CHAPTER EIGHT

Smokepaw didn't look excited, but that was because she hadn't heard the best part yet. Instead of asking what Skunkpaw was so happy for, she meowed, "Oh. What's her name?"

"Socks."

"Rocks?"

"No, Socks."

"What are socks?"

Fluffypaw lifted her chin and provided the answer, apparently proud to know something the other apprentices didn't. "They're things that Twolegs put on their paws."

"What an odd name," Smokepaw mused.

Skunkpaw giggled and asked, "Do Twolegs put their kittypets on their paws?"

"Of course not!" Fluffypaw spat, fuming.

Skunkpaw hadn't expected her to get angry, and she fell silent immediately.

"Is Smokepaw made out of smoke?" Fluffypaw demanded, as if to make a point.

"No, but I'm the color of smoke."

"Well, then maybe Socks has markings like socks," Fluffypaw declared, and she walked away toward the fresh-kill pile.

Smokepaw waited only a moment for the new apprentice to be out of earshot before she asked, "Isn't Icestar going to give her an apprentice name?"

Skunkpaw shook her head. "She won't be an apprentice."

"A warrior?"

"Nope."

"Well then wh—"

"She's expecting kits!" Skunkpaw blurted, unable to contain her excitement. She couldn't wait. Her tail was up high and quivering at the base.

"She doesn't even know how to hunt!" Darkpaw interjected. Skunkpaw turned to look at her. The dusky apprentice was stalking up to the group with a twitching tail and a scowl.

"So until she has her kitting, she'll be like an elder," her gray sister surmised.

"I guess. I don't see why she's here taking our food and water if she's not even going to become a warrior."

"She wants her kits to become warriors," Skunkpaw pointed out.

"She could have them at Twolegplace and give them to us then. There's no reason for her to be here, taking up space. She'll never really be a part of the Clan."

"Well, maybe, but we should at least be nice to her, Darkpaw," Skunkpaw advised her. "She's letting us raise her kits with her."

Darkpaw sat down with her tail tip still twitching.

"What about Fluffypaw? She's trying at least."

At that, Darkpaw looked to her sister. "How she do in her training, Smokepaw?"

When Smokepaw was prompted to speak again, she looked hesitant, leaning back with a paw lifted off the ground. Skunkpaw had never seen her look so uncomfortable. She was a stalwart apprentice, tough as a rock, unflinching and steady; she didn't get uncomfortable. And yet there she was with an uncertain paw in the air.

"She... puts forth her best efforts, and she does as much as she can, but... she has much to overcome."

"So what you're saying is she's a rutting flower-tortoise."

Smokepaw said nothing.

"Don't be mean, Darkpaw. She just joined, " Smokepaw pointed out. "Give her a chance."

"This isn't some kit's game we're playing. Cats aren't supposed to just 'join' a Clan. Icestar should know better than to bring cats into camp who don't belong."

"He's the leader," Smokepaw stated. "He is older and more experienced than you, and it is not your place to criticize him."

"You're just jealous that you're not the leader," Skunkpaw teased.

So Darkpaw spat back, "Yes, I am!"

Her friends were shocked into silence.

"Icestar is a fool," she hissed, "and his leadership will bring us all to ruin."

Nobody knew what to say to her. She lashed her tail, even more annoyed than before, and turned and trudged away.

Skunkpaw looked at Smokepaw, who was still staring after her, and mumbled, "Not much of an optimist, is she?" She was trying to bounce back from the serious moment and stay light-hearted, but it was hard.

Smokepaw let out a breath and closed her eyes.

"Well, Darkpaw may be grumpy about it, but I'm glad Socks joined."

"Then I am glad for you, Skunkpaw."

The kind words raised her tail, but she shuffled her white paws and lowered her head, her tail tip curling to the side in uncertainty. "Smokepaw, can I tell you a secret?"

"Yes." The gray apprentice looked alert and interested, her beautiful sotol-green eyes focused on her as she promised, "I won't tell anyone."

Her heart began to pound heavy in her chest like the heat of sunhigh. "Well—" She swallowed. "Lightface told me that I... I need to t-take a mate and have kits, but I don't want to. I really don't want to. It just— I don't know, maybe I'm just overreacting. She-cats have been having kits since forever, maybe I'm weird for not wanting to, for— for thinking it's too much for me, but— and I know there are more important things to worry about— but they say the first litter is the most dangerous, and— Smokepaw, I'm scared." Skunkpaw couldn't bring herself to mention not wanting to mate with a tom in the first place. She felt like she'd already said too much.

She expected Smokepaw to be confused or annoyed, but instead she looked calm, as always, the perfect picture of refined grace. That perfection, not her doubt, was what tore Skunkpaw up inside.

The gray apprentice raised her eyes to the sky. "Mottlestar always said, a kitting is a battle that no warrior can retreat from."

Skunkpaw fluffed up her fur at the thought, and her voice was trembling as she asked, "So I'm a coward?" Icestar would never make her a warrior if he knew.

"Not at all, Skunkpaw." Skunkpaw. She'd said her name. Shaking her head, Smokepaw looked troubled as she reassured her, "I do not remain friends with cowards."

Skunkpaw raised her tail again and smiled, her heart swelling. Smokepaw was the best, the absolute best. Friends didn't feel like a big enough word. Just then, she noticed Lightface returning to camp and blurted, "Wait here. I need to go tell Lightface about Socks."

Lightface came to an abrupt stop as Skunkpaw ran up to her.

"What's all this about?" the warrior asked with suspicion.

"Icestar brought a new kittypet into the Clan!"

Her mother frowned and looked away. What her thoughts were, she did not say.

"But listen, this is the best part: she's carrying kits!"

At that, Lightface turned her head back to face Skunkpaw and growled, "And you think that frees you of your obligations? Skunkpaw, you have always been as dumb as rocks. This kittypet's litter alone cannot provide the next generation. When her kits grow to warriors, who then will they mate with? There must be others. You will still need to bear kits for the Clan."

Though the sun was scorching overhead, Skunkpaw felt frozen and far away.

"Enough of this dirt. Go be social."

Obedient, Skunkpaw started to turn back to return to Smokepaw.

"No!" Lightface snapped, and her daughter flinched. "You've spent enough time with your molly friends. Interact with the toms for once, you useless lump. Look, there's Foxpaw. Go see what he's up to. Go on."