Fern's Home

Fern rolled onto her back and stared into the eyes of Alderclaw. "Just kill me," Fern hissed. "I have nothing left to live for anyways." Alderclaw blinked, and at once Fern saw the grief seared in her green eyes. "I would never kill my own kit," Alderclaw murmured. She released Fern and stepped back. "You may have betrayed our Clan, but I could never kill you. The rogues treated you better than we did." She hung her dark brown head. "I've let you down. We all did." Fern scrambled to her paws. She felt grief tearing at her heart. "Take care of Cloudpelt,"she meowed, rubbing a streak of blood from her muzzle. "Goodbye." With those parting words, Fern padded away.

Chapter One
"Wake up!" Brackenpaw hissed Fernpaw's ear. "We're going to be late for the hunting patrol!" Fernpaw blinked and stretched. She shook out her beautiful pelt, which was was white with silver and brown patches. She had a brown-banded white tail and a silver face with round, sky-blue eyes. Brackenpaw, however, was dark brown, much like their mother, Alderclaw. "Maplepaw is already hunting." Maplepaw was their sister, a light brown tabby with light brown eyes. Their father, Patchwing, was a white tom with silver patches.

"Come on!"Brackenpaw meowed. "I'm coming, alright?" Fernpaw grumbled, following her brother outside.

"Good morning," said Molenose, the RiverClan deputy. The black, broad-faced tom wrinkled his flattened muzzle as clouds begin to appear on the horizon. "I hope it doesn't rain tomorrow." His mate, Otterheart, nudged his shoulder playfully. "Poolkit and Reedkit love the rain," she meowed. "Perhaps-" She was interrupted by Splashtooth, a tortoiseshell elder. "Pikepaw, get back here!" he yowled. "This moss is soaking wet!" Fernpaw let out an amused purr at the sight of the mottled, raven-black tom hurrying to tend to the annoyed elder.

"Fernpaw! Brackenpaw! There you are!" Lynxpaw greeted them warmly, her golden tabby pelt sleek and shiny. Her feathered ears, which had given her her name, flicked happily. Her long, feathery tail swished behind her. "Rainpelt and Owlcry told me to find you. They've decided it's time for your assessment." Excitement sparked beneath Fernpaw's pelt. "Really?" Brackenpaw meowed. Lynxpaw nodded, brushing her pelt against his. He purred and they rubbed muzzles. Fernpaw purred as well. Their affection for each other was no secret, and Fernpaw couldn't be happier that her brother and her best friend were so close.

"You'd better go find them," Lynxpaw told them. "Where are they?" "By Sunningrocks." Fernpaw waved her striped tail in parting before bounding away.

"Hello," Rainpelt purred. "