Squirrelkit bounded through the forest. Her ginger fur was pressed against her skin as she raced through the underbrush. The young cat looked over and saw a tom kitten, about her age, with raven black fur, running beside her.
"What's your name?" Squirrelkit asked as the two stopped and sat down facing each other.
"Ravenkit," he responded.
"Nice to meet you!" the kitten happily responded.
"What's your name?" the black kitten asked.
"Squirrelkit."
"Hi Squirrelkit!"
"Hi Ravenkit!"
"Wanna go play?"
"Sure!" the two bounded off through the forest. Squirrelkit batted Ravenkit with her paw.
"You're it!" The two kittens laughed as they bumped into each other and skidded into a tree. Squirrelkit looked over to Ravenkit, and gasped. He seemed to be in a trance.
"The forest is in your paws. You will save us. Before peace settles over the forest, the trees will burn with fire, the beach will be flooded with water from the ocean, and the river will turn red with blood." the cat said in a hoarse voice. Squirrelkit shrunk against the tree as Ravenkit vanished before her eyes. The smell of blood filled her nose as a tidal wave of sticky blood rushed to greet her. The kitten yowled with terror.
"SQUIRRELKIT!!!" the kitten jumped and stood up quickly to meet her mother's worried gaze.
"Are you ok darling? You were tossing and yowling in your sleep," Sunpelt fretted, licking her daughter between the ears.
"I'm fine mama," the kitten shakily responded. She shook herself and looked around.
"Well I have a surprise for you!" Sunpelt said excitedly.
"What?" Squirrelkit inquired.
"You're going to be made an apprentice today along with Honeykit!"
"REALLY?!"
"Yes!" the kitten jumped up and down excitedly.
"I'm gonna be an apprentice I'm gonna be an apprentice!"
"Shut up! Some cats around here are trying to sleep!" Honeykit snapped sleepily. Squirrelkit flicked her sister on the ear with her tail and raced out the den. She gave a yelp of surprise as she bumped into Bluefang, the clan deputy.
"Sorry Bluefang," Squirrelkit gave a hurried apology.
"It's ok Squirrelkit. What's going on?" she asked.
"I'm gonna be an apprentice! I have to tell Dewpaw!" the kitten explained.
"Oh yes, that's right. Well we should be having the ceremony at noon."
"Noon?! That's only a few minutes away! Gotta go Bluefang! Bye!" she yowled in surprise and bounded off toward the apprentice den.
"DEWPAW!" Squirrelkit meowed. The gray cat jumped, but relaxed as she saw it was only her friend.
"I'm gonna be an apprentice Dewpaw!!" the kitten exclaimed.
"Yay!' Dewpaw exclaimed.
"Bluefang said the ceremony is going to be at noon, so I have to hurry and get ready."
"Ok I'll help!" Dewpaw offered. The young she-cat was always eager to help Squirrelkit.
"Let's go!" Squirrelkit said, and rushed to the waterhole in the middle of their camp.