Umberkit's Climb

Chapter 2

"This is the apprentices' den. Do you like it?" Emberkit asked, as the other two kits were craning their backs trying to see the top.

"The rocks that it's made of are so big!" Umberkit said. "Is it bigger than the nursery inside?"

"No, the nursery is a little bigger. The reason why is because a few litters of kits who want to play typically takes up more space. Apprentices don't play games in there, they sleep. The only games they play are training games."

While Umberkit was looking at the den with admiration, Silverkit looked at it worriedly. "What if the rocks slip and the den collapses?"

Emberkit shook his head. "The den has been like this for many moons, and stays like it through rain and snow. The elders say it was like this before the clans were even clans! I don't think you should worry about that, Silverkit."

Silverkit nodded, but he still looked wary. Umberkit sighed. Maybe he was just being a worry-frog because he hadn't been seeing the world as much as she had. "Hey, Emberkit, how do you know all of this stuff?" She questioned. He was still a kit too, right?

"Because Quailpaw and Condorpaw are my sisters, remember?" He responded. "Haykit, Darkkit, and I play in the clearing a lot, so when they get back from training or patrol they tell us stuff."

"Were they Flowerpelt's third litter?" Silverkit asked curiously.

"Yep. Lionblossom and Antwhisker were her second, and Goldstar was her first."

"Did Goldstar have any littermates?" Umberkit asked. It must have been pretty boring in the nursery if she didn't!

"The elders told me that she had two, but that year, the clan was hit with greencough." Emberkit said sadly. "It took the lives of her littermates pretty quickly. Everyone thought Goldstar would fall ill too, but she never did."

"Wow... Goldstar is amazing!" Umberkit said aloud. "Greencough is super contagious, isn't it? And she never got it? Starclan must have wanted her as the next leader!"

Emberkit shrugged. "That or she was just really lucky." He shook out his fur. "Come on, the medicine den is next."

"But I don't wanna be a medicine cat!" Silverkit objected. "Why do we need to go there?"

"Because you'll probably twist your paw the first day of apprentice training with that attitude." Came and unfamiliar voice.

Umberkit looked to see a pretty gray tabby padding towards them with herbs being held between her chin and neck. "Are you Moonshine?" She asked, trying to remember the name of the cat who came in and checked on her mother a few times since she was born.

"I'm impressed you remembered my name, little one." She purred. "It was only mentioned once in there since you were born, and you were very young."

Umberkit beamed. She just got praised by one of the most important cats in the clan! She looked at the herbs Moonshine was carrying. "Do you want some help with those? I could help you store them."

Silverkit objected. "No! We have to see the warriors den! That's what I was looking forward to the most!"

"Come on Silverkit, we'll only be in there a few--"

"That's alright, Emberkit. You can show him around the rest of camp. I'll show Umberkit around after she's done helping me." Moonshine told him.

Emberkit looked a little disappointed, but he nodded. "Okay, Moonshine."

She put down a few of the leaves she was carrying in front of Umberkit. "Here, try to gather them in a small pile and bring them below your chin. Try to keep your chin close to your chest or they'll fall!"