Warriors: Rising Storm #1: Robin's Call

Chapter 2

Shadekit stretched. Three moons had passed, and two more kits were born. They were Frozenkit and Lostkit. She saw Emberkit, Harekit, and Dustkit talking excitedly outside the nursery. She padded over to them. "Hi," She greeted.

"Hi, Shadekit!" Dustkit purred.

"Can you believe that we're being made apprentices today?" Harekit mewed gleefully.

Suddenly, movement caught Shadekit's attention, and she noticed the light brown leader, Eaglestar. He jumped and landed gracefully on the highledge.

"All cats old enough to fight their own battles, gather here beneath the highledge!" The leader's call echoed off the trees.

Bushes rustled as cats emerged from their dens and settled into the clearing.

Froststrike and Thistlejaw sat proudly in the front, their kits were neatly groomed.

"Dustkit, Emberkit, and Harekit, please step forward," Eaglestar ordered.

The three kits obeyed.

"Bramblepelt, Flowersting, and Softsong, You are all experienced warriors, and I expect you to pass on your knowledge to these young cats." Eaglestar paused, his gaze glittering with amusement as he saw the soon-to-be apprentices quivering with excitement. "Bramblepelt, your apprentice will be Dustpaw; Flowersting, you will mentor Harepaw; and Softsong, you will mentor Emberpaw," He announced.

The clan broke into cheering. "Harepaw!"

"Dustpaw!"

"Emberpaw!" 

"This meeting is dismissed!" Eaglestar declared, jumping off the ledge.

Shadekit ran up to her old denmates. "Congratulations!" She purred.

"Thanks!" Harepaw said, puffing out his chest.

Dustpaw hopped up to Harepaw's side. "Yea!" He exclaimed. "We're gonna fight in battles!"

Emberpaw rolled her eyes. "We aren't warriors yet." She laughed. "It won't be long before you're an apprentice," Emberpaw pointed out. "We'll be able to train with each other!"

Shadekit shook her head. "I'm going to be a medicine cat apprentice!"

The new apprentices' eyes widened.

"Wow," Dustpaw spoke up after a moment of silence. "That's amazing!"

"Really?" Emberpaw breathed, excitement in her eyes.

"You'll be able to treat us if we get injured," Harepaw said.

"Obviously," Shadekit said under her breath. "Anyway, hope you have fun doing whatever it is you're doing today," She meowed, raising her voice. She padded away towards the nursery, where Frozenkit and Lostkit were playing.

"Hey, Shadekit!" Lostkit greeted, his stumpy tail waving happily.

"Wanna play Catch The Mouse?" Frozenkit asked.

Shadekit shook her head. "No thanks, maybe later?" Shadekit had more important things to do.

"OK," was all Frozenkit said back.

Shadekit crept slowly to the entrance of the warriors' den where her father sat. She began to feel dizzy as she neared him.

It was clear that Pebbleclaw saw her, because he turned so his back was facing her.

The kit felt something stir inside her stomach, but she still got closer to her father.

"I know you're there," The loud, deep voice of her father broke her thoughts. "Sulking in the shadows won't do anything." Pebbleclaw turned to face her. His pelt was pitch black like Shadekit's, and their eyes where an identical amber.

Shadekit took a deep breath of air. "I-I just wanted to say hello to my father," She stuttered. She felt herself tremble.

Pebbleclaw's ear flicked. "That's not all," He growled softly, his eyes narrowing into slits. "What else do you want to tell me?"

Shadekit wanted to run away, but she knew she had to tell Pebbleclaw. "I want to be a m-medicine cat, not a warrior," She announced at last.

Surprise lit Pebbleclaw's gaze. "Why are you telling me this?" He hissed at last, rage replacing surprise. Shadekit saws his claws dig into the ground. "Shouldn't you be talking to your mother Robinheart about that?" He spat Robinheart's name like a piece of crowfood.

Shadekit took a step back. "I don't want to talk to her about this," She admitted. She felt her fur begin to fluff at the thought of Robinheart knowing her interest in herbs. "I wanted you to tell Robinheart instead of me." She sat down, her tail flicking nervously as she waited for Pebbleclaw to reply.

Panic flared through his eyes for a heartbeat, but it quickly turned back to anger before she could be sure. "Why?" His voice was as hard as ice.

"Robinheart would kill me if she found out I wanted to be a medicine cat instead of a warrior!" She wailed. "Robinheart already doesn't like me."

Pebbleheart's tail whisked close to Shadekit's shoulder, but never touched. "I will try to talk to her, but I can't promise a good response." He hissed, although Shadekit could detect a hint of sympathy in his voice.

Shadekit watched as her father padded over to the warrior's den where Robinheart was laying. She headed over to the fresh-kill pile and picked up a small mouse. She gulped it down and waited a few heartbeats before Pebbleclaw returning, his pelt ruffled. Shadekit fought the strong urge to run away.

Pebbleclaw's expression was almost impossible to read. "I did it," he growled.

Shadekit forced herself to look into his blazing eyes. "W-what did she say," she stuttered. She felt herself trembling.

A low growl rose from Pebbleclaw. "Well she hated the idea of you becoming a medicine cat apprentice." He hesitated before saying, "she said you have to become a warrior because you ruined her life."

Shadekit looked at her father, horrified. The world seemed to whirl around, a terrible headache began to spread in her head. "W-what?" She had to of heard him wrong or something. Or could Robinheart hate me... She shook her head, clearing the thought, but she still felt herself shiver.

Pebbleclaw's tail touched her shoulder. "That's what she said," he meowed softly. He seemed to realize that he was being nice to her. "You told me to do this," Pebbleclaw growled again. "Don't blame this on me."

Shadekit watched as Pebbleclaw began to walk away. "Wait!" she called.

The tom turned around. "What do you want?"

"What do you think about me becoming medicine cat?" she asked nervously.

Pebbleclaw hesitated, but finally said, "I think that you should be able to decide your own future." 

Shadekit still didn't feel relieved. "You didn't answer my question."

Pebbleclaw looked at her, his eyes serious. "I think you'd make a great medicine cat."

Before Shadekit could say any more, Pebbleclaw padded away. Maybe... Just maybe Pebbleclaw has feelings for me.