Chapter One
Skykit yawned, blinking sleep out of her eyes as she jumped out of her warm nest. Her silver pelt with red patches fluffed up as she focused her gaze on the soft, golden sunlight creeping its way through her nursery walls.
Stretching, she crept out into the open, a gentle breeze ruffling her fur and started away from the cool shelter of Blazeclan nursery. Looking over her shoulder, she spotted her brother, Smokekit, and her sister, Mistykit. She knew she shouldn't be out, but it was so dull without Mistykit, fun seemed to follow her around, the complete opposite of Smokekit.
The fluffy, dark grey tom wasn't adventurous, fun or playful. Instead of feeling excited in any way of leaving the den, he spent the whole time worrying. She shook her head slightly, hardly anything surprising knowing his dream to become medicine cat. She couldn't imagine anything worse- being stuck in camp all day, chewing up bitter leaves, sleeping with the sick. Ugh!
She snuck over to her sister and gently nudged her in an attempt to wake her up whilst trying to avoid waking Heatherbreeze, her mother. Mistykit opened her ice blue eyes and let out a yawn. "What is it...?" she murmured sleepily, her eyes pinpointing a slightly blurry looking Skykit. "C'mon Mistykit! Let's go and explore!" Came the excited voice of Skykit, trying to with strain her energy. The second the words left her mouth, Mistykit jumped up, eyes focusing and lit with excitement. "Ok!" She mewed, barely a whisper. Skykit slapped her tail over Mistykit's mouth, muffling whatever she was about to say next.
"You might want to be a little bit louder; I think there are a few cats you didn't wake!" Snorted Skykit, rolling her eyes. This time it was her turn to forget to whisper.
"You better not be going outside!" Her mother's sharp voice startled her and she jumped around, bright blue eyes wide. "N-No!" She stammered, desperately trying to mask the guilt heavy in her voice. Heatherbreeze's eyes flashed, and her fur started to prick up.
"I already told you! If you're going to go out you must wait for your brother!" She snapped, anger radiating off her.
"But h-" Mistykit began, yet al mostly immediately broke off at her mother's glare and sat down, muttering mutinously under her breath. Skykit slid down beside her scanned the nursery, her eyes slowly becoming accustomed to the dark yet again.
Nestled in the far corner were Redwillow's kits, Wildkit and Ashkit. They were a moon older than her, but this didn't stop Mistykit and her becoming good friends with Wildkit, a long haired ginger she cat. Ashkit had a thin muzzle which was accompanied with sleek light gray fur.
He came with a matching personality, eager to show off and the first to boss any cat around. He seemed to have convinced himself, and Mistykit, he was Starclan's gift to the clan. Wherever he went, Mistykit was never far behind. Letting out a sigh of exasperation, she curled up into a neat little ball and gazed out into the clearing, longing filling her eyes and heart. She could feel her mother's watchful gaze piercing her from behind- there was no chance she could go outside now. Screwing up her eyes, she willed herself to fall back into a deep slumber.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath high rock, for a clan meeting" Oakstar boomed, his voice filled the camp, waking Skykit from her restless sleep. Her eyes snapped open and she leapt up to her paws, nudging her sister hurriedly before bouncing off into the clearing, ignoring the fact she had not been given even the slightest amount of permission. A dark brown tabby tom came waltzing out of a den adorned with brambles and ferns. Her brain was unable to register his sudden appearing in time and with a crash she banged into him, slipping onto her back and looking up at an angry looking face, dazed. She could hear Mistykit sniggering a couple of tail lengths behind her as she shook the dust from her soft pelt. "Watch where you're going, kit" spat the warrior, only to be nudged harshly by an elderly she-cat. "Don't mind Talonclaw" she mewed warmly, whiskers twitching. She gave both kits a quick look before mewing "You're Heatherbreeze's kits, aren't you?"
"That's right!" Mistykit exclaimed, pushing last her sister to stand in front of the golden she-cat "My name is Mistykit! And this is my sister, Skykit!" She mewed, looking up at the old cat. "Hello Mistykit, Skykit, I'm Goldensun" she mewed, suppressing an mrow of laughter at Mistykit's energy. "I suggest if you want to watch the meeting, you wait outside the nursery- and try to avoid getting under warriors paws!" The golden flecked she-cat mewed kindly, stifling a purr. "Ok then..." Skykit mewed sheepishly, thoroughly embarrassed. "C'mon Mistykit" she mewed over to her sister, slowly recovering from the humiliation. Swivelling round on her paws, she bounded towards the nursery, followed closely by her sister. Finding a comfortable looking spot, she sat down and looked at each of the cats individually, noticing a handsome ginger tom looking especially proud and excited. Her eyes rested back onto the leader, eyeing each of the cats, his pale brown fur shining in the early morning sunlight. Ashkit brushed last them, his fur neatly groomed and sticking to his sides, head held high. A heart beat later, Wildkit appeared from the depths of the nursery and shot past him, pelt ruffled with excitement. Skykit was momentarily confused before she suddenly understood- Their apprentice ceremony! Skykit felt a pang of jealously towards them, imagining herself and Mistykit racing up instead, and narrowed her eyes grumpily. Close behind them with her head held high was Redwillow. "Wildkit, come back here right now!" She said pride eminent up in her eyes. "Wildkit, come back here right now!" She said, pride eminent up in her eyes despite the fact she was about to scold her kit for one thing or another. "Groom your fur, you can't go to your apprentice ceremony-" at this point Skykit swore she said the words 'Apprentice Ceremony' louder and more emphasised then the rest of her words "-Looking like you've just woken up!" Skykit stifled a purr as Wildkit plopped down onto the floor reluctantly, her mother immediately pouncing on her and flattening her fur down to within an inch of its life.
As Wildkit bounced off next to her brother and left her mother to find a good position nearby, Oakstar started to speak. "Today, I have the honour of making another two kittens into apprentices," He mewed, pausing to look as the cats struggled to keep their fur from sticking up in excitement. "Wildkit, Ashkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time you were apprenticed." His voice echoed out across the clearing, his eyes flickering briefly over each cat before beckoning the two kits forward. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Wildpaw and Ashpaw." The two new apprentices looked at each other, excitement lighting up their eyes. He flicked his tail and the handsome golden tom Skykit had seen earlier. "Rowanfire, you have proven yourself a worthy mentor, and it is time you received another apprentice. You will mentor Wildpaw." Rowanfire purred as he padded forwards, touching noses with his new apprentice, eyes glowing with… Skykit furrowed her brow, confused. With affection? She shrugged it off and looked over to Wildpaw, whose eyes sparkled happily as she perched herself rather closely to her new mentor.
Suddenly, a red tabby shape in the corner of her eye nudged up beside her, causing her to jump in surprise. "Hey, you're Skykit- right?" he asked, not waiting for a reply "My name's Redpaw, nice to meet you" he purred, eyes glowing with sweet warmth. "H-Hello Redpaw" she mewed nervously, looking down shyly at her silver paws. She allowed herself to look back up at him to see his whiskers twitch and a smile fill his face. "What!" she growled sharply, disliking the fact he wouldn't stop grinning at her as if it was stuck on his face.
He nodded back over towards their leader, talking once again. She looked up to miss him seat himself next to her and they watched, the sunlight dazzling their eyes as Ashpaw got his new mentor, a white and ginger tom called Flamefur. "I have to go now" he mewed, his calm voice once again surprising her. "Nice meeting you" he turned himself away from her, slowly padding away towards Flintfang, stealing one last glance at her before arriving at his mentor, his tail flicking impatiently and glaring down at his apprentice.