cheek, tearing off a large clump of fur. The young apprentice spat with fury and lifted a forepaw to deliver another blow. Crazykit prepared to roll off to the side, when she saw a large shadow appear behind Mousepaw. Her muscles tensed, and Crazykit prepared to fight two cats at once. Has Shrewpaw come to help Mousepaw?

                To Crazykit’s surprise, Mousepaw’s growl of rage turned to yowls of surprise and protest. Mousepaw’s mentor, Hawkwhisker, had a tight grip on her scruff, and had dragged the annoying she-cat away from Crazykit.

                Crazykit saw Hawkwhisker, who was a dark brown tabby tom with emerald green eyes, glaring furiously at Mousepaw.        “What was that all about?” Hawkwhisker demanded. “Attacking a kit? You’ll never be a warrior like this!”

                “She called me a mouse-brained furball!” Mousepaw protested.

                “That’ll be your warrior name, if you ever become one,” Crazykit sneered, knowing Mousepaw couldn’t attack her now that Hawkwhisker had arrived. “Mousebrain.”

                “That’s enough from you too,” Hawkwhisker hissed, silencing Crazykit.

                “You, Mousepaw,” Hawkwhisker turned back to his apprentice. “Should stop acting like a kit if you claim you aren’t one anymore.”

                Crazykit couldn’t help feeling a spark of satisfaction at Hawkwhisker’s harsh words to his apprentice, which was quickly followed by a pang of guilt. Crazykit pushed it away. She deserves to be punished! She taunts every kit in the nursery now that she’s an apprentice!

                “Alright, Hawkwhisker,” Mousepaw meowed impatiently, rolling her eyes. “Can we go hunting now?”

                “No,” Hawkwhisker hissed coldly. “You will take care of the elders for the whole day, to teach you a lesson.”

                “But I did it yesterday!” Mousepaw protested. “Shrewpaw was supposed to do it today!”

                “You should have thought about that before you tried to claw the fur off of a kit!” Hawkwhisker snarled. “And you better carry out my orders, or this matter will be taken to Cloudstar!”

                Hawkwhisker marched off, leaving the camp before Mousepaw could respond.

                Mousepaw headed towards the camp entrance, but paused and shot a look of animosity over her shoulder at Crazykit. “I’m still going to be a warrior before you, your littermates, or Mudkit are even made apprentices.”

                Mudkit was a kit with light brown fur and amber eyes. He had been born only two sunrises before Crazykit and her littermates had, and Crazykit guessed that the four of them would be made apprentices at the same time.

                Crazykit lifted her head and defiantly returned Mousepaw’s stare. “Like Hawkwhisker says, if you keep behaving like this, you never be a warrior!” Crazykit replied triumphantly.

                Mousepaw shot one last look of loathing at Crazykit before leaving the camp.