Chapter two
Stormkit rested his chin on his forepaws. Why can't I be an apprentice … with Eaglepaw? He hissed with frustration and lashed his tail.
"What's wrong?" came his sister's mew. "You're thrashing about like a badger!"
"Nothing," he muttered. "I just want to be an apprentice."
"I doubt that's it. You want to train with Eaglepaw, don't you?" she teased.
He froze. It always seems like she can read my mind!
"Got-cha!" she squealed nudging him to his paws. "Come with me."
"Where?" he mewed trying to stand his ground against Snowkit's strength.
"The fresh-kill pile," she replied. "I'm starving- and Eaglepaw's there."
"Eaglepaw?!"
"Yes, come on!"
Not wanting to be seen being shoved out the nursery he quickly leaped forward and bounded out.
Stormkit felt his paws freeze top the floor as he spotted Eaglepaw at the fresh-kill pile. Come on! Be brave!
"Eaglepaw!" he forced the word out of his throat.
"Hi, Stormkit," she mewed as he padded up. "Do you want to share some fresh-kill?"
His heart beat faster. "Yes please!"
"Training was so much fun today. I caught this!" she nudged a mouse between her paws.
"I wish I was an apprentice." He murmured enviously as Eaglepaw bent her head to take a bite.
She shrugged as she swallowed her mouthful. "You're only a moon younger than us. It'll be your turn soon."
He chewed slowly. "Not soon enough." I want to train with you!
"I could give you some early training!" she suggested with a mischievous glint in her eyes.
Eaglepaw training me! His heart skipped a beat, but he forced his voice not to shake. "That would be great!"
"Okay, copy me!" she mewed, leaping to her feet as they finished the mouse. She repeated what Dawnpetal had shown her, trapping a leaf in her claws.
"That's great!" he mewed. A feeling of awe bubbled in his chest as he watched the pretty apprentice demonstrate.
Stormkit tried to copy what she was doing but he knew he wasn't doing it right. She was constantly telling him all the things he was doing wrong. His whiskers twitched with frustration. I'm messing up in front of her! His pelt grew hot with embarrassment.
"Perhaps you should leave Stormkit's training to whoever his mentor will be."
Stormkit jumped to his paws when he heard Whitechest's mew coming from behind him.
"W-whitechest!" he gasped. "I didn't see you!"
"I'm on my way to see Whisperingbreeze." He mewed.
Sunpaw was immediately on her paws. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded.
He blinked. "Nothing's wrong with me. I just wanted to visit him."
"Bye," she mewed. "It's about time I got back to Whisperingbreeze."
"Eaglepaw, Nightpaw, Hawkpaw! Over here!" called Dawnpetal.
Stormkit trudged back to the nursery. He glanced once more at the three cats padding away. His heart ached with longing. I want to be an apprentice!
"Stormkit!"
He spun around but it was too late. Snowkit pinned him down.
"I've got you, evil ShadowClan warrior!" she yowled.
With a surge of energy he scrambled out from underneath her and leaped onto her back.
"You're too slow to catch me!" he hissed giving her a playful cuff round the ear.
She reared upwards chucking him off. With a squeak of surprise he landed on his back. He scrambled to his paws before Snowkit could get him.
"Don't try to escape!" she mewed playfully. She hurled a paw at him but he leaped out of the way. He dodged a few more swipes before ramming into her side. She stumbled although she didn't lose her footing. She copied the move and knocked Stormkit off his paws.
"Alright, that's enough," Icestorm mewed as she nudged him to his paws. "You're both going to be great warriors."
He puffed up his chest importantly at her praise which, of course, made Snowkit roll her eyes.
His mother led them back into the nursery and guided them into the soft moss. Tired from his play fight with his sister he fell asleep within moments.
Nightpaw came to a halt in front of the deputy.
"What do you need us to do?" Eaglepaw asked.
"You two are going on Voletooth's patrol along the ShadowClan border," she mewed to Nightpaw and Eaglepaw. "You're going on Redfoot's patrol." She told Hawkpaw.
They left Hawkpaw and hurried over to where Voletooth, Mudpatch and Tigerfur were waiting.
"Come on," mewed Voletooth as soon as they arrived. "Let's get going."
Nightpaw padded next to her sister, their pelts brushing. Excitement bubbled inside her. We're going on our first patrol already!
"Isn't this great?" whispered Eaglepaw. "We're on patrol!"
"Yeah." She replied.
"We'll reset the scent-markers as well while we're there," Voletooth mewed to the rest of the patrol. "I don't think they've been refreshed for a while."
Mudpatch and Tigerfur murmured agreement to his statement. Nightpaw and Eaglepaw hastily nodded.
The brown tabby suddenly stopped with an angry screech. He was standing at the fringe of the trees with a furious look splayed on his face.
"What's wrong?" demanded Tigerfur bounding over to join him. He wrinkled his nose when he reached his clanmate.
"ShadowClan!" he spat. "How dare they?"
"Why in StarClan did they want this useless piece of territory?" Voletooth yowled.
Eaglepaw padded over with Nightpaw close on her heels. She reached past her sister to sniff a line of scent marks.
"That's disgusting!" she snarled, leaping back.
"That's ShadowClan," hissed Mudpatch. She turned to Voletooth. "The scent is very fresh. They might still be placing markers."
He nodded. "Well scented. Let's go!"
He dived into the bushes with a flick of his tail to beckon the rest of the patrol. Nightpaw felt like her heart was about burst out of her chest as she raced through the thin undergrowth. The horrible ShadowClan reek grew stronger until they spotted three cats setting markers.
"Stop!" yowled Voletooth. He stalked forward towards the cats with the patrol following. "Get out of our territory!"
"This is ShadowClan territory now. Move away from the border." Hissed the lead cat. She was tortoiseshell and white she-cat with gleaming green eyes.
"If you don't get off ThunderClan land now you'll regret it." He snarled.
"Oh, will I?" she replied.
The undergrowth exploded with cats, leaping from up trees and behind bushes.
"We knew you wouldn't let us have what is rightfully ours, so we came prepared.
Mudpatch was pressed close against her. "Go with Eaglepaw, now!" she hissed. "While their attention isn't on us, get help!"
Nightpaw gave a quick nod before slinking away. Once they were out of sight she began to run. Fear powered her pawsteps as she ran to camp.
