Redshadow's Revenge- Prologue

"Run, Redkit! Run!" I heard Scarletkit shrieking with fear. My sister and I ran for our lives. Behind us, a red fox was chasing us, its jaws snapping a tail-length ahead. Why did I force my sister to leave the camp? It was so stupid of me! But it wasn't fair, being cooped up in a den all day! Being in camp is boring, and it's always so stuffy inside the den; I couldn't stand it. I had to get out of the camp for fresh air! Cherryflame told us wonderful stories about our territories. It sounded so safe...we didn't think there would be any danger in our own home!
"Redkit! Scarletkit!" I heard a new voice farther behind us, farther behind the fox. Daring to look behind myself, I noticed a ginger pelt: Foxpelt.
"Run into those bushes! I'll distract it!" Foxpelt hissed. Blind with fear, I nudged Scarletkit into the bush and we both fell inside it. Scarletkit let out a grunt of pain as her shoulder hit the ground. I looked at her with worry in my eyes and mewed, "Are you okay?"
Scarletkit looked exhausted. We never ran so much before. My legs were aching, but I didn't dare leave the bush yet.
 Shortly after a few more heartbeats, I heard a disturbing scream of pain. Foxpelt! I wanted to run out of the bush, to help Foxpelt fight off the fox, but I knew I'd be no use. I'm only a kit, after all, and kits wouldn't stand a chance against a large fox. Our only hope is to pray to StarClan that Foxpelt would be all right.
 Silence. I heard nothing but silence after a few more heartbeats. That is really, really bad. I poked my head out of the bush and glanced around: A gentle breeze blew in the air, ruffling my white fur and stinging my eyes, but I ignored it and left the bush. Scarletkit yelped with fear, scared of being left behind in case the fox came back and followed me. My eyes widened with horror as I noticed a bloody ginger shape just a few fox-lengths ahead of me. It was Foxpelt.
 Before I had a chance to go another pawstep, I heard a wail. My heart sank when I recognized my father's gray and white pelt as he bent over Foxpelt's bloody body. I nodded at Scarletkit, telling her to follow me and padded up to the limp ginger tom's body. I let out a gasp at the sight: His body was patched with blood, and one of his back legs were twisted in an awkward angle. Foxpelt's mouth was wide open and a thin trail of blood was sliding out, making a tiny puddle on the grass.
"Foxpelt!" The gray and white tom's wails were filled with grief. "Foxpelt! Oh, my brother! Why did this happen to you?"
"I'm sorry," I murmured, not looking at my father's gaze. "Foxpelt tried to save us from the fox. It was chasing us."
 I flinched when I saw rage in my father's eyes. "You left the camp?" he hissed, his fur bristling. I have never seen my father so angry before. I backed away, my ears flattening with fear.
 "Y-Yes," I stuttered, "it was so stupid of me, but I was so bored! I wanted to leave the camp..." After seeing the angry gaze from my father, I didn't dare continue.
 "You left the camp just because you were bored, and now my brother's dead," My father hissed, still staring at Foxpelt's body.
 "I'm so-" I began.
 "No, just go back to camp," My father hissed. "You've made enough trouble in one day." My father curled up around his brother's body, wrapping his tail around the ginger tom's neck, lowering his head with grief.
 I felt guilty. If only I hadn't left the camp, Foxpelt would still be alive. I began to pad back to camp with my tail dragging; Scarletkit was following me behind. I sensed her fear and anxiety as she followed me, but we were also both too upset to say anything as we entered the camp.

  "Redkit! Scarletkit! What happened to you?" Our mother, Cherryflame, padded over to us, her fur fluffed up with anxiety. The ginger she-cat lapped at my pelt as if she'd never stop grooming me ever again. I flinched away, lowering my gaze and didn't dare look at her face. "Foxpelt's dead." I murmured.
Cherryflame's eyes widened. "Foxpelt? Dead? I'll have to tell Dreamstar," she murmured. After giving my sister a grooming, she left us in the middle of the camp and padded into our leader's den.
 

  Time passed. The Clan heard the news about Foxpelt's death by now. The cats who were closest to Foxpelt sat vigil for him the entire night while Cherrystem, Scarletkit and I all slept together in the nursery with Snow. I woke up the next morning as I felt warmth hitting my soft kit-fur. My vision was blurry as I opened my eyes; I still wasn't used to the bright sunlight quite yet.
 Suddenly I heard pawsteps and smelled the familiar scent of my father. I sensed rage coming from him, and immediately felt uncomfortable. Something was very, very wrong.
 "Cloudheart? What are you doing here?" Cherryflame sounded tired. The queen barely got any sleep that night after discovering that we were almost killed by a fox. Dreamstar punished us by forcing us to stay in the camp with a warrior or a queen guarding us at all times from now on. We didn't like it, but we knew we had to pay the price from sneaking the camp without permission. It was against the warrior code.
 "Cherryflame." Cloudheart's voice was cold. "I don't want to be mates with you anymore."
Cherryflame's body shook as she let out a gasp. Scarletkit was wide awake now, her eyes wide with shock. I felt the same from myself. Cherryflame and Cloudheart loved each other! Why would they leave each other now? They never quarreled and they always seemed happy with each other.
 "Why?" Cherryflame's voice cracked with grief.
 "Because it's their fault my brother is dead!" Cloudheart hissed. My father's pelt was completely fluffed up with pure anger. I sensed waves of fear coming off of my sister's pelt, so I wrapped my tail around her for comfort.
 "It's not our kits' fault! They didn't know any better!" Cherryflame hissed. This time, rage pulsed from our mother's pelt. I've never seen our parents so angry at each other before.
 "Redkit and Scarletkit both learned their lesson. Don't you think they're already going through enough grief without having more? They lost Foxpelt! He isn't close just to you, you know!" Cherryflame snapped. I flinched. That was the worst thing any cat could ever say to Cloudheart. He cared for Foxpelt so much.
 "How dare you, Cherryflame?" Cloudheart hissed. This time, the gray and white tom unsheathed his claws, and I flinched with my sister. We were terrified.
 Cherryflame wrapped her tail around us protectively. Her voice cracked when she spoke, "Leave, Cloudheart. If you blame our kits for Foxpelt's death, then I won't let you stay. You will not harm my kits."
 Cloudheart's lips curled into a snarl and he padded out of the den. Scarletkit was shivering with fear; I was shocked. My mother was shuddering; I sensed grief from her as if Cloudheart died along with Foxpelt. I nuzzled her, but Cherryflame just looked away from me. My heart sank.
 How dare my father hurt us! How dare he blamed us for Foxpelt's death. It was the fox that killed Foxpelt, not us! Did he ever even love us at all? Was the relationship between him and Cherryflame a lie?
 "Your father loved you, kits," Cherryflame murmured, lapping at my head. But I shook myself away. I didn't believe Cloudheart loved us. If he truly loved us, then he wouldn't have blamed us for Foxpelt's death. He would have understood that a fox had killed his brother and not us. He left us because he thought wrong.
 If that's the way it is, I thought, Then I will punish my father. A growl rose in my throat. Cherryflame and my sister never deserved such  pain from Cloudheart! Our father didn't think! He didn't care. Did he even notice how hurt my sister and mother was?
  Rage pulsed through my body, making me tremble. Scarletkit glanced at me with worry, but I didn't care. Cloudheart blamed us for his brother's death and left us when we needed him the most so soon after someone died. What kind of a cruel cat would do that?
 Cloudheart needed to be punished. He needs to know just how much pain he made us go through.



      And I will make sure he goes through that pain. I will get my revenge.