Chapter 1

"Come on, Frostkit! Let's play chase the mouse with Willowkit and Stonekit!" Frostkit's sister, Icekit, cries. "They're going to start any time now!"

Frostkit heaved herself up and padded over to Icekit. "Are you sure Stonekit would want to play chase the mouse? He's nearly an apprentice. You would think he would be Too old for such kittish games." Frostkit meows, matter-of-factly. Icekit rolls her eyes.

"Stonekit is obviously in love with Willowkit. Do you see the way he moons over her?" Icekit purrs. "I wish I were as pretty as Willowkit."

"doesn't Willowkit want to be apprenticed to Arcticfeather, the medicine cat?" Frostkit asks, waving her tail.

"So I do have a chance!" Icekit squeals, hopping up and down. "Oh, I mean, Willowkit will make a great medicine cat." Icekit says, clearly embarrassed. Frostkit rolled her eyes. "Oh, he'll never like you, stupid furball." Frostkit says good-humoredly. Icekit turned and she bowled Frostkit over. They wrestled in the snow for a second until Stonekit padded over and leaned down.

"How long will you keep us waiting?" The dark-grey tom purrs.

"Oh, we were just on our way over!" Icekit squeaks, her black tail high in the air. Frostkit giggles.

"well, come on then. Let's not keep Willowkit waiting." Stonekit jokes, his dark grey pelt reflecting the rays of sun cast on it. Frostkit flicks her ear. What did Icekit see in him?

Stonekit flicked his tail. "would you two hurry up?"

Rude, too! Frostkit thinks, scowling. "We're coming, but maybe you could slow down?" Frostkit snaps, lashing her tiny tail. Stonekit looked taken aback.

"Sorry about Frostkit!" Icekit calls quickly, barging up past Frostkit. Icekit whipped around and stared at Frostkit. "What were you thinking?" Icekit hissed. Frostkit looked down. "He was being rude." Frostkit muttered, but decided not to pursue an argument with her sister. "Let's just go!" Frostkit waved her tail to Icekit. Icekit ran after.

"Come on, jump just a tiny bit higher!" Stonekit urged as Willowkit jumped up to reach a branch of a tree. Landing, Willowkit looked at Stonekit. "Was I close?" Willowkit pants, waving her tail.

"If you want to be a great warrior, you're going to need to know how to jump!" Stonekit smiled.

"I don't know what the point is. I want to be a medicine cat." Willowkit mutters.

"Well, medicine cats have to be ready too, surely?" Stonekit meows, turning back to Willowkit. "Why do you want to be a boring old medicine cat, anyway?"

"Healing warriors is great! I want to learn every herb and every illness. I want to rescue my clanmates from their wounds, not inflict them!" Willowkit blurted, lashing her tail. "Who wouldn't want that?"

"Me." Icekit muttered, her black tail waving in the sunlight. "I want to learn how to hunt, and fight!"

"Me too." Frostkit added, sitting by her sister. "Hunting sounds fun."

"Make sure you catch me some extra prey, then!" Willowkit purred, pawing at the ground. "When should I ask Arcticfeather?"

"Whenever you feel is right. I support you." Stonekit purrs, padding around Willowkit. "You'll be the best medicine cat ever."

Willowkit bows her head. "I will. I promise."

"Well, come on! What about those jumping games we were talking about?" Frostkit exclaims, her striped tail lashing. "I bet I'll jump the highest!"

Stonekit leapt into the air. "Can you beat that?" He gloats, his chest puffed out, clearly proud of his leap.

"I bet I can, you arrogant furball!" Icekit says good humoredly as she jumps nearly twice as high as Stonekit.

"That's not fair." Stonekit muttered. "You were built for jumping."

"I guess. But that doesn't mean you're not good at something! You're probably a great fighter." Icekit points her tail at Stonekit's powerful legs. "Those are great for claw swipes and such."

"How do you know all of this?" Frostkit asks, curiosity edging her voice.

"Oh, you know, eavesdropping on the warriors." Icekit smirks. Frostkit figured it was clear that Icekit was trying to see if Stonekit was impressed. Frostkit rolled her eyes.

"Well, you haven't seen my leap yet." Frostkit glances at Icekit, mischief glowing in her eyes.

With a single leap, Frostkit pounced upon Icekit, her tabby paws pinning her sister to the ground. "I could keep you here for a whole moon!" Frostkit yawned, as if bored.

"I'll show you!" Icekit hissed, pushing out from under Frostkit, tackling her in an instant, batting at her ears.

"I'll get you!" Frostkit snarled playfully, leaping over Icekit, biting her tail softly. Icekit let out a squeak and pulled her tail away. "Okay, you win, you win!" Icekit giggles.

"I thought so." Frostkit purrs. Glancing over at Stonekit, she looked back to Icekit. "What do you see in him, anyway?"

"N-none of your business!" Icekit flattened her ears, clearly embarrassed. "He's just handsome, that's all…"

Frostkit glanced back to the nursery. "Moonshadow will be worried." Frostkit fretted. "You know how protective she is of us after… After Wolfkit died." Looking back to Icekit, she noticed her sister seemed to be studying her own paws. "L-lets go back to the nursery." Frostkit said quickly, Whisking away.

Padding into the nursery, she settled down next to her mother, Moonshadow. Her sister was not far behind.

Moonshadow looked warmly at her two kits tumbling into the nursery. "Why hello, young ones." Moonshadow purred, welcoming her little bundles of fur.

"Hi, mother!" Icekit exclaimed, her black tail waving excitedly. "Did any of the apprentices bring us prey?"

"Of course." Moonshadow purred, pushing a mouse towards the kits. "But, soon you'll be the one bringing me prey. Your apprentice ceremony is scheduled for today." Moonshadow seemed to glow with pride.

Windfeather, another queen in the nursery, chuckled good humoredly. "Oh, Moonshadow, no cat could beat your kits, now could they?" She purred. Moonshadow looked proudly down at Icekit and Frostkit. "My little warriors."

Frostkit's ear twist towards the high rock as a white tom padded to the top.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!"