Warriors: The Path of Fire

Chapter One

I'm going to be an apprentice today! 

Excitement pricked under Rainkit's pelt gray-dappled pelt as he woke, blinking against the rays of the rising sun through the bramble walls of the nursery. His father Poolsplash delivered the news last night before during mealtime, looking just as elated and proud as Rainkit had felt. Ashflower had given each of her kits a loving lick on the head, purring loud enough for RiverClan to hear across the lake. "Oh, my precious kits!" she had exclaimed with a melancholy tone in her gentle voice. "It feels like I kitted you just yesterday!"

Now, Rainkit's littermates, Softkit and Stormkit, were beginning to stir too, their kit-soft gray-and-silver tabby pelts rumpled from sleep. He let out an impatient snort. "Wake up, you two!" he meowed, poking each of them with an outstretched forepaw. "We're going to be apprentices soon! We must learn to get up early!" 

His mother lifted her head wearily, her green eyes still bleary. "Rainkit, don't be so loud," she scolded him. "You know Yellowshine is still exhausted from her kitting."

The gray tom-kit turned his head to the other queen in the den, her pale-yellow flank rising and falling rhythmically. Just two nights before, Yellowshine had given birth to two kits; Cloudkit and Spottedkit were nuzzled deep in her long tabby fur now, surely relishing the warmth of her coat. Rainkit lowered his gaze, momentarily ashamed for being so loud in his hastiness to start the day.  

"Sorry, Ashflower," he mewed sullenly, scuffing his paw on the moss-lined nest. "I'm just so excited to start my training."

Ashflower let out a purr, her initial annoyance fading like the shadows of night. "Oh, I have no doubt about that, my dear. Why don't you go pick something from the fresh-kill pile while I wake these two up?"

His tail shot straight up. "Okay!" Rainkit bounded out of the nursery, already forgetting to be quiet so as not to disturb Yellowshine. His eyes narrowed against the bright sunshine as he scanned the camp, which was starting to get busy with the returning dawn patrol and waking warriors. The ThunderClan deputy Thistlepelt was seated at the foot of Highledge, listing out the rest of the day's hunting and border patrols. Leopardpaw was yawning, clearly having just woken up, while her littermate Owlpaw padded up to her from the dawn patrol group. 

"I saw a huge SkyClan cat on the border!" Rainkit could hear the brown tabby tom meowing with excitement.

Leopardpaw let out a mew of laughter. "Wow! Were you scared?" she teased her brother, her long whiskers twitching. 

"Of course not!" Owlpaw said indignantly. "He was lucky he stayed on his territory!"

His mentor Lightningface stalked up to them, her eyes glimmering with amusement. "You were shaking in your fur!" the black she-cat purred, nudging the young tom with her shoulder.

Rainkit felt his stomach flutter with anticipation. That will be me on patrol soon, scaring off SkyClan warriors!

After a few laps of his tongue across his pelt, Rainkit took off for the fresh-kill pile. Oakleaf, a dark ginger warrior, was already there depositing his catch: a squirrel and two mice. "Hello, Rainkit," the tom meowed, a friendly gleam in his green eyes. "The prey was running well today. Maybe you will get out there soon enough!"

Rainkit gave a little bounce, before remembering he was supposed to be a warrior apprentice soon and quickly repressed his excitement. "I hope so!" he mewed, eyeing the sturdy ginger tom admiringly. Oakleaf was a newer warrior, earning his name hardly a moon ago. His muscles were hard and lean under his glossy pelt, which looked like a flame under the morning sun. I wouldn't mind if he were my mentor, Rainkit thought. Out loud, he continued, "If my littermates can get up before sunhigh, maybe I can!"