Short Stories

---SHORT STORIES---

## Prolouge

Shadowpool bounded across the clearing and into the wet, damp nursery.

            "*My kits!"* Shadowpool yowled, as he saw Dewtail sprawled across the nursery floor.

            "They're not ready until another half-moon Shadowpool, have some patience." Dewtail hissed.

            Shadowpool looked across the nursery to see Tenderkit, Mousetail's kit, nibbling on a huge vole while Mousetail watched him, staring right at her son's twisted paw. Tenderkit was a shy little kit, and never had a denmate before. Tenderkit gingerly got up, tripped on some wet moss that Softtuft had left for the nursing queens and flew right onto Dewtail's swelled up stomach. *Oof!*

            "Dewtail!" Tenderkit yowled, just as he was trying to get up from off the floor.

            "Watch where you're going kit!" Dewtail hissed in retaliation, almost frightening the poor kit.

            "Er..." Tenderkit squealed, trying to find what to say. "Sorry Dewtail!" Tenderkit squeaked while running outside of the nursery.

            "Tenderkit! Get back here!" Mousetail sprang up and ran over there, trying to chase down her kit.

2              WARRIORS SHORT STORY: SINGESTAR'S DECEPTION

            Shadowpool pictured a flame colored tom and a silver-ish white kit standing next to their mother, proud that they were Shadowpool's kits.

            "Hello? Shadowpool?" a mysterious voice said. Shadowpool must of dozed off, because when he awoke, it was past sun-high!

            "Huh? Who's there?" Shadowpool  meowed without opening his eyes. *Wow! I must sound like a cranky old elder.* Shadowpool opened his eyes and saw a gray tom looming over him. It was Beechfoot, deputy of ShadowClan. Shadowpool must of been asleep for a long time, when he awoke, almost all of the cats were out of their nests, unlike when he went to see Dewtail almost all of the cats were in their nests.

            "Shadowpool?" Beechfoot said once again, trying to make sure that Shadowpool was awake and knew that he was there.

            "I'm up," Shadowpool meowed, and he sprung to his paws and started stretching on the marshy clearing floor. "What do you need, Beechfoot? It's been a while since you called me over." Shadowpool felt embarrassed to make the deputy of ShadowClan wait for him while he was sleeping.

            "I need you to lead a hunting patrol with you, Ravenpaw and Autumnmist Now." Beechfoot growled as he padded back to the warrior's den.

            *What's his problem? Can't a cat get some shut eye in the clearing?* Shadowpool padded over to the warrior's den to get Autumnmist.

**"Hunting patrol? Coming!" Autumnmist purred, sounding amused to go hunting. After Shadowpool rounded up Autumnmist and Ravenpaw, the three set off into the pine forest that is the ShadowClan territory.**

## Chapter 1

***CHAPTER 1***

            Singekit could hear the squealing of his sister, Willowkit right next to him. *Is that... Willowkit? Do I have a silver pelt like her's?*  Dewtail bent down and licked Singekit's ear. He could hear the paws of a huge cat pounding onto the cold marsh, heading straight towards the nursery.

            "*My kits!* They're finally here!" Shadowpool yowled, for the whole clan to hear.

            "Yes Shadowpool, they're here. Finally." Dewtail chuckled. Singekit could hear Softtuft padding into the nursery with some weird leaves in her mouth. *Would my eyes be like Shadowpool's?*

            "Here you go Dewtail, it's chervil, chew it up and swallow. It'll help ease the pain from kitting." Softtuft purred, her voice sounded so beautiful to Singekit.

            Singekit could hear Greenflower, Mousetail and Mossyrock pad into the nursery, probably going to check on the best kit. *Me...*

            "Has Singekit opened his eyes yet? It seems like Willowkit already has." Greenflower persuaded Dewtail to tell, as if she could not already see that they haven't.

 4            WARRIORS SHORT STORY: SINGESTAR'S DECEPTION

            "Of course not, Greenflower. He'll open them when he is ready." Dewtail purred, licking both of her kits on their ears. *Am I ready? I am ready!* While the other cats were gossiping about the Clan, Singekit felt as if he had to at the moment open his eyes. *One. Two. Three!*  Singekit meowed silently to himself, as he started to blink his eyes open and closed. Willowkit padded up to her brother and sat down next to him, with her tail going up and down. Singekit wanted to swat it so badly but he couldn't, it felt like his body couldn't move.

            "Dewtail! Shadowpool! Singekit has opened his eyes!" Willowkit squeaked, trying to say some of her kin's names. All of the cats in the nursery turned their heads over to Singekit, even Tenderkit who was devouring a large mouse. *Why are they all staring at me..?*  Singekit felt like all the cats in the Clan's eyes were on him, like a spotlight.

            "Willowkit's right!" Dewtail meowed loudly. Every cat that was in the nursery and in the clearing could her Dewtail. Singekit wriggled his nose and started to smell something. *Mouse? Vole? No, cat...* All the scents hit his nose like an adder striking its prey. He could smell the warm scent of his mother's milk, and the scent of Shadowpool and other ShadowClan cats lingering around in the nursery.

            Singekit set his four paws onto the ground, and tried lifting himself up. *Oof!* He fell right back down. Then, he felt a cold wet nose touch his tail. *It was Dewtail!* Dewtail pushed Singekit upright, trying to make him stand up on all fours. Her wet and rough tongue licked at Singekit scruff she sent him off to go play with Willowkit and Tenderkit.

            Singekit was finally going out of the Nursery for the first time! Singekit raced out and pricked his ears for what Dewtail was about to say.

5              WARRIORS SHORT STORY: SINGESTAR'S DECEPTION

            "Don't go too far" Dewtail put in quickly before she saw her son go out of the Nursery.
            Dewtail finished, "And don't get separated from the other kits!"

            Singekit waved his tail in agreement and set off into the camp. *Wow! ShadowClan camp is surely big.* He could see many different cats, like Ravenpaw and Applepaw training together and Henflight with Elasticheart outside the elder's den.

            "Hi Singekit!" He heard Henflight call from the elder's den and she continued, "Come on over! Elasticheart and I want to get to know you."

            Singekit padded over to the elder's clearing and sat down on the grass.

            "It's a pleasure to meet you." Elasticheart purred. "You are Dewtail's kit right?"

            Singekit nodded.

            "Ah yes. Dewtail was my kit. Deadstar's too." Elasticheart finally spoke.

            "Look your denmates! Go on and play with them!" Henflight purred as she sounded delighted for Singekit to leave them.

            Padding over to the other three kits who were Tenderkit, Willowkit and Fleetkit.

            "Singekit! About time you came out. Come and play a game of moss ball with us!" That was Fleetkit, Tenderkit's brother and Singekit's denmate.

            Singekit nodded and padded to the group of kits.

            "You'll never beat me!" Willowkit yowled.

6              WARRIORS SHORT STORY: SINGESTAR'S DECEPTION

            "Oh, you think so, Willowkit?" Fleetkit sounded in alarm. "Let the game begin!" Fleetkit began, "Tenderkit and Singekit will be on team stick." and he continued, "and Willowkit and I will be team feather."

            Fleetkit yowled as he started the games, and threw the moss ball into the arena. Willowkit when after it and it flew across the camp and bumped straight into a willow tree. It bounced off the bark and flew right near the team stick goal. Tenderkit hesitated, wanting to get the moss ball but knew  he couldn't. *It's now my time to prove I can be a ShadowClan cat!* Singekit thought.

            Singekit ran straight towards the moss ball, teeth gritting while he prepared to bite straight into the lining of moss. When he was about to grab the moss ball, Fleetkit grabs it.

            "You snooze you lose!" Fleetkit taunted Singekit.

            Singekit lashed his tail and growled, "Next time let's see who is the victor!"

            Out of the corner of his eye, Mousetail and Dewtail ran outside of the nursery to see their kits fighting.

            "Fleetkit! Singekit! Stop!" Mousetail spats, while lashing her tail.

            "I am very disappointed in your behavior, Singekit." Dewtail said, he words struck Singekit like a waterfall.

            "Now get back into the Nursery. All of you." Mousetail sneered.

            Singekit nodded and went to the Nursery with his head low and his tail drooping.