Echo: The Kits Take A Stand

Chapter 1

"Echokit where are you?" meowed Wetkit, sounding weary. Echokit was standing outside of the nursery, while her sister Wetkit was inside. Echokit was only a moon old and wasn't allowed to leave the den, but she had done it anyway. She was a smart, sneaky kit. PondClan was currently suffering from a sickness outbreak that the medicine cats could not identify. More than half of the cats were sick, and those that were not sick were out hunting all the time. Echokit wanted to become an apprentice sooner so she could help out. However, the queens disliked the idea of any of PondClan's kits become apprentices. They had even suggested to the leader, Hazelstar, that the kits become apprentices at eight moons rather than six to "protect them from the sickness that was spreading through PondClan." But Echokit was sure that the queens only wanted to extend the time before they had to head back to their own warriors duties.

"I'm right here!" she told Wetkit, creeping back into the nursery.

"Why were you outside? Sagepelt says we can't be out there 'cause we're too young!" cried Wetkit.

"The camp is unguarded. Nobody's going to catch me. Besides, I'm strong enough to go outside. All of the queens are being overprotective. In my opinion, kits should become apprentices at three moons, not six!" Echokit complained.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the rockledge for a Clan meeting!" called Hazelstar from outside.

Echokit slipped back outside the den, but not before Wetkit mewed, "You're not old enough to catch your own prey! Kits aren't supposed to go to Clan meetings!"

"So I should be able to sneak out! Don't you want to know what it's about? Come on Wetkit come with me!" she complained. Well, she was sneaking out again. But this time it was only a short walk to the rockledge, not an entire exploration of PondClan's camp. Echokit hid herself among the group of older cats sitting beneath the rockledge where Hazelstar stood.

"Some queens have asked to have kits be apprentices at eight moons instead of six. So Wolfpelt and I came up with ten moons instead of eight or six so they are not killed by this sickness. This rule will only be temporary, kits will go back to being apprentices at six moons when PondClan recovers from this sickness. Any kits who would like to become medicine cats, however, will be apprenticed at eight moons." PondClan was a very large Clan. They had several warriors' dens and two medicine cats' dens. Even the nursery had to be very big to fit all of PondClan's kits and queens. There were about four medicine cats, three were fully trained, and one, Thornpaw, was an apprentice. There was still room for two more medicine cat apprentices. The only problem was that all three of Echokit's siblings, Wetkit, Falconkit, and Rockkit all wanted to be medicine cat apprentices, and currently, there were only two spots left for medicine cat apprentices, and they often fought over it.

Echokit was outraged. Nine moons until she could be an apprentice? And her siblings only had to wait seven because two of them were going to be medicine cat apprentices? She was not only angry at Hazelstar, but angry at the queens. It was her own mother Sagepelt who had suggested changing the required age for kits to become apprentices from six to eight.

"Wait!" cried one apprentice, Leafpaw. "Sunpaw and I are only seven moons old, and we're warrior apprentices! Does this mean we'll be changed back to kits for three more moons?"

Hazelstar thought for a moment. "I will make an exception for you and Sunpaw, because you are already apprentices. You will go back to being kits in the nursery, but only until you are eight moons rather than until you are ten," he responded at last.

"WHAT?" Leafpaw yowled at his leader. "But-but-"

"Calm down," Hazelstar snapped. "You and Sunpaw won't have to change your names back to kit names. And you will still do some apprentice duties. You will still take care of the elders' ticks and change the warrior's bedding. Maybe I'll let you go to the Gathering. However, you will not go out and train with your mentors in the forest for fear of you catching the sickness. Perhaps you can teach the other kits a couple fighting moves to protect them."

"But training is the only fun part of being an apprentice! This is not fair!" Leafpaw stomped into the nursery.

Echokit heard a whisper from Leafpaw as he entered the nursery. "Why are there only nine kits in here? There should be ten! Where's Echokit?"

"She snuck outside again. She does it all the time. She wanted to hear what the meeting was all about," came Wetkit's reply.

Afraid of being noticed now that cats were starting to stray from the rockledge, Echokit sprang back inside the nursery.

"There you are! You were almost noticed this time!" accused Wetkit when she saw Echokit.

"No I wasn't," Echokit retorted. "Anyways, guess what the meeting was about?"

"What?" asked Wetkit, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"You know how the queens suggested to Hazelstar that we become apprentices at eight moons instead of six to 'protect us from the sickness'? Well Hazelstar did just that! Except he made it ten moons instead of eight! Well actually, he made it eight moons for medicine cat apprentices, but ten moons for warrior apprentices! It's not fair!"

"And you know how me and Sunpaw are seven moons but we're apprentices 'cause we were made apprentices before this rule was made? Well, Hazelstar made us go back to kits until we're eight moons!" Leafpaw added.

Wetkit had the same reaction as Echokit did. "Not fair! I mean, I'm going to become a medicine cat apprentice, so I only have to wait eight moons to be an apprentice instead of ten, but still, we should all be apprenticed at six moons! Why did Hazelstar do this?"

Leafpaw shrugged. "I don't know," he said. At that moment Sunpaw burst into the nursery, her tail lashing angrily.

"What's going on?" one kit whimpered. "Why are the apprentices in here and why is everyone so angry?"

Sunpaw explained--or, really, she yowled to the rest of the nursery what Hazelstar had said. From that moment on the nursery was in rage. Kits were screaming and hissing and scratching the walls of the stone den in anger, while the queens tried to calm everyone down.

At long last, everyone was calmed down. The kits got together and played their usual nursery games, while Sunpaw and Leafpaw sulked in the corner. A few hours later, Hazelstar called another Clan meeting.

"As you all know," Hazelstar announced, "tonight is the Gathering. The cats attending will be Wolfpelt, Foxflame, Thornpaw, Rainfall, Jayflight, Goldenpelt..." Echokit stopped listening to the announcement until Hazelstar finished with, "Leafpaw, and Sunpaw."

"But wait! They're kits!" called Sagepelt.

"They will not catch sickness from going to the Gathering. They will go," Hazelstar addressed.

Sunpaw and Leafpaw cheered in excitement. Echokit, who had once again snuck out of the nursery to hear what Hazelstar was announcing, walked over to Leafpaw and Sunpaw.

"Can you take me? Please?" she begged them. "After all, I'm going to be stuck in camp for the next 9 moons, I want to be able to at least go to Gatherings and have some excitement!"

"We would, but what about the other kits? They would be jealous and probably tell the queens, and then we'd get in trouble. And if we took them all along, well then it would definitely be noticable," Sunpaw explained.

"I can sneak out and follow you. I sneak around camp all the time! I can do it!" Echokit protested.

"Oh, all right," Sunpaw agreed.

"But stay near us," Leafpaw added.

"Of course I will!" Echokit assured them. But for the first time in her short life, Echokit felt a bit nervous.