Chapter Two

"Take that you moss!" Jewelkit turned around and saw Foxkit tossing around a lump of moss. Maplekit pounced on it. Jewelkit sighed.

I wish I had littermates. She looked to the nursery entrance. Tuftkit was padding in with Arrowkit yapping away.

"If I'm a medicine cat, MoonClan could speak to me! Wouldn't that be so cool?" Arrowkit was saying. Jewelkit closed her eyes, and eavesdropped on their conversation. Tuftkit snorted.

"Mouse-brain. All medicine cats do is mew to dead cats in their sleep and heal other cats. Besides, you would never be able to be a warrior that fights. Pathetic. I thought that you of all toms would want something besides that, dumb excuse for a desire." Tuftkit teased. Jewelkit opened her eyes just in time to see Arrowkit pin down his brother.

"Sunfur is, the best medicine cat in the Clan. MoonClan chose that path for him." Arrowkit hissed in Tuftkit's ear. Tuftkit scrambled off of the mossy floor and puffed his chest out of his brother.

"Sunfur is the only medicine cat in the Clan." He retorted. Arrowkit let out a hiss of frustration and padded away from his brother. Jewelkit giggled silently and watched Tuftkit go after Arrowkit.

"Hi." Jewelkit squealed in fright and turned around. Maplekit burst into laughter and rolled around on the moss. Jewelkit scrunched up her face and laughed along with her.

"If you scare me like that ever again, I promise you, that will be the last of that she-cat face of yours that you will see again." She meowed. Maplekit rolled her eyes as Acorntail padded into the nursery.

"Good morning my darling." She purred. Maplekit jumped in circled. Jewelkit gave her friend a bewildered look. Maplekit jumped in circles so much, that the moss underneath her paws slipped and she fell. Jewelkit tried to stifle a laugh. Acorntail stopped smiling at Maplekit and just turned away.

She's probably thinking that Maplekit is about to be called Clumsykit. Jewelkit thought.

"Jewelkit. Come here." Blueheart's mew sounded from the opposite side of the nursery.

"Coming Blueheart!" She meowed. Jewelkit padded over to her mother. Blueheart's bright blue gaze was very hard to look away from.

It feels like I'm staring right into the sun.

"Jewelkit, have you ever met your father?" Blueheart asked. Jewelkit stiffened.

I never want to…

"No." She said immediately. Thinking of Jewelkit's father Ravenwing, made her think about her daring sister Wavepaw.

"Mother, if I must wait three moons to be apprenticed, then…" Jewelkit trailed off.

"Jewelkit, what's this about wanting to be apprenticed?" Her mother asked. Jewelkit felt like she was on the huge rock again. I will rule the forest! The statement she made in the cave echoed off the walls of her head.

"I want to rule the forest." She blurted. Blueheart looked at her oddly.

"Umm… is that seriously why?" She asked. Jewelkit shook her head.

"Uh, no, I , uh, er, I…." Jewelkit mixed her words. She looked around the nursery. Rubyfur was having in deep conversation with Graystream.

I wonder what she-cats talk about these days. A flash of silver was caught in the corner of Jewelkit's eye. She looked to the nursery entrance.

"Wavepaw!" She meowed, padding towards her sister. Wavepaw smiled and licked her sister's ear.

"Hello my sister." She meowed. Jewelkit jumped on Wavepaw's back.

"Apprentice intruder!" She meowed. Jewelkit stumbled and fell off of her sister's back. Wavepaw laughed.

"Jewelkit!" Blueheart called. Jewelkit giggled. She'd ditched the conversation with her mom. Wavepaw grabbed a piece of moss in her jaws and tossed it over Jewelkit's head. Jewelkit meowed playfully. Maplekit and Foxkit joined in. Soon, there was moss flying all over the place in the nursery.

"Wavepaw! We're going to train!" A tom's voice sounded from outside. Wavepaw stopped laughing and stepped outside of the nursery.

"Coming Ravenwing!" Jewelkit heard a hint of regret in her sister's voice.

"Jewelkit." A muffled voice called. Jewelkit looked around.

"Hello?" She called. Foxkit and Maplekit popped up out of the huge pile of moss. Jewelkit squeaked in fright (again) and fell on Rubyfur's tail. Rubyfur's fur fluffed out and she glared at Jewelkit.

"Watch where you're going little kit." She snarled. Graystream glared at Jewelkit also.

"Watch where you're going little kit!" Jewelkit mimicked under her breath. She sneaked out of the nursery, wanting fresh air. Jewelkit spotted Ravenwing meowing to Smokeheart the deputy.

"My apprentice has every right to be made a warrior now!" He hissed. Jewelkit made sure no one saw her, and she padded closer to the cats.

"Well, if you haven't given her an assessment yet, I think she shouldn't." Smokeheart growled.

"What do you think you're doing?" Jewelkit turned around slowly. A bright yellow tom was standing behind her.

"Uh, nothing, just," Jewelkit gulped. "I'm just exploring the camp." She finished. The tom laughed.

"I'm Sunfur the medicine cat. I saw you eavesdropping on them. You're good at stealth." The tom meowed. Jewelkit smiled.

I don't know what stealth is, but thank you anyways.

Suddenly, a patrol that ran into camp caught Jewelkit's eye. Smokeheart rushed up to them.

"What is wrong?" He asked. A she-cat was panting.

"Rogues. On. The. Border. Coming this way. Get ready for battle." She huffed. Jewelkit's paws tingled with excitement and fear mixed together. Sunfur nudged her.

"Get back to the nursery. Your mother would be looking for you." He meowed. The yellow cat rushed into his den where her kept leaves and berries.

What are those for anyway? She wondered. Jewelkit unsheathed her tiny claws.

"I'll be ready to fight." She meowed. The same she-cat from the patrol hissed at something from the entrance of the camp. The rogues were on AirClan territory and camp. A black and white tom leaped at the she-cat and barreled her over. Jewelkit saw six of them. Six rogues. She felt a pang of fear and started to the nursery. Fast. As fast as she could. Jewelkit placed her paw in the nursery, and felt sharp pain in her neck. A pair of teeth had fastened in her teeth. She saw her mother's worried eyes.

"Jewelkit!" She yelped. Jewelkit tilted her head. What was Blueheart afraid of? Blueheart ran out of the nursery, after the cat taking Jewelkit. Who was this cat anyway? Jewelkit tasted the air. A foul scent. Suddenly, Jewelkit froze. A rogue had grabbed her. She struggled out of his grip, but he would not release. Jewelkit unsheathed her tiny claws and scratched the rogue's nose. She knew she did, because he yowled. He slowed down a little, and Blueheart pinned him down. The tom gave in, but suddenly, Blueheart was tackled by another she-cat. Another rogue. The tom got up and ran. Jewelkit wriggled as hard as she could and rolled out of the tom's grip. She fell onto solid ground and scurried underneath a green bush. She hid underneath it and heard the tom's paw steps pad in front of the bush. Finally, the tom left. Jewelkit crawled out of the bush and stepped into the air. She smelled no AirClan. No camp. Something, different. Jewelkit backed back into the bush, and tears welled out of her eyes.

"I'm alone." She meowed sadly. She closed her eyes and forced herself to sleep. And she knew, that sleeping in a bush, would never be the same beside her mother.