Smoketail's Fate

Chapter 1

Smokekit was sitting near the entrance of the nursery, watching his Clanmates go about their usual lives. He noticed his two denmates-Sparrowkit and Duskkit-having a practice fight. They were older than he was, and were going to become apprentices soon. One moon after Sparrowkit and Duskkit, Smokekit would be an apprentice. But the gray tom wanted to leave the nursery at the same time as they did. Without littermates, he would be completely alone.

"Smokekit!" Called the voice of a familiar she-cat. Sparrowkit padded over to him, her brother close behind.

"Did you hear the news?" Duskkit asked, moving closer to Smokekit, who shook his head. "We're going to become apprentices today!"

"Yeah, and you still have to wait a whole moon." Sparrowkit's words made Smokekit look at the ground. The older kits would always take the fact that he was a moon younger than they were and use it against him.

"What's wrong? Are you scared of something?" Duskkit teased. Smokekit dashed into his nest, hoping that his mother would come back into the nursery.

Amberfoot, the mother of Sparrowkit and Duskkit, was padding towards her kits, making Smokekit sigh in relief. However, contrary to what Smokekit thought, she didn't scold her kits. She just sat stationary, looking at them. A few moments passed and then she began to lick them. Sparrowkit squirmed and squealed in protest. Both her brother and Smokekit let out mrrows of laughter, as they watched the defiant she-kit.

Immediately after she finished cleaning her daughter, Amberfoot began to wash her son. Like Sparrowkit, Duskkit fought against his mother. She stopped, to meow indignantly, "You need to be clean for your apprentice ceremony." Smokekit thought about his apprentice ceremony, hoping his Palestripe, the mother of the younger kit, wouldn't clean him. He also began to think about other cats. Particularly she-cats. He wondered if any she-cats would move into the nursery before he was an apprentice. It didn't take him long to realise that he sounded like an elder, gossiping about cats who might become mates and have kits. He purred to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, Smokekit noticed Honeystar leap up onto Smoothrock, ready to call the Clan for the Duskkit and Sparrowkit's apprentice ceremony. Her sweet voice rang across the clearing. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Smoothrock for a Clan meeting!" Cats poured into the main clearing, all of the warriors knowing that they might get an apprentice. Unable to contain their excitement, Sparrowkit and Duskkit bounced towards their leader, clearly very eager to become apprentices. Smokekit watched sadly as Honeystar began the ceremony.

"Duskkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Duskpaw. Your mentor will be Snowfoot. I hope Snowfoot will pass down all he knows on to you." Then the golden tabby turned to Sparrowkit. "Sparrowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sparrowpaw. Your mentor will be Mossytail. I hope Mossytail will pass down all he knows on to you."

She paused then began to speak again.

"Snowfoot, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You had received excellent training from Mosswhisker, and you have shown yourself to be wise and quick. You will be the mentor of Duskpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Duskpaw. And Mossytail, you are ready to take on your first apprentice, though you may still be quite young. You had received excellent training from Raggedfur and you have shown yourself to be brave and loyal. You will be the mentor of Sparrowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her. Meeting dismissed."

Undeniable sadness shone in Smokekit's eyes. He padded off to the nursery, head down, tail drooping, but then stopped, perking up. Instead of going back to the nursery, he went to the elders' den, bouncing slightly as he moved. "Smokekit!" A warm voice welcomed him.

"Hello Mosswhisker." He twitched his whiskers in greeting.

"What can I do for you, little one?" The kind old she-cat rasped.

"Tell me a story, please," Smokekit mewed politely.

"Alright then."