"Hey!" Amberkit grunted. It had been over two moons since Blackpaw and Dovepaw had been apprenticed, and the nursery was the busiest it had ever been.

About 2 sunrises after Dovepaw and Blackpaw left the den, Snowdrizzle had moved in, bearing Lionstream's kits. She had given birth almost 2 moons later, to Webkit, Beetlekit, and Beechkit.

Lilacsplash had also given birth, to two healthy she-kits, Willowkit and Alderkit. Amberkit was jealous of them, as Lilacsplash didn't pay her much attention anymore, but it did mean that she could do practically anything she wanted.

However, Flamekit was more into sleeping and eating than sneaking into the medicine cat's den, and Stormkit was always reluctant to join in on games that might get them into trouble. They weren't nearly as fun as Blackpaw was.

The dark apprentice didn't really keep to his promise. He still visited her, but not as many times as he said. Blackpaw already had his first scar, a rip through the ear that Lizardpaw had given him during a training session. Although she claimed it was an accident, Amberkit had noticed the hateful glances cast between the two.

In fact, Dovepaw visited her more than Blackpaw, and the two had put aside their nursery differences.

Lilacsplash was right, she thought grudgingly. You can't hold nursery grudges.

Even though she could never like him the way she liked Blackpaw, she had come to see a side of him that she had never seen before. Although he was very kind and caring, he had a ferocity that had been handled by Lionstream well.

Amberkit first saw this when he and Blackpaw had argued about a crow, and who had caught it. The two had tussled together in the middle of camp, and Dovepaw had been sentenced to cleaning out the nursery for a moon by Badgertail.

He didn't mind, but Amberkit could never forget the fierceness in his eyes as he spat into his brother's face. It wasn't a secret that the two despised each other. Amberkit knew that Dovepaw's hate was fueled by whatever he saw on the day of his apprentice ceremony.

Amberkit had tried raising the subject many times, but Dovekit either ignored her or changed the subject. Amberkit knew that she would have been the same; she could only remember the terror coursing through his eyes as he raced out the nursery.

Amberkit growled and curled up more in her nest as Willowkit squeaked a sorry, running out of the nursery. She tossed and turned a little more, before cursing under her breath and stomping out.

The top of the nursery was thick with frost, as with every other den. Amberkit noticed Badgertail and Scorchfire standing near the dismal fresh kill pile, worried expressions flitting across their faces. Badgertail muttered something to Scorchfire, and he nodded, racing towards the warriors den.

Dovepaw had just padded out of his den, and seeing him, Amberkit bounded over. "Are you going on a patrol?" She gasped, shivering. Dovepaw looked at her in amusement, and glanced over to where Badgertail stood.

"It looks like it," he meowed, flicking his tail. Amberkit frowned.

"Can I come? I've been practicing the hunting crouch you taught me!" Amberkit dropped low, her tail straight as a twig. She slowly started stalking forwards, and then used the power in her hind legs to leap forward. She had landed on a leaf, carried it over to Dovepaw. "See? I caught a mouse!"

Dovepaw twitched an ear in amusement. "That was good, but a mouse would have felt or heard your paws. Try this," he got into the same crouch, and slid his paws along the ground. Amberkit couldn't hear them at all, and copied him. "That's great! You're going to be a great hunter!" Dovepaw praised.

As Dovepaw padded away to Badgertail, Amberkit spotted Blackpaw stalk out from the darkness of the apprentice den. Seeing him, she took a deep breath, and strode over to him. "Blackpaw! Are you going to teach me another battle move?" She inquired, tilting her head.

"Kits are too young to learn battle moves," he growled, glaring at some spot in the distance.

Amberkit frowned. "But that's not what you said the other day! You said that every kit should be taught to fight so that when they are apprenticed they'll be even more ferocious on the battlefield!" She protested.

Blackpaw snorted. "I don't have time for this," he grunted, starting towards the gorse tunnel.

Amberkit huffed when he had turned his back. "Dovepaw is a better teacher than you," she muttered, flattening her ears. Blackpaw pricked his ears up and swung round.

"The only thing that Dovepaw can teach is how to catch leaves," he snarled, baring his teeth. "He's a terrible apprentice, especially with Lionstream with his mentor. On the first day of training, Beepool taught me how to pin an enemy, while Dovepaw collected moss," he scorned. "And Deathblaze.." Blackpaw trailed off.

"Who's Deathblaze?" Amberkit asked. As far as she knew there was no cat in the Clans with that name. Blackpaw looked like he had just been sent to StarClan and back, his dark fur was fluffed up and amber eyes wild with terror.

"I'm sorry, Amberkit, not enough sleep. Sorry for snapping at you," he quickly touched noses with her before bolting out of the camp, causing many cats to gaze after him in surprise.

The only cat in the clearing who wasn't bewildered was Dovepaw, and as he gazed into the gorse tunnel with cold ice blue eyes, Amberkit knew that he had heard every word.

-

"Just one time," Amberkit begged Stormkit, was was sitting down with her tail curled around her paws. The pale grey tabby shook her head, drawing a paw over her ears.

"Amberkit, do you know how much trouble I'd be in?" She closed her eyes, sighing. "You didn't get told off by Scorchfire. It was horrible, he did it in front of the whole Clan, too! You wouldn't know how embarrassing that was!" Stormkit exclaimed, standing up and stretching. "I am not sneaking into Clawstar's den! Why don't we play... mossball!" Stormkit's ears pricked up as Flamekit padded out of the nursery.

"Did someone mention mossball?" Flamekit yawned, flicking his white-tipped tail.

Amberkit tilted her head slightly. It was amazing how different they all were. Stormkit was a pale grey tabby, with light blue eyes. She was very jumpy and serious, no fun at all to be around, but she was intelligent, able to learn quickly.

Flamekit was black, apart from orange paws and a white ring around his tail tip. His pelt originated from Pinewing, their father. He was very excitable, yet he preferred the darkness of the nursery to the bright, sunny clearing.

And then there was her, Amberkit. She was a light ginger tabby, with forest green eyes. She was more outgoing than the others, the most curious, but she had heard the other kits talking about her. She was as serious as her sister, not wanting to play fun games anymore.

My games are fun, she thought dismissively. They're just more grown up than mossball and catch the mouse.

Growling at them, she stalked off towards the medicine den, where she met Spottedpaw. "Are you going herb gathering?" Amberkit asked, raising her tail.

Spottedpaw purred. "Yes. I need to collect some coltsfoot for Pebbleeye. He's been coughing more than I would like," her voice hardened into a frown, and Amberkit noticed worry flitting through her gaze.

"He's going to be okay, isn't he?" The grey tabby often told great stories, and he was yet to finish one about LeopardClan. Spottedpaw hesitated. "Let me come with you! What does coltsfoot look like?" She burst.

Spottedpaw blinked. "It's a bit like a dandelion, but you can't come with me. You're not allowed to go out of camp for another moon." She brushed her tail along Amberkit's back as she huffed. "Why don't you go see if Stormkit and Flamekit want to play mossball?"

As Spottedpaw padded out of camp, Amberkit sighed, never feeling so alone. She watched as Meadowbird, Rosefrost and Pinewing ran out of the camp, probably on a hunting patrol. Sighing, she lay down and put her head on her paws, watching camp life go on.

Dusk will fall into the blackness and never rise again..

Amberkit's gaze shot up. "Who said that?" She asked Gorsepaw, who was frowning and heading for the gorse tunnel.

"Who said what? Have you got bees in your brain?" He turned to look at her, hazel gaze darkened with worry. "Don't waste my time. Duskpaw left his nest this morning and went hunting without telling anyone. Last night he was boasting about how he could climb to the top of the Owl Tree." His fur bristled.

Amberkit had heard stories about the Owl Tree and it's height. It wasn't the tallest, however an owl lived in the depths, hence the name. Her whiskers quivered as Gorsepaw bounded away.

Please come back safe Duskpaw..