Chapter One
"Watch out!"
Pearlkit thumped into Ashdrop's hindquarters. Fazed, she stumbled backward and flopped onto the ground.
She regained her composure in a flash and stood defiantly before Ashdrop, as if waiting for a reproach for falling. Pearlkit's pride was momentarily wounded by her degrading moment and shuffled her paws.
"I like your sense of direction," said Ashdrop amusedly as she whirled to face the little kit. "It's good practice for when you're an apprentice. A quarter-moon to go, right?"
"Yes," replied Pearlkit with a hint of a grin. "Then the warriors from other Clans will have to watch out!"
"If they don't mistake you for one of their own first," a brown-and-gray apprentice muttered grouchily as he passed.
Pearlkit bristled furiously. "Shut up!" She would let no one – no one confirm her worst fears – that she was a kit from one of the two other Clans. She wasn't exactly sure which one. "I'm loyal to EarthClan!"
"Of course you are." Ashdrop burned the apprentice with a severe glare. Her tail brushed Pearlkit's shoulder soothingly. "Watch your mouth, Thornpaw, or I'll flay your pelt and give it to Larchstar for her nest!"
Even though Thornpaw was bad-tempered, he knew not to snap back to Ashdrop. He stalked off and Pearlkit watched him angrily. She couldn't believe he would say something like that! Occasionally she was teased for her non-EarthClan looks, and she was tired of it!
"Looks like Thornpaw ruffled your fur pretty good, Pearlkit," meowed a deep yet feminine voice behind Pearlkit.
Pearlkit whipped around, tensed. She relaxed when she recognized Graystorm, the medicine cat. Ashdrop had padded off somewhere. "Of course! Who would want to be from one of the other Clans?"
"I'm thankful that you are so loyal to EarthClan. Have you seen Salmonleap anywhere? He's wandered off yet again." Graystorm didn't sound too exasperated; she sounded cheerful, even. "I think he went to Daisyfur to check on her sore shoulders."
"Salmonleap?" Pearlkit's mind reeled for when she had last seen the medicine cat apprentice. "You know…I think Daisyfur took a walk and he went out to follow her."
"Oh, really? You would've thought those two were mates," muttered Graystorm as she trotted toward the tunnel entrance, "if they were the same age."
"Good morning, Pearlkit," chirped Thunderhail brightly as he passed. The warrior was always charming with his friendly and outgoing ways. "How are you?"
"Good, thanks," she mewed back to him.
Thunderhail halted and winked at her. "I want you to be my apprentice. I've been waiting for one forever."
"Well, it's Larchstar's decision. I don't care what mentor I get, as long as it's not Skywing," Pearlkit groaned. She thought of the grumpy tom – he was almost as irritable as Thornpaw! "I don't think I would be capable of being obedient to him."
"I had Cliffshade as my mentor and I was always ornery," admitted Thunderhail honestly without a stain of remorse. "Who do you want, Pearlkit?"
Before the she-kit could answer, a caterwaul sounded from the nursery. "Pearlkit! Come here at once!" Silverrain poked her head out of the den fiercely – she looked like she was in one of her bad moods. Pearlkit gulped.
Mystified, Pearlkit obeyed and hurried to her mother across the camp. Several cats were glancing at her curiously as Silverrain stomped out to meet her. Pearlkit was so puzzled that she cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.
"Wavekit says you put burrs in his nest. Is that true?"
"On accident! I was rolling to get them out, so they must have stuck to his nest!" Pearlkit defended herself hastily. She widened her heather-colored eyes as she saw her mother was not convinced. "I'm sorry!"
A wiry, fluffy, dark gray queen stalked out of the den angrily. She halted in front of Pearlkit, her gaze blazing stronger than the fires Pearlkit had dreamed so much about at night.
"Sorry?" repeated the queen. "Sorry? My son's image is ruined for the time being and you merely say sorry? Hmph! You should pick them out for him. One by one. In his pelt, too." The she-cat looked livid with rage.
"What? That's ridiculous!" Pearlkit protested, outraged. She was stunned by disbelief. That's so boring! She whipped around to face Silverrain with a silent plea in her voice. "Must I?"
For a moment, Silverrain looked as if she was to say no, but she nodded.
With a hiss, Pearlkit trudged into the nursery, brushing away limp vines hanging over the entrance. Shadekit and Fennelkit, Jadewater's kits, were nowhere to be seen as well as Vixenkit and Stagkit, but Wavekit was sitting in a manner that could be described as proud in his mother's nest. He blinked when Pearlkit entered.
"What are you doing here?" Wavekit sounded surprised.
"Hey, this isn't your den. It's mine too," spat Pearlkit, feeling atrabilious. Then she recovered. "Sorry. I'm getting the burrs out of your fur. Hold still, will you?" She crept around and positioned herself behind Wavekit.
"Oh. Thanks."
Pearlkit fished through his pelt for a long time. She was jealous of his looks – he was a pale gray, muscular tom with black stripes running horizontally through his fur. He would fit in well with his dark pelt while she would be rejected. She was attractive, too, but not the kind that EarthClan toms looked for.
While submerged in her thoughts, Pearlkit nipped a burr out near his haunches and accidentally tugged out a clump of fur with it. She was now holding in her jaws a very hairy burr.
"Ouch!" Wavekit swung his head around to stare at her.
Pearlkit met his gaze evenly. What a tattletale, to tell on me like that. She spat the burr out onto the pile next to him without drawing her stare elsewhere. It wasn't her fault she was feeling so grumpy! But finally, she decided to repent once again.
"Sorry," she muttered.
It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she, the oldest kit in the Clan and older than Wavekit by three moons, be allowed to apologize and skive off punishment like so many apprentices? More jealousy gnawed at her bones.
"Have you seen Vixenkit and Stagkit?" Wavekit's voice seemed exasperated. "They disappeared a short while ago, and now I can't find them.
"Hm. Well, you being stuck in a den certainly means you can't do anything. Vixenkit and Stagkit ran off to bother Daisyfur, but they'll be disappointed. She took a walk out in the forest." As soon as she was done speaking, Pearlkit clawed a burr out of Wavekit's fur. This time, there were no hairs that clung to it.
"Bothering her again? I wish I could join them!" Wavekit wriggled his rump excitedly.
"Hold still," growled Pearlkit. "One more burr to go."
"Can't we see Pearlkit's naming?" whined Stagkit to his mother. "It'll be our first! Please, Mother?"
"No, kitten," soothed Honeythorn as she ushered her three kits into the nursery, casting one glance around the camp. "This is very special to Pearlkit. I'm sure she won't want kits at her apprentice naming ceremony."
Pearlkit was having trouble sitting stationary. She was distressed and glad that she was holding her ceremony today. What was she going to do? She had no idea! She hadn't seen Treepaw and Thornpaw's naming, either, because Silverrain had ordered her to stay inside.
Larchstar crouched on the Largeboulder, surveying the Clan with watchful eyes. Pearlkit was overwhelmed by the number of cats gathering. Some cats she hadn't met; some cats she had. Were there really so many? How many were there in the other Clans?
"Pearlkit," proclaimed Larchstar, her brown, black-spotted pelt rippling. "Come forward and disclaim that you are kit still."
Pearlkit padded until she was half a fox-tail away from the foot of the boulder. She regarded Larchstar with awestruck eyes. Larchstar was so imposing as she stood upon the rock and Pearlkit was so tiny, so insignificant. How could Pearlkit do this?
There was no need to say anything; disclaiming was an internal denouncement. Pearlkit held her breath as Larchstar continued to reveal her mentor.
"Moondapple, come here."
The black-and-white she-cat clearly hadn't been warned beforehand. She squealed in excitement. "Me, Larchstar?" She stumbled forward to Pearlkit's side in an astonished daze.
"Moondapple, I bequeath to you the responsibility of having an apprentice – this apprentice in particular. Pearlkit, from now on you will leave behind the suffix 'kit' and you will be known as Pearlpaw, apprentice of EarthClan!"
If Larchstar had said more, she would not have been heard; her words would've been drowned out by the cries of "Pearlpaw! Pearlpaw! Pearlpaw!"
Silverrain was by far chanting the loudest. She met her daughter's gaze with a proud gleam in her eyes. "Pearlpaw!" Silverrain called out once more.
Pearlpaw touched noses with Moondapple. Her heart was thundering in her chest. Pearlpaw at last! She had waited for this day since she had first opened her eyes. The only downside was she would be in the same den as Thornpaw. Luckily his sister, Treepaw, was the only other apprentice – she would know how to deal with the grumpy furball.
"Cats of EarthClan, our deputy Cliffshade has a special announcement. Pearlpaw and Moondapple, please sit."
They complied.
The deputy, Cliffshade, bounded up to stand next to Larchstar. He, too, looked regal and puissant. He would serve well as the leader of EarthClan.
"I must warn you of a threat." Cliffshade drew his gaze over the Clan.
Interested, Pearlpaw watched.
"FireClan has trespassed on our territory more than once." Cliffshade stared directly at Pearlpaw. "Multiple times, in fact. I want for Pearlpaw not to go near the border until she has learned proper fighting and tracking skills."
"Oh, wonderful," muttered Pearlpaw. Now she would lose all of the excitement of being an apprentice! She craved to fight alongside her Clanmates.
"Thank you for your report, Cliffshade. Is there anything else the Clan would like to report?" Larchstar called to the cats at the foot of the boulder. She waited expectantly, but all that could be heard was the wind whining throughout the camp.
"Then this Clan meeting is over!"
