Ivystar's Choice

Chapter 1

When Ivykit opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming through the brambles of the roof. She hopped out of the nest. Her jaws gaped in a huge yawn as she stretched her little legs. Then she heard the voices of the other kits outside.They left me behind! Ivykit thought indignantly.

     She glanced at Amberstorm. Her mother was sleeping in her nest peacefully her whiskers twitching. If I wake her up, i'll never get out! she thought as she remembered yesterday, Ivykit had begged to go out with her brothers but Amberstorm had said that she was too little. I'll show you i'm not too little! Ivykit creeped quietly toward the entrance, setting her paws down lightly. But when she brushed by Shiningheart's nest, she tripped over a frond of reed and fell paws over tail, landing with a loud huff!

     Amberstorm stirred and opening one eye blearily, she meowed "Where do you think you're going?" Ivykit mewed sheepishly, "Out... Can I please go out and play? All of the other kits are outside." Her mother looked doubtful but then Fluffypelt mewed in amusement, "Come on Amberstorm, you have to let her out someday. When we were kits, you made me come out the moment I opened my eyes" Amberstorm let out a sigh. "All right but be careful." Yes! Ivykit hared out, kicking up dust in her wake.

     She was so excited that when she shot out, she crashed into the legs of a massive tom heading toward the nursery, tripping him. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" he asked. Ivykit tipped her head back to look at him, his silver and gray pelt rippling. "Who are you?" she asked, her head to one side. He meowed "I'm Stormcloud. The Riverclan Deputy." Ivykit felt confused. I'm only a few days old!, she thought crestfallen, There's a lot of things I dont know apparently. "What's a deputy?" she asked. "A deputy is second-in-command after the leader. And when the leader dies, the deputy becomes leader." "Wow! So when our leader dies, you're going to be leader?" Ivykit exclaimed. Stormcloud nodded. "Now run along and play." he meowed, "I have to talk with your mother". And Stormcloud padded past her and squeezed into the nursery, puffing as he thrust his wide shoulders inside.

     Ivykit suddenly heard a chorus of playful squeaks and growls as a bundle of flying fur crashed into her. She saw Silverkit's smug face in front of hers, " You're my first catch of the day!". Ivykit tried to push him off, but he was big! A voice yowled "Don't worry i'll save you!" And a streak of ginger leapt off a tree stump nearby and launched itself at Silverkit. But instead of landing gracefully, the ginger kit tumbled onto the ground in a heap next to Ivykit. "My hero." Ivykit muttered as she scrambled up. The ginger tom scuffled his white paws in the grass in embarrassment. Ivykit went up to him and butted him playfully, "Come on, cheer up! Let's go get a fish!".

     He brightened and puffed out his chest. "I'll get him next time!" And with that he crouched down and stalked over to Silverkit who was sitting and tearing hungrily into a trout with Sunkit and Bravekit. And Ivykit pushed out of the ferns and padded over to Lilykit, Owlkit, and Mallowkit who were also tucking into a fat carp. "Hey Lilykit, hey Mallowkit hey Owlkit, can I share with you guys?" Lilykit replied with a mouthful of fish, "Mrfl, Sure!". Ivykit plopped down and eyed the fish first. It had glassy eyes, slimy scales, and a tail. It was her first time eating prey, so she took a tentative bite, she almost gagged. It was so strong! Lilykit, Mallowkit, and Owlkit mewled with laughter as Ivykit circled frantically, shaking her head and waggling her tongue.

     And Lilykit, between fits of laughter, mewed, "Maybe you're better off with a water vole instead for your first prey." Ivykit agreed and scampered over to the fresh-kill pile, picking out a furry body instead of a scaly one. She carried the vole over and flopped down. Cautiously, Ivykit took a small bite. The flavor spread over her tongue making her feel warm. "It's delicious!" she mumbled around a mouthful and began tearing into it more ravenously, realizing how hungry she was.

     At that moment, Amberstorm trotted out of the nursery with Stormcloud, the deputy. "Eat your prey more slowly.", she advised. "You know what they say 'Prey that is eaten slower, feeds us longer'".  And she brought over a fish and lay beside Stormcloud, taking turns biting into it. Ivykit leaned over and whispered to Lilykit, "Why is the Riverclan deputy eating with Amberstorm? They look really friendly." Lilykit and Owlkit exchanged an amused look, Mallowkit just looked confused. "What? What do you know?" Ivykit demanded. "Come on! Tell us why you're acting all weird!", Mallowkit meowed. Lilykit heaved an exaggerated sigh and dropped her head to whisper, "Stormcloud is your father!"

     Shock filled Ivykit, only to be replaced by excitement. Her father was the Riverclan Deputy? The expression on her face was enough to send Lilykit, Owlkit, and Mallowkit into peals of laughter again. While they were all rolling on the ground, a pretty gray tabby she-cat padded over and looked at them sternly, "Lilykit, I told you not to make any more noise." she scolded gently. "You're setting a bad example for Ivykit". "How do you know my name?", Ivykit asked tipping her head to one side. As the new cat opened her mouth to answer, Lilykit piped up "You were at her kitting weren't you? You were at all of our kittings."

     She nodded, "I'm the Riverclan Medicine Cat. My name is Willowfrost." Ivykit groaned inwardly, Another term I don't know!. "What's a Medicine Cat?" Ivykit asked the Medicine Cat. She replied, "A Medicine Cat is a cat that uses herbs and berries to heal cats when they are sick or injured." While she was explaining, Ivykit noticed Lilykit listening with rapt attention and a dreamy look in her eyes. Does Lilykit want to be a Medicine Cat? she wondered. She pushed the thought away. I like her... I want to train as a Warrior with me!

     But Ivykit didnt want to get in the way if Lilykit really wanted to be a Medicine Cat. "Lilykit, you and Ivykit are really getting along!" Willowfrost was mewing, "Its not hard to see that you two are kin!" That caught Ivykit's attention. She mewed confusedly "Kin? I'm Lilykit's kin?". The Medicine Cat nodded. "Amberstorm and Fluffypelt were littermates. Along with Piketooth." Ivykit exchanged a delighted glance with Lilykit and Mallowkit. "I can't wait to tell Silverkit and Bravekit!" she yowled and dashed off.

      Ivykit bounced over to Bravekit and Silverkit who were in the middle of a play fight. "Guess what!" she yowled. "The Riverclan Deputy's our father! And Lilykit and Mallowkit are our kin!". Silverkit and Bravekit looked up, "You just noticed?", Silverkit teased, knocking her over with a paw. Bravekit added, "You're a little behind the times, being kept in the nursery so long!". "I wanted to come out!" Ivykit protested, "But Amberstorm wouldn't let me!". Bravekit and Silverkit exchanged a glance, their eyes sparkling mischieviously. And before Ivykit could do anything, they both leapt on her pinning her to the ground. "Now we won't have to go easy on you, since you aren't "little" anymore!" Silverkit yowled. "Two against one isn't fair!" she complained. And they rolled over in the grass until they were at the edge of the camp. All of them squeaking and struggling.

     Suddenly, Ivykit felt the sun disappear, the weight of Silverkit and Bravekit vanished as they sat up looking confused. A huge shadow was looming over them with a spiked paw raised. And some cat behind them yowled "Rogue Attack!". And the camp exploded into battle. Ivykit felt teeth bite into her scruff and she felt the unknown cat roughly back out of the camp wall to dash away into the forest. She let out a wail of terror. And Ivykit heard a snarl and saw Willowfrost leaping toward the shadow pelted tom, claws extended. Ivykit felt the jaws gripping her scruff toss her backwards.

Shock coursed through her as she hit the ground. In a daze, she couldn't get up and watched in horror as the rogue tom sliced open the Medicine Cat's throat and left her bleeding, dying the grass scarlet. She was mute with terror as the tom grabbed her by the scruff again.

     As she hung limply, dazed by fear, Amberstorm's horrified face was the last thing she saw as the camp she knew disappeared into the trees.