Chapter 2:
Sapkit glanced at his brother, Dapplekit. Dapplekit was always trying to make life a joke, or make it either annoying or horrible. Dapplekit never took anything seriously. Sapkit and Dapplekit's apprenticeship was only 2 moons away, and Dapplekit acted like it was going to be no big deal at all. The nerve! Being an apprentice meant hard work helping your Clan, taking care of cats, and learning how to defend the Clan. It wasn't some big joke. It was training. But Dapplekit thought that the only reason he would become an apprentice was for fun. He was so naive, Sapkit thought. Sapkit couldn't get too annoyed at his brother, however. He was pretty funny at times, and always knew how to make people laugh.
Sapkit stretched and yawned, before walking out of the nursery. He was finally old enough to speak catscratch, and he knew the names of all the cats, dens and scents. In two moons time, he would start to learn how to hunt for his Clan and how to defend it. He was excited. He technically had to wait until he was an apprentice before he could leave camp. But it was only two moons away, and it's not like he'd get caught. He'd be extra sneaky, and his mother wouldn't even notice. These days, she was able to go back on hunting patrols and didn't have to constantly monitor her kits. Sapkit knew for a fact that his mother was going on a hunting patrol in the midday. Then, he would sneak out.
"Having fun?" a voice behind him asked. Sapkit was used to people talking to him now.
"I'm trying hard!" Sapkit replied. Ugh. He hated responding like a cat who just learned how to talk. Whenever he was an apprentice, he would be able to have an actual conversation with cats. Only a little bit longer, he thought. Then he would be able to speak his mind.
"What are you trying to do?" The cat asked. Her name was Dandelionheart, and she had been a warrior for four months, becoming a warrior the day before Sapkit was born. She wasn't too old, and tried to remember what it was like to be young.
"Well…" Sapkit tried to think of a lie. In honesty, he was trying to sneak out of camp. But he couldn't tell her that. That would land him in the elders den before he became a warrior.
"Oh! I think I know! You want to find someone to play moss-ball?" Dandelionheart asked.
Sapkit internally groaned. Anything but that game. Sapkit hated moss-ball. No, that wasn't the right word for it. Sapkit loathed moss-ball. That stupid game where he had lost many times. Whenever he played, he was just too slow. The moss-ball always ended up hitting his forehead hard, and hurting him. He never wanted to play that game again. But, now that Dandelionheart had asked, it wasn't like he could say no. Now he had to play moss-ball. Because what would Dandelionheart ask next? He couldn't lie about the truth, but he could lie about lies.
He nodded, grimacing as his head was down. He straightened his face, then looked at Dandelionheart. She took a small tidbit of moss from one of the nests, and then threw it at him. Something took over in his brain. Next thing he knew, the moss-ball was actually in his mouth. His forehead didn't sting, and he had caught it. He threw it far up, and Dandelionheart caught it in her mouth. He smiled, and walked off. Maybe moss-ball wasn't so bad after all. Maybe games did have a point to them.