Book One of A New Era: A Clan of Fire

Chapter Thirteen

Flamestar woke up with a start. She was in her warm cozy den. It had been two moons since Whitefur’s kits had been born into the clan. Snowkit had recovered well and was now a lively young kit. She was a lot smaller than her littermates, but she was just as mischievous. Flamestar purred at the thought of the kits’ progress. Leafkit and Dappledkit had grown to be five times the size of Whitefur’s kits. They were almost ready to be apprenticed.

Flamestar hadn’t told anyone about the visions she had received. She wasn’t sure exactly how to put what happened into words.

A cold wind blew through the entrance of Flamestar’s den, rousing her from her thoughts. It was now a moon into leafbare, the herbs and flowers long gone. The ground, once covered in fallen leaves, was now under a thick blanket of snow. Flamestar never told anyone about the images she had seen when the kits were born. That was a secret. Tigerpelt had continued to tell Flamestar about herbs and Flamestar was getting a bit irritated.

The day after the kits were born, Flamestar sent Whitebelly and Gingertail to talk to Dallas. Dallas was quick to follow them back and make a nest in the elder’s den. Later, Flamestar had renamed him to Nightsky.

Flamestar looked beside her and was not surprised to see that Blackfrost was not there. He had been sleeping with her ever since that first night he came in to sleep. He was never there in the morning though, since he would wake up before dawn to go hunting at night.

Flamestar stood and stretched. As she padded out of her den, a cold wind whistled through the air. An icy chill went through her from ears to tail. Flamestar padded over to the measly freshkill pile. All that remained were two scrawny mice. Flamestar carried one of them to the nursery. As she placed the mouse in front of Whitefur, Leafkit and Dappledkit went tumbling by in a flurry of paws and fur.

“I will be the best warrior there is!” Leafkit meowed as she pinned her sister.

“Not fair!” Dappledkit protested.

“What’s not fair?” Leafkit purred.

“You weigh too much! I can’t get you off!” Dappledkit teased.

“Hey! You’re fatter than me!” Leafkit exclaimed, batting her sister gently on the nose.

Flamestar watched with amusement. “I think they’re almost ready to become apprentices, don’t you Darklight?” At that, the two kits lifted their heads, ears pricked excitedly.

Darklight purred, “Yes. After all, they are six moons old now.”

The kits looked like they were about to explode with excitement. Their tails lashed through the air as they bounced around the den, squealing in excitement.

“Calm down. There isn’t enough room in here for that,” Darklight meowed sternly.

The kits tried hard to contain their excitement, but failed. Leafkit yowled, “We’re going to be apprentices!”

Whitefur purred from her nest, where her kits were looking on in amazement. “You two will make fine warriors one day.” The two kits puffed out their chests proudly while Cloudkit stumbled up to them.

“Wow! You’re going to be apprentices! You’re so lucky! I wish I could be an apprentice. But mother won’t let me,” Cloudkit mewed, giving his mother a glare. His voice was thick with envy.

“Now Cloudkit, you know you have to be six moons old before becoming an apprentice. You still have four moons to go,” Whitefur lectured.

“I don’t want to be stuck in the den for another four moons! I want to explore the camp and beyond!” Cloudkit protested.