Tangletuft's Mistake; (complete)

Chapter two

"Let all cats old enough to hunt, join beneath TallRock for a Clan meeting!" Graystar called out, letting the WindClan cats form around him.

Tanglekit watched from the back as Snowkit and Smokekit sat in the front, fluffing out their pelts and almost bursting with pride and excitement.

Tanglekit longed to be an apprentice already, to be out in the open moor, running as fast as she could and hunting rabbits. She couldn't wait to fight for her Clan with teeth and claws. Why was she so young?

"It has come to my attention that two kits are six moons old. This is one of the most important times in a cat's life and I am pleased to make Snowkit and Smokekit apprentices," Graystar paused before he went on "Snowkit, until you are made a warrior your name will be Snowpaw. Silverblaze, you are a honourable warrior. I hope you pass on all you know to Snowpaw." Graystar paused again as Silverblaze and Snowpaw touched noses before he continued "Smokekit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Smokepaw. Jaggedfur, you have shown yourself to be a loyal warrior. I hope you pass down all you know to Smokepaw."

As Smokepaw and Jaggedfur touched noses the Clan erupted in cheers.

Tanglekit and her littermates held back. They must've all been thinking the same thing. Why couldn't they be apprentices yet?

Once the chanting quieted down, Jaggedfur and Silverblaze had a small chat with their apprentices. Tanglekit couldn't hear what they were saying but she saw the look in Snowpaw and Smokepaw's faces. They were extremely happy and excited. Tanglekit watched as the two mentors led their apprentices out of camp.

As Snowpaw passed Tanglekit and her littermates, he stuck out his tongue then bounded off to his mentor.

Tanglekit forced herself to hold her tongue in "The nerves of that tom." She muttered, rolling her eyes once he exited camp.

"Hey Tanglekit," Tanglekit turned as Sagekit prodded her with her paw "Breezekit and I thought that maybe if we acted mature Graystar would make us apprentices early!"

Breezekit nodded "That means no more kit-games. No more whining. No more acting like a kit."

"But we've barely started to eat prey yet." Tanglekit countered, although she loved the idea that they had come up with. Sagekit and Breezekit seemed to stop talking as Tanglekit thought of when she had her first rabbit. The sweet smell was formed greatly with the mouthwatering taste. The crunchiness of the bones going well with the chewiness of the meat. Rabbit was the best thing she'd ever tasted.

"But Tanglekit," Breezekit mewed, his tone sounded like a forced deepened voice but with cracks and squeaks interfering "Don't you want to be an apprentice? To hunt and practice fighting moves. To be able to leave camp?"

"Of course I do. It's just... I don't know if we're ready yet. I don't think StarClan would want us to break the warrior code." Tanglekit tried to sound serious but her high pitched squeak made her sound like she was joking. She knew about the warrior code from her mother Willowflight. Willowflight was what seemed like obsessed about the warrior code. Telling it to her kits every once and a while.

"So? We can just-" Breezekit was cut off by the scared yowl of a cat. A young cat.

All cats inside camp turned their attention to the entrance of camp, sniffing, trying to find out who the cat was.

Another yowl sounded. There was two cats running into camp. But who?

Willowflight rushed out of the nursery and leaned over her kits, sniffing as well.

"Snowpaw? Smokepaw? Why are they so scared?" Sagekit asked, tilting her head, recognizing Snowpaw and Smokepaw's scent before her littermates had.

Breezekit snorted "Probably they saw a rabbit then they came bolting back to camp to complain that rabbits are too fast for them."

Sagekit chuckled while Tanglekit watched Snowpaw charge into camp, Smokepaw hard at his heels.

Willowflight swept Tanglekit and her littermates back with her tail. Fear in her mother's expression made Tanglekit guess it wasn't just any rabbit. Why had the two newest apprentices returned so early? They barely even got out of camp.

Suddenly, a raging noise shuttered into Tanglekit's ears "A bark... It's a dog!" She heard Willowflight whisper to herself, probably not meaning for Tanglekit to hear.

"There are two huge dogs near the grain field!" Snowpaw yowled between huffs "We need help!"

Tanglekit's eyes opened as big as moons A dog? What's that? It sounds scary! She thought to herself, shuddering as she imagined a creature bigger than a monster with two heads and claws the size of a cat.

Graystar emerged from the Meeting Hollow with Grasspelt at his heels, he nodded then jumped onto Tallrock "Darkwing, Gorsewhisker, Grainwhisker, Heatherfang and Crowpaw! Go!" He announced as the called out cats stood up and raced out the entrance, Snowpaw and Smokepaw in the lead, exhilaration and fear in their expressions.

"Why can't we fight? We're strong enough." Breezekit puffed out his chest fur and gave it a few licks.

"Remember Breezekit. No complaining unless you want to wait till you're six moons old." Sagekit whispered, planting fake fear in her eyes to hide the disappointment of not being able to go.

"Come on guys," Tanglekit nudged her littermates "Let's go get a rabbit, like warriors would." She mewed.

Sagekit and Breezekit's faces lit up at the same time "Alright." Breezekit mewed seriously while Sagekit tried to not laugh.

"Let's go." Tanglekit mewed, padding to the fresh-kill pile slowly but meanwhile, all she wanted to do was scurry around the clearing like the kit she should be.

Why were her littermates so rushed to grow up? Being a kit was the was the best time of her life so far. Even if it was all she had ever done.