Chapter Three!

The sun beat down on the snow and the ice like a stone to water, making the whole camp dazzle with shimmering white gleams. Brightkit stopped and stared around with her green eyes, squinting just a bit to filter out the sun and firelight.

She eyed a fox colored she-cat rolling over with a dark grey tom while several other young cats watched with delight. A dusty brown tom picked up a limp adder from a pile of small creatures. And by a big den across the camp stood Ebonyflight and Whitescar. It all looked so peaceful in the eyes of the kit. She and Shadowkit rarely got to play- they were almost always finding escape routes or watching their mother hunt whenever the left the walls of their warm, dark den. She closed her eyes and began to purr softly at the site of the many cats in their joyous play.

"Brightkit! You're awake!" called Ebonyflight, racing across the clearing to meet the kit. Whitescar followed too, trying to hide a smile. Brightkit got to her paws and blinked. She was not used to her new name yet, so the name felt wrong in her ears. Shaking it off, she faced the black she-cat.

"Hi," squeaked Brightkit. The fox colored she-cat and the raptor-feather brown tom trotted over to Brightkit. The silvery she-kit pricked up her ears and (with a merry face) looked over at the two new arrivals.

"Who's the new kit?" snapped the red she-cat in quite the opposite tone Brightkit was expecting. Ebonyflight's fire-orange eyes flickered in surprise as well by the tone, though her body language said otherwise. Like she was used to the behavior.

"Another mouth for us to feed," the brown tom answered as he shook his broad head condescendingly. Closely behind the two, a white figure appeared. He was far bigger than the two below him. They didn't seem to notice him. His shadow casted over the his tail and the grass near it.

Thank goodness, it Whitescar! Brightkit sighed silently.

"Foxpaw, Eaglepaw, that's no way to treat Shadowbird's kit," scolded Whitescar, making the two young cats spring to their paws. What surprised Brightkit was that they didn't say a word about him startling them.

He must have a lot of respect around here, then. Brightkit reasoned.

"Shadowbird?" said Eaglepaw, tipping his head to one side, flattening the fur on his shoulders. Foxpaw did the same.

"But he went missing three moons ago!" cried Foxpaw, stealing a glance at Brightkit with an air of disbelief.

"That- that's not possible!" Eaglepaw stuttered.

"Look at her paw," meowed Ebonyflight excitedly. "It's the exact color of his fur!"

Eaglepaw and Foxpaw looked at Brightkit's paw, then at each other. Foxpaw rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't prove anything." she concluded, "So, who cares? Just another mewling scrap of fur, probably a rouge's. Besides, it's already one in a million chance that she really is Shadowbird's."

Brightkit felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach. Foxpaw looked like she conquered the world.

"Come on, Eaglepaw, let's go hunting."

Eaglepaw hissed when the two ran off. Brightkit was numb with both shock and unsureness.

"Haven't those two ever heard of faith?" Ebonyflight demanded.

"Don't be hurt by their words," said Whitescar, trying to cheer up the frightened kit. "They consider themselves Clan leaders of any cats who are younger than them, but in truth they are only the youngest apprentices."

"They also are very resentful towards newcomers," Ebonyflight added, "Remember when Drizzlekit and Squirrelkit were born? Sheesh! Talk about mean!"

Brightkit felt more lighthearted at the two older cat's comments. But one question lingered in her mind.

"What's an apprentice?" she asked out loud.

Ebonyflight laughed. "You have a lot to learn about the Clans, young one!"

Brightkit looked around her as cats began to emerge from dens around the camp's edge, yawning and looking curiously at Brightkit. They all smelled of reptiles and smoke.

The kit spotted a majestic looking black tom stalking through the crowd. Cats stepped back as he passed. The cat's eyes were closed the whole time he placed paw after paw in front of him. He had a broad head and narrow muzzle, which was grizzled and shined with a tint of silver that was even brighter than Frostbreeze's own grey coat. His head bobbed as he walked.

"Who's he?" whispered Brightkit, intimidated by the night colored cat.

"That's Darkstar," said Squirrelkit, having appeared from the flaming nursery when most of the cats had arisen for the morning.

"FlameClan's leader," Drizzlekit explained. She had followed her brother outside.

"He rules everything!"

"He's mean."

"And strict."

"And black."

"Like the night!"

"His eyes are silver."

"Isn't that creepy?"

"No cat's eyes are silver!"

"Except for his."

"He doesn't like kits."

"Here he comes—we'd better hide!"

Drizzlekit dashed behind a rock and Squirrelkit hid behind the fresh-kill pile that Brightkit had seen earlier.

What's all the fuss? wondered Brightkit. Most of the cats I've known are nice. They must be mistaken.

Drizzlekit gave Brightkit a look that seemed to translate to "Are you crazy?! He'll slice and dice you up!"

Fearfully, she turned and saw Darkstar looming over her. Her eyes stared into his and her heart flipped over.

Silver. His eyes are silver. Just like Drizzlekit and Squirrelkit said!

Brightkit gulped and tried to sink into the ground as those silver eyes stared into her soul. Crouching down, she whispered a "Hi,".

Darkstar's eyes showed nothing but disapproval.

"So... You're the kit? You?" He turned to Whitescar. "This scrap of fur?"

Brightkit's eyes widened.

That's what Foxpaw and Eaglepaw said!

"Yes, Darkstar," replied Whitescar, bowing his head in respect.

Why bow to him? the petrified kit screamed silently, He's just a big, mean, scary-paws!

"Hmm." Darkstar got down low until he was down to eye level with the three-moon old kit. The same cold look lingered, but it was intensified.

Brightkit held her breath.

Bolting back up, Darkstar snarled with disgust. He turned tail, which was flicking angrily. "Whitescar, Maplestep, border patrol with Duskpaw," He stalked away, not saying anything more to the youngest kit.

D-did he just ignore me? Brightkit sniffed, Maybe I'm not big and tough now but Mama said-

"Goodbye, Brightkit!" called Whitescar, breaking her thought, before walking away with a ginger and white she-cat that Brightkit guessed had to be Maplestep. Drizzlekit and Squirrelkit darted out of there hiding places and ran up to Brightkit.

"See! Isn't he scary?" shivered Drizzlekit.

"Like… a ghost!" said Squirrelkit dramatically. His fur smelled like dead snakes.

"You're crazy!"

"Am I?"

"Yes. Who's ever heard of a black ghost?"

"I have."

"Oh yeah? When?"

"When I made it up. Duh."

Rolling her eyes, Brightkit trotted around the perimeter of the camp. She wanted to explore more of the sites that her new home had to offer. Every rock, nook, and cranny, Brightkit wanted to see it. She was almost tempted to count the number of sparks that came off of the nursery- which blazed in a huge cape of flames.

As she passed the spot where she had seen Eaglepaw and Foxpaw, there was a flash of red-ginger and brown. Spinning around to see the shapes, she pieced it together- she was surrounded. And she didn't like it one bit.

"Oh, you don't have any big warrior friends around to protect you now, do you?" laughed Foxpaw, stepping closer to Brightkit. She tried her best to remain as calm as she did when she first encountered Darkstar. On the outside, she was doing fine, but on the inside...

Great StarClan, help me!

Eaglepaw grasped her roughly by the scruff and swung her upward. His teeth sank into her soft kit-skin and she felt like she would start bleeding any second. SHe tried to be brave by not making a sound. All she did was exhale abruptly when her tiny body was thrown towards the sky- needle sharp teeth still in her skin. He swung her around like a dog would a squirrel.

"On the count of three, okay?" Foxpaw giggled maniacally.

"Stop! Please-" Brightkit was swung down again before she finished.

"One..."

Brightkit was sent back down.

"Two..."

Brightkit's silvery fur shined in the sunlight when sent back up once more.

"Three!"

Eaglepaw gave a huge toss, sending the much smaller cat flying through the air. Landing almost near its peak, Brightkit scrambled onto the very top so she wouldn't plummet onto the hard, leaf-bare ground. With the wind knocked out of her, she began to quiver in fear and helplessness.

"Now you don't call for help or we'll pulverize you," hissed Foxpaw, looking Brightkit right in the eye. Laughing, the two apprentices swaggered away, leaving the kit stuck on top of the nursery, unable to do anything about it. Brightkit curled into the tightest ball she could, jammed her jaws shut, and closed her own shining eyes for good measure.

Well, that took me awhile to edit...