|Shadows Born|--A Warriors Fanfic--|

Chapter 3- Ticks. Gross!

Duckkit bounced out of the Nursery.

"Did they come yet?" she asked, her small brown tail quivered with excitement.

A large dark gray she-cat with black flecks laughed from under the Highledge, "not yet, Duckkit." Batfur walked up to the she-kit and licked the kit fluff between her ears.

"What? Boo..." Duckkit huffed and flopped to the floor, her front paws slumped. When will they come back? Me and Fallenkit need to get our apprentice names! She glanced at the full moon; it was just setting as the dawn light just peeked out.

"Don't be so pouty, Duckkit." Hailstorm, a mottled white tomcat with yellow eyes, walked to the she-kit and Batfur.

"I know," Duckkit huffed, her brown tail stood up straight in the air as she stomped into the nursery.

"Duckkit, are you back already?" Smallberry meowed, her calico pelt shined in the new dawn light.

"Yeah. They're not here yet." Duckkit stomped to her mother's side. She sat down in her nest as Smallberry stretched out her paw to scoop Duckkit under her mouth. Licking her cheek then groomed her ears. Duckkit enjoyed the peaceful sounds of her mother washing her. She purred as Smallberry pressed another one of her paws to her kit's rend.

"You're getting so big!" Smallberry beamed as she stopped licking Duckkit. She stared at the she-kit with soft green eyes.

Duckkit puffed out her chest, "yeah! I'm going to be an apprentice soon!" She suddenly remembered that her brother should be getting ready as well. "Where's Fallenkit?" She asked.

Smallberry blinked then shrugged. "I think I heard him meowing something about visiting the medicine cat den...."

"Thanks!" Duckkit hopped out of the nest and touched Smallberry's nose to hers before she pelted out of the stoney Nursery. She turned her muzzle to face a hole in the stone cave that Stumpytuft, the old medicine cat, called home. She padded into the den, her head glancing all around. "Fallenkit?" She called quietly, but her whisper echoed throughout the cave. A tan tabby head with white patches popped out of the stone storage.

"Yeah?" Fallenkit replied, his response muffled by a clump of green leaves that Duckkit didn't recognize.

"What're you doing?" Duckkit purred, her meow a giggle as she walked up to her tabby littermate.

"I'm organizing Stumpytuft's herb storage." Fallenkit remarked matter-of-factly, he spat the funny-smelling plants from his mouth.

Paw steps boomed into the camp. "They're here!" Duckkit squeaked before she ran out of the den to greet her Clanmates. The only thing Duckkit noticed were frowns and mumbles of disapproval from her Clanmates.

What's wrong? Why is everyone so mad and sad? Duckkit frowned as well, her brows coming together.

Waterstar, a gray tomcat with pale paws, leaped onto the top of the Highledge. "Let all cats old enough swim the Lake gather under the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" He yowled, his fur fluffed up from irritation. Smallberry and Marsheyes trotted out of the nursery, Smallberry's eyes glittered and Marsheyes limped, her belly round with kits. More cats clustered under the Highledge to listen to Waterstar.

"Fallenkit! We're going to become apprentices!" Duckkit squeaked as she sat down beside her brother.

Smallberry rushed to her kits and started to groom Fallenkit's messy fur. "My, Fallenkit!" she hissed. "You're such a mess!"

"Today we have two kits ready to become apprentices; Fallenkit, Duckkit, step forward." Waterstar's meow was calm, his tail beckoning the two kits forward.