Fernstar's story

Chapter 1

Her muscles tensed, ready to pounce at the little brown mouse in front of her.

"Hey, Fern!" A voice came from behind her. The mouse twitched its whiskers and darted away. She leaped for it and landed on it, but it slipped from under her paws before she could secure her catch. desperately, she reached her paw into the rat-sized hole in the wall it ran into, trying to catch it.

"Celeste! I almost got that!" She snapped at the voice behind her; it was Celeste, her best friend since she was a kit.

"Sorry!" Celeste apologized.

"You should have leaped further!" Celeste's littermate, Spear criticized her, his near snow-white pelt looked dark gray in the shade.

"Shut up, Spear!" Both Fern and Celeste said in sync.

"Fern, I've been telling you! Flip it on its back first!" Her mentor Eclipse was watching her.

"Eclipse! it's harder than you think!" Fern snapped back at him.

Spear stood up and padded forward, his ice blue eyes shining in the morning light that filtered through the barn door.

"How is the light still that bright!? we're in the back of the barn!" Fern wondered.

"Unsure," Celeste answered.

"Wow, at this rate, Stream will finish her training faster than you!" Spear teased Fern. Stream was a new trainee after she had lost both her mother and her littermates, and her father refused to recognize her as his kit.

"What about me?" Stream appeared from behind a crate.

"Spear is using you to insult me!" Fern called to her. Stream just rolled her eyes and went back to her own mentor.

"Fern, let's go do some battle training. You're better at that!" Eclipse said, flicking his tail to signal her to follow him.

"Guess we should to, come on Celeste," Celeste's mentor Feather came out of nowhere.

as they padded out of the barn, the morning rays blinded Fern for a moment before seeing again. Celeste's light gray pelt and blue eyes were highlighted in the sun's rays. She realised her own camo coloured pelt was shining too.

"excited for the assessment?" Fern asked Celeste. their leader Ruckus held an assessment for the trainees every three months. her parents missed her first one since her father was sick and her mom was too busy caring for him.

"Wait? that's today?" Celeste sounded surprised.

"Yeah! how did you forget your father has been pushing it on us for days!" Ruckus was Celeste's and Spear's father.

They leaped over the white fence that led to a large area with dirt that was obviously used by humans for farming, but luckily, the humans abandoned the barn ready for them.

They split up, and each went with their mentors, Celeste and Feather just a bit beside them.

She turned her head to see Eclipse leaping at her. She quickly unsheathed her claws and reared up on her hind legs. she then placed her paws on his chest and slammed him to the ground. While Eclipse was gasping for air on the ground, she lightly scraped her claws against his throat fur, showing him in a real fight how she would have finished him there. as rogues, they were taught a battle either ends in someone dead or your opponent surrendering in fear of you.

"Good!" Eclipse congratulated her once he regained his breath.

"Thanks!" Fern stood, the sunlight slightly blinding her in her one eye.

"That was amazing!" Rukus came from some bushes and congratulated her. She felt hot with embarrassment.

"Yes, she is very good at fighting. she just needs to work on her hunting!" Eclipse said encouragingly and nudged her with his shoulder.

Her fur went hot with embarrassment, she hated praise in front of authority.

"Well Fern, why don't you go get some rest, as the Assessment will start at sunhigh," Rukus suggested, she nodded, and leaped the fence, but hid in the bush to hear their conversation.

"So she's doing well?" Rukus asked Eclipse while scratching at the loose earth in front of him.

"Yes, she is," Eclipse nodded, "But I have a concern that she has brought up to me that I haven't been able to talk to you about,"

Fern perked her ears, interested.

"What would that concern be?" Rukus inquired.

"She has brought up a disapproval of our 'she-cats must have kits after finishing training' Rule,"

"She WHAT?" Rukus growled.

Fern decided she didn't want to be a part of this anymore, and she ran into the barn, into the trainee den, and tucked her paws under her, her heart pounding. Soon Celeste padded Into the den.

"Fern? Are you worried?" Celeste Inquired, her diamond blue eyes burned into her green ones.

Fern nodded. "Y-Yeah..." Her voice trembled.

"What's wrong?" Celeste laid beside her and rhythmically licked behind her ear and slightly purred.

"I heard Rukus and Eclipse talking about how I don't want to have kits," Fern sighed.

"Was it bad talk?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, you shouldn't be ashamed of your opinions,"

"Well, here you should! You should know that better than any of us!" Fern snapped, getting up.

"Woah, calm down! Just let it all out, I won't judge, and you know I won't, " Celeste said in her soft, comforting voice and used her tail to urge Fern back down.

Fern laid back down "Well there's a lot I need to vent. First of all, how mouse-brained your brother is! I can't believe I have to have kits with him! He's so rude, too! And I feel so much pressure to be the best of the best! Both from my parents and the whole group!" Fern Vented

"It's okay, Fern. I think it's time to go to sleep. We need our rest for today" Celeste suggested.

"Yeah, that would be nice" Fern yawned and fell asleep.