Chapter 1

A silver kit with white paws and light blue eyes squirmed under her mother's grasp. Her mother, a light brown and white she-cat, rasped her tongue over her kit's ear.

"Can I go play now?" Featherkit squeaked. "I'm clean enough already!"

Leafdapple, her mother, purred. "All right, Featherkit. Just stay out of trouble, or you'll be stuck in the nursery until it's time for you to move to the apprentices' den!"

Featherkit nodded. She crept past another queen and her two sleeping kits, then raced out of the nursery. The camp was crowded with other ThunderClan members. The medicine cat, Mosspelt, was talking to the deputy, Smoketail. The deputy's brother, the leader, Lionstar, was sitting beside his mate, Silverstorm. Birdwing was teaching Forestpaw, her apprentice, a hunting crouch. Featherkit bounded over to the fresh-kill pile, where a black tom sat alone, eating a mouse.

"Hi, Shadowclaw!" Featherkit mewed.

Shadowclaw looked up. "Hello, Featherkit. How is it going?"

Featherkit replied to the older warrior, "Good. I can't wait until Lionstar gives me my apprentice name!"

Shadowclaw purred. "Aren't you going to play with Hazelkit and Berrykit?" They were his kits, and Snowstorm, their mother, was his mate.

Featherkit shook her head. "They're asleep right now. I'm just going to wander around the camp." She waved her small tail good bye and raced away. She poked her head in the warriors' den, searching for her father. No one was in there. She passed Whitepaw, a fluffy white she-cat with clear blue eyes. She was also Snowstorm and Shadowclaw's daughter, and Featherkit considered her as her best friend. "Hi, Whitepaw."

Whitepaw nodded as she strolled away. "Sorry, can't talk, I have to go."

Feather kit nodded and looked around. She caught sight of grey fur and raced over to the tunnel that served as an entrance and exit to the ThunderClan camp.

Ashenfur, her father, and his apprentice, Thornpaw, walked in, clutching prey in their mouths(Forestpaw and Thornpaw are sister and brother, and are Silverstorm and Lionstar's kits just to let you know).

"Ashenfur! Father!" Featherkit shrieked.

Ashenfur set down the fresh-kill on the pile and purred. "Featherkit. What are you doing here?" He licked his daughter's ear.

"I got bored in the nursery," Featherkit answered. She turned to Thornpaw, who was a brown and gold tom with golden-amber eyes. "Hi, Thornpaw."

"Hi, Featherkit," Thornpaw replied. "Ashenfur, is there anything else you want me to do?"

Ashenfur thought for a moment. "Well, would you mind taking prey to Sunlight? I don't think she's eaten yet."

Thornpaw nodded and picked up a plump mouse, then raced off. Sunlight was the only elder of ThunderClan, and she was Lionstar and Smoketail's mother, also Thornpaw and Forestpaw's grandmother.

Featherkit sniffed at the fresh-kill pile curiously. She had already eaten earlier. "I can't wait until I can go out and hunt in the forest with my mentor!" she meowed.

Ashenfur purred. "That'll be soon, too, Featherkit. You're almost seven moons old."

Featherkit nodded.

Smoketail leaped across the camp and approached Ashenfur. "Would you mind joining me and Silverstorm on a border patrol?"

Ashenfur nodded. "Sure. Bye, Featherkit. Keep out of trouble."

Featherkit hissed quietly to herself as Ashenfur and Smoketail walked away. Everyone was telling her to stay out of trouble, as if she were a bothersome, newborn kit. Her paws led her to the medicine cat's den. She peered inside and caught sight of Mosspelt, sorting out herbs and plants that she used to heal other cats.

Mosspelt didn't look up as she mewed, "Featherkit, I know you're there. Come on in."

Featherkit purred and stepped inside shyly. "Hi, Mosspelt."

Mosspelt purred. "What are you doing? Shouldn't you be out playing?"

"There's no one to play with," Featherkit mewed. "Everyone else is either busy or tired."

"Well, you can watch me work if you want," Mosspelt mewed. "I can't play, but you can stay here and watch."

Featherkit nodded enthusiastically. "Thanks, Mosspelt." She sat down, her tail curled over her white paws, and watched as Mosspelt sorted herbs into different piles.

Suddenly, a whimper sounded in the camp. Featherkit looked up to see Whitepaw stagger into the medicine cat's den, balancing clumsily on three paws.

Mosspelt glanced up, concerned.

"What happened?" Featherkit asked.

Whitepaw looked up, her blue eyes full of pain. "I stepped on a huge thorn!"

Mosspelt purred. "It'll be alright as soon as I take it out. Hold still." She put her teeth around the thorn and yanked softly. Whitepaw winced as the thorn slid out.

I would not like being the medicine cat at all! I would hate to have to put a cat in pain, even if it means they'll feel better, Featherkit thought to herself. And you'd be cooped up in a dark, musty den all day.

Whitepaw licked her paw and set it down. "It doesn't hurt that much," she mewed happily.

Mosspelt purred and gave Whitepaw a leaf, with herbs inside. "If it hurts, chew on these seeds."

Whitepaw purred her thanks.

Featherkit followed her outside. "Is your paw better?"

Whitepaw nodded. "Somewhat. Silverstorm and I were just about to leave on a border patrol with Smoketail and Ashenfur when I stupidly stepped on that thorn! They left without me."

Featherkit sighed sympathetically. "It's okay. I'm seven moons old and I'm still not an apprentice yet!"

Whitepaw licked her friend's nose. "I'm going to the apprentices' den to rest. My paw is getting a little sore now."

Featherkit nodded. How she longed for the day when Lionstar gave her her apprentice name.

Soon, Ashenfur, Smoketail, and Silverstorm arrived from their border patrol. Smoketail trotted into the leader's den to talk to Lionstar.

Smoketail and Lionstar walked out of the den together. Smoketail's eyes were shining. Featherkit watched as his eyes searched the camp, then rested on her. Was he going to be her mentor? He strode towards her.

"Featherkit. Lionstar just told me that I would be mentoring you," Smoketail mewed.

Featherkit leaped for joy and purred. "I'm finally going to be an apprentice! And you're my mentor!"

Smoketail nodded. "I'll tell your parents." He stalked off quickly.

Lionstar leaped onto the Highrock, a large boulder. He yowled for everyone's attention, then sat down as the cats gathered. "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey come and gather under the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Featherkit sat down between Ashenfur and Leafdapple, both were purring proudly.

Lionstar gazed down at the ThunderClan cats. "Smoketail has reported that there was a trespasser on the ShadowClan border. It was an apprentice, lost, but we must still be careful."

Then his mood lightened, and his amber eyes glowed. "We will have a new apprentice in the Clan." His gaze settled on Featherkit. "Featherkit, you should have been given your apprentice name a moon ago." He gestured for her with his tail.

Leafdapple licked Featherkit's ear as she stood up. She jumped up to the Highrock, nearly slipping. Then she turned to face her leader.

"You are a bright and smart young kit, and I know you will do well in your training. I have chosen Smoketail to be your mentor."

Smoketail purred and approached his new apprentice. They rubbed noses.

"From now on, you will be known as Featherpaw."

Featherpaw purred.

"Featherpaw! Featherpaw!" called out the ThunderClan members.

Lionstar leaped down from the Highrock, and the meeting was now over.

Whitepaw was the first one to rush up to Featherpaw. "Congratulations! You're an apprentice now, too!"

Featherpaw purred gratefully. "Thanks." She glanced around.

Smoketail was bounding toward her excitedly. "I'm a bit tired from the border patrol, but if you want, we can tour ThunderClan's territory right now."

"Really?" Featherpaw's ear pricked. "Thank you! Can we go now?"

"Get something to eat first, and I'll just take a short nap." Smoketail walked away, his tail high.

Featherpaw purred and rushed over to the fresh-kill pile. She picked a small mouse and sat down to eat. Thornpaw and Ashenfur was nearby, also munching on fresh-kill.

Ashenfur licked his lips and walked over to Featherpaw. "Congratulations on becoming an apprentice, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw purred and licked her father's nose. "Thanks."

Thornpaw stood up and announced, "I'm finished eating." He walked over to Ashenfur, then turned to look at Featherpaw. "Congratulations."

Featherpaw purred. "Thank you," she said timidly, glancing up to look into Thornpaw's amber eyes. He held her gaze for a few, brief moments.

Then he nodded and turned back to Ashenfur. "Can we go now?"

Ashenfur nodded. "Let's go. Bye, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw shrugged and rushed over to the warriors den. She poked her nose inside and mewed, "Smoketail?"

A grunt came from inside.

"Are you up yet?"

A grumpy voice mewed, "I'll be out in a bit, once I fully wake up."

Featherpaw purred as she padded into the apprentices den. Whitepaw was inside.

"Hi, I was just about to take a nap," Whitepaw mewed.

"Sorry. I was just looking for a new bed," Featherpaw explained.

Whitepaw purred and patted her paw to a clump of moss at her left. "Here's an empty bed."

Featherpaw purred. "Thanks." She circled in her bed and tucked her nose in her tail. Just as she closed her eyes, a loud meow came into the den.

"Featherpaw, let's go," Smoketail said.

Featherpaw heaved herself up to her paws and padded outside, murmuring a quiet goodbye to Whitepaw.

"Hi, Smoketail," she said, yawning.

Smoketail nodded. "Ready to tour the territory?"

Featherpaw nodded enthusiastically. "Of course!" Her paws were itching to step out of the camp.

Smoketail purred. "Let's go." He led the way through the tunnel.

Featherpaw's heartbeat quickened as she caught sight of the tall forest trees around her.

"This way."

Smoketail led her to a stream, with two stepping stones in it.

Featherpaw wrinkled her nose at the strange smell wafting from across it. "What's that, Smoketail?"
"That's the RiverClan border," he explained. "Remember this scent, Featherpaw."

Featherpaw nodded.

"Now follow me." Smoketail led her past tall trees, over fallen logs, and past bushes.

Featherpaw took a deep breath of the green-leaf(summer) air and sighed happily as she raced through the forest with Smoketail. He was a great mentor.

They came to a stop at a row of pine trees. Featherpaw breathed in the unfamiliar scent. "Is this WindClan?" she asked. Smoketail looked down at her proudly and nodded, purring.

"Now on to ShadowClan," Smoketail mewed, his nose wrinkling with dislike. Always, ShadowClan had been the most disliked of all the Clans.

Featherpaw followed him, and they stopped at a clearing. A large boulder stood at the middle of the clearing.

Smoketail walked closer and mewed, "The boulder marks the boulder from ShadowClan." He checked the scent markers suspiciously, then said, "Good. No one has crossed the border. Come on, Featherpaw, follow me."

They went to a grassy clearing near camp. "This is where we usually do battle training," Smoketail explained. Then he led her to an especially tall oak tree. "This is called the Sky Oak. There is plenty of underbrush and brambles around here, so many cats like to hunt here. Of course, you can hunt anywhere you like, but this is a popular spot, with plenty of prey. Also, by the stream that marks the RiverClan border, there is lots of prey there. We just have to make sure we keep away from the border, otherwise, RiverClan's leader, Larkstar, will have a fit."

Featherpaw nodded, trying to remember every word he had said. She wanted to become a great warrior, although her training had just begun.

Smoketail glanced down at Featherpaw, who was panting. "You're worn out. Let's return to camp, it's getting a bit dark anyway."

"I'm not that tired," Featherpaw objected, despite the fact that she was out of breath and her legs were wobbly.

Smoketail purred. "I can tell you are. Come on, Featherpaw, let's go." He turned and led the way back to the camp, Featherpaw following reluctantly.

When they reached camp, Featherpaw immediately headed to the nursery, tired. But Leafdapple stopped her on the way.

"Where are you going, Featherpaw?" Leafdapple mewed. "Shouldn't you sleep in the apprentices den now?" Her eyes were sparkling with humor.

"Oh, I forgot!" Featherpaw admitted, purring. "Thanks, Leafdapple."

Her mother nodded. "I'll miss cuddling with you, Featherpaw. But I know you'll make a great warrior. Now go on, I can see you're tired."

Featherpaw purred sleepily and staggered into the apprentices den. She curled up beside Whitepaw, who was fast asleep, and closed her eyes, purring.