Dusty Lilacs

Lilackit was batting at a moss-ball one morning in the nursery, and noticed another kit not far away. "Pssst, Dustkit!" she whispered, sneaking over and pawing at the kit's shoulder without waking any of the queens. "Wanna explore the camp?"

Dustkit's eyes, slowly blinking themselves awake, soon began to focus on the kit beckoning her. Even though she had ended her slumber a fair while ago, she was still groggy. The words leaked out of her in a slight grumble; "Um, sure! Just let me..." Dustkit unraveled as her words morphed into a stretch, followed by a wide yawn. "Alright, let's go!"

Lilackit darted out of the nursery, and sat down. "See, look! Over there's the warrior's den, and the elders' den, and there's the medicine cat's den - dad says we shouldn't bother them because they're busy." Lilackit gestured with her tail. "And there's the appre-" in mid-sentence, Lilackit cut herself off, having seen a moth and attempted to pounce on it. This time, she actually caught it, but it flew away when she moved her paws. She'd have to work harder to become the best hunter in ShadowClan. "And there's the apprentice's den! That's all the places I know, though..."

Looking at each location, then back at her fellow kit, Dustkit nodded to the medicine cat's den as she purred out, "What are they busy with in there?" She sat and her tail flickered, eager for a reply.

"Dad says they help warriors when they get hurt," Lilackit replied. "I can't wait to be an apprentice! Maybe then I'll get to see it! But dad didn't mention apprentices," she added, thinking. If he hadn't mentioned it, then maybe apprentices didn't get helped? What if she got hurt as an apprentice, and the medicine cat wouldn't help her because she wasn't a warrior? Maybe she should ask Leafpaw. Her older sister was smart, she might know.

Wildkit stirred. She could hear two cats mumbling to each other, loud enough to wake her up but quiet enough that she couldn't make out the words. As quiet as a mouse, she slipped past Oakkit, Spottedkit, Bonekit and Daykit without making a sound, their chests rising and falling in tandem. The two's words became clearer to her and she listened to Lilackit and the young Dustkit as they talked about dens. She pricked her ears for any important information that would allow her to get a foothold in the clan.

While that sounded fun, she had no idea what it meant. "What's an apprentice?" wondered the young one. Although she wasn't born yesterday, she was still a kit, and so she had a lot to learn.

Lilackit paused. Right, Dustkit didn't know about apprentices yet. "When we're old enough, we get to train to be warriors, like our parents!" Soon, she thought to herself. Soon, she would be an apprentice. And she would be the best apprentice that there ever was. Unless she wasn't. What if her mentor hated her? What if she was the worst apprentice there ever was? She froze at the thought. What if her dad disowned her because she was a terrible apprentice? What if her siblings refused to speak to her? She didn't want that to happen.

(Parents...) The thought echoed in her mind. Although she didnt get to know them well, Dustkit missed her parents. Maybe she couldn't become an apprentice without them. She muttered out, in both curiosity and gloom; "What if you don't have parents?"

"You can still be an apprentice! I think..." What if she couldn't? What if Dustkit could never be an apprentice, and never be a warrior? "If you need parents to be an apprentice, you can borrow my dad!"

Borrow her dad? Could she even do that? Dustkit was grateful, but puzzled. "Th-thanks, Lilackit." Her ears shrunk to her sides in despair.

"I'm sure it'll all be fine," Lilackit declared, wondering whether she had ever been less sure of such a thing.

Wildkit sucked in a quick breath. She had heard rumours about Bonekit's parents, truly a tragedy. Two fine, pure blooded Shadowclan warriors, now dead. It was the saddest thing she'd heard all her life.

Dustkit's ears perked up as she heard what sounded somewhat like a short breeze among the brush. (But... it didn't sound like wind...) she pondered to herself. Mustering up some courage, she inquired, "D-did you hear that, Lilackit?"

Lilackit paused. "...Yes, I did. Who's there?" she asked, turning to face where the sound was coming from.