LEGENDARY | Warrior Cats #1

-Vigil and Guest-

It was a long night for Thrushkit. She had to sit vigil for Palecloud, her now-dead father.

Her father was killed by RiverClan warriors. He fought back hard, but he had lost.

It was my fault, she told herself. I should have fought that apprentice myself.

"Hi," a voice said. It was Onepaw, her big sister.

"Hi, Onepaw," she said, flatly.

"How's dad?" the apprentice asked.

"What do you think?" she growled.

The apprentice took a step back. This wasn't the Thrushkit she knew. Onepaw wanted the nice Thrushkit.

Onepaw was trying to find the right words. "Look, I know that you two were close, but tha-"

"Of course we were close!" the kit interrupted. "He was my father."

"He was my father, too! But do you see me growling at everyone who tries to comfort me?"

"That's because you don't honor him!"

Onepaw gasped. Thrushkit knew that she honored her father. Everybody honored Palecloud.

Thrushkit wished she hadn't said that. "Onepaw, you know I didn't mean tha-"

Onepaw walked away, her head down.

Thrushkit watched the gray and white tabby she-cat stock away. She looked at the lifeless, light gray body of Palecloud. She needed him right now, but she couldn't have him.

She sighed. Every cat surrounded Palecloud. Russetcloud, Darkpaw, Graykit, and Thrushkit were closest.

Still no Onepaw.

Onepaw must've gone out of the camp to hunt or something...I should apologize... Thrushkit thought. She stood up, but as she remembered she was sitting vigil, she sat back down.

Someone needed to honor him.

After a while, Thrushkit got tired but kept herself awake. The other cats had closed their eyes and nuzzled close to him, still awake. Except for one cat.

Eelstar.

Thrushkit saw Eelstar walking out of his den, padding out of camp. He glanced around as if he wanted no-cat to see him.

Then he locked his eyes with Thrushkit's.

The bright yellow eyes were set on her. He lashed his tail. "Stay quiet," he snapped. "And maybe I'll let you live another day."

Thrushkit's eyes widened in terror. Why could she not speak of him walking out of camp?

Thrushkit tried to shake the thought away.

And then she started seeing it.

Multiple bright yellow eyes in the darkness stared at her, her ears were ringing as she heard the bloodcurdling shriek of cats.

But what she was seeing and hearing wasn't happening.

It couldn't have been.

Because when she blinked, the eyes were gone. And the only sound was the soft breeze.

She looked at Palecloud. His fluffy light gray fur was still, and his normally green eyes were closed.

******************************

It was morning, and Thrushkit wanted to sleep in.

But she had to see Eelstar.

She padded to his den, knowing her father would have disapproved of going right in, she meowed. "Eelstar, are you here?"

No answer.

She asked again.

No answer.

She padded in the den. Nothing.

He wasn't there.

Thrushkit hesitated to leave but did so she wouldn't get caught. The silvery-gray tabby she-cat's fur was fluffed up, and she went into the nursery.

She looked at Squirrelkit and Applekit. They were playing 'Clans' with Graykit.

How can they just play in a time like this?! Thrushkit thought to herself.

Graykit looked over at her. Her soft green eyes were filled with a symphony for her sister.

"Thrushkit, would you like to play Clans with us? Applekit's leader of ShadowClan, Squirrelkit's leader of WindClan, and I'm the leader of ThunderClan! You could be the leader of RiverClan..."

"I don't want to be the leader of stupid RiverClan!" She snapped like it was obvious.

"Well," Graykit whispered. "You could be my deputy...if you want..." She offered.

Thrushkit bared her teeth. "This game's stupid, Graykit! We'll be apprentices soon! Stop with the kitten games!"

Graykit sniffled, her soft green eyes were now sad. Her ears flattened to her head, and she exchanged glances with Applekit and Squirrelkit. The two 3 moon old kits hurried to their sleeping mother, Coalgrass.

Graykit looked at her sister. "You upset them," She spat.

Thrushkit was surprised Graykit was angry. Graykit was never angry.

"Not my fault. They shouldn't be so sensitive," she said, her voice emotionless.

Graykit stepped back in disgust. "They're only three moons old, Thrushkit! They're only sensitive because that's how kits their age are." She growled.

Graykit shook her head and padded to the fresh-kill pile, grabbing a mouse to eat.

"Well, that was interesting,"

"Huh? Who's there?!" Thrushkit's fur bristled.

"Hey, don't worry. Just a regular ShadowClan apprentice," he purred.

Thrushkit looked at the entrance of the den and saw a creamy brown tabby tom. She had never talked to him before, but she'd seen him with his mentor, Birchsong.

"I'm Sedgepaw," He meowed.

Thrushkit narrowed her eyes. "Were you listening to my conversation?" She asked.

"Not listening just think of it as...briefly passing by and overhearing your conversation.

She looked at him. She knew Sedgepaw was only 7 moons old. He had been brought into the Clan from WindClan a moon ago.

Sedgepaw purred, and then stopped. "I heard about your father, I'm very sorry," He told her.

"Yeah, well I'm sure Oddfall will make a fine deputy," She said, quietly.