Author's note:Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait, it's hard for me to write slower chapters like this. You won't be seeing action for a while, so no need to be on edge for death and heartbreak! I'm going to spend a few chapters fleshing out characters and their interactions with their clanmates. This will be quite a long fic, as much as I dislike it! There won't be multiple fics labelled as "book 1" and "book 2". this will be a big bulky fic, and sadly that includes adding multiple "allegiances" chapters. HOWEVER, they will always be uploaded with another chapter, so you all won't be kept waiting. They will only happen during specific points in the series, after huge arcs!
Also, thank you for your review! It means a lot seeing a review, especially when it's someone excited for my story!
Enjoy chapter 1!
Chapter 1
CHERRYKIT'S P.O.V
Warmth. That was the first thing that ran through the toms mind as he awoke from his slumber. It surrounded him; it comforted him. The bodies beside him twitched, but the long, quiet breaths told him his siblings were still asleep.
Emerald eyes opened to the soft belly of his mother, Brindletail. To his left was Flamekit, his twin. They didn't look that might alike, sure. She was a full ginger tabby, and he had just patches. Their eyes were different colors. He was large, while she was lithe. But they did everything together. He could hear her mumbling words in her sleep, but he couldn't quite make them out.
Letting out a yawn, he glanced around the nursery. It was so boring around here! His siblings always slept in late, and Leafspots didn't have any kits. Where was the fun in that?
Brindletail lifted her head slightly, sighing. Cherrykit beamed at her, eyes bright with excitement. His mother watched him for a moment, before blinking with exhaustion. "Okay. You can go out of camp for a few minutes. But afterwards, please come back and wait for your siblings?" Cherrykit nodded before bounding away.
The camp was alive with movement. Cherrykit could see the medicine cats talking outside their den, probably about herbs. Brindletail told him that Adderclaw had been the one to save him when he was younger. Somehow he and his siblings had been out of the camp and had gotten attacked by a bear.
Shaking his head, Cherrykit peered around and spotted who he had been looking for- Ashpelt. The nervous tom was staring at the fresh-kill pile, pondering over what to get.
"ASHPELT!"
The squeal of Cherrykit's sudden voice caused the grey tom to leap up in shock. "C-Cherrykit!" Wide blue eyes shot to the kits, and the taller warrior let out a sigh of relief. "What did I t-tell you about shouting like th-that?"
Cherrykit simply grinned at the warrior. "Aw, come on! It wasn't that bad, was it?" The look on Ashpelt's face answered his question.
"S-so, what did you n-need?" Ashpelt questioned, head tilted slightly. Cherrykit hummed, looking down at the fresh-kill pile. "W~ell, Momma says I should start eating fresh kill. Which one do you think is best?" Ashpelt blinked at the innocent question, before returning his gaze to the pile. "M-mice are pretty easy to chew, but n-normally th-they don't have much meat on th-them. Maybe t-try a squirrel?"
Cherrykit searched the pile for a moment, before spotting a plump squirrel. "Thanks Papa!" He chirped out, snatching the piece up and rushing off to the nursery.
It was something he and his siblings had figured out. Ashpelt had to be their father. He was one of the only toms in camp who didn't have a mate, one that was close to their mother's age. Plus, Stonekit was kind of grey! Ashpelt was the only grey tom in the clan! When they confronted him about it a week ago, after some… questioning, Ashpelt confirmed it!
As he dragged the squirrel back into their den, he noticed Flamekit yawning and rubbing at her face. As their eyes met, they both nodded in greeting. Honeykit was already grooming herself, but her ears were pricked towards him. Bramblingkit and Leafspots were in some kind of conversation, but Cherrykit didn't care too much about it. It was probably something about Leafspots past.
Gorsekit and Stonekit were still sleeping, the lazy sparrows! Cherrykit finally came to a stop, dropping his prey. He licked his lips in anticipation, and took the first bite. The taste melted in his mouth- it was so much better than milk.
Movement to his right made him glance up. Flamekit sapphire eyes flashed, and she darted in for a bite. Cherrykit grinned, and the two began swallowing to see who could eat the most before it was gone. A huff sound emitted from where their nest was- Brindletail was probably mad at them for rushing. But it was just so good! With a final gulp, all that was left was scraps of fur and the bones.
"So that's what fresh kill is like?" Flamekit asked, not really speaking to anyone in particular. "Pretty delicious!" Cherrykit spotted Bramblingkit roll her eyes, and snickered.
"Hey! Why don't we ask Thornheart to teach us some secret warrior techniques? Maybe Ashstar will make us apprentices early?" Honeykit spoke this time, her amber eyes gleaming. "Why would Ashstar make us apprentices early?! We're only two moons old, mouse brain!" Bramblingkit shot back. The two sisters glared at each other, interrupted by Stonekit's loud yawning. "Did someone say mouse?" The grey-brown tom questioned, blue eyes blinking with tire.
Flamekit snorted, before leaping to her paws. "Let's go ask Thornheart anyway! I mean, there isn't anything dangerous around to make him busy, plus he doesn't have an apprentice!" She let out, voice strong and unwavering.
That was what Cherrykit admired about his sister. Though she was kind of hard headed, she was really leader-like. Brindletail even said she had the qualities of a strong warrior. That day, the two had spent hours figuring out what their warrior names would be. Cherrykit would, of course, be the powerful Cherryclaw! A warrior whos claws could tear anything apart! Flamekit would be Flameheart, since she's so brave and smart. Flamekit would probably become Flamestar one day! She said if she ever did, she'd make Cherrykit her deputy with no hesitation. Cherrykit didn't care too much about being leader, rather wishing to be by his sister's side in every battle.
With a high pitched yowl, Flamekit rushed out of the nursery. The sudden noise caused Gorsekit to shoot up, eyes like pinpricks. Honeykit followed her sister, soon followed by a worried Stonekit and a reluctant Bramblingkit. Cherrykit padded over to his smaller brother, smiling softly. "We're gonna go see if Thornheart will teach us some techniques, do you wanna come?" He made sure to speak gently, knowing his brother was very soft-hearted.
When he received a nod from Gorsekit, he turned and followed after his siblings. He spotted them across camp, climbing all over the massive spotted brown tabby tom. Thornheart looked annoyed, but his eyes were not sharp with anger or dislike. They were soft, like Brindletail's when she looked at them.
"Thornheart!" Flamekit chirped, perched upon the toms head. "Teach us something!" Thornheart groaned, lifting his head. Flamekit dug her claws in to stay atop his head, and the warrior winced. "Alright, alright. You have to get off me first!"
Soon, the six siblings sat attentive and ready. Thornheart watched as Honeykit and Flamekit wiggled with anticipation. Stonekit shook slightly, fear present in his gaze. Meanwhile, Bramblingkit and Cherrykit were both still- Bramblingkit seeming to be bored with the entire idea, while Cherrykit focused solely on the elder warrior. Green eyes blazed at the prospect of learning knowledge that only cats who were four moons his senior would be taught.
"Now. What I'm going to teach you is the hunting crouch. It's basic to every cat's training, but that doesn't make it any less important than a complex fighting move. So no complaining!" He added quickly, interrupting Honeykit's complaint.
The massive brown spotted tabby lowered himself to the ground, but allowed his belly to hover a bit. His muscles looked tense, ready to snap him forward at any second. Cherrykit watch in awe as the warrior's muscles rippled. "Make sure your tail and lower back aren't too high up. While you walk forward, focus on your target, but also make sure you aren't stepping on any sticks or leaves. When you're close enough," He cut himself off, launching forward and landing on a stray feather. "You pounce and make your kill." He finished, turning back to the siblings. "Now, why don't you all try?"
The first to scramble forward was Flamekit, eager to prove herself. She slipped into the position as if it were natural to her. The others watched in awe, and Thornheart smiled. "Nice job! With talent like that, you're sure to be an excellent warrior!"
Wanting to show they too could be amazing warriors, the rest of the litter rushed forward. Cherrykit watched as Honeykit lowered into the crouch, but her tail was sticking far above her back. Stonekit looked very lopsided, his long legs making it harder for him to lower himself. Bramblingkit managed to perform it perfectly. Gorsekit and Cherrykit were the only ones left. Cherrykit moved forward, lowering himself, but it didn't take much for his belly to scrape the ground. Letting out a huff, he did his best to adjust his stance, but no matter what, he couldn't seem to get the position right. He could hear snickering from Honeykit and Bramblingkit, and felt his ears burn.
"Not every warrior has to be perfect. You're only two moons old- by the time you're an apprentice, you should be able to do it by then." Thornheart mewed, his voice soft, but full of encouragement.
Cherrykit nodded, and all eyes turned on Gorsekit. The tom shook, nervous, but gulped and stepped forward. He slowly lowered himself, aware that everyone was watching. Cherrykit took a quick glance around camp, and spotted Ashpelt watching from the warriors den. Brindletail's eyes could be seen as well, it looks like they were talking about something. Ashstar was up on the large slab of stone that made up her den, practically glowing with pride.
Gorsekit was just as amazing as their two other siblings when it came to performing the crouch. Movement caused all eyes to flick up- a soft feather floated down towards the camp. Cherrykit watched as his little brother's muscles tensed, and his body froze. Just before the feather hit the ground, Gorsekit rushed forward, pinning it to the dirt.
"Excellent job, Gorsekit!" Cherrykit released the breath he didn't know he was holding when Thornheart's voice sounded from behind him. Flamekit's tail was lashing, her blue eyes glimmering with excitement, while Honeykit looked on in jealousy. Bramblingkit was split between pride for her siblings success, and envy towards it. Stonekit ran up to his smaller brother, a shaky smile on his face but his emotions evident on his face.
Cherrykit felt awe.
His brother, who was expected to be weak and frail, proved himself to be intelligent and quick. Cherrykit could imagine them all as warriors already. Flamekit, muscles rippling as she fought off rogues and badgers; Stonekit, long legs allowing him to catch birds right out of the air; Honeykit fighting beside her sister, determination and power behind her attacks.
Gorsekit, planning from the shadows and defeating his enemies with speed and precision.
Cherrykit would be beside all of them, but the one he wished to fight by would either be Flamekit or Gorsekit. They would make a fearsome duo, but with Cherrykit, they'd be invincible.
"All right, you six should run off to the nursery now. Don't want to keep your mother waiting." The older warrior's voice snapped Cherrykit from his thoughts. Blinking, he turned to see Brindletail waiting for them, a soft smile on her face. Shaking his head lightly, he smiled and rushed towards her. He heard his siblings following close behind, all laughing and excitedly chattering about Gorsekit's pounce.
As they entered the den, Leafspots' voice resounded from the back. "Ah, there you all are. I was wondering where you all had run off to." The old queen's voice may have been rasping, but her coat was still clean and sleek. Her eyes were bright and sparkled with joy. "I actually have a story to tell you all. After all, all FrostClan warriors are told the story of Frost."
"Frost?" Honeykit spoke, confusion etched on her face. "Yes, Frost. She was the brave leader who founded this clan." That caught everyone's attention. The kits all scrambled over to the old queen, and they quickly plopped down with eyes wide and eager.
"Many years ago, back before Palewhisker and I were born, FrostClan did not exist. This mountain wasn't inhabited by anything except troublesome rogues and beasts known as bears. However, in the forests below, CypressClan and RillClan thrived. As you know, I used to be in CypressClan before it fell, and during this time, my parents were alive and full of youth. They say that one day, a cat appeared during the gathering between the two clans.
The cat was a massive she-cat, who's muscles showed her strength and power. She leapt right onto the tree the leaders would sit on and announced that she was Froststar. Cat's believed her to be mad, and she was requested to leave. After that, she began marking the borders, and she was joined by rogues, loners, kittypets, and even warriors from other clans. FrostClan had been born.
CypressClan and RillClan did not enjoy the attempt at creating a clan, but they could not scale the mountains cliffs or hills. They did not have the stamina to make it to the camp where FrostClan waited. Those who did make it to the camp were immediately chased off by healthy warriors. The two forest clans could do nothing to stop FrostClan. That didn't stop the fights, however.
Many border raids were led, and Froststar was present at each and every one of them. It inspired her warriors to fight as hard as they could, but they were all too cocky. In the final border raid, Froststar lost her last life. Her clan assumed they were going to fall apart, but her deputy, Molefoot, stepped up and took the role of leader. He assured CypressClan and RillClan that FrostClan would stay on the mountain, and would not steal any of their territory. It took a while, but soon tension fell, and FrostClan was acknowledged as a true clan."
Leafspots ended the story, eyes turning towards the kits watching. "That was… That was amazing!" Flamekit crowed out, bouncing to her paws. "Froststar was so cool! I'm gonna be just like her!" Honeykit snorted, and pinned Flamekit. "Not if I do first, flame-butt!" The two sisters began wrestling, and Brindletail let out an exasperated sigh. "Flamekit, Honeykit! Enough of that. It's time to go to sleep!"
The two split apart, making faces as they climbed into their nest. Cherrykit waddled over, eyes already drooping with tire. As he laid his head down against the soft moss, he let his mind wander. Froststar had seemed so strong, and Molestar had taken control so quickly after her death.
He hoped he wouldn't have to watch someone die like that.
