Chapter 1

"Time to get up, Leafkit."

Ripplebreeze mewed this softly, hoping that she wasn't disturbing her daughter's dreams. Even with the howling wind outside, Leafkit was sleeping soundly.

The brown tabby's eyes flickered open and she stretched out at Ripplebreeze's side. "Is it time for me to become an apprentice already?" she yawned.

Ripplebreeze purred as her daughter rubbed against her bluish-cream fur. "Sorry Leaf, but you're stuck here with me for a while longer," she replied. "But if you had any interest in attending an apprenticeship, I overheard Cloudstar saying that Wolfkit and Cinderkit would become apprentices today."

Wolfkit and Cinderkit were Cloudstar's own kits. As she'd mingled with her fellow BrookClan cats, Ripplebreeze had often seen the Clan leader scanning the crowd, observing each of his Clanmates. It seemed that his observations had finally shown him the best possible mentors,

Leafkit let out a squeal of triumph. "Wolfkit always takes the best pieces of fresh-kill for himself, and Cinderkit keeps me awake with her snoring," she explained. "Now I don't have to worry about that anymore." Suddenly, worry overcame the small kit. "What if Cloudstar gives them the best mentors? Who will be left for me?"

"I'm sure you and Icekit will do fine," Ripplebreeze reassured her kit as they lay in the nest together. "Cloudstar picks mentors with the best interests of everyone at heart."

It seemed that Ripplebreeze had succeeded in soothing her daughter, as Leafkit began to purr happily. I'll protect my daughters with my life. Nothing will ever hurt them. Not BirchClan, not the other Clans, not even BrookClan itself. But then, even this darkness wouldn't try to hurt my kits. Would it?

Leafkit nudged her. "Mother, where's Icekit?" she asked, voice struck in a chord of worry. "Did something get her?"

Never! "That's actually why I woke you," Ripplebreeze explained, sighing. "I'm going to be leaving for a little while, and I didn't want you to wake up alone. Redcloud took Icekit out into the storm, even though I begged him not to. He told me when he'd be back, but it's been ages and he still hasn't returned. I'm going to find him, and to find Icekit. I trust you'll be okay here, Leaf?"

Leafkit stood up and grinned. "Of course I will!" she declared. "Don't you trust me?"

Ripplebreeze smiled and gave her daughter an affectionate lick. "Always," she purred. "If there's anything you need, ask Shadefall. She may not have had her kits yet, but she can still help you out."

She smiled at Leafkit and padded out of the Nursery. She'll be okay with Shadefall. But Icekit is out there in the storm. She has to be okay. She willbe okay. After taking her first step into the camp, she was immediately ambushed by Sagefoot.

"There you are, Ripplebreeze!" he greeted. "Are your kits okay? Has anything unusual happened around them?"

Sagefoot had once been a normal cat, but StarClan's calling had changed him. Nowadays, he always asked the oddest questions about Ripplebreeze's two daughters.

"Well, they're very mischievous," she replied, "but I suppose that's true of all kits. Leafkit is back in the Nursery, but Redcloud took Icekit out into the storm. You wouldn't happen to know where they were going, would you?"

The medicine cat bowed his head and grinned. "Sagefoot at your service," he mewed. "I'm pretty sure Redcloud was taking her to the old hollow. Does that help?"

"Yes," she replied. "Very much. I'll see you again, soon."

As she padded towards the exit, he called after her. "If anything strange happens to your kits, come right to me, okay?"

Ripplebreeze shrugged it off and entered the forest. She looked around frantically, trying to recall the way to the old hollow. Finally remembering it, she began heading towards it, careful not to slip on any ice the snow concealed.

Suddenly, she was hit by a flurry of snow. She turned around, looking for the source. "Icekit?" she asked.

But instead of the small gray tabby, a brown tabby emerged from hiding. "Leaf, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I wanted to help find Icekit!" her daughter explained. "I couldn't just sit in the Nursery with the knowledge that she was out here in the cold."

Ripplebreeze sighed. "Well, come along and climb on my back then," she purred. It would take far too long to drag her daughter back to the camp. "We'll find where your father and your sister have gotten off to."

"And when we find Redcloud, I need to ask him about something."

…

"You okay there?" Redcloud asked. Icekit nodded to her father, a dark tom with green eyes.

Just then, she heard a rustle from the forest. She propelled herself out of the snowbank and pounced on the intruder, only then realizing that it was Leafkit.

"Surprise!" she purred as Leafkit rolled free from her grip.

"Looks like she beat you, Leaf," her mother purred.

"What are you guys doing here?" asked Icekit, smiling as she rolled in the snow.

"Looking for you and Redcloud," Leafkit explained. "And it looks like we found you."

Redcloud crawled out of the snow, a purr rumbling from his chest. "Were you taking shelter there?" Ripplebreeze asked.

"Of course not!" Redcloud snapped. "We heard someone coming, so we waited there to ambush you. Little did I know that I'd find my mate out here."

"That's my mate," Ripplebreeze purred. "You're always thinking of battle. Come on, let's get back to the camp."

Snow fell from the sky and wind howled as they headed by through the chilly forest. "Can I ride on your back?" Icekit asked her mother.

"Of course," came the reply.

Icekit crawled up onto her mother's back, but she felt worried. There seemed to have been a flicker of disapproval in her mother's eyes. Had she made Ripplebreeze mad by going out into the forest with Redcloud. I'm sorry. I promise I'll make it up to you by being the best BrookClan warrior I can be.

…

"Wait, so Icekit fell into the snow and you had to rescue her?" Cinderkit asked.

"No, Redcloud pulled her into the snow bank," Leafkit explained to the gray she-kit. "He wanted to play a game or something."

Cinderkit smiled, her deep blue eyes lighting up with amusement. "No wonder Icekit was so upset when she got back," she purred. "Your father doesn't know the right games! Those two should have built a snow den, and defended it by dropping you into the snowbank."

Icekit grumbled as she perched in the nest. Ripplebreeze had gone to get them so fresh-kill, and she had taken to opportunity to guard the nest. However, she hadn't thought of how much fun the other kits would be having.

"So Icekit would live in a Snow Clan?" asked Wolfkit, Cinderkit's brother. "Would that make her a snow-kit?"

"Not a snow-kit!" Icekit called to him. "I'm a snow-warrior!"

The gray she-kit gave up on her duties and bounded over to join the group, just as Ripplebreeze padded back into the den. In her mouth, she held a small gray thrush. "I see that all of you are getting along well," she purred, dropping the bird.

Icekit grinned at her mother. "Would you expect anything else?" she asked.

Just then, there was a loud mew from the outside the Nursery. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Pond Rock for a Clan meeting!"

"I'd guess that this is the apprentice ceremony," Ripplebreeze purred. "We'll have to eat our meal later."

Icekit nodded, glancing enviously at Cinderkit and Wolfkit as they sprinted out of the Nursery. She'd already groomed her pelt for the ceremony, wanting to show Ripplebreeze just how well-behaved she was.

As Icekit followed her mother and sister out into the camp, she counted in her head. Just three more moons! Then I'll be an apprentice as well!

In the center of the camp, Cloudstar sat on the majestic Pond Rock, an elevated rock that floated in the middle of a small pool. Icekit took a seat next to Redcloud, who sat just outside the frozen water.

"This is one of my favorite ceremonies, for it represents a new beginning," Cloudstar purred. He turned his head, nodding to his mate Frostclaw, his deputy Fallenflight, and finally, his kits. "Wolfkit, Cinderkit, step this way. It is time for your apprenticeship to begin."

The two kits bounded over the Pond Rock, and pride showed in Frostclaw's eyes as she watched them. "Wolfkit, until you have completed your apprenticeship, you will be known as Wolfpaw," Cloudstar announced. "May StarClan guide your paws on the right path." He flicked his tale to summon a light brown tom. "Oakclaw, you will mentor Wolfpaw. Share with him your great strength and exceptional loyalty."

The tom padded over to Wolfpaw. He slipped on the ice, but he caught himself and touched noses with his new apprentice.

The Clan yowled with approval. "Wolfpaw! Wolfpaw!"

"Cinderkit, you will be named Cinderpaw until you have earned the position of a full warrior," the leader continued. He summoned a ginger she-cat next. "Cherryblaze, you will be Cinderkit's mentor. You only knew the joys of being a mentor briefly, but I hope you can teach Cinderkit all the ways of a warrior. And now, the Clan is dismissed."

The Clan leader leapt from the Pond Rock and landed safely on the ground, giving a nod of acknowledgement to Wolfpaw. Then he headed to his den, tailed impatiently by Fallenflight.

Most cats simply walked away, while three puzzled cats chanted Cinderpaw's name.

Cherryblaze padded over to a confused Cinderpaw and awkwardly touched noses with her. Meanwhile, Wolfpaw was basking in pride as he sat with Oakclaw.

Icekit stared at them, lost in a daydream. It won't be too long before Leafkit and I are up there. We're going to be the best apprentices the Clan has ever seen! Maybe I'll even become leader!

To her side, Blacksun grunted angrily. The huge black tom was usually very hug-loving, but he was showing a rare angry side on this day.

"If that's not obvious favoritism, I don't know what is," the tom snapped. "He gives his son the best mentor in the Clan and everything. Then he rushes through his daughter's ceremony and has her mentored by the she-cat who got her first apprentice killed."

Redcloud shot Blacksun a knowing glance, and the large tom hurriedly composed himself. He padded away to his den, passing a distraught Sagefoot as he did.

"Come on, let's play a game!" Leafkit urged Icekit.

Icekit nodded to her sister and started to follow her. Just then, a scrawny, pale gray bird swooped down in front of her, only to immediately take off again. She watched the bird fly around for a few moments, feeling both shock and awe.

"That must be sign from StarClan," Icekit mused. "I'm going to be a great warrior!"

Smiling, she chased after Leafkit, ready to enjoy a good game.

To be continued…

Before I say anything else, thanks to Lighty once again for helping me edit. He will most likely help me with all the chapters. Go check out his fan-fic: Golden Dawn: Lost Sunrise. Also, the bird at the end is actually going to play a major role. We may or may not have seen this bird before. Thank you for reading, and Chapter 2 should be out soon! (Hey, that rhymed!)