Thoughts (Book 1)

**Thoughts** is the first book in the Thoughts Series. It was published on January 17, 2016, and completed on March 30, 2016.

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## Summary

*"The thoughts of young Acornkit throughout his life."*

Acornkit is shunned by his mother and ignored by everyone else. With no father there for him who was apparently killed during a battle with ShadowClan, Acornkit feels unwelcome in even his own Clan.

Becoming an apprentice, Acornpaw will take on new relationships, meet new enemies, hold dreadful secrets, and realize what kind of power he can really unleash on those around him.

## Detailed Plot Summary

The story begins with a cat narrating about how they had a fun day. They talk about how they played with Grasspaw, how they're really tired, and that they want to stay up but are too tired too. They wake up and note that Duskfur isn't beside them, which is odd. They feel someone run into them and look up to see Patchkit, one of the other kits in the nursery aside from themselves, Stormkit, and Echokit.

The narrator's name is revealed to be Acornkit when Patchkit asks him if he wants to play. The two kits run out of camp and he sees Duskfur next to Weedfern, Echokit and Patchkit's mother. They walk up to the two queens, and Acornkit asks Duskfur if they can have some moss to play with. Weedfern says she'll fetch it, and stands up before returning with moss. She gives it to Acornkit and Patchkit, who quickly take it.

Stormkit, one of the other kits in the nursery, comes up and asks to join their game. Acornkit opens his jaws to turn his request down, but Patchkit allows him to. They pad beside the nursery and begin to play, almost immediately leaving Acornkit out. Acornkit calls their names several times, but receives no answer. In defeat, Acornkit turns tail and enters the nursery, his tail dragging in the dirt as he hears the giggles of his two denmates. Acornkit begins to wonder if his father would've payed attention to him, but cuts his thoughts off by noting that he's dead.

Three moons pass by and Acornkit is nearly six moons old, his apprentice ceremony coming up tomorrow. However, he feels no excitement from being left out by Stormkit and Patchkit, and from Echokit never talking to him. Acornkit hears Duskfur talking to the other queens about how happy she is to leave the nursery, and thinks about how his own mother doesn't even love him, just like everyone. Acornkit again wonders if he would be loved if his father were still alive.

The next day, Antstar calls a Clan meeting. Acornkit quickly grooms his fur and sits alone as he gathers around the Highrock with his Clanmates. Antstar calls Acornkit up and gives him his new apprentice name, Acornpaw. He assigns his mentor as Tallgaze, and the two touch noses before disappearing back into the crowd.

Patchkit is named Patchpaw and Marshfire is named as her mentor. Echokit is named Echopaw and her mentor is assigned as Stonetuft. Stormkit becomes Stormpaw and gains Quailfoot as his mentor.

As his Clanmates call their new names, Acornpaw turns and walks toward the apprentices' den, sad that Duskfur hasn't congratulated him yet. However, Grasspaw greets him and gives him a nod, which makes Acornpaw feel a little better. He says that she's still nice, even if she doesn't really talk to him anymore, but reminds himself that she's just busy.

Acornpaw enters the apprentices' den and chooses a nest close to Grasspaw, hoping that she'd notice him if he stayed there. His thoughts are interrupted when he hears a growl, and turns around to see who it is. A gray tabby tom with icy blue eyes is standing there, staring straight at Acornpaw. The tom snarls that his nest is the one Acornpaw wants, and he quickly apologies. The gray tom glares at the newly-made apprentice, and Acornpaw chooses a nest in the back of the den in dismay.

A day passes, and Acornpaw explains that he's explored the territory with Grasspaw and the gray tabby apprentice, who's name is Thawpaw. Acornpaw also says that he's tried to talk to Grasspaw, but that she's been too busy talking to Thawpaw. He wonders if he should be jealous since he doesn't even deserve happiness, and says that he probably shouldn't, so he'd just keep playing along.

A few more weeks go by and Acornpaw feels angry. He thinks about how Grasspaw is too busy talking to Thawpaw, that Patchpaw is too busy with Stormpaw, and that Echopaw and he aren't friends. He begins to wish he had a friend, and wonders if that's too much to ask.

Acornpaw goes on to explain how one of the elders, Specklenose, has been ill lately. Vixenfoot, the medicine cat, has also asked he and Thawpaw to quickly gather some moss for Specklenose. Acornpaw knows this won't be fun, and talks about how Thawpaw seems nice at first but is really just a fox-heart, and that that's how Grasspaw got caught in his trap.

As the two apprentices leave camp, Thawpaw tells Acornpaw he can't believe he has to do this job with the lowest cat in the Clan. Acornpaw continues to walk and only responds with, "Okay," and Thawpaw seems surprised he didn't say anything else. Trying to strike a nerve, Thawpaw then says it's too bad he has to do this job with a cat as stupid as his father.

Acornpaw turns toward Thawpaw and angrily asks him what he said. He snorts that his father ran away as a kittypet, according to the rumors, and Acornpaw responds that he was a noble warrior. But Thawpaw only calls Acornpaw a kittypet, which quickly infuriates him.

He tells Thawpaw to stop, and even shoots him a threatening glare, but he continues to jeer. He finally stops and tells Acornpaw to run away with his father, as no one wants him in ThunderClan. Acornpaw states that he's had it and that he'd give this tom a lesson to remember. He yowls at Thawpaw to shut up and attempts to claw him on the muzzle, but badly misses and rakes his claws down his throat. Thawpaw chokes on his blood and tells Acornpaw to have pity, stumbling to the ground as the crimson-red liquid pools around him.

Acornpaw stares at Thawpaw, horrified at what he's done. He realizes how easily he killed him, and tells himself he's a monster. Acornpaw goes back and forth on if it was a good thing or a bad thing, and begins to panic, knowing that if his Clan found out that Acornpaw murdered Thawpaw, that they'd kill him. He tells himself he must throw the dead Thawpaw in the lake, and say a fox attacked them and nearly killed Thawpaw as he ran into the lake.

He turns to Thawpaw and murmurs that he's sorry, picking the tom up by his scruff and dragging him to the lake. He throws him in and watches blood come crashing onto the sand. He turns around slowly and begins to head home.

On the way, Acornpaw rolls in dirt and leaves to get the scent of blood off of his fur. He laps up water from a nearby puddle to wash any blood off his muzzle, and picks Thawpaw's fur from his claws and buries it deep in the ground where it couldn't be scented. He tells himself that he might become a loner after this, and braces himself for anything to happen.

// Work In Progress //