THUNDERCLAN

Leader- Maplestar

Deputy- Nightfang 

Medicine cat- Oaksong

Warriors:

Eagleflight- Black and brown, muscular tom

Emberfur- Black tom with white ear tips

Swiftfoot- Sleek white tabby she-cat

   Apprentice- Breezepaw

Owlbranch- Brown tom with white paws

Daisyroot- White she-cat with orange spots

Foxclaw- Large orange tom

Sunfur- Small, orange tabby she-cat

Cloudpelt- White and grey tom 

    Apprentice- Willowpaw

Apprentices:

Breezepaw- Grey and black tabby

Willowpaw- Light grey tabby with lighter brown spots

Redpaw- Red and black tom

Queens (She-cats with kits):

Honeypetal- Beautiful light brown she-cat with a white belly

Feathertail- Grey she-cat with blue eyes

Elders (Retired wariors)

Whiteclaw- White and grey tom

Thornbrook- blind Brown tabby she-cat

Chapter 1

Cherrykit stumbled out of the Thunderclan nursery, her sisters, Fernkit and Jaykit, bouncing beside her.

"Wow," Jaykit piped as they looked at the camp for the first time.

"It's huge!" Cherrykit replied, stopping to look at every leaf and rock she saw.

Honeypetal, their mother, followed close making sure her kits were safe as they looked around.

"Look!" Cherrykit squeaked.

Five warriors rushed out of the brambles, jaws heavy

with fresh-kill.

Cherrykit recognized one of them, her father, Eagleflight.

He dropped the large bird he was holding and made his way over to his kits, who were standing wide eyed.

"So, they've finally opened their eyes." His gaze was warm.

"Yes! This one is Jaykit, Fernkit, and this is Cherrykit." Honeypetal said, her eyes glowing in awe.

Cherrykit shuffled her paws in the dirt, embarrassed of her untidy fur. Fernkit, on the other hand raced up to his paws and started asking him one million questions.

"Was that bird hard to catch? How many battles have you been in? Do you sleep in the warrior's den?" Fernkit

Continued to ask.

"Yes I-" Eagleflight started.

"Will you teach me to hunt? How do you do the hunter's crouch?" Fernkit kept questioning him.

Cherrykit and Jaykit exchanged glances, but Eagleflight only looked at his talkative kit with amused eyes.

Fernkit kept talking until a stern look from Honeypetal silenced her.

"They'd better go back to the nursery for some sleep." Their mother swept her tail around her kits, "It's getting cold."

Despite the kit's complaints, they were gently pushed

into the nursery where they saw the two bigger kits, Briarkit and Mosskit sleeping softly next to their mother, Feathertail. Quietly, the three kits and their mother walked into their nest and fell asleep after the exiting day.

Cherrykit woke with a start after Jaykit bumped into her. She shoved her sleeping sister away and stood up, away frow the warmth of her littermates. Cherrykit quietly made her way out of the nursery and sat down outside the entrance. Curling her short tail over her cold paws, she watched as Eagleflight and another cat got out of the warrior's den. Yawning, the two cats shook stray pieces of moss off their pelts, as another cat came out.

That must be the dawn patrol! Cherrykit thought. I wish I could tag along. She sighed miserably. It would be moons till she was an apprentice, let alone warrior. Scuffling her paws in the sand, she watched as they left the camp, tails brushing the dust. Her fur ruffled as leaf-fall wind nearly blew her over. Then something heavy bowled into her.

"Jaykit!" She screeched at her sister, annoyed.

"Gottcha!" Jaykit mewed, "I'm going to be the best fighter in Thunderclan!"

Fernkit joined them looking more tired than usual.

"Are you okay?" Jaykit bounded to her side.

"Yeah I'm fi-" A fit of coughing broke her off.

Honeypetal rushed over, still drowsy from sleep, as she heard the commotion.

"What's wrong with Fernkit?" Cherrykit asked, her eyes wide.

"I don't know, I'm taking her to Oaksong." She picked up her trembling kit and went off to the medicine cat's den.

"I hope she's okay." Jaykit whisperd.

Chapter 2

Cherrykit and Jaykit wrestled in the camp clearing with Honeypetal and Eagleflight watching them. Fernkit lay in the medicine cat's den with Oaksong fretfully trying to cure her. Oaksong said Fernkit had Greencough and it was unlikely she was going to survive. Honeypetal had been visiting Fernkit so much she practically slept there against Oaksong's advice of not getting the sickness and infecting the rest of the clan. Honeypetal just told him that nothing would stop her from seeing her daughter. Jaykit batted Cherrykit on her muzzle as she ducked to avoid her clumsy blows.

Cherrykit bounced on her sister's back and pretend-bit her ear. Briarkit and Mosskit approached, a smug look on their faces.

"That's not how you fight." Briarkit sneered.

"What do you know about fighting." Cherrykit snapped back.

"We're about to know a whole lot more than you!" Mosskit announced.

Jaykit and Cherrykit exchanged confused glances before understanding.

"Your being apprenticed?" Jaykit asked.

"Yup. Tonight. And you little kits have to stay in the nursery!" Briarkit said, standing a bit taller so she could

look down on Cherrykit and Jaykit. As the pair walked away, Jaykit turned to Cherrykit.

"I bet I could beat them in a fight any day." She declared.

"They're not so great anyway. I heard Mosskit whimpering last night from a bad dream. He told Feathertail that Shadowclan was chasing him." Cherrykit laughed.

Honeypetal walked out of the Medicine den with her tail drooping.

"What's wrong." Jaykit called to her.

Honeypetal slumped down at the nursery enterance.

"Fernkit's dead." She said her eyes clouded in sorrow.

"No!" Cherrykit and Jaykit wailed.

Eagleflight padded over, the same sad expression as Honeypetal.

"I heard the news." He mewled softly to his mate and kits.

Honeypetal wailed as a warrior Cherrykit knew as Swiftfoot came out of the medicine den, holding Fernkit's small, limp body. Cherrykit stared as Jaykit and her parents went over to pay their last respects to her sister. She pressed her muzzle to her sister's grey pelt.

"I'm going to miss you so much." Cherrykit whimpered.

"She's gone to Starclan now." An unfamiliar voice said.

Cherrykit turned to see the clan leader, Maplestar, standing above her.

"She was going to be a promising warrior." He mewed softly.

Before she could respond, more cats of her clan began to sit near her sister's small body as they murmured their last respects to the kit that used to be a small, energetic ball of fur. 

The entire rest of the evening, Cherrykit stayed in the nursery. All she could think of was that she would never play with her sister again, or complain about her snoring, or answer all her ridiculous questions. 

After what seemed like hours, Maplestar leapt onto the High Rock and called for a clan meeting. Honeypetal pushed her remaining two kits into the clearing, her eyes unreadable. When all the cats gathered below, Maplestar spoke.

"Today is a sad day. As you all know, we have lost a kit to Greencough." He paused as sad murmurs spread through the assembled cats. "Despite this sad news, I want to name two apprentices. Briarkit, Mosskit, step forward."

Cherrykit's pelt bristled. Her sister juts died and these two bratty kits get named apprentices? She flattend her ears in rage.

Beside her, she noticed Jaykit with the same outraged expression.

"My sister just died and those two get to be apprenticed? Jaykit yowled in fury.

"I know you are not happy with these circumstances, and I am just as sad as you are about Fernkit's passing." Maplestar said calmly.

"So, we just pretend she never died and show complete disrespect by letting those two get their apprenticing ceremony?" That was Honeypetal, staring up at the High Rock with pure hatred.

Cherrykit glanced at the two, nodding in agreement. Briarkit and Mosskit, who were bristling with 

excitement, stared at them, with annoyed and angered looks in their eyes.

Go ahead, glare at us, see if I care, Cherrykit glared back at them.

"I'm going hunting." Honeypetal spat as she stormed off to the entrance, leaving Jaykit and Cherrykit.

The entire clan had their eyes on the two kits, a mix of surprise and admiration.

"Anyway, Briarkit come forward. You have reached the age of six moons old, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Briarpaw." Maplestar continued, "Your mentor will be Sunfur. I hope you will

pass down your speed and hunting skill onto this apprentice."

Sunfur stood up and went to touch noses with Briarpaw, who bounded up, excitement glittering in her eyes.

Maplestar gave Mosskit his apprentice name and his new mentor was Owlbranch, a large brown tom.

Jaykit and Cherrykit walked back to the nursery and lay on their moss bed. Soon, Honeypetal came back and laid down, her back turned from her kits. 

Chapter 4

It was two moons after Fernkit's passing, and Cherrykit was tossing dead leaves up in the air, clumsily catching them in her paws. Jaykit lay basking in the sun with Honeypetal, who was fast asleep. Dirtkit and Poppykit,  Daisyroot's new kits, wrestled in the fallen leaves, scattering them everywhere.

Honeypetal shot up awake, as the sound of many cats running, shook the ground under Cherrykit's paws.

"Get in the nursery!" She yowled to the confused kits.

Cherrykit scrambled through the ferns with Jaykit close behind her.

"It's Shadowclan!" Cherrykit heard Maplestar yowl.

Dirtkit and Poppykit shivered with fear, pressing close to their mother's flank.

Soon, the sound of fighting overtook the camp. Stray clumps of fur blew into the nursery as screeches of pain stung Cherrykit's ears.

"Their heading for the nursery!" Swiftfoot's panicked voice bellowed.

A dark shadow blocked the little light that shone in the nursery, as a black, scarred face sneered over the queens and kits. Honeypetal lashed out, scratching his already-damaged muzzle. He spat and swiped at her head. Honeypetal fell back, dazed. The black tom swiftly grasped Cherrykit's flank as she wailed in horror.

Cherrykit tried to grasp onto the nursery's ferns, but she slipped as she was heaved away. She saw a white and orange tabby clenching Jaykit in her jaws as her sister screeched for help.

"My kits!" Came Honeypetal's horrified yowl.

The tom bolted out of the camp with Cherrykit hopelessly struggling to escape his hold. Jaykit's captor ran beside them with Jaykit trying to claw her face, with poor results. Another cat, a large white tom, ran beside them, Poppykit hanging from his jaws.

The Shadowclan cats slowed their pace as a horrible stench met her nostrils. 

We're in Shadowclan territory! She thought dreadfully.

Soon, they arrived at a clearing, not unlike the Thunderclan camp.

"The raid was a success!" The black tom dropped Cherrykit carelessly, "Those Thunderclan cats didn't stand a chance."

"Good," a vicious sounding voice replied.

Cherrykit looked up and saw a ragged looking cat sitting on a large rock. She soon realized that this was Darkstar, the Shadowclan leader.

"Just you wait," Jaykit's voice squeaked, "They'll come and get us, and then you'll be crowfood."

The white tom dropped Poppykit, who hit the ground with a thud.

"I'd like to see them try." He snarled at Jaykit.

"Hold on Snowclaw. Don't hurt the kit's yet, we still need them to get Thunderclan's territory." Darkstar mewed.

Snowclaw sat back down, swiping his paw at Poppykit, who was trying to squirm away.

The black tom nudged Cherrykit harshly, as she fell into a shallow, carelessly dug hole. Poppykit and Jaykit followed, scrambling to their feet and hissing in 

rage.

"Just you wait. When I'm a warrior I'll shred Shadowclan to pieces." Jaykit spat.

"This den has no bedding!" Poppykit fretted.

"If you would even call it a den." Cherrykit murmured 

under her breath.

Cherrykit wished for her mother's warmth and comforting licks. Be brave little one, she could almost hear her whispers in the wind that sighed through the pines.

"We need to get out of here," Cherrykit said, glancing at the tabby who sat guard a little way from the den.

"But how?" Poppykit asked, shivering.

Cherrykit dug her small claws through the damp soil, "I have an idea."

Chapter 5

"Jaykit, you're the fastest. You need to run past that guard and distract her while me and Poppykit sneak over to those bushes." Cherrykit said quietly, "Then you run out of the camp and join us in the bushes. If the plan works, those mousebrains will run right passed us, and when their gone, we sneak back to Thunderclan camp!"

"That might work," Jaykit said thoughtfully while Poppykit nodded.

Jaykit hopped gracefully out of the hole and called to the tabby, "Hey Mouse dung, Come and get me!"

Sure enough, she ran to catch her prisoner.

"Go, Now!" Cherrykit said to Poppykit.

The two kits ran over to the bushes and were soon joined by Jaykit, who skidded to a halt, three Shadowclan warriors on her tail. Cherrykit thanked Starclan as they ran past, not suspecting anything in the bushes.

"I can't believe that actually worked!" Cherrykit gave a delighted mew.

"Come on, we need to get back to camp!" Poppykit said her eyes wide, "Daisyroot is probably so scared"

Jaykit rolled her eyes as they headed out of the bushes.

They used their earlier sent to get back to their home, narrowly dodging behind trees when they heard a noise.

"My paws ache!" Poppykit complained.

"Shh, they'll hear us!" Jaykit snapped.

"Yes, we will," a voice said.

Cherrykit couldn't move. Jaykit and Poppykit leaped behind a large pine tree before bouncing back, a surprised look on their faces.

The bushes in front of Cherrykit started to sway before a black cat stepped out.

"Emberfur!" A relieved gasp escaped her mouth, this wasn't a blood thirsty Shadowclan cat, it was a Thunderclan warrior!

From the tree that Jaykit and Poppykit tried to hide behind, Nightfang, Thunderclan's deputy revealed himself.

"You came to save us!" Jaykit mewed happily.

"By the looks of it, you saved yourselves." Nightfang replied, "How did you clever kits manage to escape?"

The way back to Thunderclan camp, Jaykit and Cherrykit explained how they got away, with Poppykit occasionally butting in to exaggerate the story. 

The second they stepped into Thunderclan territory, they could already hear the panic coming from the camp. As they stepped into camp, Honeypetal raced as fast as she could, nearly knocking them over, as she licked the last traces of Shadowclan from them, and asked them if they were all right at least five times.

"I missed you so much!" Honeypetal fretted, "I thought I

lost you kits, too!"

Daisyroot licked Poppykit while Dirtkit asked about what happened.

"I wish I went, too!" Dirtkit whined, "That sounds fun."

Daisyroot cuffed him around the head with her paw.

"Your sister just got taken by Shadowclan! How in Starclan does that sound like fun?" She asked him.

"Well, I would like to see their territory, and tear one of those cat's pelts!" He mewed licking his paw.

"Those cats were about five times the size of you. I don't think you could take one on if they were sleeping!" Cherrykit commented.

Cherrykit saw Maplestar leap up onto the High Rock.

"Honeypetal's and Daisyroot's kits have been saved!" He mewed as yowls of relief spread through the camp. "I saw two apprentices who fought like warriors to protect the camp from Shadowclan."

So much for protecting the camp, they let them take three kits! Cherrykit thought.

"These two apprentices, Breezepaw and Redpaw, deserve to get their warrior names tonight."

Cherrykit spotted the two apprentices glancing at each other in exitement. Eagleflight, who was sitting next to Cherrykit, was beaming with pride.

"Are those your kits?" She whispered.

"Yes." He replied. 

"Is Honeypetal their mother?"

"No. Their mother was killed before you were born. Breezepaw and Redpaw were two moons old when Honeypetal agreed to take care of them and then we had you and Jaykit." He answered.

"And Fernkit."

Eaglefight's eyes clouded in sorrow.

"Yes." he replied.

Cherrykit could tell by his gaze that he no longer wanted to talk to she watched as Maple star named Breezepaw, Breezewing, and Redpaw was Redfeather.

Chapter 6

"Cherrypaw, Jaypaw!" The clan chanted as Cherrypaw went to touch noses with her new mentor, Breezewing.

It was two moons after they had been taken by Shadowclan, and now they were apprentices.

"Come on! I'll show you the Thunderpath first!" Breezewing said cheerfully.

They made their way through the undergrowth. Cherrypaw looked up at every tree, guessing how many tail lengths they were. As they passed through a bundle of ferns, a stinking smell hit Cherrypaw's nose.

"Ew! What's that smell?" Cherrypaw asked.

"That's the Thunderpath," She said, as they reached a long path that was entirely black.

The stinking smell was coming right from it and Cherrypaw's claws prickle, wanting to run back to camp to get away from it. The ground started to rumble and Cherrypaw flashed a scared glance at Breezewing, but she looked calm staring at the path. Then, a huge thing zoomed past, forcing it foul stench into Cherrypaw's nose, as she bounced back in fear.

"What was that?" Cherrykit's fur bristled.

"That was a monster." She replied, "We have to cross this path to get to Four Trees for the gatherings. I lost my father to one of the monsters." She said sadly.

"Oh," Cherrypaw said as another monster flew past.

"Come on!" She said with false cheerfulness, "I'll show you how to hunt."

The rest of the evening, they practiced hunting, but mostly just the basics, like the crouching.

"So what do you have to do to catch a mouse?" Breezewing quizzed her.

"Step lightly." She answered.

"Why?"

"Because the mouse will feel your footsteps before it hears or smells you." 

"Correct!" Breezewing said, delighted, "Let's go back to camp, you must be starving!"

As Cherrypaw made her way to the freshkill pile, she spotted Jaypaw nibbling on a mouse. Picking a sparrow for herself, she padded over to her sister.

"How was your first day of being an apprentice?" Cherrypaw asked her.

"Meh, Foxclaw kept explaining everything I was doing wrong, so..." Jaypaw rolled her eyes, "How about you?"

"It was great, we went to the Thunderpath and practiced the hunting crouch." Cherrypaw took a bite of her food.

"I wish Fernkit was here." Jaypaw said sadly. 

"Yeah."

The two apprentices finished their meals in silence.

The moon rose slowly, and Cherrypaw yawned as she