Seeing Camp for the first time.

Silverkit had just woken up, barely sleeping the night before. She believed she was now old enough to leave the nursery, and the excitement was bubbling out of her.
"I want to see the warriors, and hear a story from the elders and see the Highrock!" Silverkit bounded around the Nursery, waiting for sunrise. She stuck her head outside the entrance, hoping to see a patrol returning or leaving.
"The warriors!"

"Actually," Said Blazingpaw. "I'm an apprentice." He stifled a cough. He had just came back from a hunting patrol. The fresh-kill pile was looking as small as ever, and with the stupid sickness going around, the cats looked like living skeletons...actually, Blazingpaw was sure that everyone was almost half-dead. His voice was weak and raspy, and his eyes seemed to have lost their usual flame which made them glow. His ears and tail was drooping. He didn't look as handsome as he usually was, but was still charming. "I'm Blazingpaw, and you're new. What's your name?" He asked.

The apprentice looked very weak to Silverkit. "I'm Silverkit! This is my first time outside the Nursery and I'm so excited." She glanced around the camp, many cats were in a bad way, just like Blazingpaw. "Are you ok? You look sick." The leaf bare wouldn't be helping, Silverkit hated the cold as much as the next cat.

"I'm fine," Blazingpaw lied. His greencough was draining the life out of him, and he did his best to keep pushing forward and trying to help the clan any way he could. "It's nice to meet you, Silverkit." The excitement of this kit returned some of the blaze in his eyes, but it was only a flicker before he started coughing again and it left. "I can show you around if you like," said Blazingpaw.

Silverkit jumped at Blazingpaw's offer. "Yes please! Can we go see our leader or go outside camp?" Silverkit ran in circles around the older cat, eager to explore. She couldn't wait until she was made an apprentice, however long it might take.

Blazingpaw laughed, which turned into a coughing fit. "Well, I can't take you out of camp, but I can probably take you to see the leader, if she's not sleeping." He knew that the leader was most likely dead-tired from keeping a clan in shape all day. "Follow me." He padded towards the leader's den.

Silverkit followed Blazingpaw towards the Leader's den. What it would be like, leading the Clan... "Is the leader strong? Is she scary?" The young she-cat asked the apprentice a lot of questions, wanting to know as much as she could about the Clan.

"Well, Spottedstar is like all of the other cats around here. She isn't necessarily scary, but she is highly respected." He paused for a moment. "Actually, she's really scary if you get into trouble, but otherwise she's really nice." Blazingpaw was happy that Silverkit was asking a lot of questions. That was the only way to learn. Another couple coughs shook his body as he approached the leader's den. "Wait here," he said. The ginger tom peeked in, then turned back to Silverkit. "I think Spottedstar is asleep," he said.

"Aww." Silverkit complained. No worries, she could always meet Spottedstar another time. "Who can we see instead? Can you show me all the dens?" Looking around the camp, the dens were all various shapes and sizes. Some in buses, a tree trunk and others as well.

Blazingpaw nodded. Maybe Hollypaw will show up, he thought happily. He started walking towards the apprentice den. "This is where I sleep," he said. "It's not as comfortable as the nursery, but it works. I bet you the warrior's den is much better," he said.

Silverkit looked at the Apprentice's Den. "Is there where I'll sleep when I get to be an apprentice?" She was in awe, I can't wait to be an apprentice! She wondered what it would be like to be a huge part of the clan, and to serve it with her life.

Blazingpaw nodded. "Yes, it is." He smiled at the kit's awe. "Are you ready to see the warrior's den?"

"Yes please! Are they all strong? Do they fight other cats?" The bigger cats scared Silverkit a little, but she just couldn't help imagining if she would be like that when she was older. It must be scary, going out on patrols and protecting the clan.

The tom laughed has he lead Silverkit to the warrior's den. "Wo, slow down! They are very strong, and yes the do fight other cats. I've fought other cats also," he said, thinking back to when he had fought Riverclan because Duskpaw had gone onto their territory. "And rouges." This time, he thought farther back to when he saved Duskpaw when he was a kit from a rouge. Why was Duskpaw always causing trouble? "And Badgers." That was the worst experience of his life, almost getting himself and Hollypaw killed. He stopped in front of the warrior's den. "We're here."

"Rogues and Badgers?" Silverkit stopped at the enterance, taken aback by what the warriors had to fight. "What if you get hurt?" Silverkit looked over at the warriors who were still in the den; some of them were healthy but some of them were coughing like Blazingpaw was.