Dappling the floor of the den, golden rays filtered through the small gaps of the nursery roof. They kept the den warm, despite the cold that swarmed outside. Stretched out in his nest, Buckkit was staring at the branches of the shallon bush, watching as little particles floated into the sunlight. His gray eyes slightly glowed from the light that poked into the dark den. The buck felt bored just laying in his nest, watching the light. The caretakers had left the den, presumably helping with the finishing touches of the camp barriers.     

    Three sunrises had passed since Grayflight's fight and, since then, Buckkit chose to stay well away from the elder. Many believed he was doing it just to avoid getting into more trouble. Secretly, however, the buck had been coming up with a plan. One that would make Grayflight leave him and his mother alone for good. After several moments of laying down, Buckkit looked around and pushed himself up. He stretched each of his legs, then curled his back in an arc.

    Giving his pelt a hard shake, he hopped out of his nest and hurried across the den, peering into another one. Fast asleep, nestled within the moss, was Redkit. Her legs were splayed out and she was snoring loudly. Whiskers twitching, Buckkit shuffled away from the sleeping fawn and checked the other nest. Hollykit's gold eyes were already tracking him, her right forepaw sticking out with her claws unsheathed. When he approached, she lifted her head.

    "What're you up to?" she asked innocently, while giving him a sly look. Buckkit chuckled, glancing back at Redkit, before murmuring,

    "I have a plan to get back at Grayflight... But I need you and Redkit to help me out." Hollykit smirked, pushing herself up and jumping out of her nest.

    "A plan to get back at her? Ooh, what is it?" she asked excitedly, her eyes glinting. His whiskers twitched and he purred.

    "I'll tell you after I wake up Redkit. Just wait over by the entrance." He nodded at the opening of the shallon bush, before turning and padding back to Redkit's nest. Silently, Buckkit climbed into the moss beside the fawn and prodded her with his forepaw. "Hey, Redkit. Wake up!" he hissed into her ear.

    She continued to sleep, however, causing the buck to frown. Pressing his paw against the doe's shoulder, Buckkit shook her. "Redkit, come on! Get up, please." Redkit groaned, rolling away from him.

    "Go away, Buckkit. I'm trying to sleep," she huffed, moving a forepaw to cover her face. Snorting, he shook her again.

    "Aww, but I need your help, Redkit! Please?" he pleaded, head tilting cutely. Slowly, she moved her paw away from her face, using it to cover her muzzle. She opened one eye, glared at him for a few seconds, before huffing.

    "Fine," she grumbled as she rolled onto her belly. "But you owe me!" Buckkit beamed at her, eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

   "Of course, Redkit," he reassured her. "Now, come on." Turning, he jumped out of the nest and trotted back over to Hollykit. She was waiting beside the entrance, watching them impatiently. The smokey gray doe was kneading the ground with her paws, ears twitching anxiously. Redkit shuffled after Buckkit, yawning loudly.

    "What is it you need help with, anyway?" The younger fawn asked as she followed him.

    "To convince Grayflight to be on our side," Buckkit replied as he reached Hollykit, sitting beside the doe. Redkit paused, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

    "But why would you?" she demanded after several heartbeats. "She's a massive jerk to you! And to your mom." Buckkit twitched an ear, sighed, and looked away at the den wall. His eyes closed half way and his ears partially flattened.

    The buck knew she was right, but at the same time, it didn't feel right.

    "Well, would you rather Grayflight kept treating them like jerks?" Hollykit piped up, head tilted at Redkit. Ears flattening, the white and red fawn snorted.

    "No, but-." Hollykit stepped towards Redkit, cutting her off.

    "Then we're going to make her like Buckkit. He has a plan to get back at her, so we're going to do as he says. This is the best chance we've got. Let's make it count, alright?" The fawn curled her tail over her back, a serious look on her face. Buckkit stared at Hollykit, his gray eyes admiring the doe.

    Having her by his side made it all easier for the young buck. Just listening to her meow made him want to skip around. Across from him, Redkit sighed, but nodded.

    "Alright, fine. What's your plan then, Buckkit?" She turned to the tom, narrowing her eyes at him as she caught the look on his face. Redirecting his attention to her, he caught the strange stare she had given him, his ear twitching.

    'What was that about?' he asked, watching as the look was squashed out of her eyes. Shaking his fur, he ignored it, making a wild guess that she was just annoyed with being woken up. Lifting his chin, his gray eyes beamed with life. "Since the snow is starting to melt, the den is going to end up soaked. If all three of us work together, we can shovel the snow away from the den.

    "This way, the elders can avoid walking into the water," he explained. "After we've moved the snow, we can take moss from old bedding and soak up whatever has already melted." The two does nodded in agreement, a glance passing between them.

    "That is a pretty good idea," Redkit admitted. "Who would be mad at you for doing that?" Beaming, Hollykit turned to the buck.

    "It's a great plan! But when do we start?" the smokey gray doe asked.

    "As soon as we can. Which would be right now," he meowed. Squaring his shoulders, Buckkit led the way out of the nursery, the two eager fawns plunging after him. All three kits landed in the icy snow, shivering as a breeze whisked their fur. The buck took in a breath, relishing in the sharpness of the fresh air. 'This is perfect,' he thought happily, looking up.

    Far above their heads, the morning sun glowed like a yellow disk against the pale blue sky. All around camp, warriors and apprentices rushed from one side to the other. Lowering his head, Buckkit and his denmates watched as several patrols left the camp. The remaining does were securing the camp barriers, twigs and leaves sticking to their pelts. Standing on his toes, Buckkit peered at the elders' den. When there was no sign of Larkheart or Grayflight, he trotted across camp with his head high.

    Redkit and Hollykit trudged after him, the trio carefully picking their way through the slush. They were halfway to the elders' den, when a sturdy doe stepped into Buckkit's way. The two fawns stopped behind him, bristling at the older cat. Tipping his head back, he immediately recognized the warrior. Icelilac. Her blue eyes were narrowed at Buckkit, her tail twitching, while she sneered at him.

    "And where do you think you're going?" she growled at him, eyes fierce. He stared up at her, unsure of what to say, his mouth feeling dry. Behind him, Redkit ducked under the warrior's gaze, her ears flat. Beside her, Hollykit stared back at the older doe, her chin held up defiantly. Buckkit's heart hammered in chest, like a trapped crow trying to escape, as he tried to think of an answer.

    "Well? What are you doing?" Icelilac pressed, taking a step towards the tom. Swallowing, he squeezed his eyes closed and shook himself hard. Small bits of mushy snow went flying, with several landing into the warrior's thick fur. She flattened her ears, but remained silent as Buckkit lifted his head to look her dead in the eye.

    "We're going to move the snow away from the elders' den," he meowed cheerfully, forcing his fur to lie flat. "That way Grayflight and Larkheart don't have to walk in the snowmelt. We were hoping to use the old bedding from the other dens to soak up what has melted already." Despite his anxieties, he managed to keep his voice somewhat level. The warrior glowered at the three fawns, taking a step towards them as she towered above them. One stared fearfully, one glared angrily, and the other watched nervously.

    Several moments had passed when Icelilac grunted, clearly annoyed, and stepped backwards.

    "Fine, but stay out of their way," she hissed at them, before turning and storming away. Buckkit let out a breath of relief, his ears drooping slightly, and watched her as she walked towards the camp entrance. Fur brushed against his right side and a smokey gray pelt shielded Icelilac from his view. Buckkit beamed, looking up at the older fawn as she grinned at him.

    "That was a good save, Buckkit," Hollykit praised him, leaning down and playfully head butting his shoulder. He ducked his head, feeling his skin grow hot.

    "Th-thanks, Hollykit," he mumbled, when Redkit bounced up beside him. She stared up at him with admiring yellow eyes, the younger fawn practically grinning from ear to ear.

    "That was awesome!" she squeaked, paddling at the snow beneath her. He purred, touching her ear tip with his nose.

    "Not really, but if you say so," he meowed, before turning back to Hollykit. He flicked his bobbed tail, tilting his head at the elders' den. "Let's get going! The faster we start, the sooner we get it done," he told them. He bounded towards the den, the two does trotting after him. Buckkit stopped a few tail lengths away from the den, carefully examining the snow around it.

    "Well, how do we start?" Hollykit prompted him, turning to look at the buck with gleaming eyes. His head swiveled to glance at the left side of the den and, instead of responding, he trotted towards it. Hollykit blinked after him and shared a baffled look with Redkit. They watched as Buckkit reached the outer side of the den, then stuck his paw into the snow. He began to drag the snow away, making a trench.

    Buckkit continued to dig the snow away in a half circle, with one end of it touching each side of the elders' den. When he was done shoveling the snow, the buck turned to his denmates. Flicking his ear at them, he waited for the two does to reach him before explaining.

    "Okay, see this line?" he asked while pointing his forepaw at the dug up snow. The fawns nodded, leaning over his shoulders to peer at it. "We're going to use this as a marker," he explained, "that way we know how far the snow needs to be pushed. We'll drag the snow past it, then flatten it out over the rest of the snow." He turned to look each of them in the eye, his ears perked.

    "Alright then, let's get to work!" Hollykit meowed as she stood up straight. Buckkit watched as she bounded towards the opposite side of the den, with Redkit following her. The younger fawn, however, began working in the center of the half circle. Watching the two does made Buckkit's heart swell.

   'I love them, so much!' he thought happily. 'I wonder if Mama was best friends with her denmates?' The fawn colored kit turned to the little trench and began to scrape the snow past it. As he worked, he would glance up to see warriors eyeing him coldly. Some, however, would step into those warriors' way, as if trying to shield the buck from their view.

    Occasionally, he would spot Icelilac glaring at him, before she'd be redirected elsewhere by Runningtiger. Buckkit held mixed emotions about the situation. On one paw, at least not every cat held disdain for him. On the other.. how much of it was them doing it for him, and how much of it was them just following Harmonystar's orders? Sighing, the buck's heart started to feel heavy, like a cat was dragging it out of his chest. It was a feeling that happened often.. and he wondered if it would ever stop.

    The three kittens worked until they had cleared away half of the snow. Puffing, Buckkit laid down on the uncovered ground, relishing in the coolness of the dirt. His paws were numb from the cold and his nose was a pale pink, but his body felt like the sun was right beside him. "This.. is harder than I.. thought it would be." he huffed, as Hollykit flopped beside him. The older fawn nodded, trying to keep her breathing steady.

    "I thought I'd have an easier time... Considering I'm bigger.. than both of you," she grumbled. Redkit stumbled over to the older fawns and fell on top of Hollykit. Her cold body pressed against the older fawn's back, causing the darker colored doe to squeak. 

    "At least you're.. not freezing," the shivering kit hissed at Hollykit.

    "Aww.. poor Redkit," the older doe teased dryly, flicking Redkit's ear with her tail. The younger fawn snapped her teeth at Hollykit's tail, as if about to bite it. Buckkit studied them for a moment, then climbed to his paws. Redkit and Hollykit turned to look at him, their ears perked. "Whatcha doing, Buckkit?" Hollykit asked, scrambling to her own paws.

    Redkit squealed as she slid off the older doe's back, shaking out her thin fur. Buckkit's whiskers twitched, his gray eyes twinkling with amusement.

    "You guys are cold, right? Well, the best way to warm up is to get moving," he meowed. "So, come on. Let's get back to work. We'll get it done sooner if we do it now, anyways." He trotted back to the spot he had been working in, not waiting for a response from the two does.

    'Plus, I just wanna get this done, before Larkheart or Grayflight catch us,' he added to himself. Behind him, Hollykit twitched her whiskers while shaking her head at him, a purr fighting its way out of her throat.

    "Alright, I'm coming!" she called to the buck, bounding after him. Behind her, the younger doe whined as she sat up.

    "But we just stopped to take a break!" Redkit protested, her yellow eyes flashing annoyedly. Pausing, Hollykit glanced over her shoulder to look at her denmate.

    "Redkit, it is a good idea," she pointed out. "It'll help us stay warm, and we can get it done sooner. Now, come on." She tilted her head towards Buckkit, then padded the rest of the way to him. Redkit glared at her for several long moments, a mix of emotions dancing in her yellow eyes. Afterwards, she grumbled something and then stood, stomping over to the pair of older fawns.

    They went back to shoveling the snow away from the den, panting and huffing as they worked. While Hollykit and Redkit pushed the snow to the edge, Buckkit would drag it out over the rest of the snow to flatten it out. The trio worked hard until it was sun high, the spring warmth finally reaching their bones. By now, they were nearly done, with a few clumps of snow left over. Pausing, Buckkit scrambled out of the snow and onto the dirt. He puffed as he laid down on the ground, head on his paws.

    Hollykit dragged herself over to him and collapsed on top of the buck, curling up into his side. Redkit joined them, splaying herself onto his back. "Are we.. done yet?" The smokey gray fawn grumbled, resting her head on the back of his shoulders. He grunted in response, his eyes closed, as he fought to keep his exhausted body awake.

    "Not yet... But soon," he mumbled, huffing. Hollykit groaned, letting her eyes flutter closed. Behind her, Redkit's tail lashed.

    "Now I'm.. too hot," she growled, puffing a wave of air at him. Buckkit groaned in response, feeling tired enough to fall asleep right there. All three fawns laid on the ground like a pile of rocks, doing their best to fight the sleep that dragged at their bodies. They were numb from a combination of cold, heat, and exhaustion. Paws crunching on snow reached Buckkit's ear, and he groaned inwardly.

   'Who is it now?' he asked himself as the paws padded up to them. Peeling open his eyes, he was greeted with the sight of Firepaw, a mouse in her jaws. Behind her was Blazingpaw and Rosepaw, each carrying their own prey. Lifting his head, he was surprised to watch the apprentices drop the prey in front of them. On either side of Buckkit, the two does managed to rouse themselves enough to look up.

    Their ears pricked up curiously as the apprentices beamed at them.

    "Aww, are you guys done already?" Firepaw asked them teasingly, her whiskers twitching. Slowly, Buckkit nodded, while the two fawns groaned.

    "Yeah, kinda... We've been working all morning," he explained. The apprentice's whiskers twitched amusedly at their response.

    "Well, just so you know, you've all been doing such a really good job." Firepaw meowed, while the other two apprentices smiled warmly at them. "We noticed you hadn't eaten anything since you'd been out, so we brought you some food." Buckkit's eyes slightly widened, surprised. It was the first time a cat, other than his mother or the caretakers, had given him praise. Beside him, Hollykit and Redkit sat up, the white and red tabby's eyes gleaming.

    "Thanks!" she chirped while grabbing a hold of a blackbird. Hollykit and Buckkit shared a glance, but said nothing to the younger fawn as she took a bite from the food.

    "Yeah, thank you," the buck mumbled, feeling grateful to the apprentices. Firepaw grinned, her eyes closed as she tipped her head to the side.

    "You're welcome!" she meowed cheerfully. "Now get some rest. You three deserve it." As she spoke, the other two apprentices turned and walked away. Firepaw also turned to follow them, but she paused and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, and Icelilac told us to bring our old bedding to you guys.

    "So expect that here soon, too," she added, tail flicking. Buckkit nodded, watching as Firepaw trotted after the other two apprentices. When they were gone, he looked over his shoulder to stare at Hollykit. They both looked equally surprised at the apprentices' friendliness towards him. Most times, they just ignored Buckkit.

    "Well.. that was definitely interesting," Hollykit hummed softly as she picked up a fish. Buckkit nodded slowly, dragging the mouse towards him.

    "Maybe the other cats are starting to come around!" Redkit suggested through a mouthful of bird. "I mean, we are helping clean up the camp, after all." The buck shrugged and began to dig into his mouse, too hungry and tired to hold a conversation. While the other two fawns ate peacefully, Buckkit couldn't help himself from watching the cats. Hawkpool, Hazelpaw, and Glademist pushed their way into camp, laden with prey.

    They dropped their kills onto the fresh kill pile, the two warriors padding towards the camp barrier. He watched as the apprentice swiftly trotted across camp to join Firepaw, Blazingpaw, and Rosepaw. They chattered excitedly to each other, their laughter reaching his ears as Hazelpaw told them what happened. His attention was taken as Cloudfall slipped from the fern den, her pelt ruffled. Her gaze immediately met his, and pure rage filled her hazel eyes. Fur bristling, he swallowed nervously as the medicine cat stalked a massive circle around him, and slipped out of camp.

    She never once took her eyes off of him as she slipped past the barriers. Shaking his head, Buckkit felt a nose press into his neck. Turning, he came face to face with Hollykit, her eyes gentle.

    "Don't pay them any mind, Buckkit," she murmured into his ear. "If you aren't worth their time, then they aren't worth yours." He blinked at her, grateful for her words, but he looked at his paws. His ears drooped and he sighed softly. He didn't voice his fears, just leaned into Hollykit's smokey gray fur. Closing his eyes, he felt his mind wander.

   'I wish.. I could just take Mama, Redkit, Hollykit, and their caretakers. And just got far away from here. Take care of ourselves, where the Clan can't bother us...' Buckkit let out a content sigh at the thought, snuggling closer to his denmate. Barely, just barely, he felt her breath ruffle his ear fur. A tiny smile poked at his muzzle and he sat up, sharing a look with Hollykit.

    She said nothing, just going back to eating her fish. On the buck's left, Redkit glared over the tom's head and at the other doe. Anger pierced through her yellow eyes as she stared down her denmate. Neither of the older fawns noticed, however, the pair focused on their food. Grumbling under her breath, the younger doe went back to her own fresh kill. When they had finished eating, the apprentices returned with their old bedding, dropping them into a pile beside the trio.

    Buckkit thanked them and, with the help of Hollykit, he shoveled the remaining clumps of snow. As they did this, Redkit scattered the old bedding in the snow melted spots. When the fawns were done, they all stepped back to study their handiwork. Aside from the dead grass and old bedding scrambled across the ground, it looked better than the mushy snow that had once covered it. For a second, everything was peaceful. Warriors and apprentices checked the barriers, the caretakers sat in a warm and sunny spot.

    Breezesky trotted across camp and into the medicine cat den. Buckkit closed his eyes, lifting his face towards the sun. Hollykit and Redkit glanced at the buck before copying him, the three fawns perfectly content. When he looked back down, he noticed many of the earlier patrols returning. Suddenly, the branches of the yew bush trembled and a dark gray form pushed her way out. His heart faltered for a split moment as Grayflight paused, her body half way outside.

   'Oh, no. I wanted us to be gone before they came out...' he thought, fur bristling. She slowly examined the clearing as surprise, and even gratitude, glittered in her single blue eye. Watching her reaction made his heart start to soar. 'Maybe her mind can be changed after all,' he hoped. That was until she spotted the three fawns.

    Her face immediately twisted into a scowl, her eye hardening.

    "What are you three doing?" she snarled, stepping towards them. This was the reaction he had been expecting from the elder. Fur still bristling, Buckkit's eyes widened and he forced himself to swallow. His jaws fell open as he tried to respond.

    "W-we cleaned up the snow..! So that you and Larkheart d-didn't have to push through it..." he stuttered, his voice cracking with nervousness. He watched, with a sinking heart, as her blue eye grew from annoyed to furious. She took another step towards Buckkit, fur completely fluffed up.

    "You don't need to do anything for us," she hissed at him. "Just stay away from our den, you little rat!" At this point, the buck was trembling in the place he had stood. He felt fur brush his own and a flank pressed against his side. He glanced to his right to see Hollykit pressing against him, her gold eyes sparking with annoyance. The young doe's fangs were bared and her ears had been flattened against her head.

    Just out the corner of his eye, he could see Redkit crouching in the snow, her eyes wide with fear. Despite the nerves that worked their way through his blood, seeing Hollykit's bravery caused something to surge in himself. He faced the elder, his eyes hardening, as Hollykit's words echoed in his ears.

   "If you aren't worth their time, then they aren't worth yours." Buckkit took a deep breath, and stepped back.

    "Fine, then," he meowed mildly, doing his best to calm his racing heart. "We won't help you anymore. We'll leave you alone." Together, he and Hollykit took a few more steps backwards. By now he was parallel with Redkit, who was still paralyzed in place. The elder continued to glare down at him, however, her body trembling.

    "No.." she growled, "you know what? I'm going to teach you a lesson!" The nerves gave way to fear and he tensed, his eyes widening. Beside him, Hollykit and Redkit bristled as they watched Grayflight's paw shoot up. It was like all three fawns had been dumped into the bottom of a lake. Everything was slow moving, like something was holding them all back.

    Buckkit's fear hammered in his chest, the fawn now rooted to the spot he stood in. Hollykit hissed and her body tensed as she crouched, like she was about to spring at the elder. Redkit tried to yowl, but it came out like a whimper, the small kit curling into herself. He hardly noticed them, however, his gray eyes stuck on Grayflight's claws.

   'Help, someone help!' his mind screamed as her paw came down, claws stretched outwards. The elder's jaws were wide open, as if moments away from letting out a battle screech. Buckkit desperately wanted to squeeze his eyes closed, to just disappear, but he couldn't. The fear kept his entire body frozen, like he was a clump of snow. He felt the blood rush through his ears, like a crashing wave.

    Just as her claws were about to land, a sudden shriek of raw anger reached his ear fur. At first, Buckkit thought it was Grayflight, finally letting out her fury vocally. Until a shadow flew over him and a lithe doe crashed into the elder. The dark gray cat yowled in shock as she was knocked onto her side. Buckkit wasn't sure if his eyes could widen any more, but he felt the shock rush through his body. Standing above Grayflight was Brokendoe, her fur bristling, while her tail fluffed up and lashed wildly.

    He watched in awe as the queen bravely glowered at the elder, who slowly got to her paws. All eyes were now on them, cats hissing angrily while others whispered curiously. Brokendoe ignored every one of them as she stepped backwards, shielding her son from the elder.

    "I have had enough of this," Brokendoe snarled. Her, usually happy, eyes flashed from cat to cat, before landing back on Grayflight. "My son does not deserve to be treated like filth because of my choice. Buckkit has done his best to be a valuable member of the Clan," she spat. "During the repairs, he helped Breezesky carry ivy branches to repair the medicine den. Then he, with the help of Hollykit and Redkit, decided to clean the apprentices' den.

    "To show their appreciation for what they've been doing!" Brokendoe slowly glared around the clearing and several cats ducked their heads to avoid her gaze. Icelilac stood to Brokendoe's right and took a step towards her, but she was intercepted by Runningtiger, who jumped in the warrior's way.

    "Stay back," the orange tabby growled, quietly enough for only them to hear. Icelilac hissed at her, but she stayed put as Brokendoe continued.

    "I will no longer tolerate the way you all speak to or look at him! He has done nothing wrong, to any of you. He had no choice in his birth. And for you to treat him like scum, because of a choice that I made, is absolutely atrocious!" Her eyes landed back on Grayflight, who's fury seemed to radiate off of her. "For you to treat a two moon old fawn like he is a piece of dung stuck to your fur...

    "I don't understand how you could ever consider yourself a true warrior." Silence settled over the clearing as the surprise shot through the Clan. Grayflight glared at Brokendoe, her body tense. The buck shifted, worried that the elder would attack the queen. He stepped forward, ears flattening, when something pressed against his side. Twisting his head, his gray eyes met Hollykit's gold ones, who gazed at him gently.

    "It's okay," she whispered into his ear. "It's going to be okay." Buckkit looked back at his mother, before nodding numbly. On his other side, Redkit glared harshly over his head and at the older fawn. Neither Hollykit or Buckkit noticed as they looked back at Brokendoe. A cold silence settled over the Clan as the queen and elder faced off, their fur bristling.

    A few heartbeats passed when Brokendoe spun around to face her son.

    "Come on, Buckkit. We're going to leave camp for a little while," she told him. He watched as she briskly walked past him and towards the camp entrance. Looking over his shoulder, he looked back at his denmates. It was like he was asking them what he should do. In the same moment, Hollykit nodded her head vigorously, while Redkit shook hers rapidly.

    With two conflicting responses, Buckkit shifted on his paws, watching as his Mama got farther away.

    'What do I do?' he asked. 'Faith, help me!'

~•《♡》•~

Author's Note

Hey guys, sorry for the long wait! I've been busy and recently stressed. I'm not gonna bog down this update with what happened, so if you wanna know, just PM me and I'll tell you.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this update!

What do you guys think Brokendoe is going to do if Buckkit leaves camp with her?

Do you think Buckkit will go, or do you think he'll stay? Why?

What are your opinions on the characters so far?

So far, who is your favorite and least favorite character? Why are they your least/favorite?

What do you think of the story so far?

Let me know of any theories you guys may have!

For a word count, I got 4,858 words.

~Dragon