4Sorry for the wait; I've been in Mexico for a few weeks.
Chapter 3
It was now sunhigh, and Shellstar was about to announce us to the Clan.
My brothers and I were still shocked at the leaving of Leopardfur. We hadn't left each others side.
All the sudden, Shellstar leaped to the top of a rockpile near the entrance.
"Let all cats gather beneath Tallrock for a Clan meeting," she yowled.
I saw cats come from a giant den to the right of the entrance, what I figured was the Warriors den. Two cats emerged from a smaller den to the left of the entrance, the Medicine Cat den.
I saw Sweetflower emerge from the Nursey, and make her way to Shadowblaze. Willowfrost appeared at the entrance, Adderkit next to her.
To the right of the warriors den, two cats came from a bramble entrance. Their muzzles were covered in white hairs, and they moved slowly. They were the elders. To the right of that den, two more cats emerged; they were younger looking. The apprentices.
"I can't believe she's doing this in front of the entire Clan," Tigerkit muttered, glancing around.
"Well we are part of the clan now," I told him.
"But what if they don't like us," Lionkit snarled, "We are half-clan."
"And we just found out our fathers a traitor to his clan," Tigerkit added glaring at everyone.
"That's not our fault! Leopardfur never told us!" I said.
Lionkit opened his mouth to say more, but just then Shellstar began to talk.
"As you all may know, we were visited by Leopardfur of RiverClan this morning," she began. Some glances and gasps went through the crowd.
I glanced at Lionkit, who let out a little hiss.
"Calm down," I growled lightly. He glared at me.
"Leopardfur asked us to take in her kits... And after speaking with some of the senior warriors and Blackberry, it was decided we would," Shellstar continued. Cats were beginning to notice Tigerkit, Lionkit, and I.
"After all, RiverClan's loss is our gain," Shellstar added. Many cats nodded in agreement.
"See," I whispered to my brothers, "They want us here."
Tigerkit lifted his head from his paws, looking around. Lionkit continued to glare at nothing.
"And here they are," Shellstar mewed, jumping down from Tallrock and padding toward us.
"Tigerkit," she said beckoning him forward. He rose to his paws and walked over slowly. Shellstar placed her tail on him.
"Lionkit," Shellstar nodded to him. He quietly made his way over and sat down next to Tigerkit, looking embarrassed.
Since when has Lionkit been embarrassed of being noticed, I thought to myself.
"And Leopardkit," she said, her warm gaze coming to mine. I rose to my paws and jumped over, taking a seat on the other side of her.
Some of the cats mrrowed with laughter, amusement in their eyes. I lifted my head higher and puffed out my chest.
I would make them like me, despite my bloodline!
"They will be welcomed to LightningClan with kindness! We are LightningClan; we don't have prejudice to others in need, we open our paws and allow others to feel the love and honor of a clan life," Shellstar spoke, with a voice of power. She held herself with such authority, and Leopardkit wanted nothing more then to be just like Shellstar when she was older.
I'm going to be just as great and important as Shellstar, she thought.
"LightningClan! LightningClan! LightningClan!" The entire clan yowled.
Leopardkit raised her voice and yowled with them. Shellstar turned her head and warmly looked at her. After a moments hesitation, Tigerkit and Lionkit joined in too.
"You will make a fine warrior someday, Leopardkit," Shellstar purred, her tail on her back.
"I hope too!" I responded, joy and happiness filling my body from her praise.
With that, the clan meeting was dismissed and the warriors began to disperse into hunting and border patrols.
Two cats prowled toward myself and my brothers. They weren't as big as the warriors, but not old like the elders, so I figured they were the apprentices. One was a pale ginger she-cat, and the other a handsome silver-gray tom.
"Hello," the she-cat greeted warmly, "I'm Robinpaw!"
"And I'm Stonepaw," the tom rumbled, his voice surprisingly deep. Both apprentices were very muscular, but by the look of their soft fur they couldn't have been apprentices for more than a moon.
"Hi," I answered.
"Hello," Tigerkit and Lionkit both said.
"We just wanted to ask how old you are," Stonepaw blurted out gruffly.
I was startled by the sudden question.
Robinpaw glared at Stonepaw from the side.
"That's my non-sociable brother's way of asking how much longer we'll have to wait until we finally have new den mates! You don't understand how boring it is with just the two of us," She said with amusement lighting her eyes, pushing her brother jokingly.
Despite the push, Stonepaw didn't move a muscle. Only hissed slightly and looked away.
"We're one moon old," Tigerkit replied, lifting his chin.
"That's great!" Robinpaw answered, "That means you'll be made an apprentice the same time as Adderkit!"
"Yes," Lionkit stated, "I'm so ready to become an apprentice." His big paws started kneeing the ground.
"Woah!" Robinpaw said suddenly, "Those are pretty cool markings an your legs!"
She dropped her head and peered closely at Lionkit's legs, which are covered in a striped tabby pattern.
"We-e-ll than-n-nkk yo-uu," Lionkit stammered, his eyes become wide as the she-cat got closer.
I rolled my eyes and purred with amusement, catching Stonepaw's green eyes as he looked down at Robinpaw like she had grown wings.
He glanced at me suddenly and then looked away.
"I've got to go... Whiteheart is probably looking for me, you know for hunting and stuff," he muttered before glancing at me one last time and then racing away towards a pure white she-cat.
"My brothers right," Robinpaw sighed. "I should get going too. It's nice to meet you guys! Can't wait until you're apprentices too!" She said cheerily before padding away towards a silver she-cat with black tabby markings.
"Look see," I started looking at my brothers, "They like us! We've already made friends, and I bet once Adderkit is bigger we'll be the best denmates!"
"Yeah Leopardkit," Tigerkit said, "You were right. LightningClan seems like a great place. All the cats seem cool!"
"Except those ones," Lionkit muttered, flicking his tail towards a group of warriors in the corner who keeped looking over at us. I recognized two of them as Hawktalon and Thunderblaze.
"Just ignore them Lionkit," I nudged him away, "Let's head back to the nursery. We can have a game of moss-ball there."
X X X
3 moons later.
"Only two more moons until we are apprentices!" I yowled, leaping into the air outside of the nursery.
"I'm gonna be the best apprentice in the entire forest!" Lionkit shouted.
"No I am!" Tigerkit yelled, leaping on him. My two brothers rolled into the clearing, wresting with each other. I yowled again and leapt on top of them, Adderkit following my example.
Sweetflower's kits, Ravenkit (black tom with white star on chest), Nightkit (black tom with pale blue eyes), and Maplekit (dark gray tabby with white chest, underbelly, and paws) stayed back, letting the four bigger kits play. They had been born a moon earlier, and weren't yet the size of Adderkit, Tigerkit, Lionkit, and I.
"Can we go see the elders," Maplekit whined.
"You can," Tigerkit mewed, stepping away from us, "I've heard all their stories to many times."
I jumped off of Lionkit, who continued to wrestle with Adderkit on the ground.
"Well maybe they can tell us the story of how the Clans were first made," I said, "I Like that story."
"Yeah!" Adderkit agreed, letting go of Lionkit, "I like that one too!"
"Race you to Elders den then!" I called, sprinting away. The other six kits followed me happily.
Just as I was about to enter the Elders den, Stonepaw came out and I smashed into him.
"Watch it!" He called, glaring at me.
"Sorry," I retorted, "If you moved any slower even a ThunderClan cat would catch up to you!"
Stonepaw looked at me, then started walking away as if I hadn't said anything to begin with. The other kits had caught up and entered the Elders den, but I followed Stonepaw.
He's such an annoying furball, I thought to myself.
"Why are you following me," he grumbled as I scrambled to keep up with him.
"I want to know what your problem is!" I replied.
"I don't have a problem," he answered, continuing to pad away.
"They why are you such a grump," I asked.
"I'm not a grump!"
"Yes you are!" I said.
"Whatever," he stated, "I have to go on a border patrol with Whiteheart. Your still a kit so you have to stay here! Don't follow me."
And then he glanced at me one last time, and padded away towards the white she-cat that was his mentor, Whiteheart.
I watched him for a few more moments before turning around with a huff. I ran to the elders den and called Tigerkit out.
"What's up Leopardkit," he asked.
"I want to sneak out of camp!" I said quietly.
"How are we going to do that," he stated, "There are warriors everywhere."
"We can sneak out the dirtplace in the back!" I replied eagerly, "There's a patch of bramble missing in the structure around the dirtplace."
"How do you know all of this?" Tigerkit asked, surprised.
"I saw it the other day," I answered, shrugging. "You up for it?"
"Of course!" Tigerkit nodded.
"Okay get the others!" I said.
Tigerkit quickly padded into the elders den. A few moments later all 6 kits tumbled out.
"Leopardkit!" Nightkit jumped up to me loudly, "Tigerkit said we are going to sneak out of ca-"
"Shush!" I hissed, grabbing him by the scruff to quiet him, "Do you want to spoil our plan our what?"
He shook his head no quickly and I dropped him to the ground.
"Okay, everyone listen, this is the plan," I started, telling then about the hole in the dirtplace and how we are going to sneak out there.
"But aren't they going to see us..." Lionkit asked.
"Not if we go in pairs!" I replied, "Everyone got it?"
All the kits nodded yes.
This is going to be so much fun!