Warrior Cats - Fleeting Sparks

Chapter 1

"Silentkit, Silentkit! Hurry up, you slowpoke!" Bluekit's voice rang out. The sound of scrambling paws echoed around the nursery as Silentkit ran after his brother, his small paws thudding against the smooth stone. His mother, Echonose, was sharing tongues with Rainberry, chatting about mundane things within the clan. Silentkit slid past Reedkit and Minnowkit, leaping at his brother with his paws outstretched. "Take this, you Shadowclan fox!" he yowled.

He landed onto Bluekit, sending the two rolling into a ball of fur and yowls. Bluekit, the bigger of the two, rolled against him as they fought playfully. Reedkit and Minnowkit joined in, spreading an onslaught of laughter and yowls. Their mothers exchanged an amused glance as the kits continued their squabble. "I am Nightstar of Riverclan! Face me you Shadowclan coward!" Silentkit stamped his paw down, his small tail lashing as he faced off his enemy- his brother. Bluekit hissed playfully, "Haha! But I, Bluestar, will defeat you today and take more territory!" Reedkit was on Silentkit's side, her fur puffed out as she hissed as well. She and Minnowkit were older than them by a few moons and due to become apprentices soon. Lucky them, Silentkit thought as he continued his dramatic act. Their squabbling was interrupted when Frostgaze stepped in, his tall shadow covering the cave entrance. "Bluekit, Silentkit," their father greeted, his usual icy blue eyes warm with affection. "Dad!" Silentkit meowed, running towards the tall tom at full speed. Him and Bluekit tackled their father and Frostgaze dramatically fell to his side. "Oh no! I've been defeated by Riverclan warriors!" Their mother, Echonose mrrowed in laughter. "You're unlucky you had to face the best of the clan," she said as she walked over.

Reedkit and Minnowkit had retreated to their Rainberry's side, playing a different game with a moss ball. Silentkit stiffened up as he felt his mother lick his fur, smoothing the ruffled bits from his playing earlier. "Mom! I can do it myself," he complained. Now it was Frostgaze's turn to chuckle, "your mother would rather fight the entirety of Shadowclan than to let you fix your own fur." Bluekit watched with round eyes as he patiently waited his turn, "I wish we were warriors already." Me too Bluekit, Silentkit sadly thought. He felt impatient knowing Minnowkit and Reedkit were almost six moons old. He was only two, and four more moons seemed like such a long time. "The time will come soon." Frostgaze started, "but for now, you two are to enjoy being kits. " Their father quickly nudged them to their mother, allowing her to fix up Bluekit's dusty fur. Soon is not enough!

Silentkit watched from beside his mother as Nightingstar leaped onto the Wetrock. The leader's large frame seemed to tower intimidatingly from the ledge. "Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" Mudthrash sat beside Nightingstar and glanced down at the crowd, his ears flicking. Silentkit peered jealousy at Reedkit and Minnowkit, who were sitting near the front of the crowd with their heads tilted up. "Troutpaw, Softpaw, please step forward." The two apprentices exchanged a glance before stepping forward, their eyes brimming with excitement. Nightingstar gave an assuring nod to the trembling apprentices.

"I, Nightingstar, leader of Riverclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

The leader peered down at them, "Troutpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code at the cost of your life?"

Troutpaw took a deep breath and stepped forward, "I do," she replied.

"Softpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code as well? Even at the cost of your life?"

"I do," Softpaw replied, her white paws anxiously tapping the ground.

"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior names. Troutpaw, from now on you will be known as Troutleap Starclan honors you for your bravery and skill. Softpaw, you will be known as Softwhisker, Starclan honors you for your conviction and heart."