Mistkit stuck her head out of the nursery opening and blinked rapidly in the sunlight. The blinding light was new to her, but she wasn't a coward; she didn't move back into the den. Her mother Greenwind nudged the only kit further into the open, murmuring in her ear. Mistkit took another confident step, and another. Finally she was standing tall and proud in the center of the camp, her father, mother, the deputy, and her father's sister in a protective circle around her. The leader of SkyClan, Riddlestar, was curled on the Rock, watching.
Mistkit turned around and around, taking in her new surroundings. Her face was still and calm, her ice blue eyes piercing.
"She's beautiful, Greenwind," muttered Mistkit's father, Rowanfur. Greenwind nodded, her eyes glistening. Mistkit blinked again, then the young she-cat padded over to the camp entrance.
"I'm going out. I'll see you at dusk." With that the kit slipped out of the tunnel. None of the older cats tried to stop her; this was the tradition of the Clans. When a kit first came out of the nursery they also had to leave the camp and hunt for the entire day in the forest. If they survived without a scratch, they were strong enough to be in SkyClan, but if they came back wounded, they were sent into the Twoleg place, where their fate was soon decided. Greenwind's own brother had been torn apart by a dog in the Twoleg place, and her sister had been adopted by Twolegs.
It was a cruel tradition, but it had to be done. If a weak cat bred within the Clans, it would create disaster, or so the Ancestors thought. Those who had first been a part of the Clans had laid down the Rules, and the Rules were followed ever since.
Greenwind followed Meadowflower, Rowanfur's sister, back into the warrior's den, and Greenwind finally felt the familiar soft moss under her paws. It had been almost seven moons since she had slept here. Rowanfur and the deputy, Silverface were left to guard the entrance and await Mistkit's return. Greenwind would sleep until the next morning, when Mistkit would hopefully be apprenticed.
There was a rustling I the gorse of the tunnel and Silverface was instantly alert. He watched the leaves sway back and forth as a cat entered the camp. He poked Rowanfur, and the russet-furred cat leaped up, blinking.
"She's back. I'll wake Riddlestar." Silverface slipped away, and Rowanfur was left watching the tunnel. A moment later Mistkit slid from the bushes, her blue fur shimmering eerily.
"Father! It was so exciting! Look, not a single scratch! I'm an apprentice of SkyClan now!" Mistkit rubbed against her father's warm flank, purring. The dawn light touched on the she-cats' shoulders lightly and quickly, throwing a bluish glow momentarily on Rowanfur's chin. Just at that very moment the SkyClan medicine cat, Leafnose, came padding out of her den. The first thing she saw was Mistkit glowing blue in the half-light. The cat's eyes grew wide, and Leafnose shivered.
"Mistkit! Move!" she screeched suddenly.
The blue she-cat looked around, startled, and jumped to the side quickly. Just as suddenly a huge black cat came flying out of the tunnel, and landed, claws outstretched, right where Mistkit had been a second before. The cat let out a terrifying yowl and spun to face Rowanfur.
Rowanfur lashed out at the black cat's face, and blood spurted from its nose. The cat howled, and turned to dash back out of the tunnel.
Mistkit trembled, and let out a tiny squeak of horror.
"Dadda, who was that? Was he a Clan cat? He tried to kill me!"
Rowanfur was sitting, shocked, at the entrance of the tunnel, watching it absentmindedly. He didn't answer Mistkit, but Riddlestar, who had just emerged from his den, trailing Silverface, did.
"Yes. He was a Clan cat, one from CaveClan. They are notorious murderers. There is always an evil Clan in the Forest. There always has been, and there always will be. Long before us there was EbonyClan, and before that SwampClan. But there is good in this Forest as well. Have no fear, Mistkit. Leafnose here has saved your life, and we mustn't think any more on it. No one was hurt, except for perhaps that poor CaveClan cat. Ah well, it couldn't be helped!" Riddle star smiled cheerfully, but his eyes showed his fear.
Mistkit watched those pale gray eyes. She wasn't fooled. But she let Riddlestar console her. Even if it only reassured him, not her, she didn't protest. By then the whole Clan was wide-awake, dragged from their dreams by the blood chilling screams of the black attacker.
Riddlestar coughed awkwardly, climbing to his place on the Rock. Leafnose, who had been sitting, nearly comatose, in front of her den, suddenly whirled around and retreated back into her den.
Greenwind rushed to her daughter's side and rubbed against her cheek, her heart beating.
"Alive! Thank the Ancestors! You will live to become an apprentice, my Mistkit," she purred.
Mistkit swallowed nervously, realizing how close she had been to not becoming an apprentice.
"May all of the Claws and Teeth of SkyClan gather for an announcement," meowed Riddlestar. All of the warriors, apprentices and older kits made their ways to the space beneath the Rock. Mistkit padded to the front along with Redkit and Dustkit, who had been out of the camp yesterday. Much to Mistkit's grief, Sweetkit and Sassafrasskit were not there. The two kits had been released into the Twoleg place yesterday as well. They were Dustkit and Redkit's sister and brother, and the sorrow showed in the other kit's faces.
"Three kits have been out of camp recently, and are ready to be initiated as apprentices," mewed Riddlestar. Murmurs of approval were carried on the tongues the crowd. Mistkit stood a little taller, and Redkit gave his tail another quick lick.
"Dustkit, step forward." Riddlestar ran his tongue through the tan kit's fur, checking for scratches, as was the custom. If any scrape had been looked over before, the kit was immediately released. Mistkit remembered it happening once during her time as a kit. She had listened and watched from the safety of the nursery as a thin tabby kit had been driven from the camp after a small cut had been discovered behind her ear. That day Mistkit hadn't thought much of it, but now, as she watched her friend being checked over, she shivered with fear.
"He is unscathed! Let Dustkit, son of Wildscar and Swiftstream, be known as Dustpaw, until he earns his true name!" yowled Riddlestar. Dustpaw padded away from the Rock to join his mother and father.
"Redkit, step forward," Riddlestar did the ritual grooming and proclaimed Redkit unscathed as well, and gave the apprentice her new name, Redpaw. Mistkit twitched uncomfortably. She was last.
"Mistkit, step forward." Mistkit took a step closer to Riddlestar. She braced herself as his rough tongue swept over her fur. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Mistkit heard Riddlestar meow, "She is unscathed! Let Mistkit, daughter of Rowanfur and Greenwind, be known as Mistpaw until she earns her true name!"
Mistpaw sighed with relief and loped to her mother's side.
"Now I will assign mentors to these new apprentices! Silverface, step forward. I assign you to teach Dustpaw the ways of the Claws and Teeth, and the ways of the Clans."
Silverface sauntered to Dustpaw's side, and sat next to him, pride showing in his green eyes.
"Foxfire, step forward. I assign you to teach Redpaw the ways of the Claws and the Teeth, and the ways of the Clans."
Mistpaw glanced enviously at Redpaw, whose face was alight with amazement. Foxfire was held in extremely high prestige, and would have been the second choice for deputy. He had single handedly tackled a fox on his first day out of camp, which had earned him his true name.
"Pantherpelt, step forward." Meowed Riddlestar. I thin, dark black she-cat slunk from the edge of the crowd to stand beside the Rock.
Mistpaw choked silently. Pantherpelt! How could this be happening to her? Pantherpelt was a quite, sly she-cat, or almost never spoke a kind word to anybody. She was a remarkable fighter, but she wasn't mentor material.
"I assign you to teach Mistpaw the ways of the Claws and Teeth, and the ways of the Clans."
Pantherpelt's yellow eyes glowed as she turned to stare at Mistpaw. Mistpaw gulped. Pantherpelt loped to Mistpaw's side.
"I am glad to be your mentor, Mistpaw," he said, smiling warmly.
Huh? Warmly? Wait, Pantherpelt wasn't exactly a warm kind of cat!
"Shall we begin your training today? I would like to assess your strength,"
"Okay," mewed Mistpaw nervously.
Mistpaw followed Pantherpelt out of the SkyClan camp and down the hill to the training hollow. The hollow was a small clearing with a soft, springy layer of pine needles on the ground. It was an ideal place for training young apprentices. Mistpaw had rested here the day before, when it had been her first time out of camp. Yesterday she had been slightly afraid of the new and different things around her, but today was different. She was with her new mentor, and she had been here before,
"Let's star with some basic defense moves, okay?" said Pantherpelt. The she-cat's voice was soft and flowing, and it eased Mistpaw's mind. Maybe she would like Pantherpelt after all.
"Sure. I already know one attack move, from watching some apprentices fighting in the camp. Can I show you it?" asked Mistpaw.
Pantherpelt smiled. "Absolutely. Let's see it!"
Mistpaw began to circle the black warrior; her blue eyes never leaving Pantherpelt's yellow ones. Suddenly, when Pantherpelt was beginning to think Mistpaw would never attack. The blue apprentice launched herself straight at Pantherpelt's chest.
Inwardly, Pantherpelt chuckled. The little blue apprentice didn't know anything about fighting. She had a lot to learn. But just as Pantherpelt was preparing to slide out of Mistpaw's way, the she-cat dropped, and dove at Pantherpelt's feet. The black cat was completely unprepared, and Mistpaw bowled her over into the thick dirt.
The two cats grappled with each other on the ground, and Pantherpelt finally gained the upper hand, pinning Mistpaw's flank to the ground. But Pantherpelt was panting hard, her face split in an excited grin.
"That was amazing, apprentice! Who did you learn that one from? I wish I'd known that when I fought CaveClan last Leaf-bare!" meowed Pantherpelt.
Mistpaw rose to her paws shakily, a sheepish grin on her face.
"Actually, I made it up when I was out of camp yesterday. I was hunting for a bit, but I didn't really want to, so I decided to try some fighting moves. Was it really that good?" mewed Mistpaw.
Pantherpelt stared at her. "You made that up? That was great! And you said you'd seen someone do it! I thought you were going to try to swat me or something!" said Pantherpelt, her eyes shining. "I think we're going to have a good couple moons together, Mistpaw! Come on, I'll teach another one!"
Mistpaw and Pantherpelt trained all day, and returned, exhausted and dusty, as the sun disappeared behind the hills.
Mistpaw padded over to join Dustpaw and Redpaw at the fresh kill pile. She recognized a vole that she had caught yesterday and picked it up. Another apprentice, Goldenpaw, a yellow tabby, joined them.
"So Mistpaw, I can't believe you got Pantherpelt!" meowed Redpaw. She spat the warrior's name with contempt, and looked at Mistpaw with a sympathetic expression.
Mistpaw glared at Redpaw. "I like her, she's very kind, and a very skilled warrior. Don't speak badly about someone if you don't know his or her true character!" she hissed. She picked up her vole and padded away. She looked around for somewhere else to sit, and suddenly her breath caught in her throat. There was an empty space next to Shadepaw, a black and white tom. She had always found Shadepaw to be a sweet, kind (and not to mention handsome) tom, and she couldn't resist padding over and dropping her vole next to him.
Shadepaw flinched, startled.
"Oh! H-hello Mistpaw!" he meowed nervously.
Mistpaw blinked. Why was he acting so strangely?
"Hello! Can I eat with you?" she asked.
"Oh! S-sure!" Shadepaw shifted over to make room for her. Mistpaw couldn't help but feel embarrassed as Shadepaw stared at her blue fur.
"Why are you staring at me, Shadepaw?" she asked quickly. Mistpaw suddenly realized what she'd said, and felt like she wanted to sink into the ground. What had she done?
"Because I have always thought you were beautiful and kind," murmured Shadepaw.
"WHAT?" Mistpaw yowled, her fur bristling.
"Shadepaw's eyes grew wide with horror. "I mean, well, I meant, uumm….oh dear. Oh, well, um, never mind!" He scrambled into the apprentice's den.
Mistpaw finished her vole in silence, and then she trotted into the apprentice's den. She had made up her mind. Now that Shadepaw had confessed, (which she still hardly believed had happened) she had to as well.
"Shadepaw? Where are you?" she called into the darkness.
"Mistpaw?" A small voice floated from the corner of the den.
Mistpaw padded over and curled up next to Shadepaw. He watched her blue tail drifted gently onto his flank.
"Did you really mean what you said back there?" Mistpaw asked.
"Um, well…yes. Is that weird?" Shadepaw flattened his ears in embarrassment.
"No, not all. I feel the same way about you."
Shadepaw shrugged in relief. "That's good. I'm tired," he said.
"I am too," said Mistpaw in return, and fell asleep with Shadepaw's tail entwined with hers.