Hollybranch's Heart

Shadow of the Heart

    Hollykit opened her eyes softly to see a dark gray tomkit in front of her. His bright yellow eyes gleamed like two suns. Midnightkit! Hollykit sprung up.
     The older tomkit's tail bushed out excitedly. "Needlethorn said I can go out of the nursery on my own!" He announced proudly. "Want to come with me?"
    Hollykit looked at her mother, Softtail. "Softtail, can I go with him?"
    The queen blinked sleepily at her daughter. "Mhm, go ahead..." She meowed with a yawn. "Stay in sight of Sharp Stone."
    Hollykit purred and pounced toward the nursery entrance. The store arch of the den held up perfectly. Hollykit purred and dashed out of the den with Midnightkit.
    As she walked out with her friend, she heard her mother hiss. "Ugh! This is the third pebble to fall down! Leopardstar must fix this den before the rocks crumble down and crush us and our kits!" Softtail lashed her tail angrily as she stood up, brushing the pebble out of the den, annoyed. Hollykit looked over at her mother and her two brothers, Beaverkit and Owlkit. Midnightshade gently tapped Hollykit with his nose. "Come on!" Midnightkit urged his friend. "Let's go play!"
    Hollykit ran around camp chasing her friend, purring and giggling as she continued to chase the older tomkit. The two six-moon old kits continued to chase the tom around, until she heard Leopardstar call for a Clan meeting. She looked at the nursery to see Softtail nudging her siblings out of the nursery. Needlethorn rushed to her fostered son, nudging him toward Sharp Stone. Hollykit trotted to her mother and siblings. Oakfern, her father, purred happily from the base of Sharp Stone. The deputy dipped his head proudly at his sons and daughter. Leopardstar took her place on top of Sharp Stone.
"Four of our nursery kits have reached their six moons, and they are now ready to become apprentices." Leopardstar announced, glancing down at the four kits in front of her. "Midnightkit, from this day forth, you will be known as Midnightpaw until you have received your warrior name. Your mentor will be Rosethorn."
    Midnightshade turned to the warrior, smiling. He trotted to his new mentor. The two touched noses,
    After both Owlpaw and Beaverpaw received their mentors, which were Houndfur and Fuzzball, it was time for Hollykit to receive her name and mentor.
    Leopardstar looked down at the fluffy black she-cat, smiling. "Hollykit, from this day on, you will be known as Hollypaw until you receive your warrior name, your mentor will be Winterbreeze." The leader announced. Hollypaw looked over at her new mentor, smiling. The winter white she-cat stared at the little apprentice, shocked she had finally received an apprentice. Hollypaw happily trotted toward her mentor, her tail high in the air. The black she-cat looked up at her mentor, Winterbreeze looked back down at Hollypaw. "I'll make sure you become the best warrior this Clan has ever seen." The young warrior purred, touching noses with her new apprentice.
The older apprentices, Cloverpaw and Turtlepaw, led the four new apprentices inside the apprentices den. Both Oakfern, Softtail, and Needlethorn walked into the nursery. "I'm so proud of you, my kits." Oakfern purred, nuzzling each of his three kits individually. Hollypaw giggled as her father nuzzled her while a purr throbbed in his throat. Softtail went around and nuzzled each of her kits like Oakfern had done. "I'm proud of you, my son." Hollypaw heard Needlethorn tell her son. Midnightpaw purred as he rubbed his cheek against his mothers. Hollypaw looked back at her parents, Owlpaw and Beaverpaw beside her. Oakfern circled his kits, licking their heads. "You better get some sleep, you three, training starts tomorrow." Oakfern informed his kits, leading Softtail out of the apprentices den. Hollypaw nodded, telling her parents 'goodnight!' Before the left out of sight into the warriors den. Hollypaw looked around, seeing four more nests in the den.
Cloverpaw walked to her side. "Turtlepaw and I decided to make you, your siblings, and Midnightpaw nests before you arrived." He purred, gently purring, pressing against the younger cat. Hollypaw pulled away from the tom, going toward Midnightpaw. The dark gray tom growled defensively at Cloverpaw. "Back off." He hissed.
Cloverpaw blinked at the tom, then smirked. "Oh, I see. You like her!" Cloverpaw teased Midnightpaw. Midnightpaw's fur rose along his back. "Shut up, Cloverpaw!" He hissed once again. "Whatever, Midnightpaw, head to sleep, your mentors are going to take you on a tour of the territory tomorrow at dawn." Cloverpaw lashed his tail and laid down in his nest, which was beside Turtlepaw's and Pigeonpaw's. Hollypaw pulled her nest close to Midnightpaw's and curled up into a tight ball in her nest, her face buried deep into her fluffy black tail. She soon fell asleep in her nest, with Midnightpaw gently pressed against her back.