Honeypelt's Story: Chapter 1

Chapter 1

    Honeykit leapt into midair, snagging her claw on the butterfly’s wing. Slamming it to the dusty ground, it fluttered helplessly in her grasp. She bit down on its head, letting the bug’s juicy insides explode into her mouth. Delicious!

    “Honeykit!”a she-cat’s soft voice mewed in the distance. She turned her hazel eyes towards the sound. Someone had finally realized she wasn’t at the podgrounds but thankfully not too far from it.

    “Coming!”Honeykit replied squeakily, scooping up the butterfly in her jaws. Half of it sagged to the ground, tripping her up, but she determinedly padded on. 

    The forest canopy hung above her head, shadowing every deep crevice there was. Dark. Just like their pod name. It almost made her cocky with pride. I’m a Darkpod battlecat bringing my pod back its dinner!

    Honeykit puffed out her chest but instantly detained it when her “prey” tripped her up even worse.

    When she’d arrived at the camp entrance, covered with twining vines and bright jasmine, her mother came over, lapping furiously at her honey-colored head. Her voice was put into segments as she mewed softly,”Where have...you...been?!”

    “Mistyfall!”Honeykit pawed her mother’s beautiful, pale gray face away.”I just brought you a piece of prey!”She dropped the butterfly and pawed it. Mistyfall purred, her blue eyes brimming with love.

    “Just like your father,”a white tom with black paws and ears mewed from behind. “You’re a spitting image!” he purred as he licked the top of Honeykit’s head.    She relished it although she spuriously defied it.

    “And you’re just like a ferret!”Honeykit giggled as she snatched her head away. The little she-kit totted to a stand on her hind paws to reach his face, of which was moderately larger than her own. She whipped her tiny tail to keep balance as she swatted him lightly but still fell on top of the tom’s white head. He chuckled at her as Honeykit licked his forehead affectionately.

    “Even ferrets can be ferocious!”he purred with amusement as he slid his head slowly from beneath her downy belly. Honeykit plopped to her belly, disappointment lightly stabbing her.

    He licked her over the ears. “Don ‘t worry. I’m not going to be gone for long.”

    “Ferretpaw!”A tom’s deep voice rang from the other side of camp. It had come from a large, tabby tom. His dark brown pelt slinked a little closer, his white belly sweeping lightly against the packed earth. His green eyes flashed with amusement. “Come on battlekit! Stop wasting time! We have battle practice!”

    “Coming Duckfeather!”Ferretpaw returned. He turned to Mistyfall and Honeykit, adding softly, “See you guys later.”

    Mistyfall wrapped her tail around Honeykit, leading her over to the suckle den. When they’d padded through the thorny entrance, her brother was waiting, snuggled into the oak leaves and starling feathers. He resembled Mistyfall the most of the two with his light gray coat but had Dogswipe’s green eyes.

    “Hey, Birchkit!”Honeykit mewled as she tumbled into the shallow dip with her brother. She tramped lightly on his head with her forepaws. 

    He replied with a yawn,”Hey, Stickykit!”Since they had  started to mewl, he nicknamed her Sticky because of her first name. They giggled and romped around in the cluttered leaves and feathers. Finally, Honeykit was pinned by Birchkit.

    “Any last words, Webpod scum?”he playfully growled. 

    Honeykit growled back with audacity,”Scum yourself!” She whipped around and bumped him with her back, throwing him to the side like a pile of leaves.

    Speaking of leaves, they fluttered everywhere as their play fight continued. She pinned him after a considerable amount of time. In victory she laughed evilly,”Ha ha ha! Gotcha!”

    Suddenly, they heard a rhythmic thumping. Looking up, Honeykit saw Mistyfall staring down at them, a soft anger welling in her gaze. Her tail-tip thumped the ground with temper. She looked around slowly, signaling with her tail for them to do the same.

    Honeykit and Birchkit winced as they gazed at the floor of the den. Leaves and feathers were strewn everywhere. You could just see hints of sandy earth beneath them. They looked back up at their mother with apologizing eyes.

    “I guess you can start early with some of your battlekit duties,”she mewed with a spark of crossness at the mess they’ve made. Regretful, the kits started scraping in pawfuls of leaves into the nests and lined the feathers neatly on top of them. When they’d finished, they actually felt pleased, but they didn’t dare let Mistyfall see.

    “It’s more comfortable than before,”Birchkit whispered into her ear as the settled beside their mother’s belly. Honeykit replied,”I know, right?” 

    The sun died behind the horizon, as it did every day, casting shadows in the night and letting the full moon shed its pale light. Honeykit’s eyelids heaved one last blink and closed, warmth wreathing around her.