Hey! Before you read this, you might want to read The Right Path 1. If not, it might get confusing. Oh well. If you don't have time to read The Right Path 1, you can PM me if anything gets confusing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors.
Chapter 1
Thorntail dropped a fat rabbit at Dewkit's paws.
"Thank you," Dewkit purred shyly. Her father nodded and rasped his tongue over her ear.
"That rabbit's big enough for all three of us to share!" Cloudkit, Dewkit's brother, exclaimed.
Cloverkit, Dewkit's sister, nodded in agreement.
Thorntail purred. "It sure is. Silverstorm said it must've hopped over from the WindClan moors." He nudged Cloudkit playfully, then turned to his mate, Feathercloud. He nuzzled her gently, then presented a starling to her.
Dewkit leaned forward to hear her parents speak.
"Thanks, Thorntail," Feathercloud purred. She licked her mate's ear and bit into the starling.
Thorntail brushed her flank with his golden tail and mewed, "I have to go now. I promised Lightpaw that I'd take her out for battle training. I'll see you later."
Feathercloud purred and flicked her tail in acknowledgment.
Thorntail padded out of the nursery, mewing, "Bye," to Dewkit and her two siblings.
Dewkit had a sleek, black pelt and clear blue eyes. Her sister, Cloverkit, the oldest of the litter, had a black and grey pelt with leaf-green eyes. Cloudkit, the youngest, had a white and grey pelt with light blue eyes. They all somewhat resembled their mother, Feathercloud, who had a silver and white pelt with blue eyes, but they barely looked like Thorntail, whose coat was a glossy golden-brown and his eyes were light amber.
"Aren't you going to eat, Dewkit?" Cloudkit asked, taking a bite out of the rabbit.
Dewkit blinked, then nodded. "Yeah." She squirmed past Cloverkit and took a bite of rabbit.
Feathercloud had finished eating, and was chatting with Birdwing now, another queen. Her two kits, Eaglekit and Flightkit, were curled up, fast asleep. Her two foster kits, Falconkit and Stonekit, were asleep too. They had been abandoned on ThunderClan territory, and Birdwing had taken them in.
"Move over!" Cloverkit hissed, nudging Dewkit with her forepaw.
Dewkit flattened her ears, and after taking a few steps away from her sister, she took another bite of the fresh-kill.
She let her siblings eat the rest and began grooming herself. Eaglekit and Flightkit stirred, and woke up. Eaglekit was a light grey tom with green eyes, and his sister, Flightkit, had a ginger and white coat with green eyes. Falconkit was a light ginger tom with blue eyes, and his brother, Stonekit, was a black and grey striped tom with amber eyes.
"Hi, Dewkit," Eaglekit purred.
Dewkit's blue eyes lit up. "Hi, Eaglekit."
Cloverkit and Cloudkit had finally finished eating, and joined the others.
"I heard you're going to get your apprentice names soon," Flightkit purred.
Cloverkit nodded eagerly. "I'm going to be the best!" she boasted, leaping on Dewkit.
Dewkit hissed and threw her off. She thinks she's the best at everything!
"Who do you want as a mentor?" Falconkit asked, helping her up.
Dewkit shrugged and glanced at him gratefully. "I'm not sure. Berrytail's a good hunter, but Whitepelt is a fierce fighter."
"I wonder if Smokestar will take one of us as his apprentice," Cloudkit mused. "I heard that his last apprentice was our mother, Feathercloud."
Cloverkit purred. "Maybe he'll want me as an apprentice!" Her chest puffed up with pride.
Dewkit saw Cloudkit, Stonekit, Eaglekit, and Flightkit roll their eyes, but Falconkit purred. "Maybe," he murmured.
Dewkit couldn't help but let out a faint hiss of annoyance. Who does she think she is? And why doesn't Falconkit see that she's being so…self-centered?
Cloudkit flashed her a sympathetic glance and shrugged.
Dewkit sighed. "Well, I can't wait until I'm switched from Dewkit to Dewpaw!"
Cloverkit nodded. "Me neither!" She and her sister shared an excited glance.
"Kits!" came a yowl. Feathercloud was at the exit of the nursery. "I'm going on border patrol now. Be good, and listen to Birdwing, alright?"
The three of them nodded, and their mother left.
"I'm bored," Stonekit complained.
"Let's go play outside!" Flightkit mewled. Falconkit nodded and raced after her, flicking his tail for the other kits to come.
Dewkit followed him eagerly, not caring if the others came. Right outside the nursery, Falconkit scooped up a ball of moss with his ginger paw and thrust it at Dewkit. She caught it, then, looking around, passed it to Cloudkit, who caught it with two outstretched white paws. He tossed it gently to Flighkit, who threw it at her brother, Eagelkit. He passed it to Stonekit, and the black and grey tom passed it to Cloverkit. She purred with satisfaction and let it sail over to Eaglekit.
Eaglekit caught it in his paws and passed it to Cloudkit. The grey and white kit threw it at Falconkit, but the ginger tom missed it, and the ball of moss tumbled past the group of kits and hit a passerby tom.
Shadowclaw hissed at the kits, baring his teeth. Although he had been father to three litters of kits, he still had no patience when it came to kits. "Watch it," he muttered, his fur bristling.
Falconkit cringed, then bounded forward to retrieve the ball of moss. He set it down and mewed, "Let's play something else now."
Dewkit nodded. "Come on, let's go back to the nursery! Race you!" She began loping toward the nursery. She glanced back to see the other kits in hot pursuit. Cloverkit raced past her, skidding to a stop in a pile of moss.
The black and grey kit turned, a triumphant grin plastered on her face. "Beat you!" she yowled.
Dewkit lashed her tail. My stupid sister is always trying to be better than me at everything!
"Nice job," Falconkit called. Then he turned to Dewkit. "Nice try. You were pretty fast."
Dewkit purred. "Thanks." She trotted past him and narrowed her eyes at Cloverkit, who was gloating.
"Maybe you'll win next time," Cloverkit purred, flicking her tail at Dewkit.
"Maybe," Dewkit sighed. She collapsed on the pile of moss, out of breath. Cloudkit sat down beside her, glancing down at her worriedly.
"Are you okay?" he asked. Dewkit replied by nodding and twitching her ears.
Birdwing approached the kits with fresh-kill dangling in her jaws. "Are you kits hungry?"
Eaglekit nodded and rushed forward to pick up a mouse. "Who wants to share?"
Falconkit purred. "Me!"
Stonekit gingerly picked up a squirrel and took it to Flighkit. "Here, we can share this."
"Are you hungry?" Birdwing asked to Feathercloud's kits.
Cloverkit shook her head. "Thank you, but we already ate earlier."
Birdwing nodded and sat down to bite into a grey mouse.
"Come on, let's go see what's happening in camp," Cloudkit meowed, padding out of the nursery. Dewkit and Cloverkit followed him out, and they sat down, looking around.
"Hey, look! There's Ashenfur!" Cloverkit purred. She bounded forward and mewed, "Hi, Ashenfur!"
The grey tom turned to look at them. "Hi, Cloverkit. Hey, Dewkit, Cloudkit!" He trotted over to his grandkits and nuzzled each one. "Smokestar said you'd be apprentices soon. Your ceremony will be at sunset."
"Really?" Dewkit meowed, surprised. "We're barely five moons old!"
Ashenfur nodded, then glanced around. "I have to go now, kits, hunting patrol."
"Bye!" Cloudkit called. Then he turned to his sisters, his blue eyes gleaming. "We're going to become apprentices very soon!"
"I'm so excited!" Dewkit mewed, jumping up and down.
"Stop acting like a newborn kit. If you're going to be an apprentice, you have to grow up," Cloverkit said scornfully. She rolled her emerald green eyes and held her tail high. "Calm down, Dewkit."
Dewkit shrugged. She wouldn't let her sister's attitude dampen the joy of her becoming an apprentice!
When she saw Feathercloud, Thorntail, Lightpaw, and Berrytail emerge from the thorn tunnel, she raced over to them. "Feathercloud, Thorntail, guess what? Ashenfur told us our apprentice ceremony is going to be at sunset!"
"That's great," Feathercloud purred, licking her daughter's ear. "Let's get you nicely groomed. Come on."
Thorntail nuzzled Dewkit affectionately. His apprentice, Lightpaw, purred and mewed a congratulations. Berrytail purred, but his eyes showed a hint of disappointment and…was that jealousy?
Dewkit dismissed it quickly and squirmed away from her mother.
"Don't you want to look presentable for the ceremony?" Feathercloud asked, grabbing Dewkit by her scruff. She motioned for Cloudkit and Cloverkit to follow and carried Dewkit to the nursery. Birdwing and her kits looked on, amused, as Feathercloud tried to groom Dewkit, who thrashed and wrestled.
Feathercloud finally gave up on Dewkit and smoothed down Cloudkit's ruffled, dusty fur. He let her lick his fur a few moments, then leapt out of her grasp. She sighed and started grooming Cloverkit's sleek grey and black fur.
"So you're really going to become apprentices today?" Flightkit asked, her green eyes wide.
Cloudkit nodded, purring. "Yeah! I can't believe it!"
"I can't wait!" Dewkit said excitedly. She began to lick down her ruffled fur until it was shiny and sleek.
Feathercloud had finished grooming Cloverkit. "Come on, Smokestar has called the meeting!"
Dewkit shot up and raced out of the nursery, her heart bursting with joy. As soon as she saw all the ThunderClan cats gathered around, she stopped short. Suddenly, she was nervous. She flattened her ears against her head as she walked forward, Cloudkit and Cloverkit beside her.
Smokestar was gazing down at them, his blue eyes fond. They showed a hint of regret and sadness, but Dewkit dismissed it quickly. She was going to be an apprentice!
"ThunderClan, we have three new cats to name apprentice tonight.," Smokestar announced. "Cloudkit, step forward please."
Dewkit watched as her small brother took a tentative step forward. He had always been the smallest of the litter, and still was. His grey and white pelt was clean, and his tail swished from side to side.
"Until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Cloudpaw. Your mentor will be Snowstorm. She is kind, smart, and fierce."
Cloudpaw purred and licked Smokestar's shoulder. Snowstorm purred and stepped forward to rub noses with her new apprentice. "I'm honored, Smokestar. Thank you."
Smokestar nodded, then turned his warm eyes to Dewkit, who timidly stepped forward. "Dewkit, from now on you will be Dewpaw." His eyes searched the crowd of cats that sat at the base of Highrock, then mewed, "Hazelstep is ready for an apprentice now. She will be your mentor."
A surprised Hazelstep bounded forward and touched noses with her apprentice. "Thank you, Smokestar."
Smokestar nodded, and his gaze landed on Cloverkit. "Cloverkit, from now on you will be known as Cloverpaw. I will be your mentor."
Cloverpaw's eyes widened, then she let out a smug purr. She rubbed noses with Smokestar.
Smokestar purred and yowled, "We will also have two new warriors in ThunderClan. Thistlepaw, Dawnpaw, please step forward."
The two cats padded up to their leader, flicking their tails excitedly.
"You both have proved yourselves to the Clan, and have been training for more than six moons. Thistlepaw, from now on you will be known as Thistlefang. And Dawnpaw, you will be known as Dawnheart."
"Dawnheart! Thistlefang! Dawnheart! Thistlefang!" the cats cheered.
Dewpaw jumped up with excitement, then padded over to Feathercloud, whose eyes were shining.
"Congratulations, Dewpaw!" her mother exclaimed. She licked her daughter's ear proudly, then padded over to Cloverpaw.
Dewpaw purred and padded over to Hazelstep. The dark grey she-cat purred at her new apprentice.
"Hi, Dewpaw! I'm so excited, you're my first apprentice!" Hazelstep purred. "I think we can tour the territory quickly, then get some fresh-kill. What do you think?"
Dewpaw purred. "That's great! Let's go!"
Hazelstep tapped Dewpaw lightly with her grey tail. "Follow me." She led the black apprentice through the thorn tunnel.
~oOoOoOoOoOo~
Dewpaw panted as she and Hazelstep padded back into camp.
"Did you have fun?" Hazelstep asked.
Dewpaw nodded. "But I'm exhausted!"
Hazelstep purred. "Get some fresh-kill, then go ahead and get some rest. It's getting dark. I'm sure Lightpaw will help you find a nest in the apprentice den."
Dewpaw nodded. "Thank you, Hazelstep!"
Hazelstep nodded and gave her apprentice a friendly nudge. "Get up on time tomorrow. We're going to learn some hunting crouches."
Dewpaw's eyes widened. "Thanks, Hazelstep! Bye!" She hurried over to the fresh-kill pile and picked a mouse. She started gulping it down when Cloverpaw joined her.
"Hi," Dewpaw mewed.
Cloverpaw nodded and picked a rabbit. "So, how was your day?"
"I toured the territory!" Dewpaw exclaimed, taking another bite of mouse.
"I got to see the RiverClan border, then we practiced some hunting crouches," Cloverpaw explained. "I love having Smokestar as my mentor! He's the Clan leader!"
Dewpaw nodded. "I like Hazelstep, she's really nice."
Cloverpaw purred. "That's good."
She's being really nice now, Dewpaw thought. She's probably happy to be an apprentice.
Dewpaw gulped down the rest of the mouse and mewed to her sister, "I'm going to pick a spot in the apprentices den. I'll see you later."
Cloverpaw nodded. "Sure, bye."
Dewpaw padded into the apprentice den. Lightpaw was already inside, curled up.
"Hi," Dewpaw mewed quietly. Lightpaw purred.
"Hi, Dewpaw. Since Thistlefand and Dawnheart are warriors now, you can sleep anywhere you want," Lightpaw explained. "Frostpaw, my sister, sleeps in the medicine cat's den."
Dewpaw nodded. "Thanks." She circled in a pile of moss near Lightpaw, then closed her eyes to sleep.
Thanks for reading! PLEASE REVIEW!!!
Also, you should know, there is no star clan in my fanfic! If not already, please read the right path 1 first! Bye!