darkSpyro

This is a Warriors fan-fic. I acknowledge that there must have been alot of Warriors fan fics, but well, I want to pratice my writing skills and recieve constructive criticism, so here goes, I suppose....

Prolouge.
The forest was still, silent. Almost eerie. There was not a whisper of wind, not the faintest suggestion of life. A wet mist hung low over the trees, condensation already forming on the gnarled, dull bark of a half-dead oak, it's roots stretching across the cold ground like knobbled, grotesque fingers.
Sudddenly, a glimpse of movement; a silhouette against the fog. A barn owl, it's wings cleaving through the mist, as silently and as smoothly as death itself. As if to emphasize this point, the limp body of a mouse hung from it's curved beak, blots of crimison staining the downy, white-brown feathers. A yowl cut through the silence as easily as the owl's wings did through the fog- it was a yowl of agonizing pain and terror. A short distance away from the now ruffled owl, through a thick tunnel of brairs, lay Stealthclan camp.
A dark navy tom cat raced across a wide stretch of grass in the centre of the camp and leapt into a gap in a firece tangle of thorns and ferns, which opened up into a den.
"Stonetail! Mintpaw!" The cat exlaimed, a dark grey tabby approaching from the depths of the den at the sound of the navy tom's meow.
"Is it Flowerwhisker?" He asked the navy nervously, his musles tense, his eyes wide and alert. The navy cat nodded, too breathless to speak.
"Mintpaw!" The tabby yelled, summoning a white-pelted cat with grey blotches and warm amber eyes.
"It's Flowerwhisker, isn't it?" He asked, both hurridly and conerndly, gazing up into his mentor's emerald eyes.
"Yes, and she's in trouble by the sound of it, I didn't expect her to kit so soon," He said, wincing slightly as another pain-ridden caterwaul split through the night.
"You go ahead, I'll fetch the required herbs!" Mintpaw shouted, racing to the very back of the Medicine cat's den.
"Thank you, Mintpaw. And you, Rookflight!" Stonetail said, then nodded breifly to Rookflight before sprinting across the clearing to the source of the yowls.
Stonetail finally reached the nursery, where the other queens stood outside, in order to give them room, as most of them weren't due for a while, with the exception of Brightflare, a bright ginger who looked over at Stonetail as he passed. This was the first litter of Leaf-Fall.
"She looks bad, Stonetail," Brightflare meowed warningly, her own kits due any day now.
"Don't worry, Brightflare. I'm sure she's safe with Mintpaw and me," He said impatiently, entering the den.
A beautiful, cream she-cat was lying in the middle of the den, her oversized sides heaving, pain evident on her face.
"It's alright, Flowerwhisker, Mintpaw and I will get you through this, he's coming now." Stonetail said softly, placing a paw lightly and reasuringly on her flank. Flowerwhisker merely moaned, a spasm rippling over her body; the kits would be born any minute.
Suddenly Mintpaw burst in, his jaws full of strong scented herbs.
"Set them over there, we won't need them until after she gives birth," He said, not looking away from Flowerwhisker and indicating with his tail to a patch of moss to one side of the den.
The other queens peered in apprehensively.
Flowerwhisker let out yet another yowl and a stronger spasm rippled across her fur.
"Here comes the first one," Stonetail said bracingly.
Several tense moments passed.
"Oh look, a little tabby tom, just like his father!" Mintpaw's excited voice drifted out to the torn ears of a huge, dark brown tabby tom, black stripes running down his spine, tufts of brown fur on the top of his ears, giving him the appearence of a dark brown lynx.
He smirked as he heard Mintpaw's remark, although his eyes remained a cold, light blue.
Like chips of ice.
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I'll post some art based on the story later. Also, the title of the story dosn't become clear until later, just so you know.

NOTE: This story is based on the concept of Warriors and cats living in clans. Therefore, cats from the books and the clans (Graystripe, Windclan etc.) Do not exist.

Yay! You posted it here!

Yep I'll post chapter one tommorrow :3

Can I animate this? :3 It really good!

Yes, of course you can :3 And thanks

Yay! Would you like to voice some characters? After all, it IS your story.

mint-amundo (ma word lol)

@TheFlyingseal: I think I'm okay, I have a weird voice '

@Jayne_Szarotka: Thanks :3

PHHSS, I have weird voice too and look at me! Im in Musical Theater class!

awesome story !

ya welcome

Thanks, IBobessed and Bolt! :3

@TheFlyingSeal: Cool :3 But I don't think my voice would suit any of my characters in any case.

Anyway....
Chapter one.
Sunlight streamed in through the thick thorn bush that was the nursery, dappling the pelts of peacefully sleeping cats, warming their fur. Well, all except a light grey kit with white-tipped ears and a slash of white across his chest. He lay away from the others near a gap in the tangle of briars, glaring reproachfully at the blissfully sleeping cats. He shivered slightly. He had slept near the edge of the den all night, away from his family. Yes, he had gotten peace away from his sister, but it was Leaf-bare again, and a harsh wind had buffeted his left side all night.
"I'm a living draught excluder," He thought bitterly to himself, yawning widely, revealing miniscule teeth. He stood up and stretched, lossening his cramped musles. He began to pad out of the den, trying to navigate around the sea of mothers and kits.
He passed his own mother, Flowerwhisker, and his siblings, Bramblekit and Lynxkit. Even though they were asleep, he shot them poisonous looks before walking on. He picked his way around around Brightflare and Owlkit, passed by Willowheart and Rainkit, and, finally, after padding silently past Applethorn and her kits, Swan kit and Eaglekit, he reached the entrance of the den were he stopped and breathed in deeply, letting a wide varity of scents flood his mouth.
Among them, the intoxiating scent of the forest; the faint, fresh smell of growing things, which he supposed came from underground, as well as all the animals; Starlings flitting from tree to tree, rabbits and hares racing across the grass, and even the faintest trace of moorhen. He couldn't take it anymore; he bounded aross the deserted clearing, the wind playing through his fur, the sunlight bearing down upon him....
Sunlight.
Even as he thought it, he began to hear faint stirrings issuing from the Warrior's den. The other cats would be up soon, and then he wouldn't be able to sneak into the forest! He increased his pace until he reached the bramble tunnel which was both the exit and entrance to the camp.
He sprinted through it at full pelt, emerged at the other side and, with a gasp, collided into another cat. He looked up slowly, to see a navy tom at with eyes sparkling in amusement, a purr rumbling in his throat.
"Good morning, Smallkit."

Note: This chapter takes place 5 moons after the prolouge.

Thanks :3 I'll post the next chapter tommorrow, probably, my brain's dead right now -.-

Chapter 2
"Oh..hi Rookflight," Smallkit muttered, trying to edge his way around the warrior.Rookflight raised an eyebrow.
"And where are you so intent on going this morning, hmm?"
he asked, pinning Smallkit's tail down with a paw.
"The forest," Smallkit mumbled. Rookflight had always been nicer to
Him than most cats, and he knew he wouldn’t achieve anything by lying anyway.Rookflight sighed.
“Smallkit,” He said, gently steering him back through to the camp with a paw, “In a moons’ time, you’ll be sick of the forest, with all your apprentice training, can’t you wait until then?” Smallkit muttered something indiscreet in reply. He couldn’t imagine ever being sick of the forest, but he was smart enough not to talk back to him, after all, he was a very respected warrior.
“Look, your brother and sister are awake, why don’t you go play with them?” Rookflight suggested gently.
“You’re serious?” Smallkit said incredulously before he could stop himself.
“Yes,” Rookflight meowed, his expression suddenly stern.
“They’re your siblings, and you should spend more time with them,” Rookflight nudged
him over to them before he could protest. Lynxkit and Owlkit were play-fighting, kicking up clouds of dust, whilst Bramblekit groomed his long, dark tabby fur. Smallkit assumed that the rest of them were too tired to get up.
“Good morning, Smallkit,” Bramblekit meowed, smiling. Smallkit ignored this. He knew that Bramblekit was only nice to him to make up for their sister’s behavior. Just as this thought came to mind, Lynxkit whipped around, ignoring Owlkit, who was trying to knock her off balance. But he too, stopped when he saw Smallkit. The four kits stood there in silence for a long few moments, Lynxkit smirking at Smallkit, Smallkit glaring back, Bramblekit watching them nervously and Owlkit trying to look any ware else than the three siblings, and looking steadily more embarrassed.
“So,” Lynxkit hissed at last, her blue gaze locked with Smallkit’s.
“Nervous about next moon? You should be.”
“Why would I be nervous about becoming an apprentice?” Smallkit asked scathingly.
“Oh, you don’t know?” Lynxkit exclaimed with an air of apparent surprise.
“Only the strongest, biggest, bravest cats make it through to being a warrior.” She said seriously.
“I mean, look what happened to Beechpaw!” She said. Bramblekit let out a gasp.
“What happened to Beechpaw was not her fault! And it’s an awful thing to say, Lynxkit,” He added quietly, ears flattening. Smallkit shivered. Beechpaw, a light brown tabby apprentice, had fallen into the river that ran through Stealthclan territory. Her mentor, Sunstrike, had swam in to save her, but by the time they had resurfaced, Beechpaw was dead.
“I know it’s not her fault, she just wasn’t strong enough,” Lynxstar said in a serious voice, although Smallkit could see a glimmer of amusement in her eyes as she turned back to Smallkit.
“And it’s not an awful thing to say, we have to teach Smallkit that he’s got to be careful out there, don’t you?” She smirked, her eyes narrowed as she watched Smallkit.
“Don’t treat me like I’m only a…a…”
“A little kit? Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it, Smallkit,” She laughed coldly. Bramblekit fixed her gaze on his paws. Smallkit felt anger rise up inside him.
“Well don’t act like you’re older than me!”
“I am older than you,” Lynxkit growled, suddenly impatient.
“Yeah, by like, a few heartbeats!” Smallkit snarled. Lynxkit looked at him.
“Was that a snarl? Was it meant to be threatening? Am I supposed to be scared?” Lynxkit asked incredulously, looking down at Smallkit. Smallkit looked right back, his rage becoming more apparent as he looked into those blue eyes, so similar to their father’s…
Bramblekit seemed to sense what was going to happen, with a yowl, he made to stand in between the two, but it was too late. Smallkit leapt at Lynxkit, claws unsheathed, fangs bared. He bit down hard into Lynxkit’s shoulder, feeling warm, metallic blood flood his mouth. Lynxkit yowled in pain and rage and swiped at him, catching him across the forehead. Smallkit felt stinging pain, and raised his own paw, but before he could strike he felt a pair of jaws clamp around the scruff of his neck and fling him away from Lynxkit. He landed in a clump of grass about three tail-lengths away, winded.A much larger cat, the one who had thrown him, Smallkit assumed, bounded over to him and pinned him down. At first, Smallkit couldn’t make out the cat’s features, there was too much blood in his eyes from the scratch on his forehead. The cat’s huge paw brushed away the blood roughly. Smallkit blinked and with a sense of horrible realization looked up to the dark tabby tom that was his father.His ice-blue eyes were blazing with fury.

Some aspects of this chapter might not make much sense at the moment, but it will become clearer in the next chapter, just so you know.

EDIT: Also, some art based on this chapter! You can probably tell who the cats are.

Why do I want to think Hawkfrost is the father? He's dead and theres no such thing as StealthClan.

@theflyingseal: You're not the only one.

@ThyFlyingSeal: Sorry, I should have explained this: I'm using my own clans and characters, Thunderclan, Shadowclan etc don't exist here and nor does Hawkfrost. It isn't a fan-fiction based on the books, it's more based on the concept of the clans in general.

@Bolt: Thanks.

Well I know that, but my mind keeps saying Hawkfrost. It annoys me so much! DX

*head/desk* BRAIN! THE. CAT. IS. NOT. HAWKFROST! *head/desk again* this is going to take some time to get across...

I'm doing some art of him, and he dosn't look as much like Hawkfrost as I portrayed.

okay, hopefully that'll help my brain

Well, the art won't be finished for a few days, probably, but his name's Briarleaf, if that helps

THANK YOU. A name!

yeah, that helped

Nice story,ff! I luv it!

Thank you~!
Next chapter's coming soon, it's a bit longer this time, but it's nearly finished.
for the meantime, Briarleaf's appearence:

EDIT: He has tufts on his ears too, but I forgot about those '

O-O Woah he looks scary!Why would Flowerwhisker fall in love with him is what my brain keeps asking me.

Oh, you'll see. *Eyes flash in a mysterious manner*

*rubs hands together*I can't wait!

I'll have it up tommorrow, with some luck. I've typed it up on my computer, you see, 'cause my laptop doesn't have Word.`

Oh.I can't wait to read it!

Chapter 3

"What have you done?” Briarleaf snarled. Smallkit didn’t understand- Lynxkit had hurt him too. But he also felt a pulse of fear ripple through him. His father was huge, and Smallkit could tell that he was trying his best to keep his claws sheathed. A blur of navy passed by Smallkit’s head.
“Briarleaf!” Exclaimed a shocked Rookflight. “He’s only a kit, let him up!”
“Why? He needs to understand that he can’t go picking fights with every cat he meets,” Briarleaf growled.
“That attack wasn’t unprovoked, Briarleaf please!” Rookflight pleaded, casting a concerned glance at Smallkit.
“Fine then,” Briarleaf said, voice rising. “If that’s what you want,” He said, standing back from Smallkit reluctantly and looking around at the many cats that had emerged from their dens to watch. Smallkit stood up shakily. He knew his father hadn’t gone any further because half the clan was watching. Although, as Rookflight began to steer him away to the Medicine cat’s den with his tail, Smallkit saw a fierce gleam in his father’s eyes. Briarleaf hadn’t finished with him yet. Rookflight and Smallkit arrived at the den, just as Lynxkit and Flowerwhisker padded out. Lynxkit had cobweb layered thickly on her shoulder to stop the flow of blood. She glared at him as she walked past, Flowerwhisker fussing over her as she went. Smallkit’s tail drooped in spite of himself. He whished Flowerwhisker paid as much attention to him as she did to his brother and sister. Rookflight meowed softly at the entrance to the den, and a long-furred grey and white tom with warm amber eyes appeared.
“Hello, Rookflight,” The tom meowed.
“Greetings, Mintbreeze,” Rookflight said before dropping his tone of voice and murmuring something to Mintbreeze that Smallkit couldn’t hear. Mintbreeze nodded a couple of times as Rookflight spoke, his eyes fixed on Smallkit. Smallkit dug his claws into the ground in frustration. After a couple of heartbeats, Rookflight nodded, gave Smallkit a reassuring smile, and padded off.
“Come, we’d better get that cut cleaned up,” Mint breeze meowed, padding into the medicine cat’s den. Smallkit followed reluctantly, and started slightly as he entered. New, unfamiliar scents stung his nose, which he assumed were issuing from the rows of herbs stacked neatly at the back of the den. Mintbreeze padded over to them and lifted a small bundle of them in his jaws. He flicked his tail as he passed Smallkit, indicating for him to sit down.
“What are those?” Smallkit asked, wrinkling his nose at their pungent scent. Mntbreeze set them down.
“Dock and goldenrod. The dock will soothe the scratch, and the goldenrod will heal it. It’s the same poultice I applied to your sister’s wound.” He paused momentarily. “That was quite some bite you gave your sister, you know,” He said, bending down to chew the leaves.
“You’ll make a great warrior.”
“That’s not what the other cats say,” Smallkit muttered.
“Oh, really? What do they say?” Mintbreeze asked, but Smallkit suspected Mintbreeze already knew the answer.
“They…whisper about me. They say I‘m different; that they…feel sorry for me. They also say things about Briarleaf.”
Smallkit saw Mintbreeze’s shoulders stiffen slightly at the mention of his father’s name, and he straightened up and applied the poultice to Smallkit’s shoulder without another word. The poultice felt cold and strange on Smallkit’s shoulder at first, but he soon began to feel the dock working.
“I don’t think you’ll need any cobweb on that, it doesn’t look like it’ll re-open itself…but I’d better be sure I suppose,” Mintbreeze muttered more to himself than to Smallkit.
“Wait here,” He said to Smallkit before padding swiftly out of the den. Smallkit looked down at his paws and blinked, seeing small tufts of golden fur snagged on his claws. H assumed that he must have dug his claws into his sister’s pelt whilst biting into her shoulder. He frowned to himself confusedly; he didn’t remember doing so.* Shrugging, he bent down to clean his claws of the scarlet-tipped fur. A few heartbeats later, he saw Mintbreeze approaching he den from a few badgerlengths away, a tawny coloured apprentice following with an unfocused, dreamy expression on her face. Smallkit groaned in exasperation. Just great. Applepaw.
“Oh, hello Smallkit!” She exclaimed brightly when they approached. Smallkit merely glared at her.
“Since I don’t have an apprentice, Applepaw is going to take you around to the boundary of the camp to gather cobwebs for your wound; I don’t have any in my store at the moment, and I showed her the best places to find them before. In any case, I have things to attend to. Once Applepaw has applied them to your wound, you will go straight to Finchstar,” He said, turning around to pad into his den. Smallkit turned slowly to face the grinning apprentice, dread rising in his stomach. It was bad enough that he had to go with Applepaw, but having to talk with Finchstar...
“Well, let’s go, then!” Applepaw said happily, practically bouncing out of the den. Smallkit followed her, grimacing. Applepaw was nearing her warrior ceremony, and had to be one of the most annoying cats he had ever met. She had trained as a medicine cat for a short while, but then decided that the life of a warrior was better suited to her, much to Smallkit’s confusion. He honestly couldn’t see any place in the clan where she fitted in. Also, she loved kits, much to Smallkit’s dislike, and insisted on visiting the nursery almost every day, causing Smallkit to curl up in the corner and to pretend to be sleeping so that he didn’t have to listen to her pointless meowing or play her stupid games. She skipped across the centre of the camp, and Smallkit’s ears flattened, humiliated by the stares he was receiving from the cats that still stood outside their dens. Some were muttering to each other. Others were shaking their heads at him as he passed, as if he was some sort of murderer. He turned away from them, noticing that Applepaw was talking non stop, apparently to him, unaware that he wasn’t listening. However, the blathering, high voice filled his head like the chattering of birds, so he was unable to think straight.
“Oh, don’t you ever shut up?!” He snarled, head pounding, hoping that that might force her into silence.
“Now that wasn’t very nice, was it?” She sang. “Someone needs to learn how to control their temper~!”
That was too much for Smallkit.
He bounded away from her, running across the camp, away from her infuriating voice…
Thump.
He reeled backwards, winded. He had ran into something solid, and furry.
He looked upwards, to find a tall, old cat gazing down at him, green eyes narrowed, every bone visible through his short, light brown pelt.
Finchstar.

I'll post Chapter 4 later...it was origionally just meant to be part of chapter 3, but I couldn't post it because I was 4405 characters over the limit...

LOL. Very good.
I really hate Briarleaf now. Talking to his kid like that!

Really great!I'm starting to like Briarleaf.The evil ones are always the best in a story for me.If there are no evil people,there is no point on making a story.My opinion.

Thanks I'm not sure if I like Briarleaf or not...I think I dislike Applepaw more, she's the sort of cat that would really get on my nerves

Applepaw= thumbs DOWNNN!
Briarleaf= Thumbs UPPP!
^That! And yes,your story is the greatest!Well,it's one of the greatest.

You like Briarleaf,too? That's cool!

The Briarleaf Fan Club! Just a thought.

Okay...

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Chapter 4
“Come with me,” Finchstar commanded, padding off to his den. Smallkit looked around the camp, some of the cats still there, observing him with narrowed eyes. Applepaw was smiling at him, looking slightly absent-minded, from across the camp, completely oblivious to how rude he had been to her. He padded slowly after Finchstar, heart pounding. As he entered the den, he saw Briarleaf, Flowerwhisker and the deputy, Larksong, there. He looked at his paws, avoiding their gaze. Finchstar sat down and faced Smallkit.
“Smallkit.” He began, scrutinizing him with a fierce glare. “I hope you are aware of the gravity of what you have done. Violence within the clan is at the level of rouges and savages, not of clan cats,” He half-hissed, eyes narrowed. “I am aware that you will be becoming a warrior in a moons’ time, and until then, you shall attend to the elders; you shall bring them prey, clean out their nests, and bring them water on moss. Do you understand?” Something about Finchstar made him feel like he wanted to get this meeting over with, but Smallkit could spot more than one gaping hole in the arrangement.
“But what about the apprentices? Don’t they take care of the Elders? And I don’t know where to find moss, or collect it! And I’m only a kit! How am I meant to manage…manage…” Smallkit trailed off as he saw Finchstar’s expression.
“We only have three apprentices at the moment, Smallkit!” He growled. “And they are receiving extra battle training at the moment on my order! I can feel the tension crackling in the air! Fights on the borders, landslides…natural disasters…” his meow fell to a whisper, and he licked his lips, glancing from side to side, as if expecting enemies to attack at any moment. He looked quite mad.
“A fight’s going to break out any day! I’m sure of it!” He proclaimed, voice louder now. Smallkit considered what he was saying. True, there had been a lot of weird things happening-high winds, storms, landslides…but he didn’t understand how this was relevant to the apprentices. Flowerwhisker looked slightly worried-whether about the disasters or for her leader’s sanity he couldn’t tell - The deputy, Larksong, a beautiful cat with white fur was staring out of the den, dull green eyes unfocused. Smallkit saw her as one of the most useless cats in the clan, next to Applethorn. Briarleaf’s sharp gaze was focused on Finchstar, his expression unreadable. But he certainly didn’t look absent minded or worried. Finchstar’s eyes clouded over, and he went into a sort of daze. Briarleaf cleared his throat loudly and said in his deep, commanding meow: “I’m sure Partridgepaw will be happy help you with the moss. And as for managing it-” He smirked. “Your apprenticeship will be much harder. Let’s just call this practice, to see if you can handle all the responsibility. Now go, inform the elders of this. You are excused.” Smallkit half ran out of the den. Briarleaf was acting like the leader- and like Smallkit was just another kit, of no relation to him. He sighed, padding over to the elder’s den.
He meowed softly at the entrance to announce his presence before walking in. The four elders all glanced up when he arrived, and the nearest one to him-a light brown she-cat with darker brown blotches-smiled at him, amber gaze softening. He knew this was Brittlefern, an old elder who had always wanted kits, but had never acquired a mate. The others- Heronbill, Badgertooth and a black-furred male with astonishingly emerald eyes- (Greengaze)- all nodded at him. Smallkit looked at his paws.
“Until I’m an apprentice, I’ve got to help the other apprentices look after you, so I’ll go get Partridgepaw, I guess, she’s meant to be helping me,” He mumbled to his paws, backing out of the den, feeling stupid. He was about to pad over to the apprentice’s den, but he heard an outbreak of furious whispering issuing from the elder’s den. Curious, he backtracked until he was at the side of the den and pressed his ear up to it, hoping the elders wouldn’t scent him or hear him. He heard the voice of Badgertooth, which was unusually gruff and deep for a female.
“…all utter nonsense if you ask me,” She grumbled. “Extra battle training for those apprentices…I feel sorry for them. Creampaw nearly fainted the other day- she was worked from sunhigh to sunhigh! A full day, all through the night, too. The clan’s a mess, and Finchstar’s gone senile. He must be as old as all of us put together!”
“I agree.” Came the smooth voice of Greengaze, and Smallkit could imagine his emerald eyes sparkling with annoyance.
“He’s biased and unreliable,” He half spat. “Remember his mate, Berrystar? At least she was sensible. She led Stealthclan through many tough seasons without turning a hair. She was a born leader. But why she choose her mate for deputy…was it just love? That’s all I can think of anyway,” He muttered.
“And I, personally think it was more than a little unwise to choose his daughter as deputy. I hate to say it but…she’s got the skill of an overfed kittypet.” Heronbill said, shaking his head.
“That’s what I said he was biased for!” Greengaze exclaimed. “All the other candidates for deputy…your son, Rookflight, would be excellent in my opinion. He is young, but he has skill,” He meowed, dipping his head to Heronbill.
“Why, thank you,” The old grey-and white said, voice filled with pride. “I-”
But he was cut off by Brittlefern, who had remained silent until this moment.
“But you know what’s more worrying?” She said quietly. “That Smallkit. He’s a nice young cat at times, and I know that none of the rest of the cats will believe us, but…we know who he really is. And I’m concerned for him. I think Briarleaf knows too…” She trailed off. The den had gone silent. Smallkit had fled towards the apprentice’s den, barely a heartbeat after she had finished.

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Sorry about how long overdue this chapter is 0.o'

Yes!NEW CHAPTER!It was awesome!No,no!BEYOND awesome! The truth!

Thank you! X3 But I have no idea what to write for the next chapter 0.o
I'll draw Mintbreeze and Rookflight soon, too :3

How about Smallkit finding out that Brairleaf is manipulating the leader's mind into doing bad stuff without anyone knowing.
It's an idea.