Chapter 1

  When the breeze came, it carried the fresh cent of kits, the nursery, and nursing cats. “Are you going to wake up, SnowHeart?” came a familiar voice. Slowly, SnowHeart cracked open her eyes and looked around the nursery. Her mother, FireGem, was lying on her side, her belly exposed in case her kits got hungry. Then she caught sight of her brother, StormEye. His fur was the color of fire with a white belly. He looked like their mother. She glanced down at her own fur, white as snow and very silky. Hmm. Did my pelt color come from my father? SnowHeart wondered. “What’s all that racket,” a soothing voice called. SnowHeart turned and looked the cat that lay a few feet away. She also had kits, but her pelt was silver with gray stripes she was very different from FireGem, “I’m SilverTip,” she added. “We’re just going to wake up before our father comes back to camp,” StormEye explained. Nodding SilverTail curled her tail around her sleeping kits and tucked her snout in her fur.

   “Why didn’t you wake up sooner?” StromEye asked SnowHeart.

    “I was tired,” SnowHeart said with a yawn, but she understood her brother’s impatience. The siblings had never met their father because they had been born at the last full moon and their eyes were still closed, when their father, StoneTail, had been sent on a mission. A glimmer of light seeped through a crack where the tightly packed bramble.

     “Come on!” StormEye cried,” Let’s go outside!”

 Excitement made the fur on SnowHeart’s neck stand on end. She had never been in camp before. She and StormEye had only opened their eyes at the last waning moon.

    “Where do you think your going?” their mother’s voice cut through her thoughts.

    “Outside!” StormEye cried.

 FireGem raised her head and sighed, “I suppose I can coop you in the nursery forever.”

   The bramble gave way as StormEye pushed his way out and a stream of light made SnowHeart squint. Slowly she pushed away the bramble and put her paws outside the nursery. SnowHeart’s eyes slowly adjusted to the light. Looking around she gasped. The camp was much bigger than the nursery. SnowHeart felt free exposed.

  “Come on, SnowHeart!” StormEye’s voice called. Looking around she saw a pile of fresh-kill that was topped with a badger! Spotting her brother, SnowHeart sprinted to his side.

  “Can you believe how big the camp is?” SnowHeart asked breathlessly.

  Before StormEye could answer a voice came from behind them, “StormEye? SnowHeart?”

   Spinning around, SnowHeart caught side of a rosy pelted cat standing in the opening of a den.

   “RoseyPelt!” SnowHeart cried, “Is that you?” RoseyPelt had been part of a litter that had been born a few moons earlier than SnowHeart and StormEye. RoseyPelt and her kin had been made hunter apprentices a few moons ago. SnowHeart had missed the playful RoseyPelt.

  Bounding over SnowHeart nuzzled her friend. StormEye joined her.

  “Why are you out of the nursery? Has SunLight decided to make you guys’ apprentices?” RoseyPelt asked. SunLight was HunterClan’s leader.

   “I’m not sure. He said that StoneTail would come back to camp today. He didn’t mention anything else.” StormEye replied. SnowHeart noticed that his eyes were gentle when he looked at RoseyPelt.

  “We’re going to go and explore the camp now,” SnowHeart told her.

  “Sure,” RoseyPelt replied with a purr, “I was going to go to Sunning Bank, I have to meet my mentor there.”

   “You’re going to go into the FOREST?” StormEye asked.

   “Yep, DawnFlower took me there my first day of apprentice ship. Don’t worry you’ll probably go there soon.” RoseyPelt assured them.

  She turned and ran into the lining of trees.

  “Come on!” SnowHeart grabbed StormEye by the scuff of his neck.

 Yowling in pleasure he twisted out of her grasp and leapt onto SnowHeart’s back. SnowHeart unsheathed her claws and raked at StormEye’s ear.

  “Getting comfortable are you?” a voice called to them.

 SnowHeart untangled herself from StormEye and turned to the cat who had spoken. She noticed that the must have tumbled into a den or something for there was a roof over her head. The cat who had spoken was a gray tabby with gray stripes.

  “Um…We’re sorry,” SnowHeart started, “We didn’t mean to disturb you.”

 Even though the tabby’s voice had been hostile, his eyes were gentle.

  “Do you know that you are in the hunter’s den?” he asked.

 The hunter’s den. They had been in front of the apprentice’s den. Perhaps they had rolled a bit more than she had thought.

 Just then a voice called from outside, “All cats that belong to HunterClan gather under the Highrock.”                 

     “       To be continued…

P.S. Please leave comments to tell me if I can make any improvements or if you like it.                          

Continuation of: Chapter 1

SnowHeart padded out of the hunter’s den. Outside dark clouds were forming as cats and cats began to gather under a huge rock. Perched on the rock, was a gold cat, SunLight. Next to him sat a cat that had a similar white pelt like SnowHeart.

“Cats of HunterClan!” SunLight announced, “StoneTail, my deputy, is back and has completed his mission successfully.”

Mews of joy rang through the assembled cats. SnowHeart sat down next to StormEye and asked, “That’s StoneTail!”

StormEye did not reply, he was gesturing with his tail to RoseyPelt. SnowHeart rolled her eyes and returned her attention back to SunLight.

“With help from FoxTail, RedClaw, and FeatherHeart, StoneTail has defeated FishingClan and took back Steppingstone Ridge!” SunLight waited for the loud cries of the cats to fade before he add, “We also have two new apprentices.”

SnowHeart looked around. No cat seemed excited or fidgeting. Are we the new apprentices? SnowHeart wondered.

“SnowHeart and StormEye, come up to the high rock!”

Startled, SnowHeart took a moment to realize what had happened. She got up and slowly walked up to the high rock. SunLight looked down at her with bright green eyes. StormEye was the first one on the rock. SnowHeart was slower. She sat next to StormEye and looked down. The first face she saw was FireGem’s. She nodded encouragingly while her bright blue eyes twinkled with pride.

“StormEye,” SunLight addressed her brother first, “You are old enough to be an apprentice, are you ready?”

”Yes,” StormEye replied bravely.

“Good. LightClan asks you FoxTail to train StormEye. You were taught by me, I hope you pass down all the knowledge of hunting to this young apprentice.”

FoxTail padded up to StormEye and laid the tip of his bushy tail on StormEye’s head.

SunLight turned to SnowHeart. SnowHeart could feel her heart racing. Who is going to be my mentor?

“SnowHeart, Are you ready to be an apprentice?”

“Yes.” SnowHeart answered breathlessly.

SunLight nodded and scanned the crowd of cats. Spotting the one he was looking for he said, ”GrayChest, you will teach SnowHeart.”

To SnowHeart’s surprise the same cat who had addressed her and StormEye in the hunter’s den approached SnowHeart.

“You’re still not allowed in the hunter’s den,” GrayChest said good-humouredly.

He touched her head with the tip of his tail.

“Wow! We won’t be sleeping in the nursery anymore!” StormEye exclaimed with delight.

The two of them were heading towards the apprentices den with their tail high in the air. SnowHeart felt a bit queasy at the thought of sleeping with other apprentices.

The apprentices den was a small cave in the side of the cliff with long vines draped over the entrance. SnowHeart pushed her head cautiously into the den. Inside there were about five other cats, all apprentices. One of them, a short hair tom with a pelt the color of leaping flames and large amber eyes padded over to SnowHeart.

“Hi!” he greeted her, “My name is FlameClaw.”

“I’m SnowHeart and this is my brother StormEye,” SnowHeart introduced them.

RoseyPelt appeared beside FlameClaw and purred, “SnowHeart! Didn’t I tell you SunLight would make apprentices?”

SnowHeart purred in delight.

“Come here,” FlameClaw showed them to two beds of moss, “You shall sleep here.”

“Thanks,” SnowHeart replied gratefully. She curled up on the moss and looked closely at the other cats.

There was a white pelt and copper splotched she-cat. An other was with dark black furred and bright yellow-eyed tom. The last cat was a light shaded brown tom with dark black marks on his head.

“Oh! How rude! You guys didn’t even introduce yourselves!” RoseyPelt exclaimed.

“I am PatchPelt,” said the she-cat.

“BrackenClaw,“ said the brown tom.

“I am DaggerHeart,” growled the midnight shaded tom.

SnowHeart tried to purr to him as she had with the others, but something wouldn’t let her.

Perhaps it was his eyes. Maybe it was the way his claws kept sheathing and unsheathing as if ready to spring into battle with her. Whatever it was, SnowHeart knew one thing; he gave her an uneasy feeling.

To be continued….

Chapter 2
Sunlight streamed through the vines at the opening of the den. SnowHeart opened her eyes and looked around. FireClaw was curled up next to her and RoseyPelt was stretched out next to StormEye. BrackenClaw and PatchPelt were still sleeping, but DaggerHeart was not there. SnowHeart slowly stretched her paws and rose to feet. A sudden sound made her look up to the entrance of the den. GrayChest stood there.

“Are you ready for your first day into the forest?” GrayChest asked.

“Oh!” SnowHeart had not known that they’d be going into the forest.

“Wake up StormEye,” GrayChest purred, “Meet me and FoxTail by the edge of camp.” He turned and left.

SnowHeart padded over to StormEye and nudged his head.

“What? Leave me alone,” StormEye’s voice was groggy.

“GrayChest said we are going to go into the forest!”

StormEye immediately sprang onto his paws.

“Why didn’t you say so?”

“Because you were too busy being a lazy fur-ball,” SnowHeart retorted.

She turned and padded out of the den. The sun was climbing over the ledges of the hallow where the camp was.

“Hi!” the mew startled her. She spun around and looked strait into the eyes of IceWhiskers, a very playful kit. She had been in the nursery when SnowHeart and StormEye had left for the apprentice den.

“IceWhisker! What in LightClan are you doing out of the nursery?!” SnowHeart demanded.

“I came to fetch some fresh-kill for NightCloud and BerryWing,” the kit explained.

Nodding her head, SnowHeart turned away and padded over to the camp exit. GrayChest and FoxTail were waiting there, talking to each other in low murmurs.

“SnowHeart,” GrayChest explained, “You and I will go out to practice hunting while I show you the forest.” SnowHeart nodded. She was fine with that.

“Drop into a crouch. Keep your tail down”

SnowHeart felt her fur bristle with embarrassment. GrayChest had told her that.

She slowly lowered her tail, but kept her eyes fixed on the small wood mouse. Slowly she steadied her quivering tail and got ready to pounce. Suddenly the mouse stiffed the air and darted towards a burrow. Yowling with frustration, SnowHeart launched herself onto the mouse. Nothing. It had escaped. Again.

SnowHeart felt blood pounding in her ears with fierce anger and frustration.

“It’s okay,” GrayChest mewed, “That was pretty good for the first time.”

SnowHeart shook her pelt free of leaves and stalked through the undergrowth. She stiffened. “GrayChest! I smell a rabbit!” SnowHeart hissed. She sniffed the air and padded away with the sent trail in her nose. She could here GrayChest a few rabbit-hops away. Finally, SnowHeart spotted the rabbit. It was nibbling on some grass. She made sure her tail was down and still. She stalked till it was a few fox-tails away and lunged.

SnowHeart proudly padded back into camp. She felt her fur prickle with pride when the eyes of her den mates probed her with envy and surprise. She went over to the fresh-kill pile and dropped her rabbit on top.

“Wow! That’s a big rabbit for your first day!”

SnowHeart turned to see FlameClaw looking impressed sunning himself on a ledge above the ground. She purred and looked at GrayChest.

“You’ve done enough for today. Get some rest.”

SnowHeart nodded and walked over to the side of the hallow. She sprung onto a ledge next to FlameClaw.

“Where is StormEye?” she asked, tucking her paws under her chest.

“He’s still training with FoxTail,” he purred.

Closing her eyes she basked in the sun, enjoying it’s warmth.

Suddenly, she was asleep.

The forest was larger than in the real world. SnowHeart was dreaming. The sky was filled with stars and the moon was full. She padded towards the forest. Suddenly, a black tabby stepped out of nowhere.

“Stop.” the tom hissed.

“What? Why?” SowHeart asked.

“You are not any Clan leader,” was the retort, “you shouldn’t be here.”

“But-,” SnowHeart was cut off by a gentle voice as another cat stepped out next to the tom.

“ShadowWing?” the cat was a white tortoiseshell she-cat with black and light brown splashes, “What are you yowling at?”

“This… this apprentice is trespassing on LightClan territory.

LightClan! The ancestor Clan! They lived in the sky’s hunting grounds. Only Clan leaders were allowed to contact them.

“Calm down, ShadowWing,” the she-cat purred with amusement. She gazed at SnowHeart with understanding, “She has come at last.”

SnowHeart bolted awake. She was still lying on the ledge, but the sun was fading. FlameClaw was prodding her with a paw.

“It’s about time you woke,” he joked, “I though that you were going to take on a badger tradition and hibernate.”

Purring she padded next to him towards the apprentice’s den.

“That was some rabbit you caught today.”

StormEye was standing in the entrance of the den.

SnowHeart purred even louder.

“Stop purring,” RoseyPelt let out a meow of laughter, “You won’t let me get some sleep if you keep it up all night.

SnowHeart stopped purring.

“Good night, StormEye,” SnowHeart mewed.

“Good night FlameClaw,”

“Good night RoseyPelt.” And fell asleep. She had no dream.

Continuation of Chapter 2

“SnowHeart,” the voice was soft and quiet, “SnowHeart wake up.”

SnowHeart cracked open an eye, and stared into the green ones of FlameClaw.

“What?” SnowHeart asked pushing herself to her paws.

“SunLight wants to see you in his den.”

“SunLight?!” SnowHeart was wide awake now.

“Yes,” FlameClaw purred with amusement,” He wants to talk about tonight.”

“About tonight? What’s tonight?” SnowHeart asked. What is so special about tonight?

FlameClaw just nudged her with his muzzle towards the entrance of the den. SnowHeart padded out and made her way to the leader’s den. The entrance was covered with vines and leaves. SnowHeart called a greeting, “SunLight?”

“SnowHeart?” SunLight’s voice called,” Come in.”

SnowHeart padded into the den. Inside SunLight was crouched on his bed of moss. The little sunlight streaming through the curtain of vines made his ginger fur glow and turned the walls of the den a pale yellow.
“SunLight,” SnowHeart meowed, “You wanted to see me?”

“Yes,” SunLight replied,” Tonight is a full moon. Every full moon there is a gathering.”

SnowHeart knew this. She remembered days in the nursery when the older elders (hunters who are too old to hunt and defend their clan) used to come and tell them about gatherings. She and StormEye had always wanted to go.

“This will be your first night in the gathering so I want you and StormEye to take two more apprentices with you and hunt. Then rest,” SunLight ordered.

SnowHeart dipped her head and turned to go. She padded out of den and when she stepped out, jumped.

DaggerHeart was staring at her with ice-blue eyes as he padded into the den.

The moon rose bright and clear that night. SnowHeart was looking around at the assembled cats. Then she spotted one cat. A pretty silver she-cat was sitting out side a den SnowHeart had never seen before. She padded over and asked,” Are you a Hunter?”

The cat looked at her with bright blue eyes and meowed, “No, SnowHeart. I am the medicine.”

“How do you know my name?” SnowHeart asked.

“How do I know what herbs to use when a cat is cut? The same way. I learn,” was her answer.

“And, what is your name?” SnowHeart questioned.

“My name is SilverPool,” the she-cat meowed.

Then she got up and padded towards the group of cats that were to go to the gathering.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

SnowHeart could here StormEye’s voice long before she saw him. He was sitting in front of RoseyPelt, tail twitching.

“I am not coming because I need to stay and guard the camp with the others,” RoseyPelt explained calmly, though her amber eyes were twinkling.

Just then SharpTail, a senior hunter strolled up to them.

“Don’t worry, StormEye,” he said in his deep meow, “We other hunters will protect her.” He purred with amusement.

“StormEye, SnowHeart,” FlameClaw’s meow broke into the conversation, “We have to go.”

SnowHeart quickly raced to FlameClaw’s side and with StormEye next to her raced out of the camp.