Frozen Echoes (Story for FrostClan)

## Prologue

Black paws trekked through deep snow. A blizzard raged around the figure, but they didn’t care. They kept walking, journeying to their new home. Only one thing kept them from collapsing in the cold snow, and waiting to become crowfood. Hope. Hope that they could finally get a better life- finally get another chance. A flicker of hope passed through the cats, but the leader’s face stayed grim.

“Can’t we rest?” one cat panted. “This is the worst snowstorm I’ve ever seen!” A black tabby with a long scar on his back who walked beside the leader cat snarled and spun around to face the traveler who had complained.

“Stay behind if you want. See if I care.” The large black she-cat in the lead stopped, and turned around. She narrowed her eyes at all the travelers, and took one pawstep towards them.

“Stop bickering,” she growled. “Do you want to get a new home or not?” Her eyes flicked to the sky, and she yowled a warning. Above, a falcon was circling the cats, deciding when to attack. She knew there was no chance of hiding; the cats’ pelts were too dark. The cats unsheathed their claws and got ready for a fight. Even in a snowstorm, they were ready to defend themselves.

Suddenly, the falcon dived, and all the cats lunged at it. The lead one pounced onto it, raked her claws across its back, and sunk her teeth into its neck. The falcon tried to take off back into the sky, but the cats held it down, so eventually they felt it go slack. They stopped attacking the falcon, and glanced at each other hungrily.

“Oh, go ahead. Food is food,” meowed the lead cat dismissively. She chomped down on the falcon, thankful for some nice, warm food.

After all the cats had eaten their fill, they padded on through the snow and ice. Eventually, the blizzard let up, but the cats were still practically pure white and freezing from all the snow. Nevertheless, they persisted, ready for warmer territories after they got out of this barren wasteland of ice.

The lead cat shook her pelt, spraying snow everywhere. She stopped, and scented the air. A hopeful glint shone in her eye for a second. They were almost to the rainforest. Home.

Night was falling, and the stars shone above. All the cats wondered if the so-called Starblaze really did live up there, watching over them. Thoughts of sleep and warm nests also passed through their minds, but they dismissed it. The leader again stopped to take in the scent of life. Without warning, she dashed ahead for the border determinedly. The leader again stopped to take in the scent of life. Without warning, she dashed ahead for the border determindly.

*Home.*

*This is our territory.*

*We can do it.*

*Watch out, Clans, we’re coming for you!*

The cats yowled proudly as they crossed the border into the rainforest. They breathed in the wonderful rainforest scents, knowing that soon, they could finally get the life they had always deserved. That every cat deserves.

*Except Mother and Father. I wonder where they are now… Did Mother go to Starblaze? I hope not. And father…? He probably died a fool. But sister… Could she be in the clans? ...Does she know? I must find her. She could either be-*

Fierce growls surrounded the cats, so they stopped, unsheathed their claws, and bared their teeth. A large flame-colored she-cat with black stripes emerged from the undergrowth, and sized up the cats. Her sharp blue eyes unnerved them, and finally the lead cat couldn’t stand it anymore.

“What do you want?” she spat at the she-cat. The she-cat just calmly returned her gaze. “I am Emberstar, leader of EarthClan. Who are you?” she responded, sheathing her claws.

“*I* am Echo. *He*,” she flicked her tail at the large black tom next to her. “is Raven. We have come here to seek a new home. Life as a rogue is hard, and we thought clan life would suit us better. You see, my parents were clan cats, but they left the clans and raised me as a loner. I have always wanted to come back to the clans, and I brought some cats with me that would also like to come. We were wondering if you have any more room in your clan,” Echo responded. Emberstar looked unbelievingly at the large group of loners, and flicked her tail, so the cats that had come with her would go back to their camp.

“Well, EarthClan alone doesn’t have that much room for all your cats, but we could take a few, and then the others could go to other clans. FrostClan is closest, but SunClan also borders with us. MoonClan is extremely hostile towards visitors, and will attack on sight, but BreezeClan might also let you in…” she responded warily. Echo narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Emberstar. Was she telling the truth, or just lying so the loners would get off her territory?

The loners sheathed their claws, and relaxed, but Echo didn’t. She wasn’t sure Emberstar was being entirely truthful, and she wanted to be ready, just in case...

## Chapter One

Silverkit rolled over nearer to her mother’s warm fur. She breathed in her wonderful, milky scent, and her stomach rumbled. Silverkit stood up. Whitesinger, her mother, was still asleep, but as long as the sun was up, Silverkit was up. She started padding to the fresh-kill pile, surprised to see a reddish-brown blur fly past her and get there first.

*Reedkit!* Silverkit ran over to the big pile of prey, and picked out a big brown squirrel that was just *asking* for her to eat it. She plopped down next to Reedkit, and dug into her squirrel.

“When do you think you’re gonna be apprenticed?” Reedkit asked, eyes shining. “Probably in a few days. I *am* six moons today, after all,” Silverkit said proudly. She gulped down the last few bites of her squirrel, and watched the clan slowly wake up. A tall, cream figure walked out of her den underneath the roots of a huge oak tree in the center of camp, and looked around, surveying her camp proudly. *Morningstar,* Silverkit thought. Another figure, way smaller than Morningstar, padded over and stood beside her. Silverkit squealed in excitement.

“Frozenfeather!” she ran over to the white and blue-gray she-cat. Frozenfeather was the nicest, smallest, youngest, deputy ever. She was *amazing*. She played with Silverkit, taught her a few starter hunting lessons, and told her stories about the leader before Morningstar, Ryestar. One time Silverkit had asked her, “Were you alive when Ryestar was leader?” but, she just shook her head and said, “I wish I was.”

“Good morning, Silverkit,” she meowed. “I’m sorry, but I’m busy at the moment, and Whitesinger is probably worried about you. She already has enough kits to look after.” Morningstar grunted in agreement. “Whalekit, Quietkit, Sootkit, Beechkit and you! The nursery has been *packed* lately! We really need some new apprentices,” she said, her eyes twinkling at Silverkit. Silverkit nodded excitedly, and bounced back towards the nursery. Whitesinger looked at her in surprise when she walked through the narrow entrance tunnel.

“I thought you’d *never* come back!” she said sternly. “Don’t just wander off into camp without telling me!” She sighed, and scooted over a bit so Silverkit could curl up next to her. Silverkit blinked affectionately at her little siblings, Quietkit, Sootkit, and Beechkit. They were very young, and had only just opened their eyes, so they would still have a long time until they were apprentices. Her older brother, Whalekit, however, was long due apprenticeship, and was actually getting his ceremony the next day, according to Whitesinger.

Silverkit looked up, only to see Skymist, Briarshade, and Woodriver crawling through the entrance tunnel to the underground nursery. Whitesinger also looked up, and purred loudly as she saw her mate coming towards her and their kits.

“Ah, look, here come the mates,” she purred. Skymist sat beside Whitesinger, licking her fur affectionately, while Briarshade turned towards Brookstorm, and Woodriver to Willowsky. Silverkit stood upright, exhilarated by her father’s arrival. Flexing and unsheathing her claws, she pounced onto his back with a triumphant yowl. He spun his head around to look at his attacker, and relaxed when he only saw Silverkit.

“Nice work, Silverkit, but remember, claws sheathed in the nursery,” he said half-heartedly. Silverkit let go of her grip on Skymist, and padded towards her littermates, tail drooping. Whitesinger shot a fiery glare at him, and Skymist mouthed something to her that Silverkit couldn’t make out.

“Are you okay, Silverkit?” mewed a tiny voice. Silverkit turned around to see Swallowkit staring up at her with big, round eyes. She forced a smile and nodded, but quickly turned away, and padded out of the nursery. A light, freezing rain had started, but Silverkit didn’t care. She just wanted to be away from the nursery.

*Why doesn’t Skymist like me?* Whenever Silverkit had said hi to him, he always just gave her a quick, slight nod, and then turned away. He was never impressed by anything she did, and he never visited her or talked with her. Whitesinger would always glare at him, or worriedly glance at her, like there was something important that she wasn’t telling Silverkit. *Can’t he at least* try *to spend time with me? What’s wrong with me?*

Silverkit turned around, and saw Skymist and Whitesinger walking out of the nursery. *That’s strange. Where are they going?* Quietly, Silverpaw crept after them, making sure to stay out of their range of sight, and glad that the pitter-patter of the rain hid the sound of her pawsteps. She kept following them, all the way to the tunnel that led out of the camp, but then paused. *I’m not supposed to go out of camp until I’m an apprentice… Will anyone notice me?* Silverkit glanced around, and when she saw that everyone was taking shelter in their dens, she slipped into the tunnel. Whitesinger and Skymist kept walking, until finally they stopped in a thick bramble bush, so Silverkit hid under some bracken, and strained her ears to hear their conversation.

“So, Skymist… We need to talk about Silverkit,” Whitesinger started. Skymist looked down at his paws and sighed. “I know it may be hard because she’s different, but she’s still *my* kit. *Your* kit. I just need you to accept that.” Skymist stared into her eyes with a resigned expression.

“I know, it’s just… every time I look at her, I-” Silverkit didn’t want to hear the rest. Stealthily, she slipped back into the tunnel and dashed into the nursery. Her fur was plastered to her tiny frame, because of the rain, and Willowsky looked bewildered when she plopped down in her usual sleeping spot.

“Where have you *been*, Silverkit?!” she burst out sternly. Silverkit looked at her paws and muttered, “Nowhere.” Willowsky glanced worriedly at Brookstorm and Reedkit, who were fast asleep, and then turned back to her own kits.

Silverkit curled up, and quickly fell asleep. She dreamed of having to fight a battle against a number of cats that seemed endless. *I hate fighting,* Silverkit thought in her dream. *I want to heal, not fight. I want to help my clanmates by sharing dreams with Starblaze and interpreting omens. I want to be a medicine cat.*

“Come on, your brother is having his apprentice ceremony!” Silverkit woke up to Whitesinger impatiently prodding her in the side with her paw. She stood up and sleepily padded over to the center of camp. It was almost sun-high, and most other cats were already awake. Silverkit glanced hungrily at the fresh-kill pile, but stayed next to her mother, and watched Morningstar climb up Talloak, while Frozenfeather sat below on the roots.

“Let all cats old enough to fight gather below Talloak for a clan meeting. Today one young kit has reached the age of six moons, and is ready to begin warrior training. Whalekit, come up. Your mentor will be Rainshiver. Rainshiver, you are renowned for your agility and cunningness. I know that you will carry on your impressive skills to Whalekit. From here until you become a warrior, Whalekit, you shall be known as Whalepaw,” Morningstar announced, smiling.

“Whalepaw!”

“Whalepaw!”

“Whalepaw!”

Silverkit stared up at Whalepaw, eyes shining. She couldn’t wait until *she* was an apprentice. She turned around to look beside her where her mother had been sitting, but she had burst through the crowd, and was talking with Whalepaw. Silverkit’s heart sank. Skymist was there, too, eyes brimming with pride. He was purring so loudly Silverkit could hear him all the way on the other side of camp. *Will he be like that at* my *apprentice ceremony?*

Boldly, Silverkit padded over to her family and congratulated Whalepaw. She caught Skymist’s eye, and he smiled tentatively at her, but she just glared at him. *No, he probably won’t even* be *at my apprentice ceremony. He doesn’t care about me. Not at all.*

## Chapter Two

“Silverkit, quiet now. The story is starting. Once, long ago, there were five other clans. Those clans had recently settled in, and were getting used to the living, but over time, there were too many cats in the forest. Prey became scarce, and living was hard, so several individuals from each of the Clans decided to move to different territory. They eventually found an island, the same one we are on today! Those cats formed five new clans, SunClan, MoonClan, FrostClan, BreezeClan and EarthClan,” said Graysoul. Silverkit loved hearing the Graysoul’s stories, so she visited him quite often.

“Silverkit, come on, you know those stories aren’t true!” mewed Robinkit. *I bet you they are! I bet you on Starblaze it is!* thought Silverkit fiercely. She had always believed Graysoul’s stories, for he was the oldest in the clan. Then, she heard the voice of a small she-cat. Silverkit’s fur bristled in excitement. It had been a full quarter moon since she was officially six moons, and every announcement made Silverkit jump, especially Mistclaw and Fadingripple’s warrior ceremony, and Starpaw and Whalepaw’s apprentice ceremonies.

My *apprentice ceremony! Could it really be today?!* She raced over to Talloak, where everyone was standing, and waited for the announcement to start.

“Let all cats old enough to fight gather by Talloak for a Clan meeting. Yesterday, sadly, our wonderful leader, Morningstar, died. She served us well, so a vigil will be held for her tonight. Tomorrow, I will make my way to the Mooncove to receive my nine lives. My deputy will be Flarepelt. You are dismissed,” meowed Frozenfeather resignedly. Silverkit was still just a kit, but she understood what had happened. Morningstar was dead. Gone. Forever.

“Oh no!” she blurted out. Everyone whirled around to look at her, so Whitesinger quickly scooped her up, and brought her back inside the nursery. She obviously wasn’t happy, and she looked at her kit and sighed.

“Silverkit, the clan is in mourning. You don’t just yell stuff like that,” her mother meowed sternly. “But-” “No buts, Silverkit. You are over six moons old, and it is time that you start your training,” she continued. That sunk deep into Silverkit. Soon, she would be an apprentice, racing into battles, chasing down prey, and scenting the border to keep her territory safe. *But… do I* really *want to do that?* Silverkit asked herself. She pictured herself healing her clanmates, scouting for herbs, and dreaming with Starblaze. Her tail thrashed wildly in excitement. She wanted to be the medicine cat, but instead she would be a warrior.

“C-can I be the medicine cat -in training?” mewed Silverkit. There was a long pause, and Whitesinger sighed.

“...I suppose, but it’s not for me to say. Frozenfeath- star, will decide that,'' she said. Silverkit’s spirits lifted.

“Silverpaw! Silverpaw!” shouted the FrostClan cats. Silverpaw was welling up with pride, and was afraid she would burst. She was Snowthorn’s apprentice, and one day, FrostClan’s medicine cat!

“Patience, Silverpaw. Eventually they’ll get tired of yowling,” joked Snowthorn. Snowthorn was very popular among the clan, mostly because of how funny and lighthearted she was, even though she wasn’t exactly young. She loved to laugh, make jokes, and tease other clans. The whole clan would be devastated if *anything* happened to her. (Or if she did *anything* bad… hehe…)

“Remember, Silverpaw, tonight you will be having a vigil,” meowed Frozenstar seriously. Silverpaw just looked at her and nodded. Frozenstar was very young for a deputy, and now leader, so cats didn’t really respect her much, but she was still fierce and loyal. Silverpaw looked around at her clan. She knew every one of their names, and things about them. Up on Talloak, she almost felt like a leader. Then she saw Skymist. He was at the back of the crowd, studying his paws. Silverpaw wanted to break down and cry, right there. Why didn’t he care about her?

“Silverpaw, it’s time to climb down,” whispered Snowthorn. Embarrassment hit Silverpaw, and she quickly climbed down the huge oak in the center of camp. She padded to the fresh-kill pile, and started gulping down a vole so she would forget about Skymist. Sure enough, it worked. Excitement tingled in her, so much that she thought she couldn’t fall asleep if she tried.

“Frozenstar! Something strange is going on in EarthClan! I was patrolling the border and…” Flarepelt shouted as he bounded into camp, but broke off as he saw a long gash on Frozenstar’s hind leg. Silverpaw already knew what had happened. Frozenstar was hunting along the border, when three EarthClan cats attacked her. She said they had looked uneasy about what they were doing, but did it anyways. Soon, another patrol had appeared, so she only got one large cut, but the event was still strange.

“Frozenstar, what happened? Anyways… I have news. Along the border, I found Emberstar, dead,” Flarepelt continued. Silverpaw’s leader stared her deputy in shock. She flicked her tail, and the two disappeared into her den.

“I hope I can go to the next gathering!” joked Snowthorn. “EarthClan better explain themselves!” Silverpaw smiled. She had only been an apprentice for less than a quarter-moon, but she already felt so much more grown up. She knew she was still too young to go to a gathering, but that wasn’t a rule…

“Don’t worry, I’ll get Frozenstar to let you come!” said Snowthorn, answering her thoughts. Lots of cats seemed stressed about the whole EarthClan thing, but Silverpaw just didn’t see what it had to do with them. EarthClan probably attacked because Frozenstar was too close to the border, and Emberstar was probably killed by a fox or badger. Besides, that was *their* problem. FrostClan was a whole different clan with different problems.

Silverpaw basically got all the latest clan news from Snowclaw, who was close with Frozenstar. For example, today she would be making Robinkit an apprentice.

“Let all cats old enough to fight gather below Talloak for a clan meeting. Today one young kit has reached the age of six moons, and is ready to begin warrior training. Robinkit, come up. Your mentor will be Sunheart. Sunheart, you are known for your courage and loyalty. I know that you will pass on all of your knowledge to Robinkit. From here until you become a warrior, Robinkit, you shall be known as Robinpaw,” announced Frozenstar. Robinpaw touched noses with his new mentor, and then looked back at his clanmates, bouncing up and down.

“Robinpaw! Robinpaw! Robinpaw!” every cat chanted his new name. He leaped down from Talloak, and started talking with the other apprentices. Suddenly, a pang of loneliness hit Silverpaw. She should be over there, too. Sourly, she picked up some fresh-kill, her back to them. But, she glanced back at Robinpaw, and he noticed, but said nothing. Silverpaw quickly turned away, and stalked into the medicine cat den. She gulped up her mouse, and quickly drifted off to sleep.

“Silverpaw, know the path you should follow. Trust your heart,” said a voice in her dreams. When Silverpaw awoke, she had a terrible feeling, and then she remembered that today was a full moon, so there would be the annual truce with all the clans, to catch up on all the latest news and issues. Tonight, everyone would hear what was happening in EarthClan.

## Chapter Three

“Silverpaw, wake up!” said an energetic voice. Silverpaw groggily opened her eyes, and realized she had fallen back asleep. She heard Frozenstar’s voice outside of the medicine cat den, so she got up and followed Starpaw.

“I’m so glad I get to go to the gathering! I bet you Frozenstar is going to challenge EarthClan!” she mewed. “And we’ll get to see who the new leader is! Featherwood might have been killed too…” Silverpaw joined in. Then, when the two saw the group of cats going to the gathering, they raced to catch up, and Snowclaw dropped back to talk to them.

“This is going to be a good first gathering! I mean, Featherwood was a sensible cat, but the new leader might not be her. C’mon, let's hurry up!” said Snowthorn. Silverpaw watched her pale, dappled leader bound over dead logs and swerve around chunks of ice sticking out. She almost looked like a graceful icicle, with a ball of flames at her side. Flarepelt looked like actual fire compared to the cold, white landscape of FrostClan.

Finally, Frozenstar stopped, and then walked forward into the large cavern ahead of them. It was Glow Caven, the meeting spot of all the clans. Silverpaw opened her mouth, and took in the smells of SunClan, MoonClan, and BreezeClan. *EarthClan hasn’t gotten here yet. Are they coming to this gathering?* thought Silverpaw. As her clan settled down, Silverpaw took time to look around. It was a beautiful cave, with chunks of this stone that glowed sticking out of the walls. Most were green, but she saw some that were blue, or even purple.

“Ah, look! EarthClan is coming! We can start now,” announced Thunderstar, the BreezeClan leader. Then, a shape from the shadows leaped onto the giant ledge overlooking all the cats.

“Yes… We have arrived!” said an elegant black she-cat with light gray stripes. Uproar came from most of the cats below. *Who is she?* thought Silverpaw. She had a regal smile, a long, twisted scar like a diagonal slash along her snout, and a smaller scar above her eye.

“SILENCE!” she boomed. “I will go first. I am Echostar, leader of the newly established DawnClan.” more yowls of protest rose from below. “Emberstar was killed by rogues, and her deputy had just recently been made an elder, so I have become leader. But, since to many I am just a stranger, I thought that it might be time to make a new clan,” she continued. Many of the cats growled or muttered to another, so Echostar unsheathed her gleaming claws. Silverpaw noticed that an elder sitting near Echostar was smelling the air.

“Echostar is no leader,” he announced. “That scent.. you’re a rouge, aren’t you? I know that scent very well, and you have it all over you,” he glared at Echostar, who looked furious.

“How DARE you?!” she roared. “I am no rogue! I- I once was, but then Emberstar showed me how much better clan life is…” she lowered her head in mourning. Slowly, she leaped down from the rock, her head still down.

“Well, look at that, the glow stones are fading already. What a waste of a gathering,” grumbled the old MoonClan leader, Longstar. “No. Starblaze may be angry, but the gathering must continue. There is important news to discuss,” Frozenstar yowled. Cats started murmuring to one another, as they realized that Frozenstar was there instead of Morningstar. It was also shocking to hear her demand that the gathering must go on, even when Starblaze is angry.

“Well, Frozenfeather, it seems like you have some news to share, or is it Frozenstar, now? We have no recent news in BreezeClan, so you can go ahead,” sharply meowed Thunderstar, the BreezeClan leader. Frozenstar jumped up onto the tall ledge, looking down on all the cats. Then, the glow stones began to glow again. Starblaze was calm now.

“I am very sad to announce that our beloved leader Morningstar drowned recently,” many cats lowered their heads and yowled in sadness. “I have recently gone to Mooncove and received my nine lives, and my new name as a leader. Now I shall be called Frozenstar. We also have four new apprentices, Whalepaw, Starpaw, Robinpaw and Silverpaw, and two new warriors, Mistclaw and Fadingripple,” she reported. She leaped down, but neither Longstar or Wavestar, the SunClan leader, took her place.

“Well, Frozenstar told her *urgent* news, so the gathering is officially dismissed,” Wavestar meowed. Silverpaw’s mind was exploding with all the information she had just heard. But, she ended up with only two extremely pressing questions. What was the deal with this new DawnClan? Why didn’t Wavestar or Longstar tell their clan news?

“FrostClan, follow me,” Frozenstar meowed. Slowly, Silverpaw got up and followed her leader back to camp. On their way back, the cats were slower, and many looked either confused or angry. Silverpaw was deeply in thought, wondering if Echostar really was who she said she was. She sure was regal and demanding, but there also seemed to be a lot that she was hiding. There was a small chance that Echostar was everything she said she was, but Silverpaw wasn’t convinced. *And where did they find Emberstar’s body? Echostar didn’t mention anything about that… Does she* really *know what happened, or did one of her patrols find the body, just like in FrostClan, and she’s just lying about it?*

Silverpaw looked up, and saw the huge spears of ice that made her camp safe and sound from attackers. Somewhere around the circle of ice spikes, there was a small tunnel that led to the FrostClan camp, which was inside the spiky circle. Most of the dens were either small caverns that were dug out of the ground, or hollows in the ice. In the center was Talloak, a huge oak with a small place where the leader sat on top during clan meetings, and the leader’s den was underneath the large, twisting roots of Talloak. This place was home to Silverpaw, and she would defend it with her life.

“Silverpaw, come to bed and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow I need you to get a nice restock of most of our herbs,” Snowthorn meowed from across the clearing. Silverpaw slowly padded over to the fresh-kill pile and picked out a vole for herself and a mouse for her mentor. Most of her clanmates were chatting about the gathering together, but Silverpaw didn’t feel like talking about the event, so she kept walking to Snowthorn’s den where she stayed.

“Mmm… I haven’t had a mouse in a while. C’mon Silverpaw, let’s talk together,” Snowthorn meowed as Silverpaw entered her den. It was a cave, but an awfully pretty one, with little holes in the ceiling where light streamed through. She sat down next to the medicine cat, plopped the mouse down beside her, and then  promptly started hungrily chowing down on her vole. It wasn’t much, but all of the FrostClan cats were used to living in a never-ending leaf-bare. They all had thick pelts, and didn’t need to eat as much as the other clans, so they were usually skinny, though with their thick pelts, it wasn’t easy to tell.

“Silverpaw, what do you think of that Echostar? I just don’t know whether to trust her or not…” Snowthorn asked unexpectedly. “Won’t Starblaze tell you eventually? I mean, you are the medicine cat, and we did just hear about it today,” she answered. Snowthorn looked up at the stalactite-dotted ceiling. Silverpaw wondered what Starblaze was thinking right now. Were they like “Echostar is gonna be the best clan leader ever!” or like “No! Echostar is so evil! Ahhh!”?

“Starblaze doesn’t tell me everything, Silverpaw. I only know what is necessary for them to tell me. They never go into detail, just vague prophecies or visions, and even those happen rarely. But, I do have a special connection with them that-” Snowthorn cut herself off. “It’s very late. We should go to bed. Goodnight, Silverpaw,”

Slowly, Silverpaw walked over to her nest and curled up into her warm bedding. Even with the crazy events of the days, Silverpaw soon felt darkness closing in around her, and she drifted off into deep, dreamless sleep.

## Chapter Four

Reedkit woke up to find her mother’s swollen belly rubbing against her side. She let out a soft mew as she stretched and walked out of the nursery. The clan was beginning to rise along with the sun. The party that went to the gathering was home.

“Hello, Reedkit,” said Rosefur as she walked past the nursery to Frozenstar’s den. Reedkit gave another soft mew.

“Let all cats old enough to fight gather beneath the Talloak for a Clan meeting!”

Reedkit let out an excited squeak! She ran to the big oak tree. Frozenstar was sitting on top of the trunk of the huge oak. Reedkit’s mother, Brookstorm, pushed her way out of the narrow entrance to the nursery.

“Reedkit, step forward,” Frozenstar said. “Today one young kit has reached the age of six moons, and is ready to begin warrior training. Reedkit, climb up. Your mentor will be Darkpool. Darkpool, you are respected for your determination and wisdom. I know that you will pass on all of your strength to Reedkit. From here until you become a warrior, Reedkit, you shall be known as Reedpaw.”

A feeling of excitement surged through her! About one moon ago, her friend Silverkit had been apprenticed, and her name had been changed to Silverpaw. Now Reedpaw would join her as an apprentice!

Silverpaw trotted out of the medicine cat’s den. “Congrats!” she said.

“Thanks!” exclaimed Reedpaw.

The hunting party returned with loads of fresh kill. Reedpaw took a vole and started eating beside Silverpaw, who was eating a small mouse at the medicine cat's den. “How’s Brookstorm?” Silverpaw asked. “Good. Snowthorn says she’ll be kitting any day, so she’s resting in the nursery.”

Suddenly, Rosefur was beside them. “Your mother has kitted, little Reedpaw,” she said, out of breath. Reedpaw hurried to the nursery with Silverpaw and Rosefur at her heels. As she squeezed through the narrow tunnel to the nursery, she saw her mother nursing two tiny little kits.

“Hello, dear,” her mother mewed weakly. The larger kit was dark reddish-brown with white and brown streaks and dapples, while the smaller one was flame-colored with a golden underbelly and paws. Their eyes were still closed, and Snowthorn was sitting beside Brookstorm.

“Reedpaw, come closer,” Brookstorm said as Reedpaw took another step toward her mother. “Meet your two new sisters. The little one is Blazekit, and the larger one is Rowankit,” she finished, gazing fondly at her kits.

The next morning, Reedpaw woke up to find Darkpool staring at her from the opening of the apprentices den. “Hello, young Reedpaw. Ready for hunting training?”

“Yes!” replied Reedpaw enthusiastically. “What are we doing today?”

“I thought the clan needed more fresh-kill, so we will be hunting today with Sunheart and Robinpaw.”

“Oh, okay, sure, I guess.”

Darkpool replied gently, “I know, being the youngest apprentice can be hard, but you will grow in skills and strength."