Skywhisper's Beginning

Chapter 1: Secrets
A small light gray tabbykit sat by her mother, looking at the dark, cloudy sky. She down at her white paw. The kit's mother gently grabbed her scruff and pulled her closer, feeling the winds grow stronger.

"Skykit, my love, do not let the wind blow you away," the soft tabby queen whispered to her. Skykit let out a peep of curiousity, and looked at her mother with her big, brillant aqua-blue eyes. Her mother said nothing, just licked the top of her only kit's head. A tom walked in. The medicine cat. He looked at Skykit's mother, softness in his eyes. The queen looked up and met his gaze.

"Has anyone found out yet, Darkbreeze?" the pale gray tabby queen murmed quietly, her gaze daring in different directions. Darkbreeze looked down at Skykit and back to the she-cat.

"No one has yet. It's going to be okay, Duskpetal. Remember, I'm always here for you," the white muzzled black tom murmured.

The two cats looked at the small kit who was asleep at her mother's side. Darkbreeze sadly looked down. "When will she find out?" he meowed quietly, sadness edging his mew.

Duskpetal sighed. "One day, when she's ready." Feeling he should be doing his duties, Darkbreeze felt Duskpetal's head, feeling for any signs of sickness or weakness. The queen seemed to be all right. StarClan has not punished her for our actions, he thought to himself.

Meanwhile, Skykit's eyes opened. She looked up to see a black tom hovering over her mother. Darkbreeze, the medicine cat! she thought happily to herself. "Hi, Darkbreeze!" she squeaked, getting up and prodding his side. Duskpetal's eyes gleamed, and she nodded to the medicine cat. The gaze read, ''Go on. Say hi to her.''

Darkbreeze nodded. "Hello, Skykit." The tom felt nervous and odd around her, and his tail constantly twitched. ''Stop it! Be a good father, whether she would know it or not!" Skykit was stilling gazing up at him, eyes bright. "Is my mother sick? When am I going to be an apprentice?" she squealed.''

Darkbreeze shook his head. "Duskpetal is not sick, don't worry. And you will become an apprentice when you are six moons. Only three more to go, little one."

Skykit purred, amd sat back down at her mother's side.

Duskpetal looked up at the medicine cat, her eyes glimmering with hope. The tom returned the gaze.

We'll go through this together, secret or not, and raise her to become a fine warrior.

Chapter 2: What Really Happened
Skykit closed her eyes, and drifted off into sleep. Suddenly, she found herself in a dream. A big leafy forest surrouded her. The little tabby she-kit looked around, trying to figure out where she was. Is this Clan territory? she thought, prodding a flower with her paw.

Suddenly, she heard mews that seemed to be coming toward her. Skykit perked her ears. One of the voices sounded like her mother! But the other voice, she did not know, at least yet.

Skykit leaped into a bush, not wanting to be seen or scented. The cats soon came into view. It was Duskpetal, as she had assumed. But another cat came out from behind her, a handsome black tom with a white muzzle.

Darkbreeze? she thought, wondering why the medicine cat would be out here with her mother. The two cats came closer. Skykit watched them closely, and listened in on their conversation.

"Darkbreeze, we can't keep doing this. We're going to get caught, and-" The tom came closer, and lightly nuzzled her.

"Duskpetal, it's fine. We were never caught before. Why are you so worried now?"

Duskpetal sat down, and looked at him, her big green eyes full of worry and sorrow. "I'm having kits."

Darkbreeze's jaw dropped, and he looked at the she-cat. "That's lovely! But, who will they assume the father is?" The she-cat shook her head. "I do not know."

Skykit gapsed. Darkbreeze was her father! How could that be? He was a medicine cat. That was breaking the warrior code. Suddenly, her dream flashed to another scene. She was in the nursery with her mother, and father, who was helping her with something. Skykit suddenly realized that her mother was kitting. This was where she would be born!

Two kits lay at her side, Skykit saw herself. But who was that other kit? I thought I was the only kit? she thought. But soon, Skykit realized what had happened to her littermate.

"Darkbreeze, she's... dead," Duskpetal whimpered.

Skykit's eyes flew open, and she found her self awake. The pale tabby turned to her mother, who was sleeping. How could Darkbreeze be her father? That meant that Skykit was never meant to be born, never wanted to be born.

"This isn't fair!" she hissed, and bolted out into the forest, not caring if any cat saw.

Chapter 3: Just the Start
The cold wind blew fiercly, ruffling the BreezeClan cats' fur greatly. Skykit crept out of the nursery. The she-kit looked up at the sky, eyes wide, and saw that it was barely dawn. Despite the freezing, windy weather, Skykit felt warm.

''How could I stay asleep? I'm becoming an apprentice today!'' she thought with excitement. A sudden chill came upon her, and she quickly padded back to the nursery, where her mother was sleeping soundly. The pale gray tabby she-kit's eyes grew cold, and she looked away.

Did she ever want to have kits? Skykit thought. But, she brushed the thought away. Every she-cat would want to have kits eventually. Right? Besides, her mother was barely sour with her, and she at least seemed like she loved her single kit.

But if her mother was gentle with her and meant no harm, why couldn't Skykit get this thought off of her mind?

With a sigh, she curled up next to her mother, and noticed how big she was getting. It seemed like only yesterday when she was only a little lump of fur. Skykit closed her eyes, feeling eager about her ceremony that would happen today.

Soon Duskpetal awoke. "Why are you up so early?" she murmured, licking her daughter's head. Skykit was about to protest, but sighed and let her mother groom her.

"I'm just excited, that's all!" she said to her mother, eyes bright. Duskpetal purred, and layed back on her side.

"Get some sleep, little one. If you want to be the best apprentice ever, you're going to have to have energy," Duskpetal said warmly. Hearing her mother's soothing words, Skykit obeyed and fell right asleep.

"Skykit," Fogstar meowed at the small cat beside him on the low branch. "You will now be known as Skypaw. Your mentor will be Jaydust."

"Skypaw! Skypaw! Skypaw!"

A dark gray tabby tom with warm amber eyes padded up to greet her. Skykit happily touched noses with her new mentor. The tom nodded to her, and they both jumped onto the rock below the branch, and leaped back onto the ground. The two padded side by side, until they reached the edge of the camp. Jaydust started to speak.

"Today is your day, Skypaw. Shall we learn to hunt, or fight?" he meowed. Skypaw liked the sound of his mew. It was calm, and welcoming. She was glad he was her mentor.

"How about we fight?" she meowed eagerly, her tail swishing back and forth. Jaydust laughed, and nodded.

"Somebody's ready to learn! Let's go on out," he meowed, and together they padded out into the forest of BreezeClan.

I'm going to be the best apprentice ever! Skypaw thought happily.

Chapter 4: The Hunt
The pale tabby apprentice groggily opened her eyes, seeing the light of the new day. It was dawn, as far as she could tell. Skypaw stretched her paws and looked outside of the apprentice's den. It was very lonely and cold in her den, as she was the only apprentice at the moment.

After what seemed like moons, cats started to wake up and walk to the center of the clearing to start the morning patrols. Skypaw excitedly bolted over to Jaydust, her eyes gleaming. The tom lightly laughed, and nodded to his apprentice.

"I assume you want to train?" he said, tilting his head. Skypaw blinked, and gave him a small nod. "Yeah! Can we hunt?" she asked eagerly, looking out into the forest.

The dark gray tabby purred. "Let's go."

"Crouch, like this. It's simple. You'll learn it fast," the tabby tom meowed to his apprentice. Skypaw nodded, and tried out the crouch for herself.

"Lower your tail, but not too low so it brushes the leaves and startles prey."

Skypaw obeyed. Jaydust seemed to study her form, and he gave her a nod of approval. "Well done! A natural hunter, are you?" he meowed.

They practiced for hunting for what seemed like forever, until she got the concept down. Then, Jaydust took her deeper into the forest. They were walking for a while, until they reached a small area that seemed to be hidden from sight. Jaydust spoke.

"This is where my mentor took me to train for hunting. I don't think any cat knows about this place, but the cats who have taught his mentor's mentor's mentor and so on have passed this place down. And now it's passed on to you."

Skypaw looked at him with awe. "So, we're the only people right now who know about this place?" she whispered. The area was quiet, flowery, and damp. She quite liked it.

"Besides us and the ones in StarClan who know, Blackstripe knows. He was my mentor."

Skypaw nodded.

Finally after training for a while, Jaydust took her to actually go hunting.

"There!" he hissed. "A squirrel, eating a nut near that bush."

The pale she-cat narrowed her eyes, and put her single white paw forward. She unsheathed her claws and began to stalk the small creature.

She bolted forward, and bam! Her claws penatrated the squirrel, and it was dead. Skypaw picked it up, her eyes filled with pride. The she-cat padded around the bend to where her mentor was, who was sitting in front of a small tree, waiting for her. The tom stood up when he saw her, and he glanced at the furry piece of prey that she was carrying in her mouth.

Jaydust dipped his head. "Well done! Now, let's show the Clan what you've caught. I'm proud of you."

As the sun rose and shone brightly, the two cats, apprentice and mentor, walked back to camp together in silence.