Warriors: A New Beginning #2: Midnight Rising

Chapter 1

Midnightkit ran as fast as she could and reached the elders den, where Silkkit was already standing.

"It's... not fair," Midnightkit panted. "You're faster than me."

"Maybe I'll give you a headstart next time," Silkkit teased, nudging her sister.

"It's all so new around here!" Midnightkit looked around the ThunderClan camp— her camp. They were now three moons, so Wheatwing had let them go out of the nursery for the first time.

"I hope the other kits want to play with us," Silkkit chirped.

"Aren't the two of us enough?" Midnightkit asked.

"Yeah, but if RiverClan attacks us, we need to be ready!" Silkkit exclaimed.

Midnightkit nodded, flexing her claws. If any stranger came into the ThunderClan camp uninvited, she would shred it!

"Oh, so you think you can fight off RiverClan?"

Midnightkit whipped around to see Flowerkit, one of Speckledfur's kits. Speckledfur was kind-hearted. Flowerkit didn't sound like she was.

The tortoiseshell, despite the small age difference of a moon, was taller than Midnightkit and towered over her.

"A kittypet like you couldn't handle anything." Flowerkit flicked her tail at Midnightkit. "Who do you think you are, Flamestar? Let the Clanborn cats do the work."

"Don't call me that!" Midnightkit's fur bristled. She knew that her father, Silverfang, used to be a kittypet. Wheatwing had told her. But this was the first time someone had called her one.

"Yeah, stop it, Flowerkit," Silkkit added. "Stop acting like you're Clan deputy!"

Flowerkit was silent. She glared at Silkkit then strutted away. Vinekit, her brother, was hanging back uneasily.

Midnightkit glared at Flowerkit. She thinks she's so great! I can't wait to see her face when I beat her sparring as an apprentice.

It would be a long three moons before she could do that.

"Do you want to go to the elders?" Silkkit asked. "Scarletpelt has awesome stories, Wheatwing says."

"Okay," Midnightkit agreed. It would take her mind off things.

They entered the elders den. Midnightkit heard snoring and saw Sandypelt sleeping in his nest.

"Let him sleep," a white she-cat advised. Midnightkit guessed it was Whiteheart.

"So these are Wheatwing's kits?" purred Scarletpelt. "Looking for a story, I bet. Looking for anything special to hear?"

"Something with Twolegs!" Silkkit piped up.

Midnightkit shrugged. "I don't care."

"Okay, let's see here..." Scarletpelt made herself more comfortable in her nest. "There was a time when one of our cats, Ashheart, was captured by Twolegs."

Silkkit's eyes were bright. "Tell us!"

Midnightkit nodded. She was getting intrigued by this.

"Ashheart was an apprentice at that time, named Ashpaw," Scarletpelt began. "Her mentor was your mother's sister, Wavepelt, did you know that?"

Midnightkit knew about Wavepelt. Wheatwing had told her and Silkkit about the many adventures the ThunderClan deputy had as an apprentice and even as a warrior.

"How did Ashpaw get captured?" she asked timidly.

"She and Wavepelt were on a hunting patrol at the Twolegplace border," the ginger elder explained. "Suddenly, a Twoleg came out of a nest. Quickly, the patrol scattered. But the Twoleg found Wavepelt and grabbed her. She scrambled, trying to get free, but the Twoleg held her firmly.