Songpaw's Loyalty

Prologue

A black-and-white she-cat hurried through the falling rain. The ground was unfamiliar, but she sought only a safe place to have her kits. Another spasm rocked her thin body, and she stopped, exhausted. Curling under the shadow of a bush, she waited. There was nothing else to do.

"Hawk." She touched the brown tabby tom with her tail. "Patch." She smiled at the black-and-white she-kit, so like herself. "And what about you, little one?" She gently licked the smallest: a silvery tabby she-kit. "How about... Song. Yes, that's perfect. Welcome to the world, my precious kits."

The she-cat tensed. A cat was approaching. No, more than one, four or five. She knew this moment would come, but her kits were only a moon old. Why so soon? She had scented the cats as she hunted alone. They traveled in groups, hunting or scent-marking. She had never strayed beyond their markers, and neither had they. So why were they here now?

"Mother?" Hawk's golden eyes were wide with curiousity. "What's wrong?"

She smiled. So much like his father. "Nothing my dear," she said, sweeping her three kits under the large bush with her tail. "Just stay here and remain quiet."

The she-cat stepped in front of the bush, ready to face the cats. And defend her kits with her life.

The first cat to emerge was a large, handsome tabby tom. The spring sunlight glinted on his brown fur, and his muscles rippled smoothly. The she-cat tensed. If all the cats were like this strong tom, she stood no chance. But she had to try. For her kits. For Oscar. I won't let your kits die. You gave up your life for us, and I will do the same.

But the tom, and the three cats who followed him into the clearing, didn't look evil. Stern yes, but not mean. He parted his jaws, then frowned. Before he could say anything, a small she-cat, her sleek ginger fur glistening, stepped in front of him.

"Who are you?" she snarled.

The she-cat's fur fluffed up. "I did not come into your territory. Why have you come here?"

"Stand back Fireflower," the brown tom said. His voice was deep and gruff, yet had a musical lilt to it. The she-cat thought she could listen to him talk forever. Snap out of it, she shook herself.

"We do not wish to hurt you. Perhaps we might even help," the tom continued, as the ginger she-cat stepped back. "I am Pinestar, leader of WaterClan. What is your name?"

The she-cat hesitated. Then she looked into the tom's steady golden-brown gaze, and knew she could trust him. "Maribel."

"Maribel," he repeated. "Not a clan name."

Maribel twitched her ears, not sure what he meant. "Sorry," the tom said. "I suppose you've never heard of us. WaterClan, TreeClan, and LightningClan?"

She shook her head. "Please," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Don't hurt my kits."

The cats did not look surprised. They had smelled the milk-scent on her.

"We would never hurt them," promised Pinestar. "Maribel," he said, "How would you like to join WaterClan?"

Maribel glanced backwards. Song's head poked out of the bushes. They will be safer with more cats around. She looked at the cats. "Okay."

Chapter One

Songkit burst out of the nursery with her brother and sister at her paws. "We're gonna become apprentices!"

Hawkkit pounced on her and rolled her over. Though he was only six moons old, he was already much bigger than both his sisters, especially Songkit.

Patchkit and her mother walked out of the nursery more calmly. They looked exactly alike, with the same shimmering green eyes and ebony-ivory fur.

"Songkit," Maribel said disapprovingly. "Let me groom your fur. It's all out of order."

Songkit sighed as her mother tried to smooth out her tufty tabby fur. Fireflower, the deputy of WaterClan, walked past just then. Songkit felt her mother tense. Maribel didn't get along with any of the cats well; she was definetley not a clan cat, but she and Fireflower barely tolerated each other.

"You know," Fireflower said to her mate, the easy-going Rivertail. "I can't believe that cats who weren't even born into WaterClan are becoming apprentices. I certainly wouldn't want to mentor them."

Maribel's teeth bared, but she had no need of defending herself. Pinestar stalked over to Fireflower and muttered something in her ears. Fireflower's eyes flashed, but she nodded respectfully at her leader.

Pinestar walked over to Maribel. "Maribel, how about we go into my den and discuss possible mentors for your kits?"

Maribel smiled, but Songkit saw a trace of sadness in her eyes. "All right. Be good," she told her kits.

As the two cats walked away, Patchkit and Songkit giggled. "I bet Pinestar's gonna be our new father."

"Says you!" Hawkkit scoffed. "She-kits! They think everything is romance."

"We do not!" exclaimed Patchkit hotly. "I don't think Fireflower and Rivertail have any romace."

Songkit purred cheekily. "They're polar opposites. Who would you pick as a mentor?"

"Pinestar!" exclaimed Hawkkit. "He's awesome, even if he does get all moony around mother."

"Ha! You admitted it," crowed Patchkit truimphantly.

"Did not," said Hawkkit, who never liked to say he was wrong. "What I meant was..."

"Whatever," Songkit said, flicking her tail on her brother's nose. He sneezed. "I would like anyone who's a really good hunter and fighter."

"Then you might as well have Fireflower," pointed out Patchkit. "I want someone really nice, like Applewhisker or Orangenose." She looked towards the two best friends, who were sharing tongues outside the warrior's den.

"It doesn't matter," Hawkkit muttered. "No one wants to mentor us anyway."

Songkit frowned. "That's just Fireflower's opinion, and what does she know?"

"She is the deputy," pointed out Patchkit. Songkit shot a glare at her. "Oh look!" she exclaimed. "The elders are out. Maybe they'll tell us a story."

Songkit watched her siblings go. She turned towards Fireflower. The she-cat's piercing yellow eyes seemd to ridicule her, and she looked down at her paws. Their mother had told them how they came to WaterClan, so the way the other cats treated them was no mystery. But Songkit didn't understand why they couldn't trust her. She had been brought up in WaterClan, it was the only home she ever remembered. Why couldn't they accept that?

Turning, she saw Maribel coming out of Pinestar's den. For once, she looked happy. Her leaf-green eyes sparkled as she walked over to Songkit. "You three are getting excellent mentors," she said. "Pinestar was very kind about it."

Songkit smiled at her mother, but on the inside, she knew Pinestar had only wanted to be nice to Maribel. There was no way good warriors wanted to train a loner's kits.

"Hey Songkit!" A cheerful voice called. She turned to see the two older apprentices, Troutpaw and Bluepaw walking towards her. "Excited?" asked Bluepaw.

Songkit beamed. The apprentices never treated her any different than others, in fact, they seemed to like her a lot. "Yep," she said, her old energy coming back. "My mother talked to Pinestar about our mentors. I think they're gonna be good."

Troutpaw beamed. "We've already gotten you three's nests ready."

"Your nest is next to mine," Bluepaw purred. "Just ask me anything you want to know about being an apprentice."

"Thanks," Songkit meowed. She admired the beautiful blue-gray she-cat, and enjoyed her brother's joking personality too.

"WaterClan, please gather beneath the High Branch to hear what I have to say." Pinestar's call rang out across the camp.

"That's my cue," Songkit said. Anxiety prickled in her paws.

Troutpaw swept his tail across her flank. "You'll be fine."

Hawkkit and Patchkit were seated besides their mother. Patchkit's tail was wrapped neatly around her paws, and Hawkkit's brown tabby pelt shone. Songkit self-conciously licked her own silver coat as she sat besides them.

Pinestar began the ceremony. He called up Patchkit first. The black-and-white kit walked regally towards him. Pinestar stared at her for a second, and Songkit realized he saw Maribel in her. Then the leader shook himself.

He gave Patchkit Applewhisker as a mentor. She ran to touch noses with the light brown she-cat, eyes shining delightedly.

Hawkkit recieved Rivertail as a mentor. Fireflower's ears flattened as her mate touched noses with his new apprentice.

"And finally, little Songkit," Pinestar said. Songkit bristled. Im not little! Not anymore.

Songkit ran the whole way till she was seated at Pinestar's paws. "Songkit, you have reached the age of six moons. It is time for you to begin your warrior training. From this day till you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Songpaw. Your mentor will be..." His eyes scanned the clearing.

"Fireflower." Songpaw's heart plummeted. What? Realizing everyone was waiting, she licked Pinestar's shoulder, then hastily brushed noses with Fireflower. The ginger she-cat's eyes were furious, and her tail was bushed up.

She didn't join in the cheering. In fact, barely half the clan did. Songpaw could feel tears brimming in her eyes, but tried to focus only on her mother's proud voice.

"Hawkpaw, Patchpaw, Songpaw!"

Chapter Two

"Songpaw!"

Songpaw blinked sleepily. She wasn't in the nursery. Where was she? Then her apprentice ceremony came rushing back to her. She stood and stretched.

Troutpaw was asleep in his nest, his gray tabby flank rising and falling with each breath. Bluepaw and Patchpaw were out on dawn patrol; Songpaw had watched them leave earlier in the morning.

As she stepped outside, she saw Rivertail and Hawkpaw heading out of the thicket tunnel. Fireflower's voice came from behind her, and she jumped.