Tawnystar's Secret

Chapter One

Chapter One

Wind rustled the branches that were tightly woven into the nursery. One of Tawnykit's foster brothers lay sprawled out on her. She scrambled away from him, and away from her two other foster brothers. The warm forest breeze chased away the stuffy smell of moss, Milk, and sleeping cats. Tawnykit could hear small voices coming from outside the Nursery.

"I'll be the warrior, you'll be the mouse!" Hailkit demanded

"No way! You were the warrior last time!" Reedkit argued.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

The words were cut short as the older kits crashed together, punctuated by squeaks of defiance.

"Watch where your rolling!" A raspy voice snapped.

"Sorry Grayclaw!"

The Tom sighed. "Kits these days..."

Warrior! The word passed through Tawnykit's mind like a fish could swim down a flowing river. "I'm gonna be a warrior!" Then, before she could watch what she was doing, her eyes stretched open wide. She saw the bramble walls, and the dawn sun, which shone behind it. A familiar scent came from her left, and she looked at Silvershadow, Hailkit and Reedkit's mother. Her fur was a complete silver, shining in te nursery. But, the most familiar scents came from behind. Turnin her head, she saw Bluestorm, laying on her side. Light poured down and dappled her blue/gray pelt. Beside her lay a dark blue/gray Tom, a dark brown Tom, and a bracken-coloured Tom.

"Stormkit!" She breathed.

The dark gray one rolled over. "What's it now? You've already kept us from exploring camp!" He opened his eyes, making eye-contact. "Woah! Now we can go outside!" He jumped up and squished the bracken-coloured one with his weight. "Come on Sedgekit!"

The dark brown Tom, which Tawnykit thought was Sparrowkit after the other two's names, rolled over. "What's happening?" He yawned sleepily. "Bluestorm said that the more we sleep, the more time will pass by."

"And she also wants to know what's going on." Bluestorm rumbled.

Stormkit looked at his mother excitedly. "Tawnykit opened her eyes! Can we go out now?"

Bluestorm eyed Tawnykit. "Oh, alright. But stay in camp."

"Yes!" Stormkit raced for the entrance, Sedgekit and Sparrowkit at his paws. Tawnykit raced after them, catching up easily. She suddenly noticed, standing beside her denmates, that she only made it up to Sparrowkit's muzzle. And the worse thing was, Sparrowkit was the smallest out of the toms.

"Let's go!" Tawnykit flicked her tail in eagerness.

"I'm going to find Hailkit and Reedkit. They aren't that big anymore!" Stormkit raced off, Sedgekit at his heels. However, Sparrowkit stayed.

"I don't want you alone." He mumbled.

"Well, come on!" She raced towards the SkyStone, Sparrowkit puffing behind her. "What's this?" She poked her paw at a curtain of lichen. It magically parted, and Tawnykit tumbled inside. She stood up, blinking in the dark. And once again, the curtain of lichen parted, but this time it opened for a pair of jaws to seize her scruff. "Put me down! Put. Me. Down!" She wriggled in his grasp, claws unsheathed, she tried to twist and rake, but the jaws parted and Tawnykit dropped to the ground.

"That's the leaders den! Be more respectful!" The angry Tom was a dark blue/gray like Bluestorm.

Tawnykit's father, Applefire, stepped in front of her. His fire coloured pelt bristled with anger. "It's her first day out, Rainstorm. And don't say such nonsense! Skystar would always welcome guests, expecially kits." He whipped around, and Tawnykit blinked in surprise. "Come on, we'd better go." He ushered her to the nursery. "I promise I'll take you around camp later." He licked his daughters forehead.

Tawnykit settled beside Bluestorm. "What did you see?" She asked softly.

"Everything."

"Oh no! There's the four clans territory, and the twoleg place, and further."

"How far does the world stretch?" Tawnykit closed her eyes, but she could still hear her mothers soft voice above her. "

"Only StarClan knows, and even StarClan can't know everything."