Warriors: Fair Skies

Chapter 3

Sunrises and sunsets came and went, and every day Hailkit would venture out to the river with Stormstar in the early dawn. Hailkit realized that after a moon of these excursions, her legs ached less and less every time she arrived back home to camp. Lean muscles began building in her tiny shoulders, her stamina grew, and Hailkit started to revel in her new strength.

One afternoon, as Hailkit and Stormstar were returning to camp, they were intercepted at the outer thorn tunnel entrance by Snowsnap, Dewspring, and their apprentices Petalpaw and Heatherpaw. The two younger cats ran ahead into the thorn tunnel, both purring and their thick, long fur fluffed up in excitement.

Stormstar stepped aside to let them through and watched through half-slitted eyes as their tails disappeared into shadow. He then turned his attention to the two older she-cats who approached more slowly. "I take it they passed their assessments then?" Stormstar asked them.

Snowsnap bowed her head and spoke. "Yes, Stormstar. They're natural-born hunters."

"And fighters, correct?" Stormstar added insistently. "Any cat can hunt, but I trust MoorClan cats to know how to fight with tooth and claw better than any Clan."

Dewspring spoke up next. "Of course. They can hold their own against the both of us quite well."

Stormstar studied the two she-cats for a moment more before turning to head into camp. "We'll hold their ceremony right away," he added evenly over his shoulder before ducking into the tunnel.

After Hailkit emerged into the clearing, she pelted straight for the nursery to find Scarletkit, her exhaustion from her long morning walk forgotten. She was about to witness her first warrior ceremony! And there was no one else she wanted to share her excitement with than her sister.

Suddenly, a small ginger head popped out from behind the nursery entrance. His bright green eyes lit up as he spotted the gray, she-kit heading his way.

Oh no, Hailkit thought as she slowed her pace.

"Hailkit! You're back!" he squeaked.

"Yep, I am," Hailkit said unenthusiastically. "Fernkit, have you seen Scarle-"

"What did you do out there? Did you see any enemy warriors? Did you catch anything? Stripekit said you wouldn't be able to since you're still a kit, but I told her that if any of us would be able to catch anything out there, it would be you!" Fernkit's words tumbled in a steady torrent out of his mouth as he began to bounce in circles around Hailkit. Ever since Willowflight's kits were born about a moon ago, all they had done was either keep Hailkit up at night with their constant mewling or get under her and Scarletkit's paws.

Especially Fernkit. Hailkit groaned inwardly. I can't get a moment of peace around the little furball.

Hailkit forced down her irritation for the time being. She didn't want to crush the little kit's enthusiasm. "Yes, Fernkit, I'll tell you all about it after Petalpaw and Heatherpaw's ceremony, but I really need to find Scarletkit right now."

"Wait, a warrior ceremony? When? Right now?" Fernkit asked, quickly turning to look over at the huge sandstone boulder outside of Stormstar's den known as Highstone. Nearby, Flyfoot was frantically grooming her two daughters before the ceremony began.

"Flyfoot, please," Heatherpaw ducked away from her mother's tongue, her black and white dappled fur still half-ruffled from the run into camp. "I'm about to be a warrior, I can groom my own fur."