~~Chapter Four~~

The first thing see is a herb. I remember its smell, a sweet smell, from before I opened my eyes. Now I see its purple flowers and green stem.

"Falconkit, turn around." calls Rainheart. I turn myself around to see the smiling grey face of my mother. "Hi Rainheart!" I mew.

Rainheart gasps. "Adderstar! Have a look at this!" She picks me up by my scruff and carries me out of what I thought was a nursery.

The bright sunlight hits my eyes, my pupils shrinking until they're thinner than a leaf. Two cats sit by the fresh-kill pile, sharing tongues and eating. A hunting patrol squuezes back into the camp through a cat-made hole in the damp earth. I twist around to see my home, a hollow tree just wide enough to fit six cats.

Rainheart carries me into a large cave, carrying me up a gentle slope in the rockface. "Adderstar, her eyes, look!" She sets me down in front of a black tabby. He opens his yellow eyes.

"Blue and green...she's the prophecy cat! I knew it!" I walk on shaky paws to a puddle in the den.

I stare down and see myself for the first time. My dark grey fur reflects the light. I poke the water with a cream paw. I flick my slightly bushy tail at it. Then I look at my face. One deep blue eye, one grass green eye.

"Rainheart...what happened to my ear?" I ask, looking up at it. My left ear splits almost in two.

"I think it's time you tell her." And so I learn of my birth, specifically, the falcon. And then Rainheart says something that catches my ear. "Half a moon before you were born I received a prophecy. The Prophecy of The Fall."

Adderstar shakes his head and meows in a deep voice, "She shouldn't know about that yet." We're interrupted by a new from outside.

"Stop, you guys, you know I'm afraid of heights- eek! Help!" I peek my head outside of the den. I see a kit about my age cowering at the edge of the slope. His light orange tabby fur reflects the sunshine, broken only by his white paws and tail tip. I suddenly feel a deep pity for this cowering kit. Moving towards him, I mew some comforting words.

"Hello. I'm Falconkit, what's your name? Don't be scared." I mew, walking out of the cave den. The other kit yowls. "I-I'm Whitekit, please help me!"

"Hi Whitekit! I heard you were afraid of heights. Look, it's not very far. You'd land in that bush and wouldn't even be hurt! Look." I coax him to look over the edge. "Oh. I see. Can I go in the cave now?" I nod and bounce into the cave, tripping over my paws and falling.

"Oh my gosh! Falconkit, are you okay?" Whitekit rushes over to me, sniffing my fur and nudging my sides. "I'm fine Whitekit, stop poking me!" I mew, rolling over onto him and poking his sides with my nose. "Gwuaa! Geroff!" He shrieks. I feel a spark.

"Whitekit!? Where are you?" I hear a cat meow from below. "That's Cloudcurl. I better go back to the nursery." Nursery? So...my home isn't the nursery. That's why so many cats always came in and out! It must be the medicine den. He stands and creeps down the slope, hugging the sides. "Bye!" I call.

"Falconkit, would you like to meet the Clan?" Adderstar offers. I had almost forgotten those two! I bounce up. "Yes please!" Adderstar walks out of his den. I follow close behind.

We stop in front of a hole. Adderstar squeezes into it. "Come on, Falconkit, this is the nursery." I walk into the hole and watch as it spreads into a large nursery, with three queens smelling of milk. Underneath this warm smell I detect badger. I notice Whitekit's pelt and bound over to where he is playing his two litter mates.

"Whitekit! Hi!" I mew. He turns his head and his brother pounces on him. I giggle. "Falconkit! Help me!" Whitekit yowls. I pounce on his brother, battering his back with my paws.

"Mreeow! Whitekit, not fair!" His brother mews. I giggle, yowling, "Die, StrikeClan warriors! RavenClan's the best Clan!" Whitekit struggles away from his brother.

"Yeah! Go RavenClan!" He cheers. "Redkit, you and your patrol shouldn't have ever stolen that squirrel! You too Crowkit!" He teases. Redkit pounces on me. "RAWR! It was our squirrel in the first place!" Crowkit attacks Whitekit, his shiny black fur zipping around.

In all the chaos of fur, somehow Crowkit ends up under Redkit and Whitekit under me. He laughs. "Traitor!"

"Falconkit, let's leave the queens to nap now, alright? I'll show you the warrior den!" Adderstar meows. I nod and leap off of Whitekit.

Leaving the nursery, I bounce after Adderstar. "So which one's the warriors' den, Adderstar?" He sets his gaze on a tree. "There. You probably can't climb yet, so you can't go in." We stop at the trunk. Adderstar stretches his back and extends his long claws onto the tree. I copy him, sinking my claws into the bark and feeling a sticky sap run into my paws. I lick one and am greeted by a deliciously sweet taste.

Rainheart meows, "I'm going back to my den. You guys do whatever, sick cats need me." With that she walks calmly back to the medicine cat den.

"Let's hurry. To the apprentice den!" He runs to a small bush. I dart after him.

"Yellowpaw! Smallpaw! Quit that fighting, you're ripping up the nests!" Adderstar's tail flicks angrily. I watch it, tilting my head to the side before dropping low. Creeping forward, I step forward slowly. I snap a tiny twig. Gathering my haunches beneath me, I giggle.

"Smallpaw, look, she's hunting Adderstar's tail!" mews a yellowish shecat. Adderstar turns his head. "Ah, so she is." He flicks his tail in a wild motion before settling it on the dirt. I creep toward it more. "Mreow!" I squeal, forcing my hind paws up to spring at him.

"Ouch! Don't you know, apprentices don't train with their claws out! Why don't we go back to your mother's den?" He squeezes his tail away from my claws. "Ok. I'm hungry. Can I eat a mouse?" Adderstar laughs and shakes his head. "I think you should just drink some milk and take a little nap after this long day." I begin my protest. "But I'm not...yaawn..tired!" Adderstar grabs me in his jaws.

"Redblaze, I'll get Yellowpaw to make you a new nest. And Smallpaw will deal with your ticks, just go lie down for now. Yes, I known he does- oh, just eat the poppy seeds!" I hear Rainheart's soft voice from the tree.

"Rainheart, I'm hungry...and sleepy." I yawn, curling up inside Rainheart's nest with my nose in that purple flower. "What's this herb for, anyway?" I sleepily ask.

"That's lavender. It cures fevers and chills when you breath it in. It's probably why you never get very sick." I take a deep breath. Feeling Rainheart's warm body against me, I turn and suckle.