Embers

Chapter 32

Emberstripe padded out of the den and shook her fur. A cold breeze swept through the camp, and a snowflake handed on her ear. She shook it off, and looked up at the sky. More snow slowly began to fall, and she new the camp would be even more covered with the frosty whiteness. She flicked her tail and headed for the fresh kill pile. She looked through it. A shrew, two mice, and two voles. She picked up one of the voles and was met by Dustfur.

"Come on, let's share," she said. He shook his head.

"I'm not that hungry, but I'll sit with you,"he said. He then choked back a cough, and Emberstripe gasped.

"You've caught greencough!" She said. "Go to the medicine den, right now,"

"Relax, it's just a small cough. It'll go away soon," he reassured her, but she saw the hazy sickness in his eyes.

"No, Dustfur, go now," she said. He stood up, mumbling, and as he walked, he coughed again, and she sighed to herself. She picked up the vole and headed for Blackfeather. "Wanna share?"

She nodded and they sat down. Her sister took a bite first, then pushed it to her. Emberstripe only looked at the medicine den nervously.

"Something wrong?" Blackfeather asked.

"Dustfur caught greencough. I'm worried because he might lose his strength. Leaf-bare hasn't given us any good prey, only little," she confessed.

"Dustfur has always been a strong cat. He's not old, either. I'm sure he'll be fine when Greenleaf comes," she said. Emberstripe sighed.

"I hope it comes soon," she replied. She took a small bite from the vole and enjoyed the rich taste of prey in her mouth. They looked up to see Goldenkit and Acornkit leap out of the nursery and run towards them through the snow. Darkkit padded out more nervously, and padded after her sisters towards them.

"Emberstripe! Blackfeather! Can you tell us about the warrior code!" Goldenkit asked, and Acornkit nodded.

"Sure, kits. What do you want to hear first?" She asked them. Goldenkit thought for a moment, then looked up.

"Tell us about being apprentices!" She said. Darkkit sat down next to her sisters quietly and looked up at the two warriors.

"Well, when you're an apprentice, you learn how to hunt and go on patrols. You also have to check the elders for ticks, and clean out the moss bedding, but that stuff isn't as fun," Emberstripe told the kits. "You're trained by your mentor. Mothstar chooses who'll be your mentor,"

"I hope you're my mentor, Emberstripe!" Goldenkit said proudly. Acornkit stood up.

"I want Blackfeather to be my mentor!" The dark brown kit declared. Her sister purred.

"Mothstar will pick the right mentor for all three of you," she said. Acornkit turned to Darkkit.

"Who do you want to be your mentor?" She asked. Darkkit only shrugged her shoulders.

"What's wrong? Don't you want to have a cool mentor?" Goldenkit asked.

"I'm okay with any mentor, I'm just worried about becoming an apprentice. I'm probably going to do everything wrong!" She said. Emberstripe leaned forward.

Darkkit, let me tell you something. When I first came to Thunderclan, I had no idea what to do about anything. Stonefrost and Dustfur helped me along the way. All the cats here will help you, I promise. As long as you listen to your mentor, everything will go smoothly," She said, remembering how Stonefrost had said the same thing on her first day. Darkkit nodded and cast her a gratefull look.