Prologue[]
A tall, gray, lean tom watched his clanmates gather around. Recently a warrior, Poppytail, had died. Every cat had mourned, even Icefoot, her mate.
The gray cat sighed, and got off of the rock he was perched onto. He glanced over his shoulder to see the current leader of ShadowClan stand before him, reddish brown fur rippling. The leader's name was Perchstar, and his pelt seemed to be as sleek as a wet fish from RiverClan territory, which was unusual to Graytail.
"Graytail." Perchstar murmured. "Aren't you going to hold vigil for Poppytail? She was an honorable warrior, you know."
The gray tom took a shallow breath. Graytail then looked at Perchstar, his green eyes bright. "I think Poppytail would rather me not hold vigil for her. You know that we fought." He looked away, the memories of them screeching at each other filling his head, while other memories of how they were once apprentices, side by side.
Perchstar huffed. "Don't be difficult, Graytail. Also, after Poppytail's vigil, Brackenwing would like you to visit her. She has something very exciting to tell you.
He looked at the ShadowClan leader. Then, images of Brakenwing filled Graytail's head. The beautiful she-cat, who was his mate, had pale brown fur that stuck out like a rock in the cold snow. Her delicate amber eyes made his heart swell with joy and affection.
"Alright," Graytail mewed. He peered over his shoulder, and looked at Brakenwing. She was sister of Poppytail. She mourned more then any cat in ShadowClan. He knew it must've been hard to know that her own sister had died. Graytail sighed, and waited for the vigil to be over.
As Graytail slept, he heard pawsteps behind him. Warily, he rose up, and saw his mate, Brackenwing, near the entrance oof the warriors den.
"Hiya, Brakenwing," Graytail mewed softly. "I heard Perchstar say you have news for me?" He walked to the pale brown she-cat.
Brakenwing purred. "I'm expecting your kits, Graytail! And very soon." She looked at Graytail's surprised face, and continued to purr softly. "Haven't you noticed I'm showing signs of pregnancy already?"
He smiled, his heart swelling with love and joy for his mate. "What are you planning on naming them?"
Graytail's mate closed her eyes. Soon, she opened them. "Well, if we have three, I'm planning on naming them, Robinkit, Blackkit, and.. Meadowkit."
"They're beautiful names, Brakenwing."
Chapter 1[]
Weak sunlight peered through the den of the nursery, warming Meadowkit only a little bit, her pale yellow fur ruffled after the playfight with her littermates, Blackkit and Robinkit.
As Meadowkit rose up, she felt a paw push her tail down. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Robinkit, his eyes bright. "I'm a ThunderClan warrior! Rawr!"
She chuckled. Robinkit was the youngest of the litter. Meadowkit was the kit born second, and her brother Blackkit being first. Though she loved her littermates, Meadowkit had the desire of venturing out of their home of ShadowClan. Maybe there was something out there for her.
"A ThunderClan warrior? I must tell Perchstar!" Meadowkit squirmed out of Robinkit's grip, which made him gasp in surprise for some reason, and trailed towards the exit of the nursery, past Blackkit. Finally, she could leave! But, her thoughts were interrupted as she bumped into the familiar gray fur of her father, Graytail.
Graytail let out a purr. "Where are you going, Meadowkit? Just because Brackenwing isn't in the nursery for now, you try running out of the nursery?" He looked over Meadowkit's shoulder, who was absolutely horrified, and looked at Robinkit, who looked guilty. "Even if you're not oldest, you should protect her."
Her brother dipped his head in shame and walked over to Blackkit, who surprisingly, was still sleeping soundily.
Meadowkit let out a sigh. She looked up at Graytail with a pleading look. "Please, can I just go outside for a little bit? I promise not to bother the apprentices or warriors!"
Finally, as if Meadowkit was waiting a moon in silence, Graytail meowed, "Fine. But if Brackenwing gets angry at you, blame yourself." The gray tom slipped out of the nursery, and Meadowkit followed behind. She could hardly contain her excitement!
As she walked out, the pale she-kit was astonished. Large, deep curly trees leaned over her, as if millions of eyes were on her. Glancing around, Meadowkit spotted a reddish brown cat basking in the weak sunlight on a rock in the forest.
"Hiya!" Meadowkit said to the reddish brown tom as she trotted up to him. This cat seemed.. familiar, but she couldn't put her paw on it just yet. "Who are you?"
The reddish brown tom hopped down, right in front of Meadowkit. "I'm Perchstar," he chuckled, his deep, dark blue eyes lighting up with amusement. "You must be Meadowkit, Brackenwing and Graytail's daughter, along with your siblings Blackkit and Robinkit."
The pale yellow she-kit nodded with pride swelling in her heart. "Yeah! But, Blackkit is a lazy piece of crow-food!"
Perchstar let out a rumbling purr. "How old are you now, Meadowkit? I lost count, and I wanted to ask your father, but I think it would be best if I asked you."
Meadowkit smiled. "I'm five moons old!" The pounced on the older cat's tail playfully. "I can't wait to be a warrior of ShadowClan!"
The leader let out a sigh. "I don't understand you kits." Perchstar glanced over to Brackenwing, who was sitting near the fresh-kill, talking to a white she-cat, and the leader continued. "You'll be apprenticed soon, young one. Now, go back to the nursery and relax."
Chapter 2[]
Meadowkit stood before Perchstar. Today, she was going to become an apprentice, and soon become a warrior of ShadowClan!
The leader looked down upon Meadowkit and her siblings, Blackkit and Robinkit. The two tomkits looked proud, even her scrawny little brother.
"Meadowkit," Perchstar mewed, his reddish brown fur rippling. She looked up. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time that you are apprenticed. From this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you will now be known as Meadowpaw. Your mentor will be Darkeye. I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you."
Then, the reddish brown tom looked across the crowd, saw a black tom with green eyes, and said, "Darkeye, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received wonderful training from your previous mentor, and you have shown yourself to be strong and cunning. You will be the mentor of Meadowpaw, and I and my clanmates expect you to pass on all you know to her."
Walking forward, her eyes widening, Meadowpaw touched noses to her mentor. Though, strangely, Darkeye didn't say one word to her.
"Meadowpaw! Meadowpaw!" The cats cheered.
Soon, Robinkit and Blackkit were apprenticed, their new names being Robinpaw and Blackpaw. Her older brother got Icefoot, and her younger, scrawny brother got apprenticed to Swifttail.
Blackpaw looked at Meadowpaw, his blue eyes narrowed, then walked off to Icefoot. And of course, Robinpaw walked over to his mentor.
She let out a soft sigh, and looked at Darkeye. "What's first?" She asked the black tom. "Hunting? Patrols? Battle training? Anything fun?"
Her mentor shook his head. "No. You're going to go clean the elders' den for ticks." Darkeye flicked his tail toward the den where the elders slept and rested soundily, relying on younger warriors and apprentices to fetch prey for them and to protect them.
Meadowpaw sighed, and looked over to see Robinpaw and Blackpaw with their mentors. They all seemed to be talking, and as she walked off, she couldn't help feeling jealous. Do they get to go hunting or do battle training?
She trotted into the elders den. She saw the dark, gray fur of Ashclaw. His amber eyes were closed, and he was snoring peacefully, but occasionally scratching his ear in his sleep. Meadowpaw remembered that before she was an apprentice, he'd tell her about the stories of the leader Firestar from ThunderClan. But, she had always wondered why he'd care about a cat from ThunderClan.