Hello! Sorry it took so long to get this up (two months), but as you can see this is very long. So if anyone besides Queen of Sneaks is reading this, please be so kind to review. Thanks!
Thornkit blinked open his eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the nursery, warming him up. He closed his eyes. Two more moons until he became an apprentice! Or was it one? Tomorrow?
"Wake up, Silverdoe!" he meowed, prodding his mother, "Wake up!" Silverdoe opened her eyes wearily.
"Must you always wake me up this early, Thornkit?" she snapped. Thornkit shrank back to his paws, his ears flattened.
"I just wanted to know when I was going to be an apprentice," he murmured. Sliverdoe's expression softened.
"Two more moons honey. Be patient. Why do you go play outside?" she suggested. Thornkit instantly brighten up.
"Okay!" he mewed cheerily. Thornkit bounced out of the nursery, the wind ruffling his fur. The weak leafbare sun shone down on the clearing, giving slight warm to the cats down below. The air carried a chill, causing him to fluff out his pelt though he found quickly he was too warm. Thornkit scented the air. It carried a freshness that was not found during the cold moons known as leafbare. A freshness that resembled chipper plants and healthy sparrows strongly gliding with the wind at their first stage, eager saplings and dependent chicks. Thornkit took a deep breath in. Newleaf was almost here.
* * *
Thornkit ran into the clearing where a few warriors were stretching their limbs, shaking off a good night's sleep. Approaching the ever-growing fresh-kill pile, he noticed a mouse balancing at the top, slightly above his head. Out the corner of his eye, he saw his father padding strongly out of the warriors den. An idea flashed through his head.
"Hey Stoneclaw!" he meowed eagerly, bounding over to his father, "Stoneclaw, Stoneclaw, Stoneclaw, Stoneclaw, Stoneclaw! Hey Stoneclaw!" Stoneclaw turned around.
"What do you want?" he growled, "I have to organize a dawn patrol." Thornkit was nearly bursting with excitement.
"I've been practicing my hunting skills! Wanna see?" Thornkit didn't give Stoneclaw a chance to reply. "Over here!" Stoneclaw walked rather reluctantly behind Thornkit to the fresh-kill pile. Thornkit reared on his hind legs and snagged the mouse from the top, bringing it down and positioning it precisely. "Now watch!" Thornkit ordered.
Positioning himself, he began to stalk slowly towards the mouse. He made sure the wind was his ally, then prepared to pounce. Forcing all his strength into his hind legs, he leapt through the air, landing perfectly on the mouse. He looked up at his father expectantly. "Hmm? Did I do okay?" he asked, his green eyes round and hopeful. Stoneclaw returned his gaze with a cold stare with not a bit of warmth in them. Thornkit flinched away.
"First of all," began Stoneclaw, not relieving his gaze, "You jumped way too high up. You would have moved the bracken and the entire forest would know you were there, not to mention your tail swinging in the air like a one-winged robin. Secondly, you've ruined that piece of fresh-kill. A piece of fresh-kill wasted could be a life wasted, especially during these harsh climates." Thornkit looked down at his paws.
"But the weather is nice." Thornkit said to his father. Stoneclaw snarled at him.
"Never rely on the weather. It could start pouring in a few moments. That piece of fresh kill could have fed an elder. Now, they go hungry," Stoneclaw said menacingly. "And like I said before, I have to organize and go on an important dawn patrol by the Riverclan border. They've been acting up ever since we took back Sunningrocks. Now go back to the nursery and don't get in anyone's way or you'll be in huge trouble. Got it?"
"Yes, Stoneclaw," Thornkit said, quivering.
"Good. Off you go, then." Thornkit watched his father stalk away, feeling like he let his father and Thunderclan down. He was so dissapointed. Walking back to the nursery with his tail dragging behind him, he desperately tried to think of a way to make Stoneclaw proud. Then he got it. Rushing back the nursery, he burst through the entrance, skidding to a halt before crashing into Gingertale's kits. Tip-toeing past the sleeping cats, he poked his sister with his paw.
"Graykit," he whispered, thankful Silverdoe had fallen back asleep, "Wake up, Graykit." Graykit lifted up her head and un-curled herself next to their mother.
"What do you want?" Thornkit was again feeling like he could run forever, thriving on excitment.
"Stoneclaw's going on a dawn patrol!" he replied, a little louder than he intended to.
"So?" she mewed sleepily. Clearly she wasn't in a good mood.
"So-we'll follow him!" Thornkit said at last. "Then he'll be so proud of us for being able to track him." That wiped Graykit's bad mood away in a heartbeat. She leapt to her paws, her eyes shining.
"That's a great idea!" his sister exclaimed. "I can't wait!"
"Shh!" he whispered as Gingertail stirred in her sleep, "Let's go outside, I think they're leaving soon." They both crept out of the nursery and hid behind a tree stump, constantly aware of any cats that could give them away. Graykit cocked her head to the side, signaling the location of a group of cats. Stoneclaw was among them.
"That must be the dawn patrol," she whispered. Thornkit nodded. Thornkit angling his ears towards the dawn patrol, straining to hear what they were saying.
"What if they challenge us?" said Brakenpaw, a light brown tabby tom whom Thornkit was friends with when he was a couple moons old. The apprentice sounded nervous at the thought of battle, but Thornkit's claws itched for it. How could he not want to defend his clan?
"Then will fight for what if rightfully ours. But if worse comes to worse, you'll be the one warning the clan and getting more warriors. There isn't a more important job when it comes to battle," spoke another voice. Thornkit recognized it as Sunfur, a bright cream colored she-cat with ginger patches, who also happened to be Brakenpaw's mentor.
"Okay," breathed Brakenpaw, sounding a little relieved.
"But only if you're not killed first." The air seemed to chill with those words. Brakenpaw's eye widened with terror.
"Blackheart, I would advise you not to scare my apprentice," Sunfur snarled, clearly angry by Blackheart's harsh words. Thornkit didn't like Blackheart. He was always mean to the kits and just horrible to everyone else.
"No wonder his name is Blackheart," Graykit whispered in Thornkit's ear. Blackheart glared at Sunfur.
"Well, I would advise you teach your apprentice some courage so he doesn't coward in the nursery every time you mention the word "battle"," he replied.
"I would advise you to keep your mouth shut unless you want to be earless", she hissed.
"And you he same!" he retorted.
"Well, I would like to advise both of you to keep both your mouths shut when the Thunderclan deputy is standing right behind you." Both cats whipped around to find Stoneclaw glaring at them. Sunfur licked her chest embarrassedly.
"Sorry!" she exclaimed, clearly ashamed for getting caught up in a kit-like argument. Blackheart did the complete opposite. He just snorted and turned away. Ignoring Blackheart, he led the cats up the ravine with a tail signal and they melted into the gorse.
"Come on!" Thornkit whispered excitedly. The two kits ran across the clearing, trying to be as quiet as possible. Soon they reached the ravine, which loomed menacingly over them.
"Well, come on then! We have to hurry or we'll lose their scent," Graykit said. Trying desperately to get a grip in the rough, stony wall, Thornkit heaved himself up, and then with a mighty leap he landed ungracefully on a ledge half way up. Graykit was still scrambling up the side, digging her claws between the rocks. Graykit finally reached the ledge where Thornkit was sitting impatiently, tapping his tail in rhythm until she hoisted herself up.
"We really have to hurry," said Thornkit, uncharacteristically serious. "We'll lose them completely." Both cats agreed to form a ladder, climbing over each other and clinging on to the rocks as they clung to the rough stone. When they finally reached the top of the ravine, huffing and puffing, they looked around, enchanted by the beauty of the forest.
"Wow," breathed Graykit. "Look at how the sun dapples the ground. It's...it's beautiful."
"Whatever. C'mon, we're losing them!" responded Thornkit, and dashed away. Graykit followed. Noses in the air, the duo followed the scent until the patrol was in sight. Suddenly Thornkit halted, blocking Graykit with his tail.
"Look at that!" whispered Thornkit excitedly, pointing to the sand-filled hollow to their left. "That must be the sandy hollow!" They both looked dreamily at the training area, their heads filled with thoughts and hopes that were only a short two moons away. Slowly, an absence in the air slid Thornkit back in to reality.
"Graykit! I can't smell them anymore!" Thornkit said with fear. Graykit looked at him, utterly confused.
"You can't smell them anymore? I can smell them. They're going in a general...that way direction," she said disapprovingly, jerking her head to the right. What's wrong with his nose? she thought. Thornkit looked at her in amazement.
"You have a good nose," he said brightly. Graykit rolled her eyes.
"Let's go before I loose them," she sniffed, stalking off. Thornkit bounded after her.
Struggling through the tough undergrowth, Graykit began to second guess herself. She thought about how she could still be sleeping in the nursery, behaving like a disciplined warrior. Warrior. It came to her that she was breaking the rules. Would she get in trouble? Would her apprenticeship be delayed? Each paw step became harder and harder, until she stopped altogether. Thornkit bumped into her.
"Why'd ja stop?" he asked her. Graykit shuffled her paws nervously.
"Thornkit, we're breaking the rules. We should go back," Graykit said.
"No way!" exclaimed Thornkit, "We came all this way, and we're not turning back. No way. Plus, Stoneclaw will be so proud of us, he won't get us in trouble. He'll probably award us!" Graykit's eyes lit up.
"Okay! Let's go, slowpoke!" she teased, then began tumbling through the underbrush once more. Thornkit enthusiastically followed. Soon a faint roar became vigilant, and Thornkit looked at Graykit with a gleam in his eyes.
"That's the river!" he exclaimed, as the tumbling torrent emerged from the trees.
"Whoa," said Graykit. "It looks dangerous."
"Scaredy mouse!"
"I am not." They continued this matter for some time until Graykit said, "Shh!" The duo turned around and saw the patrol walking by the river. Sunfur leaned in close and whispered something in Stoneclaw's ear. He nodded. The two kits strained to hear what they were saying. All they could make out was "teach them a lesson." Thornkit turned to Graykit.
"Did ya hear that?" Thornkit exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitment, "They're going to fight Riverclan, and we're gonna watch!" Graykit shifted nervously.
"But what if the Riverclan cats see us and hurt us?" said Graykit. Thornkit considered this for a moment.
"Hmm, you're right. Ooh! Let's hide under that bush!" Thornkit said, scurrying over to a big thorn bush. Graykit watched the tip of his tail disappear under the bush, and then followed.
"Whoa!" exclaimed Graykit, "This is so cool!" Underneath the bush was a roomy den with the thorns arched high above their heads. The brambles were arranged in such a way that they could peer out with ease, but it was near impossible to see them from the outside. To top it all off, it was lined with moss which acted like a cushion. "This reminds me of the nursery," stated Graykit.
"I know," said Thornkit. "It smells like it, too."
"Yeah," said Graykit. "Hey, budge over a bit, will you?"
"No way!"
"But I can't see!"
"Too bad."
"Thornkit!"
"Will you shush up?"
"No I will not shush up!"
"We'll get caught!"
"Then maybe then your sin will be accounted for."
"What the heck is wrong with you?"
"Do not take that tone with me."
"You're not my mother."
"Oh really?"
"Really."
"Can you prove that?"
"Okay, fine!" Thornkit snapped as he moved over. "There, happy?"
"Yes, yes I am. Hey, where'd they go?"
"I don't know." The kits peered through the brambles, but there was a distinct lack of Thunderclan patrols. Suddenly, Thornkit felt hot breath on his back and claws snagging his pet. "AHH!" yelled Thornkit as he plunged through the brambles. Thorns snagging at his pelt, he bolted forward, blinded by sheer terror. He raced around bushes, blood pounding in his ears, and almost got to the safety to a tree when he felt a staggering pain in his side and he toppled over and skidded of the rocks. Winded, Thornkit looked up and to his terror and saw two gray blurs coming to him. Both cats landed on top of him, ripping and snagging at his pelt. Then Thornkit felt a blunt pain to his head and he slid over the sand, into the river. He tried desperately moving his paws, but they didn't seem to be working.
Help!" he called, but water immediately rushed in and he was forced to close it. Help just wasn't going to come.
* * *
"Thornkit!" screamed Graykit. Teeth clenched her tail and she yelled out in pain. With all the skill she could muster, which wasn't very much, she flung her paw over to her attacker's cheek. The massive black cat staggered back and yowled. Graykit broke free and made a beeline to the coast of the river, trying to follow Thornkit. Then an idea popped in her head. She flung herself into the river, snagging a reed in her mouth. She splashed into the river, the current pushing her forward, but she hung on. Then, out of a stroke of desperation and luck, Thornkit came barreling into her. She snagged him with her claws trying to get a grip on the ground, but her back legs only felt smooth stone. This was one part of her plan that she didn't think out too well. "Darn." she spluttered through the reed and water. They were now stuck in the river.
* * *
Brakenpaw felt conflicted. On one paw, his friend was stuck in the middle of a swirling torrent of death with his mentor screaming in his ear telling him to "save those two kits and hurry or they'll DIE!" On the other paw, the clan deputy was telling him to stay put or "your ears will be under your head!" This was a lot of stress to put a new apprentice under.
"Brakenpaw, hurry! That reed isn't going to last long! You have to help them!" Sunfur screamed at him. Brakenpaw felt extremely confused why she couldn't go help them. He decided that there was no one to protect her if she defined Stoneclaw's orders, but she would try her best to help him. Kind of selfish, Brakenpaw thought, but I guess it makes sense. Sort of.
"Brakenpaw I swear, if you go down and help them..." growled Stoneclaw Brakenpaw's eyes widened once more with terror.
"But they're your own kits!" Sunfur pleaded.
"I don't care. They need to learn discipline. And if they die, that's their problem," Stoneclaw snarled.
"Help!" Brakenpaw heard Graykit calling. "They reed'sh shnapping!"
Brakenpaw couldn't take it anymore. All he knew was that he was killing his best friend. He could take any punishment Stoneclaw could give him. Brakenpaw raced down to the riverbank, the mud and sand feeling cold on his paws. In no time he reached the two desperate kits. Now he just needed to think of away to save them.
* * *
Thornkit breathed a huge sigh of relief. Brakenpaw was here. He was going to save them. Everything would be..."BRAKENPAW! LOOK OUT!" he screamed. But it was too late. Blackheart came smashing into Brakenpaw, throwing him of his paws. In the same instant, Blackheart severed the reed with one swipe of his paw.
"HELP!" screamed Thornkit, hurting Graykit's ear. He dug his claws into her, not letting go, as water rushed over him. The water pulled him down, then brought him up, then back down again. It was making him feel very nauseous. He wasn't even aware of Brakenpaw raced down the river bank, close to tears, screaming "Thornkit! Thornkit!"
Thornkit began to panic. Stars edged his vision and everything was started to swirl. Suddenly he felt teeth pierce his skin, and then he could breathe until he felt mud under his paws. Then he was laid on the ground and promptly threw up.
"Thornkit!" yelled Brakenpaw in delight. "Thornkit, you're not dead!"
He's full aware of that." growled Stoneclaw. "You directly disobeyed me. You will be sorry." Brakenpaw looked like he was about to faint.
"Now Stoneclaw, I told Brakenpaw to go help them, it is me you should be yelling at. I will not stand here and let you abuse my apprentice for the whateverth time. I will go directly to Hallowstar and tell him that you tried to murder your own kits. That won't sit too well with him.
"Nothing won't sit well with Hollowstar if I'm involved," snarled Stoneclaw. "And I was not trying to murder them; I was teaching them a very important lesson." Sunfur backed away from him slowly, a look of horror on her face. A moment later she gathered her composer and addressed the cats standing over Thornkit and Graykit.
"Thank you so much for saving our kits," she said.
"Yeah, well next teach your kits to leave the swimming to Riverclan," Reedfoot replied. Graykit looked up fiercely at the Riverclan warrior.
"It wasn't my fault; I was just trying to save Thornkit, who was pushed. Don't go making assumptions you can't prove," Graykit snapped. Reedfoot looked down fondly at her.
"Well, it looks like this one has a little mouth on her," Reedfoot said. Graykit hissed at him, causing Reedfoot to smile and Graykit to hiss again. The two other warriors with him smiled as well.
"Graykit, you need to respect these warriors," scolded Sunfur.
"I'll respect them when they respect me," Graykit said. This brought Reedfoot to his knees, snorting with laughter.
"No one will respect you. Who respects disobedient kits that break the warrior code? I am disgusted in you," growled Stoneclaw. For once, Graykit had nothing to say.
"Don't be so hard on the kit, she was only trying to impress you," Reedfoot said. Stoneclaw growled at him.
"Do not tell me how to punish my kits. They are none of your responsibility and I wish they weren't mine because they are an embarrassment. You had no right or authenticity to going pulling them out of the river. They were being taught an important lesson which you interrupted. I will go directly to Hollowstar and tell him of your interference. Good day to you." Then he stalked away, careening the kits with his tail, and closely followed by Blackheart. The Riverclan cats and Sunfur mouths were wide open.
"Nothing will happen to you, I promise," Sunfur said. The warriors didn't respond. Then, one by one, the cats slid into the river. But as Reedfoot exited the water, he called over his shoulder, "Don't let Stoneclaw dampen that kit's spirit. She is fire and the tom is ice. Destructive by themselves, but together..." Then he disappeared through the bushes. Mystified, Sunfur leapt after her patrol.
* * *
The walk back was agonizing. With each step Thornkit felt pain and embarrassment for being so empty-headed. But mostly pain. Pain that he didn't make his father proud. Pain that he had humiliated and ashamed him. Pain that he didn't love him. He almost wished that Stoneclaw was yelling him, for the silence was deafening. Thornkit could stand it no longer.
"I'm sorry, Stoneclaw," Thornkit said, not taking his gaze off his paws. Stoneclaw said nothing, which was more than he could have expected. Thornkit wished he could just melt into the ground before they reached Thunderclan camp. Unfortunately, that did not happen. They were paraded into the camp and Thornkit felt eyes burning into his skin. He refused to look up.
"Wait here," growled Stoneclaw as they entered the camp. Then the Thunderclan deputy crossed the clearing and headed straight towards the hollowed stone in the Highrock. Thornkit sighed. Then he looked up to the sky and was greeted with droplets of water falling from the clouds, uncannily how Stoneclaw suggested.
Okay, two months of hard work and procrastinating finally made off. This was a pain in the neck to upload. I had to export one of my chapters and copy and paste my story in increments so it wouldn't go all weird. Whoo. Now for Chapter 2. Well, if you hate Stoneclaw now then you are going to be burning down my house later. Till next time-
~Jayfeather4ever~
Oh, and special thanks to String of Pearly for a Jayfeather inclusion later in the story. You rock!