Frecklekit sighed in boredom as she groomed herself, lapping her light tan fur, her emerald eyes flickering. There was absolutely NOTHING to do today.
Graykit and Wolfkit had become apprentices that day, leaving only two kits in the Nursery, Morningtree pregnant with Duskfeather's kits. Humblepaw and Shrewpaw had also become warriors, earning the names Shrewfoot and Humbledawn.
Jaggedear had the option to return to her duties and leave the Nursery now, but instead, she stayed there for Rainkit and Frecklekit. In one moon they'd be apprentices now. They just had to pass through this leaf-bare. Near the end of leaf-bare, not only would they become apprentices, but the kits would come! Frecklekit sighed once again. So much stuff to remember. She stopped grooming herself and snuggled closer to Rainkit and pulled Jaggedear's tail to her chest. The spotted kit glanced at the moon peering through the leaves and shivered.
Suddenly, an unfamiliar cry rang throughout the clearing. It was so loud that even Jaggedear jumped up, the gray cat glaring around, confused.
Rainkit shrieked as a giant bird-like creature with yellow eyes blocked the moon, looking inside the den as if it was choosing who it was going to eat first.
"Wh-what is that?!" the spotted cat shrieked.
It opened it's mouth and a terrifying "WHO" leaped out from it's beak. She couldn't help it. Tears came to her green eyes and she started to bawl. Soon, it flew away, a
yowl sounding nearby.
Pinestar burst into the den. "Is everyone okay?!" he asked.
Frecklekit sniffled as Jaggedear nodded. "Yeah. Frecklekit just got a little frightened!"
"Hey, Frecklekit… it's okay…" Rainkit frowned, pushing her forehead against her furry chest.
She stopped crying soon. "Th-thank you, Rainkit…" fear still lurked in her voice, lacing her eyes.
The leader turned around with a soft and gentle smile, before his expression quickly shifted to a serious one and he leaped away.
"That Who last night was REALLY REALLY scary…" Frecklekit shivered.
"It's called a Who?" the grey kit blinked.
"Well, that's the sound that it made!" her friend exclaimed.
"Hmm… makes sense. After all, Wolfpaw and Graypaw called those weird cat-like animals Barks!" Rainkit nodded.
She slurped up the last of her mouse before she shook once again. "Still… Pinestar said that it stole Berrytooth!" the spotted cat mewed.
Rainkit frowned. "I never really knew him." she said truthfully.
"Yeah." Frecklekit sighed before she rolled a mossball around.
"Frecklepaw! Rainpaw! Frecklepaw! Rainpaw!" the clan cheered, Jaggedear's yowls the loudest.
Frecklepaw's tail flicked with happiness. Her mentor, Hollowstem, stood beside her tall, the cream-coloured cat seriously glancing at the crowd with a promising look in his eyes.
Duskfeather grinned excitedly beside Rainpaw, glancing at the Nursery at the two suckling kits, Heatherkit and Ratkit.
"Meeting dismissed." Pinestar spoke. He then leaped off of the Stone Platform and whispered something to the plump Medicine Cat, Yellowspark, who then nodded and hobbled away.
"Well? Are we gonna go hunting or what?" Hollowstem smirked at Frecklepaw. A goofy smile got placed onto the apprentice's face before she ran off. "RACE YOU!" she called over her shoulder, despite not knowing where the hunting grounds were.
Frecklepaw woke up with a yawn. Greenpaw was grooming himself, Wolfpaw and Greypaw were sharing tongues and Rainpaw was off. On patrol, I think. the apprentice thought.
She began to groom herself tiredly.
The light tan cat got up and shook her fur, a tired look lurking throughout her eyes.
Duskfeather peered in, making the young cat groan. It was probably a patrol or whatnot again. Tinybite once told her that being a kit may be hard, but being an Apprentice was harder. Now she understood what he meant by that. Her vision was blurry each and every day, and her paws ached.
Duskfeather chuckled. "Are you tired?" the black cat asked, as if it was all a joke. "I'll let you have the day off, kay? But tomorrow we're going on three patrols." he then turned around and went off.
Relief swept through her, until-
"AROOOOOO!"
Oh no.
It was either wolves or barks. Or maybe it was a…
Frecklepaw shivered.
Maybe it was a who again.
This pried her eyes wide open, pupils turning tiny. All of her senses came rushing back to her as her fur spiked up with fear.
"WOLVES!" Tinybite's voice cried. A guttural shriek, a deafening and frightened yowl, came from Graypaw.
Wolfpaw lunged into action, Frecklepaw following close behind. The furry beasts started to tear the camp apart. Two of them tore for the Nursery, one darted towards the Elders Den and three leaped towards the tunnel underneath the Storm Platform, also known as the leader's den.
They were too big to fit into it and instead barked loudly, as if pleading for a challenge as their brown eyes gleamed with a lust and hunger for bloodshed.
Immediately, the spotted cat ran towards the Elder's Den, her pace quickening each moment as she then remembered the wolf rummaging around in there. She dove in, only to see Tinybite and Noblefang snarling at the creature, batting it with their claws and kicking it in the head as if they were leaders. It fell limp to the ground.
"Tinybite, Noblefang, you-!" she spoke a little too early, for the wolf leaped up and ran towards Tinybite.
It made a clean swipe for his neck with his teeth.
The cat toppled over.
"TINYBITE, NO!" Frecklepaw cried. "You… you… MENACE!" she ran forward, but instead of getting her rightful revenge, the wolf headbutted her and she was knocked out.