Chapter 1
Milky scents of the nursery filled the air of a little den made out of sticks and patched with grass to keep cold air out. Cats crowded around a she-cat named Cherryblossom who had just given birth and was relaxing drinking water looking lovingly at her new kits. One kit, a tom had red-brown fur and the other a she-kit, had blue-silver fur.
"Stand back everyone, give the cat some space!" instructed Milkleaf the medicine cat.
"I want to see," pouted Toadkit.
"Yeah me too," agreed Marshkit.
"I want to know what Cherryblossom will name them," stated Applekit and she beckoned Toadkit and Marshkit to follow her sneaking through the legs of the other cats to see. They arrived just in time to see the queen announce the names.
"What will you name them?" a she-cat named Lemonbreeze asked.
"I think I'll name the tom Heatkit and the she-kit Minnowkit," answered a very exhausted Cherryblossom.
"Good names," thought Applekit.
"I like those names," whispered another cat her age in her ear.
"Oh, hi Dewkit!" exclaimed Applekit
"Shhhhhhh!" proclaimed Lightcloud, Applekit's, Toadkit's, and Marshkit's mother to the two kits, "You need to be quiet, those kits are very tired right now," then she bent down to speak to small Minnowkit, ". . . and what wonderful kits you are aren't you?"
After that Milkleaf sent everyone outside the den to give the kits and their mother some time to rest.
"Where are we going to go? We always stay in the nursery," wondered aloud Aquaflower, Dewkit's mother.
"Let's fight!" Pumpkinkit, Dewkit's brother called to Marshkit and Toadkit and they began tumbling and rolling over each other playfully.
"I think we should go to the apprentice den to see how Shimmerpaw is doing after she fell off the tree yesterday," suggested Gingerkit, Dewkit's sister.
"That's a good idea, let's go!" mewed Applekit.
Gingerkit led them over too the apprentice den where the apprentices sleep. When they got there Littlepaw, Milkleaf's apprentice, was hovering over Shimmerpaw putting herbs on her left paw in the paw that Shimmerpaw had fallen on.
"Hi, Applekit, Hi Dewkit, Hi Gingerkit!" greeted Shimmerpaw, "Littlepaw's putting Marigold and cobwebs on my cut."
"What's the marigold and cobwebs for?" asked Dewkit.
"Well, the Marigold is to stop infection and the cobwebs are to stop the bleeding" answered Littlepaw and she went back to what she was doing.
"I can't wait to be an apprentice!" whined Dewkit.
"Me too," sighed Gingerkit.
"Well, only seven more sunrises until you become six months," Shimmerpaw put in.
"That's way too long, I want to be one now," Dewkit had made up her mind, "let's go practice being an apprentice, then we'll be ready when we are!" she swished her tail in the way of the door, "Come on, race you outside!"
"That sounds fun," agreed Applekit she ran towards Dewkit following her out the door while Gingerkit lingered.