Flintkit opened her green eyes. A tortoiseshell cat was above her, her amber eyes looking down. "Look who's up," she said.
The dark gray kit yawned, her tiny jaws being forced open. "Good morning mother. Where's Weaselkit?" she asked, searching for her brother in the nest of moss they laid in.
"He's in the clearing with Starlingpaw, Flintkit," Slatecall answered. Flintkit reached up with her front paws and pulled herself out of the nest of moss, flopping on the ground on the other side.
"I'm good," she squeaked. Getting to her paws, she shook herself and scampered out of the small cave.
The warmth on Flintkit's dark gray pelt intensified as if someone had flipped a switch when she stepped out into the sunlight. Looking around the dusty looking camp, it was hard to spot her brother's light ginger coat. "Weaselkit!" she called.
The tom looked at her, purring.
"Flintkit, you're awake! I was just asking Starlingpaw what it's like as an apprentice," he meowed. Flintkit moved her green eyes to the cream tom sitting in front of them.
"Being an apprentice is hard," Starlingpaw admitted. "You have to take care of the elders, tend to the queens, and train to be a warrior at the same time."
Wow, Flintkit thought. Apprentices have to do all that?
"But we do get to rest at night," Starlingpaw continued.
Weaselkit licked his paw and ran it down his ear. "But that's all day of working!" he spat. Starlingpaw purred.
"Well, someone has to do it," he replied. "But soon I'll be a warrior, and you two will be apprentices."
Flintkit swallowed. Did she really want to be an apprentice now?
A call got everyone's attention.
"Starlingpaw," a black tabby she-cat yowled.
"Coming Lightninggaze," the tom stood up. He turned his amber eyes back to Weaselkit and Flintkit. "Bye." Flintkit watched the apprentice and mentor walk out of the camp.
Weaselkit jumped on his sister, pushing her to the ground. "Got you!" he purred.
The dark gray kit squeaked. "Weaselkit, get off!"
A shadow slowly approached, and it was soon looming over them. "And what are you two doing?" it asked.
The two looked up. A white she-cat with a dead eye had her gaze locked on them like a circling hawk.
"Fallenfire!" Flintkit squeaked again. Before the warrior could speak, a cream she-cat jumped on a high, sandy boulder and yowled. The call echoed through the camp and off the rocks. Some of the cats woke up from sunning themselves and turned their heads to the cat on the rock.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Sunrock to hear what I have to say."
Flintkit leaned in close to Fallenfire and whispered, "who's that?"
"That's Talonstar," answered the white she-cat, "she's the leader of this Clan."
"Cats of SolarClan," Talonstar started, "I am deciding to retire and move to the elders den, as I will not be around forever."
The Clan erupted into mutters, and a golden brown tabby came out of a small cave.
"Talonstar," the tom stood beside the Sunrock. "Are you sure?"
The WindClan leader flicked her tail as if proving her choice. "Yes," she stated. Turning back to the Clan, she said, "Sagenose and Bramblecloud, accompany me to the Moonpool. Meeting dismissed."
Flintkit watched as the three cats stalked out of the camp.
Her brother dashed at her, but Flintkit was too quick and flipped him onto his back. Weaselkit tilted his head. "What? How did you do that?"
The dark gray kit glanced at her paws holding Weaselkit to the hard rocky ground. "I-I don't know..." she stammered, "I just saw you coming at me and moved."
"You call that moving? A newborn kit could have done better."
"Cinderdust, don't," Slatecall hissed at her mate. "Flintkit, Weaselkit, come."
Weaselkit got off Flintkit and started walking toward the nursery entrance, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder.
"Sister, are you coming?" he asked.
The dark gray kit glanced at her brother. "Yeah, yeah... I'm coming." She ran over to the dry sand-colored rocks and hid behind them. At times like this she wished she didn't have dark fur, the sunlight seeping in. Peeking out from behind the rocks, she saw Lightninggaze and Starlingpaw entering the camp.
They're back early, Flintkit thought. Sticking to the shadows, she snuck out of camp as Sagestar, Bramblecloud, and Talonstar returned, their pelts covered in dust. Flintkit ran a little further away from the camp and hooked her claws into a cliff face. Pulling herself up, she repeated this process until she looked like she was above the horizon.
I'm out of the camp! Wind blew into her dark gray fur, her green eyes shimmering with spirit and adventure. Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to explore a little before I go back...