Chapter 1
A golden brown tabby cat lay sleeping inside the shelter of a barn. Just outside, rain battered the roof and walls. A drop of water splattered in her face. She groggily lifted her head to find the s!ource. Spotting a leak in the roof, she glanced out the window to see a darkened, gloomy world drenched in falling rain. She collapsed back to sleep, exhausted from…sleeping.
What felt like moments later, she was awakened by shaking. "Hey, Apple, we've got to get up. Fawn and Whisper are taking us to practice climbing." Apple opened her eyes to see her sister, Raspberry. She stood and stretched.
"Okay, let's go," Apple glanced around the apprentice den. Her brother, Acorn, was gone along with Shell and Caterpillar. Spider and Beetle lay nestled in the corner of the room; one of them was snoring. "Should we wake them up?"
Raspberry leapt to the hay bales leading the way down to the ground floor. "Probably not, Fawn only asked for you and Acorn." She hopped down the rest of the hay bales and disappeared into the lower floor.
Apple hurried after her, clearing the hay bales in three jumps. On the lower floor she hurried passed all of the commotion of herb cats, elders, queens and their kits towards the entrance; a large hole in the wall. But before she slipped out a kit, Twirl, saw her.
"Hi Apple!" Twirl mewed from on top of a hay bale. "I'm Chief of the hay!"
"Not for long!" Another kit yowled and leapt on top of his sister. They play fought for a moment until a larger kit jumped up, play-roaring, and picked the first kit up and tossed her to the side.
"No fair Raccoon! You're older and bigger," Twirl complained, then pointed to her brother. "And you teamed up with Crash!" She pouted, "I need a partner."
"I'll help!" Her other brother, Shiver, climbed on top of the hay bale and lashed at Raccoon with sheathed claws. Raccoon easily batted him away, using his size to his advantage.
"Hey Shiver!" Apple called to him, padding up to the hay bale they were battling on.
"Yeah?" She motioned for him to join her and he leapt off the hay bale. The other kits were continuing to play fight and didn't notice them talking.
"When you fight someone bigger than yourself, try getting on top of them. So when he is distracted, jump on top of Raccoon and hold on and try to steer him off the hay bale, then at the last second, jump off of him and let him fall off the hay."
"Okay, Apple, thanks for the tip." Shiver nodded politely and hurried to join the battle. Apple smiled to herself as she watched Shiver leap on Raccoon and struggle to keep on. The trick didn't go as planned though; they both tumbled off the edge of the hay bale. But Shiver was prepared and was back on before Raccoon in triumph. Apple purred and hurried out to her mentors.
The ground was wet and mushy from the recent rain and the falling water was still at a drizzle. When Apple reached her mentors at the designated climbing tree, she already felt soaked. Acorn, Raspberry, and Shell sat sodden by their mentors Fawn and Whisper.
"You're the last one," Fawn pointed out negatively, her mood dampened by the rainy gloom and in a more positive tone meowed, "Okay, today, since it rained, we are going to practice climbing in the rain."
"Fawn will demonstrate how to climb the tree and I will explain the technique." Whisper, as her name told, was quiet, but not necessarily shy. She was the mentor from the Pride of Climbing though.
"First, get a running start." Whisper instructed. Fawn stepped from the tree a bit uncertainly. She sprinted forward and took a huge leap at the wet oak. Her claws dug in to the rough, slippery bark and propelled herself up the tree.
"Then, hurry to the lowest branch before you lose your balance and fall or are stuck hanging in place." When Fawn was almost to the lowest branch, which was not too low, she turned herself around and ran down the tree in what was somewhat falling.
"Ummm…Not quite like that." Whisper commented.
Fawn was bristling at the bottom of the tree. "Do you think I purposely did that?" She growled, "I think I ripped a claw." She grimaced in pain and picked up her paw carefully and inspected it. Blood oozed out of where a claw should be, but wasn't.
"Ewww..." Raspberry shuddered. "Sorry, but that must hurt."
"It does." Fawn replied through clenched teeth. She padded in a circle, with her hurt paw in the air, trying to release some pain.
"You'd better go see the herb cats," Apple meowed, feeling sympathy for Fawn. The mentor nodded and trotted towards the barn, favoring her hurt paw.
Whisper looked uncertain, "I guess we probably shouldn't climb today; it might be dangerous. We don't need any more ripped claws."
"Yeah, I agree." Apple meowed, cheering inside. She did not like climbing. Raspberry nodded in agreement. Apple started to leave, hoping the lesson was over; she wanted to be dry underneath the barn.
"I would like to try." Shell spoke up. Apple was surprised, Shell didn't talk much. She didn't really know much about him besides that he was abandoned as a kit. This was why he was shy and didn't have any siblings.
"Go ahead," Whisper mumbled, "just be careful." She sat back to make sure he did it correctly.
Shell moved to the side and rocketed at the tree. He dug into the bark and scrambled up the side. He pulled himself onto the lowest branch. "Was that good?"
Whisper, slightly surprised, meowed, "Perfect. Do you want to try to go higher?" Shell looked nervously up the tree.
"Maybe." He stood there, gaining the courage to continue his ascent. Suddenly, he sprang up the tree and in almost no time was half-way up the tall oak.
Now afraid, he yelled down, "How do I get down?" But from his height in the tree, through the rain, he couldn't hear Whisper's small voice. He glanced at his options and swiftly leapt from his branch to a lower one within range. The branch swayed under his weight and he nervously picked out another. Then another. Soon enough, he was on the ground again.
"That was amazing!" Raspberry exclaimed. "I didn't think you could get down!"
"That was very good, Shell...and unique." Whisper approved. "I don't think I could have done better myself. Does anyone else want to try?"
"No!" The other three apprentices shouted in unison. Shell shifted his weight from one side to the other; unsure whether he was brave trying something no one else would do, or weird for the same reason.
Whisper sighed in relief, "Then, climbing practice is done for today. After each of you catch one piece of prey for the fresh-kill pile inside the barn, you can rest inside." Apple groaned. Whisper hurried off towards the forest.
Raspberry took off towards the forest, "I bet I will be the first one done!" Acorn glanced at Apple and headed for the moor, imagining a large, plump rabbit. Apple sighed and jogged forward. She would hunt in the forest; it was the easiest spot to catch prey in her opinion.
By sun high, the rain had stopped and sun was starting to peak out of the clouds to warm her fur. Apple was following a scent; it was a pheasant and, if she caught it, it could feed many cats. The scent was more recent now; she could tell it was near. Apple tested the air and to her disappointment, she was down wind. She stood on her hind legs and searched for the pheasant, hoping it was in sight. There! The large bird was strutting along towards the territory of the Pride of Hunting. That wasn't a problem because since she didn't belong to any clan yet, she could travel through all borders. Although she was supposed to have a mentor or a warrior from this clan with her, but this was different. This was a pheasant.
Apple dashed quietly through the forest in a circle of the pheasant's path, planning to cut it off. She spotted it again and switched to her hunting crouch. She slipped through the forest, hidden from the pheasant's view. When she was five fox lengths away, it cried out in fear.
Fox dung! Apple sprinted forward, hoping that she could catch it. She skidded to a halt when she reached its body; already killed.
"That was my kill!" She shouted, and then recognized her den mate, Caterpillar. He was Spider and Beetle's brother.
"I started tracking this before it stopped raining!" He countered. Then, he indignantly clamped his jaws around its neck and started to drag it forward.
Apple quickly saw his problem. "Okay, it's your catch then." She slowly started to walk away. "You get to carry it back." Caterpillar struggled to move it forward. He moved it two fox lengths and dropped it.
"Fine," he growled unwillingly, "Can you help me?" Apple smiled and picked the pheasant up by its leg. They carried it back to the barn and plopped it on top of the fresh-kill pile, practically covering it.
Briar walked out, she was an herb cat at the barn. "Wow! Who caught that?" Spring and several kits began to crowd around the big catch.
"I did." Caterpillar meowed proudly, holding his chin high.
"I was about to, until he stole it." Apple meowed jokingly, though in her mind she knew it was true. Spring asked for it for the kits and queens, and everyone agreed. Apple and Caterpillar carried it over to their area. The kits went wild over it and soon after eating they were playing 'Catch the Pheasant'.
Caterpillar walked over to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a vole. He walked over to Apple. "Do you want to share this?" He asked shyly even though it was normal for cats to share their prey.
"Sure." Apple replied and as soon as they sat down, Spider, Beetle, and Acorn walked in; Beetle and Acorn both carried rabbits and Spider had a sparrow.
"Hey, Apple! Where's Raspberry?" Acorn asked, "Did you win?" Suddenly, Apple stood up.
"I forgot! I haven't caught anything." She exclaimed and almost bolted out the entrance of the barn.
"Actually, you helped me catch the pheasant, right?" Caterpillar offered. Apple sighed, relief washing over her, and nodded while whispering, Thanks.
Spider looked astounded. "A pheasant?"
"Yep." Caterpillar confirmed.
"That's great!" Beetle praised before carrying his rabbit over to the elders. The other apprentices sat down to eat, now that the elders, queens, and kits were fed.
"Have you heard about the rogues?" Spider asked through a mouthful of food.
"Yeah, we all have. Why?" Apple remembered they were a group of cats that would ambush lone cats and kill them. Their attacks more affected the areas of the Prides of Swimming, Climbing, and Hunting, leading cats to believe their camp was near there. They were very sneaky and mysterious. Their motives and numbers were unknown.
"Well, somehow, word got out when they are going to attack. They are only targeting lone cats still of course." Spider dramatically explained.
"So..? When is it?" Acorn asked; feeling like Spider left a cliffhanger.
"Tomorrow," Spider answered. "They are only supposed to attack with six cats, so all of the cats from the Prides of Swimming and Climbing are going to hide, while one cat pretends to hunt to lure the rogues to attack. Then, when the six rogues come out to attack…We attack!"
"Yeah. When you say 'we', you really mean 'the warriors'." Beetle complained and the other apprentices agreed unhappily.
"Well, Weeds told me I get to help." Spider bragged.
"No," Spider jumped from Weeds' voice behind him, "I said some apprentices are coming; for the experience. I never said you were coming." Spider flicked his tail at being proven a liar. "I came here to say who was decided ready to go. So, Beetle, Acorn, and…Spider are coming." He waited to say Spider's name, just to tease him. He continued, "You three will act as our scouts. I'll be back at sunrise to fetch you. Be ready." After finishing, he left.
Later that night, Apple curled up beside Raspberry, who was fast asleep. She had discovered Raspberry had won the competition. She caught a squirrel, came back, and was gone before she had gotten back. Apple glanced around the den. Beetle was snoring again and everyone except Acorn was here and asleep. She noticed it was raining again and sighed; more wetness. After lying in unrest for several moments, Acorn came up and laid down.
Apple thought about what Weeds said. She wasn't surprised to hear she wasn't coming. She knew Beetle and Spider were the fastest apprentices and would make good scouts; Acorn was fast too. And on the inside, she was relieved to know she wouldn't be in the fight; even if she wouldn't actually fight.
At some point, she fell asleep. She dreamed she was in the territory of the Pride of Swimming. She walked around and found herself beside Acorn, but when she tried to talk to him, he couldn't hear her. She sat by him and watched a lone cat walk out into a clearing. Two cats confronted him and Apple identified the two as rogues. Suddenly, more than a dozen Pride cats rushed in, surrounding the two rogues. Acorn stayed by her side though. This is tomorrow's battle, she thought.
Unexpectedly, another wave of cats rushed in, surrounding and outnumbering the Pride cats. No! The rogues know! A rogue came up behind Acorn, and able to do nothing, she stood by in horror as he was killed. Now that the scouts were gone, the rogues moved in to the center patrol and fought and killed mercilessly. A group of Pride cats fought their way out and seven, only seven escaped the mob of death.
Apple jolted awake, it was just now dawn, and the battle had not begun. She sighed in relief. Then, in a moment of terror, she realized Spider, Beetle, and Acorn were gone. I have to save them!
Okay, now there is a contest!
Frost is going to have hers and Leap's kits soon (In chapter 4 or 5), and they all need names and descriptions.
The rules are simple:
1. There are three kits.
2. Their names must relate somehow. (i.e. they all might be flowers: Rose, Violet, and Tulip)
3. They must have descriptions. Don't forget Frost is pale white-blue with lavender eyes and Leap is reddish brown with a white-tipped tail
4. They must be creative!
The best entries will win! The results will be shown in the chapter Frost has her kits.