Ashkit popped awake, she looked around the nursery; Blossomtuft and her four kits were sleeping in their nests. She stood up and stretched her back, before walking out of the den.
The gray kit looked around the clearing, seeing Longpaw, Yellowpaw, Clawpelt, Thistlefur and Silverheart near the elders den. She padded up to the group of cats, Longpaw and Yellowpaw both looked over to her.
"Hey Ashkit!" Longpaw purred as Yellowpaw rolled eyes, "Want to help us clear out the elders den for new moss?"The tortoiseshell apprentice asked, Ashkit nodded yes and the three of them walked into the elders den.
The group padded into the elders den, Skywing looked up from the mouse she was eating. "Hello you three" she purred.
"Hi Skywing, where's Eaglesong?" Longpaw asked the old she-cat. "He's out hunting" Brackenfall replied in a harsh tone. Ashkit looked at the elder in surprise.
"Don't worry; Brackenfall's been like that since last moon." The light silver she-cat chuckled as Brackenfall hissed, "Will you three just change my moss and get out"
"Be nice to them Brackenfall." Skywing scolded as the three young cats began to take away the old moss.
The group padded back out of the den at Sunhigh, Longpaw asking his littermate what happened at the gathering as they went to the nursery.
"C'mon Yellowpaw, tell us what happened!" Longpaw demanded, before he and Ashkit sat down.
"Can't you two wait? Froststar said that she'll tell the Clan later." Yellowpaw hissed slightly as she sat down.
Silverheart and Thistlefur padded over to the three cats. "Are you two done cleaning out the elders den?" The white and silver she-cat questioned the two apprentices, they both nodded and Thistlefur continued.
"Good. You two are needed for a hunting patrol with Applefern, Beetlescar, Gorseclaw, and Sweetflower."
Longpaw and Yellowpaw both stood up, Yellowpaw started to walk to the small group of cats waiting near the entrance of the camp while Longpaw just looked back at the gray kit.
"I'll see you when we get back." His soft glaze swept over her, "Bye Longpaw" The gray kit squeaked goodbye. The white-and-black tom smirked and ran over to his littermate.
"Blossomtuft can we go outside?" Ashkit heard one of the four kits inside of the nursery ask their mother. "Not right now, Fallenkit. All of you need to eat and rest, and then you four can go play outside."
"Please Blossomtuft!" A little she-cat begged, "I said no, Rosekit, you can sleep first, then go out and play."
After Blossomtuft said that the kits went quiet, so Ashkit slowly went into the nursery and laid down in her nest, quickly drifting off the sleep.
The gray she-kit woke up on a grassy moorland; looking around herself she saw a dark gray tabby padding over to her.
She watched the tom swiftly walk over to her; he stopped in front of her and grinned. "Hello, Ashkit" The tom purred as Ashkit's eyes filled with shock.
"Smokewhisker, is that really you?" The gray kit asked, the larger tabby nodding after she spoke, "Of course it's me, I'm the one who brought you to this moorland, I've been wanting to talk to you. Alone"
"What did you want to tell me?" Ashkit inquired, her father sat down in front of her. He flicked his tail, indicating for her to sit down with him. The tabby she-kit sat down as Smokewhisker began to talk.
"Starclan sa-" The large tom started to say but was interrupted by a cat yowling. Ashkit looked over and saw a cat running towards them.
"Smokewhisker what did we tell you?" The brown tom hissed as he slowed down and stopped beside the larger tom. Smokewhisker stood up and faced the smaller tom, "Rushpelt she needs to know!"
"No she doesn't, Starclan has already planned out her fate, and you cannot change it, Smokewhisker." The slender tom spat back to Smokewhisker before turning around, facing the way he came from.
"C'mon, we should get back to the hunting grounds before they come looking for you."
"Fine." The large gray tom grunted back to Rushpelt, before they both padded away from Ashkit, leaving her alone in the clearing.