Chapter 2

Sweetheart curled close to me as the soothing sounds of the summer crickets made for a peaceful night. I waited the rest of the day to hear what new Redfeather was talking about but mother said it was no business of a kit. I twisted and turned in my nest but was unable to get comfortable despite the fresh moss Sandpaw had brought us earlier. I poked my head over Sweetheart's back and looked to Silverkit and Snowkit who both had been glum since their scolding for Silentstar, they were cuddled close to each other as Mallowtail slept a tail length away. They were going to be apprenticed soon and seeing as they took up a quarter of the nursery I was almost glad for them to leave.

It was bittersweet as then I would alone here, I had grown in the last moons and Silverkit and Snowkit weren't teasing me anymore about being too small to play but soon they would be so busy with apprentice duties that they would quickly forget me. I looked eagerly over to Junipertail, a small cream colored she cat who had only been made a warrior last moon and here she was close to giving birth to an unknown tom's kits. When they were born, I would have someone to play with and tell stories too!

A faint rustling grabbed my attention as a shadow crossed the moonlit opening of the nursery. I craned my ears to hear more but it was lost, too curious to go back to sleep I crept from my nest and poked my head through the loose lichen covering and saw two cats huddled close together by Silentstars stone den. "I smelled an odd scent by Skyclans border, it wasn't any cat I recognized. It must be a rogue sneaking around for quick prey." Cloudfoot, a fluffy white and gray tom said to Redfeather. "Did you see any tracks? Or any sings that they caught something?" he asked, Cloudfoot shook his head but the concern didn't leave his eyes. "I am wondering if Skyclan is recruiting rogues now, they have had some trouble growing in numbers ever since they returned to the forest season ago. We might want to tell Silentstar to bring it up at the next gathering."

Redfeather nodded, "I agree, rogues are never to be trusted. Tell Gorsetail and Owlfeather to keep their noses out for the scent on the dawn patrol and report back to me immediately upon their return." Cloudfoot gave a respectful nod and padded away to the warrior's den, his tail drooping with exhaustion. Redfather watched him go and sighed, "Whats wrong papa?" I asked, startling him from his thoughts. "Shadekit, what are you doing up this late?"

"I couldn't sleep, are we going to be attacked by rogues!" I asked eagerly flexing my claws in the soft dirt. "No little one, and even if we did I better not see a single whisker out of the nursey." He chuckled giving me a swift lick. "I won't sit inside and hide while my clan is being attacked, I will fight like a true warrior no matter how small I am!" I said confidently and my father's emerald green eyes softened with amusement, "I know you would my daughter, just as we all would. Since your awake how about we take a quick stroll to the spot Cloudfoot was talking about and check out the scent?"

My heart stopped, "You..you mean it!? Out of the camp? With you!" Redfeather placed his tail on my nose for silence, "Yes, but only if you can show me that you are a true warrior and be quite and do exactly what I say." He said sternly, I nodded quickly and followed him to the camp entrance. Sweetheart had never let me get this far and I almost wondered if this was a dream, as we crept through the bramble opening Redfeather nodded to a sleek black tom, Nightshiver and a senior tabby she cat Duskwhisker who were keeping watch. "Redfeather, did Cloudfoot tell you about the rogue scent?" Nightshiver asked, his pale gray eyes slid from my father to me and moved closer to his flank. "Yes, I am going to check it out now."

"Do you want one of us to come with you?" Duskwhisker said, gesturing to me with her tail. Redfeather shook his head. "No, I can handle it. Shadekit will stick close to me and if at the first sign of trouble she will hurry back, here right?" he said to me with a raised eye and I nodded reluctantly. Surely if there was trouble he wouldn't expect me to turn tail and run? The two guards shrugged their shoulders and said nothing else as we slid through the foliage.

The night was warm and humid making the smells more potent and I was quickly overwhelmed with the scents of prey, plants and my clanmates. It made my heart quicken and for a moment I wanted to run back to camp where the smells were calming and familiar. "It's amazing, isn't it? Our territory." Redfeather said, bringing me back to my paws. "There are so many smells, how do you keep track of them all?" I said, stepping over a pile of gross smelling droppings. "It's one of the many skills an apprentice must learn before they are given their warrior name. Your mentor will teach you all the smells and sounds don't worry."

"What was your mentor like?" I asked, trying to imagine my strong, wise father as a bumbling apprentice. "My mentor's name was Snakeswipe. He was tough and strict but only because he knew I had the potential to be a great warrior. In fact, he was the one who inspired me to work as hard as I could to become deputy. He woke me up every morning before dawn even if we weren't on patrol and made me take cold dips in the lake to "awaken all my senses" he said."

"You mean you didn't always want to be deputy? Isn't that what all descendants of Firestar should do?" I asked earning a surprised look, "Who told you that?"

"Mallowtail, she said every kin of Firestar is special and is blessed by Starclan. That they are destined to lead." I said, recounting the many stories Mallowtail would tell me when Sweetheart was stretching her legs. "Well, every warrior is blessed by Starclan Shadekit, no one cat is more important than any other no matter who they are related to. It is the duty of every warrior to work their hardest for their clan and whether they are chosen to be deputy or leader or medicine cat, they should always strive to be the best they can be in service to their clan and the warrior code."

I nodded, "I guess, but Mallowtail told me about how Firestar saved the forest and how his kin usually have a paw in every prophecy and-"

"Mallowtail is a fine queen, but you shouldn't let her fill your head with false pressures. Every warrior should get to decide how they want to represent their clan. There is no competition to be better just because of what our ancestors have done. Our kin aren't the only ones who have been a part of prophesies you know. All clans have representation in the miracles that have happened to our forest."

I was about to respond but just then Redfeather froze as a rustle in the bushes ahead of us alerted us to another presence. I sniffed the air and could smell the familiarity of cat but it wasn't from Thunderclan. "Show yourself! You cannot hide from a warrior of Thunderclan." My father growled, his hackles rising and his teeth bared. I shrunk back behind a long fern and waited.

"I am no threat to Thunderclan." A calm voice responded, a pair of golden eyes appeared from the brush and the moonlight showed the smooth gray tom with a white chest and paws step out of the shadows. I shuddered at the long scar he had that went from his left eye, across his muzzle and down to his chest. Redfeather didn't lower his fur, "What is your business then rogue? I can smell you are not from the other clans."

The tom sat, his head lowered in respect, "I am Fog, I am not from this forest true but I have a very important reason to seek your protection." Fog said, he lowered himself closer to the ground as my father stood over him, "And what would that be?"

"A she cat, her name is Junipertail is carrying my kits."