Chapter 2
Darkkit walked out the nursery with Sandstorm, Squirrelkit and Leafkit near her. It was their apprentice ceremony - finally! Squirrelkit and Darkkit were excited and prancing about happily. Leafkit hid under Sandstorm shyly. As they walked toward Highrock Darkkit caught sight of Cloudtail, Brightheart and Whitekit, who had been born about the same time as Ferncloud's kits. Whitekit was about to go over to play with them when Brightheart coiled her tail around her.
"Sandtorm," Firestar meowed happily.
"Firestar," she mewed back.
The two bolder kits looked at each other – smiles bursted on their faces as they saw even their parents were excited for their ceremony.
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"I am proud to see the day when my kits become apprentices. I will be prouder when they receive their warrior names." Firestar meowed proudly as his gaze passed over the kits. He beamed proudly at Leafkit and Squirrelkit but as his gaze passed over Darkkit his muscles suddenly dropped his smile and he frowned on her. Darkkit blinked and suddenly his gaze was on the three kits and he smiled once again.
"From this day forward, until she has earned her warrior name this kit will be known as Squirrelpaw. Dustpelt, your mentor was Redtail. I hope that, as you did with Ashfur you will pass on great skills to this apprentice." Firestar meowed as Squirrelpaw bounded off to sit by the brown tabby tom who had become her mentor. And instead of in front of Highrock, as it was tradition, Squirrelpaw and Dustpelt touched noses where Dustpelt sat.
"And this kit will be known as Leafpaw. Cinderpelt will be her mentor, teaching her the ways of a medicine cat." Leafpaw hesitantly waited for Cinderpelt to limp up to Highrock and touched noses with Leafpaw.
"And finally this kit will be known as Darkpaw and her mentor will be Graystripe." Darkpaw was about to bolt over to Graystripe when she saw his grim face. She sat in her spot. She looked around at the other cats she could see. They all had grim expressions as well. She touched noses with Graystripe and walked off. As a matter of fact, everyone frowned at her.
She ran to the apprentice's den, expecting more smiles then frowns. As she walked in everyone was smiling but as Sorrelpaw saw her come in her smile turned into a frown. Rainpaw and Sootpaw's smiles turned to frowns as they saw her. Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw didn't frown though.
Did every cat in the Clan know there was something's wrong with me except the kits, Leafpaw and Squirrelpaw? Darkpaw asked herself as she prodded the moss to make her nest.