Chapter 1: From Kit to Warrior
"DarkStorm, DarkStorm tell us of when you became an apprentice!" asked a small grey kit with a white crest that went over his muzzle and light grey feet, as if he had trampled in white powder.
"Well… PowderKit, I shall tell you and your sibling kits of my life before I became a warrior"
"Is it a long story?" asked a creamy white kit.
"Not that long, CreamKit… Some stories, like the story of our leader PineStar are much longer. In fact that's where I will begin"
"With PineStar's story?" asked another kit of golden fur.
"Not exactly GoldenKit, I shall begin with one of my first memories… I remember when PineStar was appointed as Clan leader. The days had grown colder and the StarClan had told the old leader WormStar that the other clans were on the move. CaveClan was growing, and had been ruled by a vicious ruler, ShadowStar. He had decided that he would try taking some of our land, so that they could hunt and keep up with their demanding population. My Mother had hidden me with the rest of the kits in the nettle surrounded bramble bushes, which was the old nursery, with Elder RedNose, who at the time was a queen in her prime. The battle took place from moon-high to dawn. WormStar had only 2 lives left, he struggled to fight on but kept his wits and fought until the end, when both his lives had been taken and he died." The kits, who were in complete awe of this story, gasped "The deputy proclaimed from the Willow Hole of the death, and named himself the predecessor. My mother, who was only my foster-"
"Only foster?" asked CreamKit, quite curious on how she was only a foster, not knowing what it was.
"Shhh CreamKit! We wanna hear the rest of the story!" PowderKit protested.
"Now PowderKit, it is a very good question, and you wanted to hear my life story didn't you?" she asked rhetorically, as the grey kitten held his head slightly down in shame, before she carried on "Now my mother, the daft she-cat she was, had me and my litter siblings with another male who was not of this clan. She was not daft for that, it was that she didn't hide it that was daft. Now it was the middle of winter, and she had been ridiculed between the queens of the clan. She had us, and hid in terrible cover of some thin bushes. My litter siblings died. My mother ran off thinking we were all dead, she was very upset about thinking we were gone; they say it was a miracle I survived in the freezing temperatures. They appointed a Foster-Mother for me; one of the queens had lost kits to the weather already and was prepared to take me in. MottleHeart, bless her took me in. The cold had taken many kits that year and MottleHeart, being a new mother, had lost nearly all hers. Moons later the battle took place, and afterwards PineStar became GrassClan's Leader.
"Of course Life became to cheer up, I became an Apprentice. Your Mother BlondEye was already an Apprentice; she was the apprentice of GreyClaw."
"Isn't that the Deputy?" questioned GoldenKit.
"Yes GoldenKit, she is. She was the apprentice of the Deputy and I was just starting. I began practicing with her, the Deputy and BlackHeart."
"Oh! BlackHeart!" They all exclaimed. BlackHeart was a black tom with a white crest between his eyes, right above his nose; he has an incredible charm and strong features. Everyone likes him, she-cats in particular and the male apprentices also, many wanting to be him. To the kits adoring exclamation she laughed.
"Was he a warrior in the battle when you were a kit?" CreamKit asked.
"He was not a warrior; he was but a young apprentice" DarkStorm answered "Now back to me if you don't mind… I was practicing with BlondEye, BlackHeart, the deputy, PineStar and CottonPaw," she added "It was not long before I felt the rush of hunt flowing through me and I liked it very much. The excitement, I had to keep in, and the climax of pouncing was hard to not purr at, but I had to knowing that if I made a noise the mouse, rabbit or hare would escape.
"And obviously I learnt first the way of the Cat Warrior. The boundaries of our land, and how to guard them, we trekked through the plains swiftly and quietly. I learnt fast how to creep about and get around undetected and smelt the other clan's smell and made it one that was familiar"
"Oh tell us what they smell like! Mamma says that the ForestClan smell of acorns and like the squirrel she caught for us yesterday" proclaimed PowderKit.
"Well it is true, they smell of damp moss and tree bark. A slight tinge of squirrel added in and acorn. It is quite a fresh smell. We smell more like mud and trodden fur, I hear, and of mouse and rabbit. CaveClan, however, smells more of damp and cold; if you have ever smelt bat, then they smell like that too. We smell like what we eat, and where we trod our feet… Wanna ask me anything about apprentices?" she asked them.
"Oh is it fun? Or do you prefer being a warrior?"
"I have only been a warrior for a few days little GoldenKit" she said laughing "But being a warrior has had its advantages, I have more freedom now… And yet, I liked being an apprentice. I liked being DarkPaw, yet DarkStorm much nicer!" She smiled.
CreamPaw sighed "Do you do much patrolling and learning the Warrior Code?" she asked.
"Yes," this reply made them all groan "But the training is worth it! You learn to pounce, stalk and listen to hear other's creep up on you, skills you need when you are a Warrior. Hunting isn't everything, if you hunted all the time there would be no food left!"
The kits all looked up in adoration at DarkStorm, being a young warrior like their mother they thought she was the coolest thing since the squirrel their mother caught them yesterday!
"I hope your bragging DarkStorm doesn't stop my Kits from sleeping…" BlondEye's voice called from the top of the den "… They have an important day tomorrow"
"I hardly am bragging, they wanted to hear and I told" DarkStorm nodded "I am not finished either… I will only take a little while, so do not fret BlondEye!"
"Fret… It is almost moonhigh and my Kits must be up not long after dawn"
"Well I will have to tell them some other time the rest of the story and who I was apprentice to"
"Oh tell us now who you were apprentice to… was it MistyTail?" Mewed little PowderKit.
"No… Your mother may tell you if she wishes, but she won't tell it as well as I do" DarkStorm answered the kit with a smirk.
"Oh no… No one tells stories like you DarkStorm" they all purred
"Now, Now kits… You have to go to bed" BlondEye protested.
"Oh Oh! Tell us… wpliee won't be able to sleep if she doesn't tell us Mamma!" GoldenKit replied with pleading eyes.
"DarkStorm!" BlondEye scoulded "Now look what you have done"
"Sorry… But…Well… I was apprentice to their hero… I thought they would have got it by now" She replied.
"BlackHeart!" CreamKit exclaimed loudly "You were apprentice to BlackHeart" their mouths dropped.
"Oh what was it-" but PowderKit was cut off by BlondEye.
"Bed Kits! Now!" she frowned at DarkStorm "When you have kits… You will regret keeping these up"
"They will be apprentices tomorrow BlondEye… I am sure they will be excited with that more"
"I guess… You had better go… You're on Patrol Duty at moonhigh on the borders of CaveClan, remember?"
"Ofcourse I remember" DarkStorm meowed affronted "I do not forget my duties to this clan"
"Not even in the battle?" BlondEye asked
DarkStorm's face slunk. She hissed at BlondEye "So I could not fight my father… It means nothing to my dedication to this clan! Do not accuse me" her voice lowered "Is that why you won't trust me with the father of your kits?"
"I am sorry DarkStorm… I spoke out of place… I didn't mean to offend you… And I have told no one… But you will be the first when I think it is the right thing to do" She answered, hurring to her kits.
