Warriors || Hopestar's Choice: Book 1 (1 of 3)

Chapter 3

Half a moon passed, and Hopekit woke one morning to find the clan gathered for a meeting. Hopekit slunk towards where Owlkit and Maplekit sat in the shadows. She settled in between her littermates and turned her curious green gaze to Tigerstar.

"What's happening?" Hopekit asked Owlkit.

Owlkit huffed, "Bramblekit and Tawnykit are being named apprentices." He cast a glare in their direction. "Why can't we be named apprentices, too? We are only a moon younger than they are!"

"Then we'll be made apprentices in a moon, so hush up!" Hopekit snapped and returned her attention to the gathering.

Tigerstar stepped onto Highrock, the sun dappling his dark brown tabby pelt. His amber gaze surveyed the clan before his son and daughter joined him on Highrock. "Bramblekit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Bramblepaw." Tigerstar announced. Lifting his head, he added, "And I will be your mentor."

"Of course," Hopekit heard Mousefur mutter under her breath to Dustpelt, "Did anyone expect anything less?"

"And Tawnykit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Tawnypaw." Tigerstar searched for a particular face among the crowd. "Runningwind, you will be mentor to Tawnypaw."

"Bramblepaw! Tawnypaw!" The clan cheered, and Hopekit joined in along with her littermates.

Although she was cheering for them, she also cheered because she knew in a moon's time that she would become an apprentice. Hopekit loudly called Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw's names, honestly happy for her former denmates. She watched as Goldenflower congratulated her two kits with enthusiasm.

"And another announcement," Tigerstar cleared his throat. "Tonight is the gathering and I will be bringing Darkstripe, Whitestorm, Dappletail, Longtail, Brackenfur, Mousefur, Brightflower, Ashpaw, and Fernpaw. That's all for now."

Hopekit and her littermates emerged from their hiding place in the shadows. "Wow, a gathering!" Hopekit exclaimed. "I bet the other clans will be there and everything!" Her eyes lit up with excitement at the prospect of meeting cats from the other clans.

"I wish we were going," Owlkit mumbled. He cast a sidelong glance at the older pair of littermates. "Ashpaw and Fernpaw get to go."

"But they're moons older than us," Maplekit reminded them softly. A cough shook her frail body. "We'll be apprentices soon."

Hopekit pouted, "Not soon enough." She padded across the clearing to where Bramblepaw and Tawnypaw stood. Other members of the clan were also gathered there, saying their congratulations.

Bramblepaw laughed at something Longtail said, but then his amber eyes found Hopekit. "Excuse me." He walked over to Hopekit and purred. "I can't believe I'm an apprentice! Soon I'll be a warrior! I wonder what my warrior name will be?"

Hopekit put on a good face for Bramblepaw to hide her jealousy. "That's great, Bramblepaw." Her voice shook slightly.

"What's wrong?" Bramblepaw nosed her. "Aren't you happy for me?"

"Of course I'm happy for you," Hopekit sighed, drawing circles in the dirt with her claw, "But now you'll be off doing apprentice things and you won't have time for us anymore."

Bramblepaw chuckled and shook his dark tabby head. His amber eyes glowed as he spoke, "I'm not going anywhere, Hopekit. I'll be just on the other side of camp."

"Hopekit, come on!" Owlkit called. He nodded to where their sister waited. "Maplekit and I are going to play a game!"

"You should go," Bramblepaw turned and went back to join the other apprentices and warriors. Hopekit watched him go and wished that she were joining him. But instead she padded after her littermates, telling herself that her time would come soon enough.

"What are we playing?" Hopekit asked Owlkit and Maplekit.

"Let's go see Halftail and One-eye!" Maplekit exclaimed with her tail flickering in excitement. "Maybe they'll tell us a story!"

"No!" Owlkit groaned, "I don't want to hear another dumb story!"

"Come on," Hopekit playfully shoved Owlkit, "It'll be fun!" She led the way across the clearing where the senior warriors slept. Peering inside, she saw Halftail, One-eye, and Smallear.

"Oh!" Halftail said, surprised. "Hello kits!"

"Hi Halftail," the three kits greeted in unison.

"Have you come to hear a story?" Smallear wondered.

Hopekit and Maplekit nodded eagerly while Owlkit didn't say anything at all. "Yes, please!"

"Alright, settle down kits." Halftail cleared his throat and began the story. "I remember this day just like it was yesterday: Bluestar and Lionheart were on patrol with an apprentice named Graypaw. They were patrolling along the twoleg fence when Graypaw came across a kittypet."

"So? A kittypet can't hurt anyone." Owlkit rolled his eyes.

"Oh, but this kittypet did." Halftail retorted. "Graypaw attacked the kittypet, but the kittypet fought back! Bluestar and Lionheart saw the whole thing. That's when they made an offer to the kittypet-join ThunderClan."

"What?!" The kits cried with outrage. Owlkit argued further, "Kittypets can't be warriors!"

Halftail waited a heartbeat before continuing. "The kittypet's name was Rusty, and he did indeed join the clan. Bluestar gave him the name Firepaw." Halftail lowered his head. "No one could've imagined that Firepaw would grow into a ruthless traitor. His warrior name was Fireheart; no one saw the darkness in his heart. Bluestar was the one who paid the ultimate price for her foolishness."

"Tigerstar is the only one that saw past those friendly green eyes to the traitor underneath. But he couldn't save Bluestar..." Halftail sighed. "Enough stories, go play a game."

"Thanks for the story, Halftail." Hopekit purred and then she followed Owlkit and Maplekit outside.

"Fireheart really was a monster." Maplekit whispered and then shivered. "I wonder whatever happened to that apprentice, Graypaw?"

"I hear the warriors talking sometimes," Hopekit whispered so no one would hear. "Whitestorm says his name is Graystripe and he left the clan to be with his kits in RiverClan."

"Turns out ThunderClan bred traitors." Owlkit noted in a dark tone. "TigerClan can only have good, loyal warriors." He raised his head proudly. "I would die for TigerClan and Tigerstar."

"Me too!" Hopekit added.

Maplekit purred, "We're going to be the best warriors that TigerClan has ever seen!"

"Grr, I'm Fireheart!" Hopekit cried and she pounced on Owlkit. "I'll kill you Tigerstar!"

"Never! You're a fox-hearted traitor!" Owlkit cried gleefully, playing into the game. The two kits wrestled for the upper hand while Maplekit looked on. Owlkit pinned Hopekit down and pretended to slit her throat. "I've killed Fireheart and saved our clan from destruction!"

Little did they know how morbid their innocent game really was.