Chapter 1
A small ginger kit was just awaking from a long deep slumber. His heavy eye lids slowly opened against the blaze of the morning sun. Crimson light bled into the clouds, putting together a beautiful array of colors that shimmered and shined. This little ginger kit was Owlkit. A very energetic young kit, always ready to get into mischief!
Seeing the bright sunrise, Owlkit jumped up excitedly. His mother Sandtail was curled up a small distance away. Her sides gently rising and falling. His other two siblings, Pinekit and Shrewkit, slept soundly unaware that their brother was about to disturb the peace of Serpentclan camp. Even the other resident, Foxpelt, a dark russet she-cat and her two kits, were always early risers. Today, Cricketkit, Lizardkit and their mother seemed to have decided to sleep in. With no Queen to put him right, Owlkit sought his chance and dashed out of the nursery into the warm sunlight. But a chilly breeze descended from the hills in the back round made Owlkit shiver.
Two warriors were posted at the main entrance, Skunkstripe and his mate Icepelt. Everything was silent in the calm morning. Lizardfur sat grooming himself in the weak sun, but his spiky grey fur never laid flat. Owlkit trotted into the middle of the camp, he glanced at a solid stone cave with a branch laid top. He came to the apprentices den. This was where Owlkit wanted to be welcome, but he was only a kit. Owlkit perked his ears to catch the morning sounds.
He heard the pounding of heavy feet on a dewy ground. Wind rustled the forest into wakefulness; the Evening patrol was on there way home. Owlkit had always wanted to spend a night out on patrol, seeing the night sights. Fresh scents of the wild forest, flooded over him, as well as the smell of prey.
Owlkit knew they were coming; he dashed toward the nursery, his paws making no sound to awake them. Almost at once, Owlkit jumped onto Pinekit's side. She gave a loud grunt at the sudden impact. Pinekit gave a playful hiss as she figured out it was Owlkit.
"The patrols are arriving sleepy head! They got fresh kill" he mewed excitedly
"The patrols not back you stupid furball." Meowed Pinekit
"It's here just wait." Insisted Owlkit, just moments later the Evening Patrol burst through the entrance, with the scents of the forest with them. "Told you so."
Pinekit rolled her eyes, at her rambunctious brother.
Owlkit gave a friendly whack to the side of the head before returning to his playing outside. Owlkit was quick to get under the warriors feet, asking what was out there. Also what they had seen heard and found while patrolling the borders. But Owlkit quickly lost interest as he saw the prey dropped into the Foodpile. He rushed over to it for the freshest catch, and first pick. He checked every piece before choosing one, making everyone else wait.
Seeing that this feet was accomplished he began to feel full of himself and grabbed a fat large wood mouse and began marching toward Pinekit with head held high. He began strutting over toward his sister, with his long orange tail straight in the air. A small rock stood in his path, with his eyes closed. Owlpaw tripped head over tail, the fat Wood Mouse went flying through the chilled air.
It landed right in between his sisters ears on his sister's head. Then Shrewkit came charging over to his siblings, amber eyes flaring with uncontrolled anger. Pinekit shook the mouse from her head, to make sure Shrewkit didn't see it. Shrewkit was cruel and never forgets anything a cat did that embarrassed them.
Owlkit staggered onto unsure feet, he glanced at Shrewkit as he began to charge toward them. Unsheathing his claws for traction, he began to dash toward the charging Shrewkit. He kicked up and pounced onto Shrewkit's back. Owlkit giggled like a little kit at this, but Shrewkit was not amused. He struggled away from his bother, and faced them his amber eyes slightly glaring at Owlkit.
"Why didn't you wake me Owlkit?" demanded Shrewkit, his grey fur starting to bristle
"Temper, temper Shrewkit, I didn't wake you cause you need all the beauty sleep you can get." Meowed Owlkit, he started to snigger
Shrewkit flicked his tail crossly and marched to the mouse at Pinekit's feet and took it. Quietly he moved back into the nursery as he started to eat. Owlkit returned to the Foodpile and took a scrawny vole.
"Do you want to share this one Pinekit?" asked Owlkit with a mouthful of vole, it was a bit stringy but he was hungry.
"Okay, let's go to that sunny patch over there," she walked over to a warm clump of grass and lay down. "You should really not pick on Shrewkit, Owlkit it's not nice even if he's the smallest." She whispered when Owlkit got closer.
"I'm sorry Pinekit, but it can be fun to pick on a younger brother." Said Owlkit as he sat down beside her.
Pinekit sighed and took a bite of the vole, Owlkit took a bite as she finished. The vole was small and underfeed, it took few bites to finish it. Owlkit smelled the air; it was as fresh as always but with just a bit colder.
Leaf-bare must be coming. He thought, Owlkit fluffed up his dark orange fur. The young kit walked back to the nursery where it was always warm. A sharp breeze was blowing through, a small hole in the bramble walls beamed with sunlight. Owlkit ignored it, for it was never his job to fix things. As he entered, Owlkit spotted his mother; Sandtail was slowly grooming her pale fur.
Owlkit gave a purr of greeting
Sandtail gently groomed his soft kitten fur "You really shouldn't mess with are warriors, Owlkit. When you become a warrior you won't like a little kit crawling under your feet." She scolded his gently
Owlkit didn't seem fazed and rubbed against her legs "When I'm a warrior I'm going to let all the kits go out into the forest when they want, and I'll do it!"
Sandtail just smiled and licked his between the ears, the Queen trotted out of the Nursery to fetch herself some prey.
Owlkit watched her leave and he was left alone with his own thought. He always wanted to be leader of Serpentclan, but he had to wait his turn. Maplestar was leader, he was wise and always alert. He had light grey eyes that could stare down any cat. He had silver around his muzzle from moons of service to his clan. But he was always kind and a fierce fighter.
But he was getting older, and a large adder had already taken a life away from Maplestar as it was killed. Owlkit admired him; he was so brave and noble what cat wouldn't like him. He yawned and stretched the morning was almost over and he needed a cat nap. Owlkit curled up into a ball and fell straight to sleep, thinking of being a leader.
Owlkit opened his dark green eyes slowly the sleep had given him more energy. As his vision became clearer he was looking into a pair of cold amber eyes, Owlkit jumped back in surprise and gave a small squeal of alarm. His brother, Shrewkit was staring him straight in the face, which always glowed with ambition. Owlstar gave a low growl of hate; the ginger kit tackled his smaller brother. Shrewkit was faster and dodged to the side, laughing. His laugh was cruel, and only used when he saw pain.
Owlkit stared at his with frustration, he narrowed his eyes to slits, unhappy that he had lost, and Shrewkit got the chance to humiliate him. The defeated kit stomped grumpily out of the nursery into the fresh air. It cleared his senses to be out; the light winds soothed him, and relived him of his anger. Owlkit gazed around the clearing, Pinekit was stalking a Grasshopper. Lizardfur was yawning; he shook the sand from his dark grey pelt. The warrior dens always were coated with sand that proved to be comfortable during New-leaf. The senior warrior, walked over to join Foxpelt, which had awakened. They began grooming each other and sharing the morning news, also known as Sharing Tongues. Over under Mighty Oak, Orangefur lay in the shade with her daughter Snakepaw. Lionpaw and Wolfpaw were wrestling near the apprentice den, the sand scattered like mice. Owlkit felt envy claw as his belly, he wanted to become an apprentice dearly! But he had to wait.
But soon he would be joining them; he wanted to battle train with the warriors! Hunt in the forest, and fighting off other clans. For all the clans were at war, no camp was safe from the fox-hearted Darkclan. They would kill any cat that got in their way. Mistclan was not as big of a worry; they grew fat from the bountiful river that ran through the misty hollows that they lived in. Moonclan were night hunters, they killed in the moonlit skies. Pelts glowing silver under the glowing moon.
Owlkit's fur prickled with excitement, he couldn't wait to be fighting with his clan mates!
Suddenly Owlkit's ears stood on end, his fur began to bristle. The rapid pounding of terrified paws rippled across the ground. His eyes grew wide, of fear of what could have happened.
"Pinekit, cats, they're coming and they're scared!" murmured Owlkit
Pinekit looked over to her wide eyed brother, "W-what do you mean?"
"I can hear terrified paw steps rushing toward camp, something as gone wrong."
"Should we tell Pebblefur?" She asked weakly
Owlkit looked at her, his green eyes ablaze with fear for the scared cats. "No need to tell them they're here." He meowed softly
Finally Pinekit heard the rushed paw steps, and so did every other cat in the camp. A sharp yowl pierced the air, as a wounded cat dragged its self into the camp. It was Mouseheart, her paws were bleeding badly. The young cat was gasping for air.
"Darkclan attacked" She finally gasped "To many! At the border"
With her final words she collapsed from the strain. The clearing was silent; in tell Maplestar came out from his den "Get Pebblefur!" He ordered "Orangefur, Lizardfur, Icepelt, Lionpaw, and Snakepaw! Go to the Darkclan border!"
Owlkit watched them fulfill their leaders orders, before thinking Owlkit ran to Orangefur "Can I come?!" He asked with big eyes "I'm almost an apprentice!"
The deputy looked straight at him "Almost is not enough, return to the nursery!" She growled
His ears flattened against his head, he had never heard Orangefur so serious. Owlkit knew he shouldn't have asked in the first place, he would've been torn to pieces by the much larger, viscous Darkclan cats.
The kit shrunk back and slinked into the safety of the nursery, his mother was sitting near the entrance. Her fur standing on end, tail twitching worriedly.
Owlkit looked into the faces of the warriors going out to battle, fear clouded their eyes. It interested him, made him think. His sinister, sly mind liked it, he would welcome all fear.
The young cat looked at her with concern, his own father Lionfire had been killed by Darkclan. Owlkit still wished he was around to watch his become an apprentice. Then later become a warrior. His barley remembered his dad, but even so he missed him dearly.
Owlkit lay down by Sandtail's feet, he gently licked her. His mother looked down at him and forced a smile onto he worried face.
Owlkit noticed that Maplestar was still staring at where his warriors had left for battle. Eyes glazed over, he began to walk towards Maplestar, to the dismay of Sandtail, who had started licking him. He looked straight at him, and what he said seemed to have surprised him a bit.
"There going to be ok Maplestar" He meowed, it surprised himself a bit too.
Maplestar raised an eye brow his curiosity, but he couldn't help smiling at the little kit "Your right Owlkit they will be fine" with that said he started toward his own den.
The kit sat, his mind racing, was his brave leader worried for his clan mates, over a border fight. This confused for a long time, but he let it go. The sun was beginning to sink in the horizon; a screech split the silent air. Every cat in camp seemed to flinch and look towards the entrance, no one was there.
Border fights were dangerous but never had they ever lasted this long. Everyone was anxious, something wasn't right. With the last wisps of light began to disappear with the sun, most cats began to head in. Tails twitching with worry. Owlkit was one of them that worried about his clan mates, he didn't know why, but he did.