Dustfur's origin

Chapter 2

Dustkit sat up and stretched in his nest, then shook out his fur, blinking. Pale sunlight filtered through the den, waking Thrushkit. His sister sat up and yawned.

"Where's Snakewhisker?" He asked. She shrugged her shoulders and began to lick her fur. Oakkit sat up and looked around.

"Yeah, where is she?" He asked. They stepped outside and looked around. Not there. Dustkit padded out near the warrior's den and still couldn't find his mother. He met back at the nursery and his brother and sister shrugged their shoulders.

"Maybe she went on a patrol," Thrushkit said. He nodded and headed back into the nursery. They stayed inside, playing moss ball, until he stood up.

"I'll go get some prey for us," he said, and padded out of the nursery to the fresh kill pile. He picked up a mouse and carried it back to the warm den, but he had a hard time because if the snow. Stonefrost walked up to him as he was struggling.

"I got it, Dustkit," the gray warrior said, and picked up the prey of him. He gave him a gratefull look and followed him. He dropped the mouse inside the nursery and looked around. "Hey, where's your mother?"

"We don't know. We haven't seen her all day," Oakkit told him, flicking the ball of moss back at Thrushkit. Stonefrost gave an odd look and nodded, leaving. They stopped to eat the mouse, until Frozenstar walked into the nursery, making their heads turn. The white leader sat down on the nursery floor.

"Stonefrost tells me your mother is missing?" He asked. Dustkit nodded.

"When we woke up, she wasn't there, and last night she said she was going on a night walk," Oakkit said. Frozenstar thought for some moments.

"The thing is, we haven't seen Snakewhisker either at all today. Some warriors are going to look for her right now," he told them, and left the nursery. Thrushkit turned to her brothers.

"Do you think she left?" She asked. Oakkit stopped chewing.

"Left where?" He asked, and Thrushkit rolled her eyes.

"Left to be with Harry! We are old enough to eat solid prey, so maybe she thought we would be in good paws in Thunderclan," she said. Dustkit's breathe caught in his throat.

"You're saying it like she doesn't love us," he told her.

"I never said she didn't, but maybe she just want to be with him," she flicked her tail. "Common, let's go see Raventail and Honeybelly and see if they can tell us any stories,"

"I think I'll stay here. I'm tired," Dustkit said.

"Well, I'm going, " Oakkit said, and they raced out of the den, leaving Dustkit to himself. He slowly began licking his light brown fur. Did Snakewhisker really abandon them? No, she couldn't have, he thought to himself. She loves them, right? He laid down and curled his paws underneath him, and sighed. And why did it seem like Thrushkit and Oakkit could just move on? Yes, he was mad his mother went with a rogue, but he still loved her. But did his littermates still love their mother? He was so confused, and he laid his head down, falling asleep.

He heard Thrushkit's voice and sat up. Oakkit was beside him. "Common, it's Hawkpaw's warrior ceremony!"

The three kits ran out of the nursery and sat down by the nursery. He could see the golden she-cat looking up at Frozenstar, excitement buzzing off of her. Maplespots stood near her apprentice.

"Maplespots, has Hawkpaw ready to be a warrior?" He asked.

"She's ready," the mottled she-cat said. Frozenstar called Hawkpaw's name.

"I, Frozenstar, leader of Thunderclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard the understand your noble code, and I commend her in her return. Hawkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan even at the cost of your life?"