Slaight 3: Echo's Call

Chapter 1

Echo's pov

I open my eyes to see Ashkit and and Timberkit rolling around in a ball of gray/black fur and brown tabby fur. Greykit and Creamkit sat beside me, watching the she-kit and tom battle. Ashkit and I are the only she-kits in our litter, so we like to battle our brothers to show who's in charge. I watched Jaystar and Slaightstar talking outside the den about the situation of Slaightstar being half-dead and Jaystar being the new leader. I let out a annoyed meow of surprise when Shrewblaze walked in, tripping over me. "Sorry Echokit!" she meowed. "I was just going to clean out Tawnypaw and Tansypaw's nests" i rolled my eyes. "Shouldn't they do that" she ignored me and Clovermist flicked me over the head with her tail. "Be nice to our warriors Echokit" she meowed with narrowed eyes, i sighed. I knew Clovermist didn't like me because i'm stubborn and don't listen, she probably loves Timberkit and Greykit more, they were reasonable and kind to everyone. Shrewblaze purred as Raintail walked in, he looked at her with worried eyes and smiled when seeing she was fine, but his mood flattened when Twigstrike walked in. "Come on Shrewblaze, you promised we would hunt" Shrewblaze nodded and finished cleaning the now almost empty nursery and followed the tom, Raintail looked heartbroken. "Don't let her fool you" Clovermist meowed, licking her brother over the head. "I know" he sighed, walking over to me with a smile. "Your almost apprentices" he meowed. "Just a moon left!" Creamkit purred, jumping up beside me with wide yellow eyes. "Come out and meet the clan, Clovermist has kept you here long enough" Raintail meowed, ignoring Clovermist's worried look. "I don't want them to be hurt" she meowed. "And keeping them in the nursery has kept them out f trouble, unlike us" she argued. "We want to see the camp!" i meowed. "We didn't even get to meet Nightheart or Thundertail before they died" Ashkit meowed, standing beside me. "Aww come on Clovermist, they'll be fine" Snakepaw meowed, sticking his head into the den. "well... Alright" we cheered and ran out into camp, Breezefall and Fernlight watched us, herbs in their mouths, some warriors like Spottedfern and Stonepatch watched before continuing their work. I turned and recognized Tigerleap, the warrior's claws were as long as me! I watched him angrily clean the old bedding of Nightheart and Thundertail from the elders den, she kept glaring at Frostwing who was happily talking to Featherwind. Featherwind looked beautiful, her fur matched mine in a way, making me purr, but something deep down made me feel out of place, i watched my littermates easily interact with others, but i couldn't make myself follow them. Sparkeye and talking to Slaightstar, she blinked at him with sadness and turned tail, walking away, Sparkeye had tears streaming down his cheeks as Slaightstar and Jaystar went onto Highfall and called the clan over. I followed Clovermist and Greykit to the group of cats. "Sparkeye wants to launch an attack on Arrowclan for stealing prey, if you agree to go, Sparkeye is waiting" Slaightstar meowed. I watched as some followed, like Frostwing and Acornsky walked over to the warrior to fight beside him, my ears folded back in annoyance as i couldn't join them. "It's not fair! Those are our strongest warriors!" Ashkit meowed from beside me. "Why can't we join?" Creamkit asked, his brown ears pricked in curiosity, his cream fur bristling in fear. "Isn't Fernlight going with Breezefall?" Timberkit asked, noticing only was medicine cat going. "They only need one of them, and you can't go because your too young" Clovermist meowed, tail rushing us back to the nursery. "It's not fair! I want to become an apprentice now!" i meow, dodging her hold and escaping. "Why not let them?" Jaystar came up behind me. "Your not really going to are you?". "Well why not? One moon early couldn't hurt" he purred, jumping onto Highfall. "Creamkit, step forward. You have not reached the age of six moons, but you and your littermates show the courage of being apprenticed early. You shall be known as Creampaw, Timberpaw, Ashpaw, Greypaw, and Echopaw. Foxfall will be the mentor of Creampaw, Twigstrike will mentor Ashpaw, Archnose will mentor Timberpaw, Sparkeye will mentor Greypaw and Shrewblaze will mentor Echopaw" everyone cheered and nodded, but i wasn't happy. I was getting trained by a Shinestar warrior! I didn't argue though and walked over to the light brown tabby she-cat, her green eyes wide with excitement of me being her first apprentice. Timberpaw looked at Archnose with un-trusting eyes, Greypaw and Creampaw looked fine with their choices. I sighed and followed the she-cat to the middle of camp, she sat down and faced me with a smile. "We'll start training tomorrow" she meowed, running off and joining a patrol, i rolled my eyes and ran to Ashpaw who got left too. We talked in the apprentice den until it was time for bed, curling up together to keep warm against the harsh winter snow.