Aspenleaf's Duty

Chapter 1

"Sparkkit get off me!" yelped Lilykit writhing as her sister landed on top of her.

"Caught you!" squeaked Sparkkit, shaking out her ginger fur. "I'm the best hunter!"

"Your crouch was great!" cried Stormkit bouncing over to her. "Show me!"

"And me!" squealed Larkkit hurrying after his brother.

Aspenkit sat watching her siblings. Beside her, the elder Twigtail was sunning herself, her grey fur shining as she stretched out.

"Don't you want to play too?" she questioned the little golden kit.

Aspenkit looked up at her, her brown eyes wide. It was difficult to make other cats understand. It wasn't that she didn't want to play with her siblings. It was more that she wasn't sure how. When they had still been in the den, they had all played too rough, and somehow it had been Aspenkit who got hurt.

"You're a quiet one aren't you." Commented Honeyfur who was stretched on Aspenkit's other side her golden patches gleaming where she had just washed. "Surely you'd rather be playing with your brothers and sisters than sitting here with us old cats?"

Aspenkit tucked her paws underneath her chest and settled herself more firmly to where she sat, looking back up at Honeyfur as though that were answer to her question. 

"She likes our stories I'll bet." Mewed Twigtail licking Aspenkit between her ears. "Though really Aspenkit, you need to speak some time. Isn't it frustrating for you as well when we don't know what you want?"

"Now, now." said Ambermoon, padding up and settling beside Twigtail. "A quiet kit is a rarity, let's not discourage it. Now Aspenkit, would you like to hear a story? Maybe about how Bramblestar saved us in the great storm that nearly killed us all?"

"Or maybe how all the clans were forced to join together to defeat the Dark Forest?" offered Twigtail.

"She's heard all of those." Interrupted Honeyfur, a playful glint in her green eyes. "I have a story for you, little Aspenkit that will stay with you forever, for it shows just how important your clan is, and how the warrior code should always be respected and followed."

"Oh that's a good one." Said Twigtail. "Kits!" she called to Aspenkit's siblings. "Come here, and listen to Honeyfur tell about the fall of Shadowclan."

The kits ears perked up with interest and they bounded over to where Aspenkit sat at Honeyfur's paws gazing up expectantly.

Honeyfur purred and tucked her paws under her chest. "The only way to get kits to be quiet is to offer a good story." She gave a few chesty purrs of amusement, wrapping her tail around her back paws. "Now where to begin... ah yes. It all began many moons ago, when Alderheart was still an apprentice."

"That long ago?" cried Sparkkit. "But he's ancient."

The elders all purred hard in amusement. "I'll tell him you said that!" mewed Ambermoon tucking her own paws underneath her. "Go ahead Honeyfur."

"Alderheart began receiving visions from Starclan who told him to go and find a clan long lost to the forest. They were called Skyclan and when the clans were still new, Skyclan was banished from the forest. Starclan regretted the fact that they did not stop the clans from banishing them, and a long time ago, Firestar, the hero of the forest was sent by Starclan to find them. He found where Skyclan had lived and he and his mate Sandstorm managed to rebuild the clan. Now when Alderheart, who was then Alderpaw arrived, Skyclan was gone and in it's place was a band of rogues!"

The kits let out a frenzy of horrified squeaks.

"But where were Skyclan?"

"Where did they go?"