When Darkstripe tried to kill Sorrelkit

Sorrelkit was bored just sitting in the nursery with no one to talk to. Sootkit and Rainkit were both fast asleep and their mother Willowpelt was gently grooming Sootkit’s fur. But Sorrelkit didn’t feel sleepy at all, she felt extremely hyper and slightly annoyed that her mother had decided to put them down for a nap. Seeing her mother was too busy with Sootkit and Rainkit to notice, Sorrelkit sprang out of the nursery and into the dim sunlight of leaf-bare.

Sorrelkit had no idea what she wanted to do. She peered around the camp for ideas, her amber eyes finally resting upon the pile of fresh-kill. Sorrelkit decided that she wanted to catch a mouse just like the warriors and apprentices, and then hopefully Firestar would hurry up and make her an apprentice herself – that would be great fun!

Shafts of light streamed through the trees as Sorrelkit bounded through the thick grass towards the ravine, her eyes shining with pleasure and anticipation, when a familiar black and grey pelt stalked along in front of her. Darkstripe, thought Sorrelkit, her mind zooming back to when Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw had went with Darkstripe to have an adventure. But where is he going now?

Sorrelkit pressed her body to the earth and padded behind Darkstripe. Darkstripe stopped suddenly, as did Sorrelkit. Sorrelkit saw a strange, large, white warrior, with black paws sitting in front of Darkstripe. Sorrelkit sniffed the air to see who this cat was, but the stench that invaded her nostrils she didn’t recognise, and it smelt like crowfood mixed with stale blood and sickness. Sorrelkit wondered what this new cat was doing on ThunderClan territory.

But the new cat scared Sorrelkit, so she began to dash back to camp when she heard pawsteps behind her. Darkstripe was there, alone.

‘Darkstripe,’ Sorrelkit mewed quietly, her amber eyes meeting Darkstripe’s hard yellow eyes.

The dark warrior didn’t shout, as Sorrelkit had expected. Instead his gaze surveyed the small kit’s body thoughtfully.

‘Aren’t you clever, finding me like that?’ Darkstripe said in a silky voice, confusing Sorrelkit. Since when was Darkstripe nice? ‘Especially for a kit of your age… I know where there are some delicious berries, would you like some?’

Without waiting for an answer, Darkstripe streaked through the trees, Sorrelkit following. He paused before a huge bush of red berries which, in Sorrelkit’s opinion, looked amazing.

‘I bet they taste nicer than mice!’ said Sorrelkit brightly, as Darkstripe chuckled and passed some of the bright red berries towards Sorrelkit.

‘Eat up!’ Darkstripe meowed, and Sorrelkit put the whole paw full in her tiny mouth chewing happily. A wave of pain swept across the kit.

Sorrelkit heard a scream of anger before everything went black.