Spottedleaf's Heart/Chapter 1

==Chapter description==
:Spottedkit plays with her denmates in the clearing, pretending to be Clan leader. She stands on top of a tree-trunk, looking down at her loyal warriors. The tortoiseshell declares that ThunderClan is way better than rogues, and Redkit moves to attack. Spottedkit jumps down from the trunk, marching over to her littermate. She protests that she hasn't given the signal yet, hauling him off of Brindlekit. Frostkit mentions that no one knows what it's supposed to be, and she huffs. The tortoiseshell gets frustrated that Redkit ruined her game, and demotes him from deputy. Willowkit offers to be deputy, but Spottedkit insists she can't because she's already medicine cat. The she-kit protests that she wants to fight in the battle instead. Whitepaw steps up, offering to take Willowkit's place, but Spottedkit snaps that it's not his decision. The apprentice scowls, saying that she's bossy, and he won't play the role of a rogue. Eventually, her denmates become tired of her bossing them around and leave to play a different game.
:Spottedkit is disheartened, and trots over to Swiftbreeze. Her mother comforts the kit, saying that sometimes it's good to give power to others, as well. The queen reminds her that every cat needs someone to depend on, just as Sunstar has Tawnyspots organize the patrols. Spottedkit insists that when she's leader, she'll be in charge of the patrols. She meows that Whitepaw will be her deputy because he's kind and smart, and he tells off Tigerpaw whenever he shows off new fighting moves he learned from Thistleclaw. Swiftbreeze comments that the apprentice shouldn't be learning so much as his age, but Spottedkit disagrees. The tortoiseshell points out that Leopardfoot, his mother, doesn't oppose it because she wants him to be the best warrior ever.
:The gorse tunnel rustles as a hunting patrol returns to camp. Spottedkit pads over to the fresh-kill pile, and she nods a greeting to Tawnyspots. The deputy nods back at her, then steps back to let Thistleclaw deposit his prey on the pile. Spottedkit approaches the warrior, and he sees her looking at a thrush, offering her the feathers for her nest. She is unsure, knowing that the elders should get them first. Thistleclaw blinks encouragingly, so she accepts the gift from him. Whitepaw comes over and asks if he can have some too, and Thistleclaw obliges. The warrior scrapes some from the chest of the thrush, pawing them to him. Spottedkit's thoughts drift, thinking that Thistleclaw is really young to have a son who's already an apprentice. She then thinks that he is a pretty good father, spending time with Whitepaw every day. The she-kit irritably reflects that her own father, Adderfang, insists that she's too young to learn anything.
:Spottedkit teases the apprentice that if he has more feathers, his warrior name could be Wingnose. She dabs more feathers on his ears, questioning how many more he might need to fly. Thistleclaw holds out another pawful, so the kit puts one more on Whitepaw's nose, sticks two on his cheeks. Suddenly, Bluefur comes over and tells them to stop, as it's a waste of bedding. She scolds them both, and then reprimands Thistleclaw as well. The tom is offended, especially when the warrior goes on about his training methods with Tigerpaw. Bluefur says that Tigerpaw is lazy when it comes to anything other than battle practice, and lacks in other necessary skills. Thistleclaw retorts that Tigerpaw will learn all he needs to know by the time he's a warrior. The two warriors seem ready to fight, but Bluefur walks away.
:Suddenly, Brindlekit and Redkit pounce on Thistleclaw from behind. They wind him, and he struggles to breathe. Spottedkit remembers the feeling from when she fell off the tree trunk, of waiting for air to return. She helps him regain his breath, telling him to stay still and take little breaths. Spottedkit asks Whitepaw to fetch Featherwhisker, and the white apprentice races away. However, by the time the medicine cat comes, Thistleclaw is fully recovered. The two toms find the situation funny, as the full-grown cat was knocked down by kits. Thistleclaw thanks her, commenting that she might be a good medicine cat one day. She replies her paws are set on the path of a warrior, and the warrior amends he would be proud to fight beside her.
==Characters==
===Major===
*Spottedkit
*Thistleclaw
===Minor===
===Mentioned===
==Notes and references==
fr:‎Spottedleaf's Heart/Chapitre 1
Category:Novellas
Category:Spottedleaf's Heart
Category:Chapter subpages