Chapter 1.
She had always loved him and she had believed that she always would, but looking back now, she's not so sure. Goldenflower could remember the days when Tigerstar was Tigerpaw and she was Goldenkit. She remembered all the good days and the bad, but the good were kept closer to heart even to this day.
Goldenkit opened her eyes and yawned, stretching her legs as she relaxed against her litter mates. Her emerald green eyes glistened with curiosity and excitement. She was always the first awake in the litter and she didn't want to stick around, because the others would take longer to wake up, and Goldenkit did not like to wait. So, slowly, the young kitten pulled herself to her feet, glanced at her litter mates and the den mothers that rested inside the Nursery as well, and noticing that every cat was still fast asleep, she escaped the Nursery.
Goldenkit was just about to leap to the pile of prey, when suddenly, she was thrown across the clearing and her body hit the soft dirt. She mewed in protest and pulled herself to her paws. She heard thudding of pawsteps and when she looked up to mew angrily at whomever had knocked her over, her breathe was quickly whisked away at the sight of amber eyes.
"I'm sorry about that, Goldenkit. Some apprentices just don't know how to watch where they're going." The tabby apprentice growled, glancing over at the white apprentice. It didn't take Goldenkit long to realize that this was Tigerpaw and the other apprentice was Whitepaw, whom was glancing at Goldenkit in apology.
Goldenkit purred in amusement. "Its okay. Want to play?" She asked Tigerpaw as she knelt down in a playful manner and went to go attack his tail, when she stepped on her own, tripping over herself, and landing on her back in the process.
Tigerpaw and Whitepaw were both purring in amusement.
Goldenkit fumed with embarrassment and got to her paws quickly. "What did I do wrong?" She asked, wanting to know what was so funny about a young kit tripping over herself. Then again, she realized that she would have laughed if it were her brother or sister.
Tigerpaw purred and whisked Whitepaw away with his tail and turned back to Goldenkit. "You have to crouch down lower and stick your tail up. Like this." He proceeded to crouch down and show her the hunter's crouch. "And you have to keep your paws light on the ground, because if you accidentally step on something, you'll create a noise, and it'll ruin your whole cover. Now you try." He mewed as he lifted his body up and wrapped his tail around his paws.
Goldenkit tried to copy Tigerpaw's moves, but she found it was more difficult than it looked and ended up falling on her stomach. She was embarrassed once more, and she knew that Tigerpaw was probably thinking she was the most pathetic kit around, but when she looked up at him, he seemed to radiate with kindness and sympathy instead of amusement.
"Good try, Goldenkit. Keep practicing and my tail will be yours next time." He mewed as his ears perked up. A cat was calling his name from the distance. It didn't take Goldenkit long to realize that it was his mentor, Thistleclaw. "I'll check back up on your skills later. Goodbye, Goldenkit." He gave her ear a quick lick before racing after his mentor.
Goldenkit didn't know it then, but the beating of her heart increased in numbers, and no matter what else happened that day, Tigerpaw was the only thing on her mind.