Chapter One
Scarletkit opened her eyes with a yawn. She sat up blinking, as her eyes adjusted to the darkness that filled the nursery. The nest was empty, so Scarletkit figuered her brothers were already outside. She stalked past her mother's black and yellow pelt and out through a hole in the thorn wall. Bright leaf-bare light washed her face, and Scarletkit had to narrow her eyes into thin slits. She looked around, scanning the camp clearing for her brothers. The nursery had a stone wall covered in ivy on the outer side and a thick thorn barrier inside the camp. It was next to a short fir tree that represented the leader's nest and the meeting point, Copperstar would sit on a branch that was growing away from the tree and call a meeting. On the other side of the nursery grew a large willow. About two cat-length away from the tree was just bare earth but further away it was surrounded by thick low-growing gorse bushes. Scarletkit smelled the sharp, sweet scent of herbs from there. Futher along the camp wall, past the medicine cat's den she could just barely see the entrance to the warriors' den, a hollow covered by ivy branches and thorns. It was sharing a wall with the juniper bush camp entrance. From the outside, the entrance was hidden under a holly bush. On the other side was a bushy hollow oak tree, inside which the apprentices had their den. The old hollow tree provided both warmth and shelter for all the apprentices and it's roots and branches a perfect training place. Just a tail-length along the natural ivy and thorn wall were three young beech trees, whose branches were woven into each other and covered with ivy, creating a water and attackproof den for the elders. A stream from a wide river flowed close to the leader's den and made a save part of the camp wall. The whole camp was on higher ground with an ancient natural barrier of wierdly twisted holly, maple, oak and beech trees, covered in strong ivy branches and thorns. Finally her eyes rested on a blue-gray-white-and-brown patch of fur and tiny high-pitched yowls hit her ears. Frostkit, Jaykit and Smokekit where fighting over a plump sparrow, next to the nursery wall. Scarletkit smiled mischeviously and hurried into the shadows of the wall. Stalking she hid behind one thorn branch and the another, tiny new leaves brushing her nose, untill she was almost a muzzle-length away from the sparrow. Lifting her head she noticed Frostkit further away, looking sadly at the last piece of fresh-kill bihind his brothers. He has aparently lost to his brothers. His thin frame and long legs where better for running that close-up fights. Scarletkit turned her attention back to her other brothers just in time to see Smokekit push Jaykit further away with a flurry of random paw-strikes. Jaykit backed away with a outraged yowl. It's now or never she thought with a jolt. Sprinting forward Scarletkit grabbed the sparrow by the neck and with it tripping her, tried to carry it to the nursery, only to be stopped by a growl behind me "Give that back!" spinning around with a snarl she dropped the sparrow behind her to face her brother. Smokekit's eyes burned with unspoken rage. The last leaf-bare was hard, with hardly any prey and even the nicest cats became relucant to share the fresh-kill. Those ones who where never too friendly were still thinking that they needed to fight for it, even when there was enough to share. In the last leaf-fall, Scarletkit and her siblings were known as the unbreakable group. But the leaf-bare was extremly hard, and many warriors, elders and even the last deputy, were lost. Dying of cold, starvation or sickness. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Scarletkit faced her brother. She would share the sparrow, but the risk of him stealing it all for himself was too big. Smokekit growled and sprinted forward with outstreched paws and unsheathed tiny sharp claws. Panic gripped Scarletkit's heart as she tried to back away from the bigger tom. One of his strikes caught her ear and one tore away some fur on her front leg. She shrieked and glared at her brother as he victoriously, proudly sat over his prey. The reek of blood streaming down her face from the thorn ear sent new strengh through her body. Strengh of revenge, hatred. Scarletkit crouched down, springing up she landed on Smokekit's fluffy gray pelt and he fell to the ground, gasping. No matter how Scarletkit tried she lost her balance and half fell, half sat down. She took the sparrow and sattled down to eat it. She only took one bite when she noticed Frostkit and Jaykit creeping closer, their eyes full of uncertainty. Scarletkit smiled and nudged the sparrow to them, invitingly. "We can share." she meowed. Frostkit's long tail jerked into the air immediatly and trotted over to Scarletkit, while Jaykit straightened up and padded closer. Frostkit took a big mouthfull and chewed hungerly. Jaykit joined them after a few bites and settled down. Scarletkit was happy that at least two of her brothers were still acting like siblings and not like enemies. When they finished, Scarletkit noticed Smokekit staring longingly at what was left of the sparrow. Scarletkit waved her tail in invitation, to which he crept foward, but not to the sparrow. Scarletkit rolled her eyes.
"Scarletkit!" a fearfull yowl made her jump. Fur bristling, she spun around. Nightblaze was standing above her. Just as Scarletkit was about to back away, her mother bowed her head and started licking her ear. Scarletkit almost forgot about her torn ear. "What happened to you?" Nightblaze asked, her voice tight with fear. "It's nothing." The red-brown tabby kit wrestled away from her mother, she gazed around with her green and blue eyes. "Brindlefeather!" the queen stalked to the willow medicine cat's den. She returned with her sister trotting close behind. The white-brown striped she-cat sighed. She sniffed the kit and her gaze clouded with worry and something dark that Scarletkit couldn't read. "She is fine." Brindlefeather meowed after a moment "It's just a scratch." Without another sound she walked back to her den. "Have you sorted out that chervil and marigold?" She called to her apprentice, Leafpaw at the entrance. Smokekit appeared at Scarletkit's side. "Still treated like a tiny kit." He teased, their fight forgotten. "At least I look .like a warrior." Scarletkit retorted. Scarletkit heard pawsteps behind her and jerked her head backwards. Leafpaw was sitting with a bundle of moss and some leaves. She dropped them in front of Scarletkit. Clearing her throat, she meowed: "Nightblaze," waiting for the black and yellow she-cat to turn to the apprentice then she continued: "Here are some borage leaves for you." She dropped a bunch of small feathery leaves in front of the queen. Nightblaze bowed her head and chewed the leaves, than gave the medicine cat apprentice a nod. Then she turned to Scarletkit: "Let me treat that ear." She meowed. Scarletkit moved back with a mew: "I'm okay." Leafpaw gave her a stern look and Scarletkit let her put some cobwebs on the wound. Giving Leafpaw a friendly nudge, she trotted back to the nursery with her brothers padding along.
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"Let all the cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here for a clan meeting!" Copperstars' roar sounded across the camp. Scarletkit was on her legs in an instant, racing into the clearing to see Copperstar's sandy brown figure sitting in the fir, black against the dying light of the sun setting behind him. Her pale amber eyes scanned the camp clearing. Behind Scarletkit, Nightblaze and her sister Foxflames, led the rest of the kits out. Ebonykit kept on jumping up and down until her sisters, Twilightkit and Tawnykit, pounced on her and all three sisters rolled away in a black and tawny furball. "Hey cut it out, the three of you!" Foxflames growled in anoyance and ran to get her kits under control. Moonkit didn't even stir at her sisters play, gazing at something far away. Scarletkit stared at the dark black-blue kit in amazment, she is just two moons old but she looks like she has the wisdom of an elder. But that lasted less than a heartbeat so Scarletkit thought she imagined it when she watched Moonkit and her sister's play. When Scarletkit looked around her, she realized that more cats emerged out of their dens. Volefur was sitting at the base of the adresing fir, Brindlefeather poked her head out of her den closely followed by her apprentice Leafpaw snd Fallensnow, who was still suffering the sickness that hit ShadeClan. This will be her last new-leaf Scarletkit thought sadly; she liked the gentle elder and she knew Nightblaze will suffer even more, because Fallensnow was her mother and Nightblaze was torn away from the reality when Fallensnow became an elder and her mate, Grayecho abandoned her to have Copperstar as his mate.
Dewdrop joined the queens and Darkstream, Swanflight and Wolfshadow came over too. Scarletkit let out a happy squeack and jumped onto her father, tiny claws out. "Got you, StormClan trespasser!" She declared, while Wolfshadow was grounded by his four kits. "Okay, I surrender!" he gasped under the horde of kits. They stepped back and let Wolfshadow stand up to his paws. She was too interested in fighting with Wolfshadow to notice that Sparkfur and Lightclaw had joined them and Sparkfur was also having trouble with his four kits. Grayecho was watching the three warrior apprentices, Starrypaw, Thrushlaw and Frostpaw. Copperstar waited for every cat to settle down before she continued "This wasn't any normal leaf-bare," she started "there was too much death." A ripple of grief striken low meows wave through the clan. When the sound died away, the ShadeClan leader rised her vioce again "But they didn't die for nothing. We have survived and will become strong again!" yowls of aggreement rised from some of the other cats. Copperstar watched. "And to make this clear to the other clans, we have a warrior ceremony to perform!" Surprise gribbed the clan harder that a badger's paw. "Frostpaw." Copperstar waved her tail for the apprentice to came forward, while she adressed Swanflight. "Swanflight, has your apprentice learned the importance of a warrior?" Swanflight lifted her head proudly "Yes, he has." To that, Foxflames left her latest litter for Sparkfur to look after and rushed to their older son. She covered him in licks, trying to adjust his fur. Frostpaw pushed away with a growl and hurried to where Copperstar was waiting, her eyes sparkling with amusment. "This apprentice has trained hard to understand the ways of the Clans." Copperstar meowed. "With StarClan's blessing, he will become who we hope for." Copperstar padded closer to the silver tabby apprentice. "Frostpaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code in the pawsteps of your ancestors and protect and feed the clan, even at the cost of yor life?" Frostpaw's fiery-amber eyes burned with excitement and pride as he answered, loud and clear. "I promise." Foxflames sat up proudly at that. "Than you deserve a warrior name!" Copperstar declared and padded forward until she was a muzzle-length away from Frostpaw. Scarletkit noticed that the new warrior was shaking with excitment. Copperstar touched her muzzle to top of Frostpaw's head. "Frostpaw, after this night you will be known as Frostfire. We honor your endless energy and your loyalty." The crowd of cats exploded into yowling Frostfire's name and the young tom licked his leader's shoulder in return. Foxflames, Sparkfur and Frostfire's sister, Leafpaw came to congratulate him, closely followed by Foxflames' younger litter of Ebonykit, Tawnykit, Twilightkit and Moonkit. Other cats followed too, but Scarletkit moved out of the way and watched Nightblaze as she went to talk to Foxflames, but then her jellous gaze flicked to Frostfire.
"Everything in good time." Scarletkit almost jumped out of her fur as Wolfshadow meowed close to her ear. His eyes were filled with amusment. "Just two more moons!" Scarletkit wailed, whipped aroung and ran to the nursery. Just behind the nursery thorn wall she dared a glance back to see Wolfshadow walk away. A mischevious smile appeared on her face. If they won't let her explore the forest, she will do it without permision. Slipping through a hole, where the thorn and holly wall was torn away from the pile of stones behind. Scarletkit flatted herself to the ground and crept through with thorns scratching her shoulders. Once she was out, Scarletkit shook out her pelt and looked around with wide eyes. She could see all kind of trees: pine, oak, beech, maple, holly, willow and even a juniper bush further up the slope, all throwing long shadows in the last sun's rays. Her ears were filled with the rustling of the leaves, birdsongs and the rushing of the stream that connected to the camp. Scarletkit stepped into the fiery forest, leaping over a fallen branch and crossing a dried streambed. The territory seemed more amazing with every heartbeat. When the last light started to die of, she tried to find her way back to the camp, knowing she will be in a big problem for running off. Following her scent trail, she suddenly heard an unexpected sound. Cat pawsteps! Scarletkit thought, terrified. And she was running straight into the cat. The blood colored brown she-kit scrambled into a strong-smelling marigold flower patch, moments before her eyes caught a sigh of white fur. Scarletkit push further into the thick undergrowth. I'm crow-food! Scarletkit thought. This wasn't any of her clanmates. This cat was a rogue who isn't ruled by the warrior code and would kill a kit on sight. The cat was moving forward slowly, fighting against the brambles. Than she stopped. Scarletkit could hear her growl. A moment later it emerged into sight and Scarletkit could see her clearly. She was a small white she-cat with tiny light and dark brown tabby patches on her back. Her eyes where gentle green and one of her ears was torn slightly. She stopped on the path that Scarletkit was following before. Lifting her muzzle she sniffed the air and her eyes landed on the kit's hiding spot. Taking a step fotward she crouched down until her eyes met Scarletkit's. The kit backed away hissing and rised one tiny paw threateningly. Trapped between the rogue and the thick forest growth, Scarletkit had no place to hide and the camp was too far of. Her fear was rising as she expected the end. An earsplitting roar soundded from behind the dusty white cat, who spun around in terror. Not wasting a heartbeat Scarletkit sped away from the stranger. She hadn't gone many paw steps when she crashed into a familiar gray-black pelt. Thrushpaw looked at her with amusement in his eyes. "Running off again?" he teased. The kit let out an angry growl in return. She never liked the Copperstar's kit. He has been a pain in the tail eve rsince he became an apprentice. Just past a bramble thicket Scarletkit could hear the ShadeClan warriors hissing at the rogue. Scarletkit moved to return back to camp when Thrushpaw caught her. "Let me go!" She hissed. Lashing out her paw she battled the older cat. Thrushpaw tripped her easily and held her on the ground. Scarletkit yowled in rage with her paws flying wildly as she failed to free herself. The sounds of the ShadeClan partol died down until Scarletkit could only hear their thundering pawsteps, growing rapidly louder. In less than a heartbeat three cats exploded out of the undergrowth. Wolfshadow, Volefur and her apprentice Starrypaw stopped in front of the two young cats. Scarletkit noticed that thier fur was torn away and raw scratched marked their pelts. Wolfshadow's dark brown pelt was stained with blood and his eye was swollen shut with a fresh scar marking the blow. Starrypaw was limping badly on his hind leg, his sand-colored fur was gray with dust and his usually determined amber eye were dull. Volefur's gray fur was dark with drying blood that formed spikes along pelt. Scarletkit stared guiltly at her paws. It is my fault they got into a fight, she thought. "They won't be coming back in a hurry." Volefur growled. They? Scarletkit's head swung from side to side with shock. There was more of them? That must be why the warriors got all those injuries, she thounght. But if... Wolfshadow picked her up by the scruff, breaking into her thounghts. The patrol headed back to the camp in silence.
"Scarletkit!" a fearfull yowl made her jump. Fur bristling, she spun around. Nightblaze was standing above her. Just as Scarletkit was about to back away, her mother bowed her head and started licking her ear. Scarletkit almost forgot about her torn ear. "What happened to you?" Nightblaze asked, her voice tight with fear. "It's nothing." The red-brown tabby kit wrestled away from her mother, she gazed around with her green and blue eyes. "Brindlefeather!" the queen stalked to the willow medicine cat's den. She returned with her sister trotting close behind. The white-brown striped she-cat sighed. She sniffed the kit and her gaze clouded with worry and something dark that Scarletkit couldn't read. "She is fine." Brindlefeather meowed after a moment "It's just a scratch." Without another sound she walked back to her den. "Have you sorted out that chervil and marigold?" She called to her apprentice, Leafpaw at the entrance. Smokekit appeared at Scarletkit's side. "Still treated like a tiny kit." He teased, their fight forgotten. "At least I look .like a warrior." Scarletkit retorted. Scarletkit heard pawsteps behind her and jerked her head backwards. Leafpaw was sitting with a bundle of moss and some leaves. She dropped them in front of Scarletkit. Clearing her throat, she meowed: "Nightblaze," waiting for the black and yellow she-cat to turn to the apprentice then she continued: "Here are some borage leaves for you." She dropped a bunch of small feathery leaves in front of the queen. Nightblaze bowed her head and chewed the leaves, than gave the medicine cat apprentice a nod. Then she turned to Scarletkit: "Let me treat that ear." She meowed. Scarletkit moved back with a mew: "I'm okay." Leafpaw gave her a stern look and Scarletkit let her put some cobwebs on the wound. Giving Leafpaw a friendly nudge, she trotted back to the nursery with her brothers padding along.
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"Let all the cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather here for a clan meeting!" Copperstars' roar sounded across the camp. Scarletkit was on her legs in an instant, racing into the clearing to see Copperstar's sandy brown figure sitting in the fir, black against the dying light of the sun setting behind him. Her pale amber eyes scanned the camp clearing. Behind Scarletkit, Nightblaze and her sister Foxflames, led the rest of the kits out. Ebonykit kept on jumping up and down until her sisters, Twilightkit and Tawnykit, pounced on her and all three sisters rolled away in a black and tawny furball. "Hey cut it out, the three of you!" Foxflames growled in anoyance and ran to get her kits under control. Moonkit didn't even stir at her sisters play, gazing at something far away. Scarletkit stared at the dark black-blue kit in amazment, she is just two moons old but she looks like she has the wisdom of an elder. But that lasted less than a heartbeat so Scarletkit thought she imagined it when she watched Moonkit and her sister's play. When Scarletkit looked around her, she realized that more cats emerged out of their dens. Volefur was sitting at the base of the adresing fir, Brindlefeather poked her head out of her den closely followed by her apprentice Leafpaw snd Fallensnow, who was still suffering the sickness that hit ShadeClan. This will be her last new-leaf Scarletkit thought sadly; she liked the gentle elder and she knew Nightblaze will suffer even more, because Fallensnow was her mother and Nightblaze was torn away from the reality when Fallensnow became an elder and her mate, Grayecho abandoned her to have Copperstar as his mate.
Dewdrop joined the queens and Darkstream, Swanflight and Wolfshadow came over too. Scarletkit let out a happy squeack and jumped onto her father, tiny claws out. "Got you, StormClan trespasser!" She declared, while Wolfshadow was grounded by his four kits. "Okay, I surrender!" he gasped under the horde of kits. They stepped back and let Wolfshadow stand up to his paws. She was too interested in fighting with Wolfshadow to notice that Sparkfur and Lightclaw had joined them and Sparkfur was also having trouble with his four kits. Grayecho was watching the three warrior apprentices, Starrypaw, Thrushlaw and Frostpaw. Copperstar waited for every cat to settle down before she continued "This wasn't any normal leaf-bare," she started "there was too much death." A ripple of grief striken low meows wave through the clan. When the sound died away, the ShadeClan leader rised her vioce again "But they didn't die for nothing. We have survived and will become strong again!" yowls of aggreement rised from some of the other cats. Copperstar watched. "And to make this clear to the other clans, we have a warrior ceremony to perform!" Surprise gribbed the clan harder that a badger's paw. "Frostpaw." Copperstar waved her tail for the apprentice to came forward, while she adressed Swanflight. "Swanflight, has your apprentice learned the importance of a warrior?" Swanflight lifted her head proudly "Yes, he has." To that, Foxflames left her latest litter for Sparkfur to look after and rushed to their older son. She covered him in licks, trying to adjust his fur. Frostpaw pushed away with a growl and hurried to where Copperstar was waiting, her eyes sparkling with amusment. "This apprentice has trained hard to understand the ways of the Clans." Copperstar meowed. "With StarClan's blessing, he will become who we hope for." Copperstar padded closer to the silver tabby apprentice. "Frostpaw, do you promise to follow the warrior code in the pawsteps of your ancestors and protect and feed the clan, even at the cost of yor life?" Frostpaw's fiery-amber eyes burned with excitement and pride as he answered, loud and clear. "I promise." Foxflames sat up proudly at that. "Than you deserve a warrior name!" Copperstar declared and padded forward until she was a muzzle-length away from Frostpaw. Scarletkit noticed that the new warrior was shaking with excitment. Copperstar touched her muzzle to top of Frostpaw's head. "Frostpaw, after this night you will be known as Frostfire. We honor your endless energy and your loyalty." The crowd of cats exploded into yowling Frostfire's name and the young tom licked his leader's shoulder in return. Foxflames, Sparkfur and Frostfire's sister, Leafpaw came to congratulate him, closely followed by Foxflames' younger litter of Ebonykit, Tawnykit, Twilightkit and Moonkit. Other cats followed too, but Scarletkit moved out of the way and watched Nightblaze as she went to talk to Foxflames, but then her jellous gaze flicked to Frostfire.
"Everything in good time." Scarletkit almost jumped out of her fur as Wolfshadow meowed close to her ear. His eyes were filled with amusment. "Just two more moons!" Scarletkit wailed, whipped aroung and ran to the nursery. Just behind the nursery thorn wall she dared a glance back to see Wolfshadow walk away. A mischevious smile appeared on her face. If they won't let her explore the forest, she will do it without permision. Slipping through a hole, where the thorn and holly wall was torn away from the pile of stones behind. Scarletkit flatted herself to the ground and crept through with thorns scratching her shoulders. Once she was out, Scarletkit shook out her pelt and looked around with wide eyes. She could see all kind of trees: pine, oak, beech, maple, holly, willow and even a juniper bush further up the slope, all throwing long shadows in the last sun's rays. Her ears were filled with the rustling of the leaves, birdsongs and the rushing of the stream that connected to the camp. Scarletkit stepped into the fiery forest, leaping over a fallen branch and crossing a dried streambed. The territory seemed more amazing with every heartbeat. When the last light started to die of, she tried to find her way back to the camp, knowing she will be in a big problem for running off. Following her scent trail, she suddenly heard an unexpected sound. Cat pawsteps! Scarletkit thought, terrified. And she was running straight into the cat. The blood colored brown she-kit scrambled into a strong-smelling marigold flower patch, moments before her eyes caught a sigh of white fur. Scarletkit push further into the thick undergrowth. I'm crow-food! Scarletkit thought. This wasn't any of her clanmates. This cat was a rogue who isn't ruled by the warrior code and would kill a kit on sight. The cat was moving forward slowly, fighting against the brambles. Than she stopped. Scarletkit could hear her growl. A moment later it emerged into sight and Scarletkit could see her clearly. She was a small white she-cat with tiny light and dark brown tabby patches on her back. Her eyes where gentle green and one of her ears was torn slightly. She stopped on the path that Scarletkit was following before. Lifting her muzzle she sniffed the air and her eyes landed on the kit's hiding spot. Taking a step fotward she crouched down until her eyes met Scarletkit's. The kit backed away hissing and rised one tiny paw threateningly. Trapped between the rogue and the thick forest growth, Scarletkit had no place to hide and the camp was too far of. Her fear was rising as she expected the end. An earsplitting roar soundded from behind the dusty white cat, who spun around in terror. Not wasting a heartbeat Scarletkit sped away from the stranger. She hadn't gone many paw steps when she crashed into a familiar gray-black pelt. Thrushpaw looked at her with amusement in his eyes. "Running off again?" he teased. The kit let out an angry growl in return. She never liked the Copperstar's kit. He has been a pain in the tail eve rsince he became an apprentice. Just past a bramble thicket Scarletkit could hear the ShadeClan warriors hissing at the rogue. Scarletkit moved to return back to camp when Thrushpaw caught her. "Let me go!" She hissed. Lashing out her paw she battled the older cat. Thrushpaw tripped her easily and held her on the ground. Scarletkit yowled in rage with her paws flying wildly as she failed to free herself. The sounds of the ShadeClan partol died down until Scarletkit could only hear their thundering pawsteps, growing rapidly louder. In less than a heartbeat three cats exploded out of the undergrowth. Wolfshadow, Volefur and her apprentice Starrypaw stopped in front of the two young cats. Scarletkit noticed that thier fur was torn away and raw scratched marked their pelts. Wolfshadow's dark brown pelt was stained with blood and his eye was swollen shut with a fresh scar marking the blow. Starrypaw was limping badly on his hind leg, his sand-colored fur was gray with dust and his usually determined amber eye were dull. Volefur's gray fur was dark with drying blood that formed spikes along pelt. Scarletkit stared guiltly at her paws. It is my fault they got into a fight, she thought. "They won't be coming back in a hurry." Volefur growled. They? Scarletkit's head swung from side to side with shock. There was more of them? That must be why the warriors got all those injuries, she thounght. But if... Wolfshadow picked her up by the scruff, breaking into her thounghts. The patrol headed back to the camp in silence.
Just outside a holly that hid the tunnel into the camp the patrol stopped and the cats pushed through one by one. The clearing beyond it was filled with cats in a heartbeat. Scarletkit spotted a yellow-and-black she-cat hurrying towards the returning patrol. Her leaf-green eyes were clouded with worry and anger.Wolfshadow sat her down and headed for the large willow, where Brindlefeather was waiting him. Nightblaze instantly started licking her kit furiously.Scarletkit strugled to keep on her paws. She backed away and laid down, exhausted. As her eyes closed and she fell into deep sleep the last thing Scarlerkit felt was her mother's rough tounge.