edited some typos and added some expansion on a few things.
Sorry this chapter took so long to get out. I've been pulling overtime at work, had family birthdays to deal with, and in general was just busy.
Just a heads up I did revamp the Alliances page a lot to include the mentor-apprentice thing outside of just Sun Clan, and quite a few clans got some expansions of their own (just editing a few cats, such as the three cats with the Thorn prefix in Hill Clan, some cats got renamed, some got full on removed, ect), though I kind of... doubt anyone actually reads that...
Anyway, please leave a comment if you like this. Next chapter will focus on some kits in Sun Clan!
Dawnkit yawned, feeling his jaw pop slightly before he snapped it shut with a satisfying 'smack' and licking around his mouth. Truth be told, he hated mornings in Mist Clan. It was always so cold and the morning mist clung to his fur. He felt like he was never dry, no matter what time of day.
A sudden chorus of yowls and hisses from the other side of the den told him the other kits were up, followed by the grumbling protest of the queens. The other reason he hated getting up, as a sudden burst of gray fur invaded his line of sight and knocked him backward and off the soft moss nest he had been curled up on.
He howled and hissed, batting and nipping at the larger kit above him. Willowkit was a full moon older than the other kits in the den, and two moons older than Dawnkit himself, and she used that size difference to her advantage by throwing her weight around and harassing the other kits at any available opportunity. Suddenly she was lifted off of Dawnkit and dropped down onto the compacted ground inside the den, the queen glaring at her. It was Cloudheart, a she-cat that was mostly white with a few small pale gray spots on her face and tail and yellow eyes. More importantly for the situation, she was the mother of Willowkit.
Dawnkit got up and shook himself off, feeling a bit better as he played only one ear as Cloudheart reprimanded Willowkit for play fighting at dawn and waking up the other kits and Berrytail, especially since she was on the eve of becoming an apprentice herself and she should know better. Dawnkit felt a sense of satisfaction at it, but knew better than to even glance at Willowkit. She was mean at most times, but knew she could be viscous when she thought others were mocking her and even if she did become an apprentice today Dawnkit knew she would be able to find an opportunity to give him trouble.
On the other side of the den was the other queen, Berrytail, with her two kits Deerkit and Black-kit, along with Dawnkit's friend Shellkit. He was under no illusion, Willowkit was 'kind enough' to him in one of her 'play fights' that he and Shellkit were not originally from Mist Clan and she regularly mocked him for not being born in Mist Clan.
Dawnkit hated Willowkit, if he was honest.
He padded over to Berrytail, purring as she leaned over to lick him affectionately on the head. Berrytail was a great cat in Dawnkit's mind. She was always kind and never rose her voice at him or the other kits and told the best funny stories of mishaps when she had been an apprentice. He remembered one funny one that had him and the other kits laughing until their stomach hurt about the time she tried to chase a squirrel up a tree and got caught on a branch and needed the warriors to help get her unstuck.
Dawnkit purred at the licks before watching as Berrytail gave equal treatment to his three 'siblings'. Berrytail herself was a dark brown she-cat, her eyes a bright amber. At her paws were 'her' three kits, Shellkit, Deerkit, and Black-kit. Shellkit, like Dawnkit, wasn't originally from Mist Clan, but she wasnt a yellow tabby like him. Her fur was gray with a white face, underside and leg, her eyes a deeper blue than his own. He knew he and Shellkit came from the same former clan, but he didn't know if they were related by blood, though if he was honest he didn't care. To him, Black-kit, Deerkit, and Shellkit were his siblings.
Beside her were Black-kit, a sweet smelling she-cat with black fur and a white ear, and Deerkit, a brown tabby tom. Berrytail had taken in Shellkit, Dawnkit, and Black-kit when they were still to young to remember. Dawnkit didn't know the full details, but he had heard that Black-kit's mother had died of sickness soon after her birth, along with the rest of Black-kit's blood siblings and Berrytail had immediately taken to her to nurse and raise her.
Dawnkit liked Berrytail a lot.
He was slightly pushed to the side as Black-kit suddenly pushed up against him, rubbing her silent morning greetings that Dawnkit returned with a purr and nuzzle of his own. Shellkit came over and did the same to them bith, while Deerkit protested being licked by their mother.
"UHG, Can you guys BE any slower or gross?! Let's get out of this den already!" Came Willowkit's annoying call. Cloudheart refused to let Willowkit out of the nursery until the rest of the kits were ready, an immediate sort of punishment for her misbehavior, and honestly Dawnkit now wanted to spend as much time as possible before heading out even though he was itching to get out into the camp himself as well. He did notice that Willowkit sounded hoarser than normal and he wondered if perhaps she'd be quiet today when he heard a rasping cough from Deerkit. Berrytail purred, licking his head again and giving him a once over.
"Willowkit, quiet down now. We can head out for breakfast now, but I am taking Deerkit to see Brackenleaf to see what he has to say over this cough." Berrytail said over Deerkit's feeble protests.
There really wasn't any arguing with a queen.
Mist Clan camp was spacious once you left the dens, each with an opening angled upwards so the morning mist and frequent rains wouldn't flood where they slept. The camp of Mist Clan was chosen due to the outcropping of rocks, thick thorn bushes, and thick hanging moss sheltering the dens from view and also keeping them dry despite wet weather. One rock was cracked down the middle, its jagged edge reaching higher than the surrounding thorn bushes and casting a morning shadow over over the clan. Dawnkit gazed up at Thorn Rock, feeling even tinier in comparison.
On a flat rock near a bramble bush Dawnkit saw a warrior leaning to the side slightly and their eyes blinking at regular intervals to try and stay awake. His fur was mostly white with a few gray spots and his entire face was gray. A pale gray she-cat with dark flecks padded up to him and said something softly before the warrior fell to the side and quickly scrambled to his paws, earning some amused meows from a group of warriors preparing to leave for the morning patrol. Dawnkit watched as the she-cat, their leader Rainstar, seemed amused by the newly made warrior's embarrassment and ushered him off to the Warrior's Den, having finally finished his night's silent vigil.
Dawnkit held back a purr as he watched the new warrior head towards the warrior's den, warriors butting their heads to the gray and white tom as he passed. The new warrior had been given his warrior name yesterday, going from Graypaw to Grayface. Black-kit nudged him to the side, using her paw to get his attention to the other kits that were already at the fresh kill pile.
Alongside the kits and the queen Cloudheart was the clan's two elders, Thrushtail and Spiderleaf. Thrushtail was speaking loudly, recounting some story from his kit hood about honoring prey before eating that Dawnkit had already heard hundreds of times. He had been told Thrushtail was once one of the clan's mightiest warriors, with a muscled body and sharp claws.
The shaggy pale brown tom that walked with a limp and couldn't talk in anything but a shout certainly didn't inspire an image of Great Warrior.
Spiderleaf nuzzled the side of Thrushtail's neck affectionately, finally bringing the brown tom to a more reasonable level of tone. Compared to Thrushtail, Spiderleaf definately looked more like a proud warrior. His fur was solid black and still as sleek as any young warrior, his knowing yellow eyes and slight graying on his muzzle being the only giveaway to his age.
"A hunting party just left, but there is still a couple of mice left for you, little ones." Spiderleaf purred.
Black-kit nuzzled against Spiderleaf affectionately, to which Spiderleaf returned with a loud purr that even Dawnkit could feel in his chest. The fresh kill pile was, as Spiderleaf implied, rather empty aside from three mice left. Before Dawnkit could take one he was shoved aside by Willowkit, the larger she-cat grabbing a mouse and almost prancing away from the fresh kill pile. Dawnkit flattened his ears as he saw her flatten to her stomach and begin gorging on the mouse while Cloudheart said nothing of her behavior.
"Bah! Foolhardy kit! Apprenticeship will do her good, teach her a lesson about manners!" Thrushtail boomed, the elder not one to suffer through Willowkit's arrogance.
"If not that, you yelling at her in the middle of camp certainly will." Dawnkit murmured, watching as Willowkit's ears pricked towards them and then flattened at Thrushtail's outburst combined with having nearby warrior's eyes on her before she gave a raspy cough and resumed eating, not looking up once. Black-kit looked into the fresh kill pile beside Dawnkit and looked at him with a knowingly curious glance. Berrytail and Deerkit hadn't eaten yet, having gone to see Brackenleaf to see about Deerkit's cough, and Dawnkit knew that Black-kit and Shellkit hadn't eaten yet.
"Anything left or did Willowkit already eat it all?" Shellkit asked as she walked up to Dawnkit. He weighed his options and made a decision.
"I'll take a mouse for Berrytail and Deerkit, think you and Black-kit can share the last one?" Dawnkit asked. Shellkit let out a low murmur, her ears flattening as she looked at him with concern.
"But what about you?" She asked. Dawnkit shook his head.
"You just got over a cold and Brackenleaf said you need to recover, and Berrytail will worry herself sick if Deerkit doesn't eat something soon. A hunting party should be back soon, so I'll wait till then!" He explained. Shellkit opened her mouth to argue but Thrushtail's booming voice cut her off.
"Spoken like a true, selfless warrior of Mist Clan! That greedy mouse brain over there could learn a thing or two from you!" Thrushtail boomed, ignoring Spiderleaf's attempts to quiet him down. Dawnkit felt his body heat up in embarrassment and refused to look around as he silently grabbed one of the mice and headed towards the medicine cat's den near the base of Thorn Rock, keeping a wide birth when he passed Willowkit. He could feel her heated glare as he walked past the empty apprentice den and past the dawn scouting patrol as they set up to leave.
He hoped up Thorn Rock to a log opening that went deep into a bramble bush. A similar opening was even higher up that led to the leader's den but Dawnkit went into the first one, crinkling his nose at the heady smell of herbs and the soft sound of cats talking within.
The medicine cat's den was circular, rocks cracked and piled in such a way on one side to allow the storage of the herbs and such that the medicine cat needed while also keeping them dry and out of the morning mist. Further in the back, nestled on a raised rock platform was a large nest of moss, bracken, and feathers to make a soft nest for the medicine cat themself or any sick cats they had at the moment, with an additional nest made off to the side for either the medicine cat or any sick cats as needed.
Berrytail was sitting to the side, watching Brackenleaf examine Deerkit. Her body was still but Dawnkit could tell she was nervous from the way her tail would twitch and her eyes kept flicking. Deerkit was coughing more now, his voice sounding even more raspy. Berrytail didn't break her gaze on Deerkit and thus didn't see Dawnkit enter, but Deerkit was quick to notice him.
"Food! Thank you Dawnkit, I'm starving!" Deerkit exclaimed, having a small coughing fit afterwords. Dawnkit flattened his ears and laid the mouse on his paws so he could speak.
"The hunting party isn't back yet, so there was only this mouse left and I thought Deerkit and Berrytail would need it more than me." Dawnkit explained. Deerkit tried to get away from Brackenleaf, but the dark brown tabby tom used one paw to keep him in place.
"I cant say for sure yet if it's anything more serious than a simple cold, so I want to keep Deerkit here where I can observe him. Have any other kits or have you or Cloudheart shown any similar symptoms this morning? Ah, and thank you Dawnkit. Can you bring that here?" Brackenleaf said softly, his voice smooth and level as he spoke from Berrytail to Dawnkit. Dawnkit nodded and took the mouse to Deerkit, Berrytail refusing the mouse with a flick of her tail as she thought.
"Deerkit was the only one I noticed, but I was solely focused on him when he woke up coughing." She admitted.
"Willowkit sounds weird today, and she was coughing earlier." Dawnkit said. Brackenleaf nodded, but before he could say anything a sudden commotion came from the clan camp before an apprentice burst into the den. Dawnkit recognized her as Mosspaw, a gray tabby she-cat apprenticed to the warrior Adderface.
"B-Brackenleaf be ready! Our hunting party was attacked by a fox and a lot of us are injured!" She rasped out, falling to her side with a heaving breath. Brackenleaf rushed over and Dawnkit now saw the gash on her flank but he was quickly ushered out of the den by Berrytail and into the chaos.
The clan was all now very much awake and active as the hunting party had dragged themselves in. Dawnkit recognized the warriors as Adderface, and Stormstripe, each with gashes on their bodies where the fox must have bitten them. However, Dawnkit did not see Stormstripe's apprentice, Firepaw, among them.
Dawnkit was knocked over by Black-kit, the she-cat scratching at the ground and nuzzling him as her anxiety and worry radiated off of her despite being unable to communicate it verbally. Shellkit nuzzled him on the other side, her body trembling against his as Brackenleaf came out of the den with herbs and cobwebs to treat the warriors.
Slowly as the medicine cat treated them, Adderface recounted what had happened. With food still being scarce they had formed a larger hunting party with herself, Stormstripe, and Cedarclaw alongside their apprentices Mosspaw, Firepaw, and Graypaw. While hunting a fox had managed to sneak up on them and grab Graypaw, and it took the three warriors all they had to try and get the apprentice back. Rainstar finally came over, having heard everything as she had made the trip from checking on Mosspaw in the Medicine Cat's Den.
"And Cedarclaw and Firepaw? Where are they now?" She asked, trying to sound calm but the quiver of her voice gave away how worried their leader was. Stormstripe couldn't look at her and Adderface averted her eyes.
"Another fox came and it was all we could do to get out of there. We had already sent Mosspaw ahead, and I couldn't risk the entire patrol..."
The entire clan was quiet, even Thrushtail silent as Adderface's confession echoed in them.
A warrior and two apprentices.
With some help Adderface and Stormstripe were helped into the medicine cat's den, while Rainstar worked to set up another patrol to find food and possibly chase out the two foxes. Dawnkit kicked the top of Shellkit's head, trying to relax her as the three huddled near the nursery. There was a somber mood over the entire clan as every cat got to work.
"Do you think Firepaw and Cedarclaw got out ok?" Shellkit asked. Dawnkit purred reassuringly but couldn't answer her, and neither could Thrushtail or Spiderleaf when the two came to join them.
The somber atmosphere continued even into sun high, and even managed to keep Willowkit from trying her normal routine of tormenting the other kits. The two warriors and the apprentice Mosspaw finally emerged from the den to lay in the sun only a short while ago when Rainstar jumped to the top of Thorn Rock to call a clan meeting.
Dawnkit had stayed with Black-kit and Shellkit and with Thrushtail and Spiderleaf on either side of the three kits they didnt move as Rainstar's clear voice rang out.
"Today we have suffered a terrible loss. Our patrols had found and managed to chase out the foxes from our territory and at the same time they had managed to find the body of our fallen warrior, Cedarclaw. We shall mourn the loss of our proud warrior and of the two apprentices, Firepaw and Graypaw that have not yet been found." She said. A subdued murmur went through the clan and Dawnkit felt Shellkit shuffle closer into his side for comfort. Dawnkit saw Applepelt, the ginger tabby deputy of Mist Clan, standing at the base of Thorn Rock next to Redheart, a white she-cat eith bright orange splotches and Applepelt's mate. As Rainstar continued her speech, urging the clan to stay strong, he saw Applepelt comforting Redheart and Dawnkit remembered that the two were the parents of the missing Firepaw.
"- It is with this in mind that I feel it is time to name a new apprentice. Willowkit, step forward!" Rainstar called out. Dawnkit felt a twinge of envy and quickly licked his chest to rid himself of it as he saw Willowkit be renamed to Willowpaw, and given Snowfoot as a mentor. Dawnkit shivered as he watched the thick furred white tom lick the new apprentice Willowpaw. Snowfoot was known to be a very serious warrior and Dawnkit could remember only a moon ago when the white warrior had hissed and then dragged Dawnkit and Black-kit back to the clan after they had snuck out to explore a little near the camp.
It wasn't like they had planned to go far, but it hadn't mattered to the senior warrior or to Berrytail who had been beside herself in worry when she had been told. They had been given more than enough horror stories after of young kits being taken by foxes, dogs, large birds, and even badgers. Dawnkit remembered having nightmares for days afterwords.
Shellkit murmured something, getting Dawnkit's attention away from his musings as Willowpaw went to join her mentor out of the meeting. Rainstar continued with the meeting, discussing what had happened though Dawnkit paid it no mind.
"Sorry, what was that?" He asked.
"... do I... have to become a warrior?" She asked, her voice as quiet as a mouse. Dawnkit flicked his ears in surprise.
"Well... uhh... what else could you be?" He stuttered, completely off guard.
"But... Graypaw and Firepaw... Cedarclaw..." she murmured, pushing her muzzle into Dawnkit's fur. Dawnkit realized what it was, but was at a loss on how to comfort Shellkit so he looked to Spiderlead for guidance. The elder warrior nuzzled at Shellkit.
"There are many ways one can help the clan, Shellkit. If becoming a warrior fills you with so much fear, might I suggest talking to Brackenleaf about becoming a medicine cat? A medicine cat is an important role that only a few can take on, and is a very respected path for any cat." Spiderleaf suggested.
The look in Shellkit's eyes gave Dawnkit hope that she would find her path in the clan.
That night, Dawnkit found it difficult to sleep, his dreams filled with sick kits and torn apart apprentices, the nightmares jolting him awake late into the night.
He panted for air, carefully getting up so as to not wake Black-kit and Shellkit and softly made his way out of the nursery.
He saw Sorrelcloud, a dark tabby she-cat, sitting near the entrance of the clan keeping night watch. Her eyes were on him, watching him curiously as he stretched and jumped up to the rock ledge just above the nursery den, but she did not call out to him or investigate further, just resuming her night watch and glancing over at him from time to time. He remembered how Willowkit- no, Willowpaw, used to make fun of the other kits when they were to small to make the short jump onto this ledge, and how proud Dawnkit felt the first time he scrambled up himself even if it had hurt his claws gripping the stone.
Now he was able to make the jump with ease, one step closer to becoming an apprentice and then a warrior. He looked up to the moon, it's light shining down on him and the stars that glittered in Silver Pelt and the night sky. He breathed in deeply and thought of the days events and of the fallen cats. Cedarclaw had been a well respected warrior and on Dawnkit liked. He remembered the tom fondly, just the other day the warrior had been at the nursery telling the kits about a recent skirmish they had with another clan. Some days Cedarclaw would let Dawnkit play with his tail.
Firepaw and Graypaw filled him with sadness, the two hadn't even been apprentices for long. They had always been energetic, Firepaw loudly telling them of their training when she would be tasked to help clean their den and get new bedding and Graypaw could make the funniest noises as she told them about things she had seen outside the camp.
Dawnkit heaved a sigh and thought of Deerkit still in Brackenleaf's den. His coughing had gotten worse and it was feared he could have whitecough or greencough, though Dawnkit didn't know the symptoms of either. Berrytail was in the Nursery, but only because she didn't want to leave them alone if she went to stay with Deerkit now that Cloudheart had returned to the warrior's den.
The stars shining above gave him no comfort, despite what Berrytail would tell him of Star Clan and their ancestors that were supposed to be watching over them. Dawnkit glanced around the camp, blinking as he felt the tiredness creep up on him. He glanced back up at the stars and gave a silent plea to their ancestors in Star Clan to watch over them, a chill of silence his only response as he hopped off the rock and back into the Nursery to curl up beside Black-kit and Shellkit.
The next morning he was woken up by the wailing of a she-cat, the nest he shared in the Nursery feeling more empty than before.
Berrytail was screaming, trying with all her might to wake the unmoving Deerkit in the Medicine Cat's Den as Sorrelcloud and Redheart tried to pry her away from the cold kit. Brackenleaf looked like he had been stricken, his voice breathless and bewildered as Rainstar pelted him with questions. Deerkit had been alive all night, but had slipped away to Star Clan early that morning before any cat had woken up.
It had been blamed on a stomach sickness later on, that perhaps Deerkit had eaten something he shouldn't or perhaps he had contracted whitecough or greencough. It seemed unlikely, but no other explanation could be found and the camp was thoroughly searched for anything that could make a kit sick.
Nothing had actually been found.
Berrytail had receded into herself after that, not talking much but obsessively taking care of Dawnkit, Shellkit, and Black-kit with a desperation that somewhat frightened Dawnkit. It was as though she was desperate to be forgiven, or perhaps she was simply terrified.
A week later they learned Graypaw was indeed dead, their body found by the neighboring Sun Clan, but that Firepaw was still alive but in critical condition and unable to be moved yet from their neighboring clan' medicine cat's care. The look of hope on Applepelt and Redheart seemed to carry them through as they went to the border nearly every day to catch a Sun Clan patrol and ask about their daughter's status.
Despite all the effort to bring her home, Firepaw passed from her injuries only a week after that, despite every attempt to help her and get her home. Redheart had been devastated and Applepelt spent all the time he could with her. If he wasn't with his mate he was on a patrol, anything to stay busy.
The clan had mourned their losses, Rainstar doing her best not to crack as she had announced these events. Dawnkit could see the grief, and he mourned his fallen friends.
A moon and a half later, Sorrelcloud went to the nursery, the signs of kits beginning to show in her belly. It was for the better if Dawnkit was honest. A clan could always use kits and now Berrytail had more company with them.
Soon after Dawnkit was standing in the camp, Black-kit beside him. Shellkit was sitting next to Brackenleaf, having already been accepted as his apprentice and being renamed to Shellpaw.
Rainstar was above them on Thorn Rock, announcing out with a loud and slightly raspy voice for the clan to gather and for new apprentices to be named.
Dawnkit watched as Black-kit was named an apprentice and Stormstripe her mentor. The tom had looked calm and collected when he approached Blackpaw, but Dawnkit could see nervousness in his eyes to receive his first apprentice.
Dawnkit stepped forward, staring straight at Rainstar. The leader was breathing somewhat heavily, and even from where Dawnkit was he could tell she wasn't at her best.
"Dawnkit, from now on you are Dawnpaw!" She declared. She named Applepelt as his mentor, and Dawnpaw went to his new mentor with pride.
There had been tragedy these last few moons, but Dawnpaw hoped this was the start of a brighter future for Mist Clan.