Chapter 1

“Hurry up, Spiralkit! You’re late!”

Spiralkit jumped at her friend Curlpaw’s call. I’m late! She jumped to her paws and quickly scrambled out of her nest. Curlpaw was waiting for her at the entrance to the nursery, her gray fur shining silver in the bright sunlight. “Come on, Spiralkit,” she mewed. “The others are waiting.”

“Okay,” Spiralkit gasped. “I’m coming.” She padded forward and slipped out of the den. Morning sunshine greeted her outside, and she and Curlpaw bounded over to where her sister Crystalkit, Berrypaw, Sandpaw, Swirlpaw, and their mentors were waiting.

“Hello, Spiralkit,” Berrypaw greeted her cheerfully as she skidded to a halt in front of them. “Are you ready to go on your first walk in the forest?”

“Of course,” Spiralkit replied. “It’s going to be so interesting! Will we see more plants?” There weren’t a lot of plants in the camp, apart from the green elderberry bushes surrounding their camp on top of the walls. I’d like to see more! she thought excitedly.

“Of course!” Crystalkit mewed as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “The forest is filled with them…mouse-brain.”

Spiralkit glared at her. “I was just asking!”

“Okay, okay, you two, calm down.” Lightningtail, Sandpaw’s mentor, padded over to them. “You don’t need to start our day with an argument. Are you ready?”

“Yes!” Berrypaw and Crystalkit yowled immediately.

Lightningtail looked expectantly at Spiralkit.

“Yes, Lightningtail,” Spiralkit replied, embarrassed. Why do I always have to mess up everything with my stupid questions?

“Good,” Lightningtail mewed, beckoning the other cats over. “Then let’s go now.” She led the way out of camp.

As soon as they took a step into the forest, Crystalkit and Spiralkit both inhaled sharply. The forest was so big. There were trees everywhere, planting their roots in the ground as they searched for water. Birds flapped their wings overhead, chirping nonstop as they circled above in the sky. The sunlight slanted through the bright green leaves, melting the frost that had settled on them at night. “It’s beautiful,” Spiralkit whispered.

Sandpaw glanced back at the two kits. “I know, right? It’s great, but you have to keep up with us! We don’t want apprentices that stop every breath to gaze at the scenery!”

“Oh,” Crystalkit mumbled, scurrying over to the rest of the group. “Sorry!”

Spiralkit scrambled after her sister. They veered off in another direction and followed the path until they finally stopped at a small clearing. “Okay,” Stemfall, Spiralkit’s father and Curlpaw’s mentor, mewed. “Sandpaw, Berrypaw, you two are going to teach Crystalkit and Spiralkit”–he gazed at them proudly–“how to climb, and Curlpaw and Swirlpaw, you will practice climbing taller trees.”

Swirlpaw snorted. “Thank StarClan! Last time we only got to climb that cursed baby oak!” Curlpaw snorted with laughter.

“Okay, okay, we know, we remember,” Violetblaze, Swirlpaw’s mentor, meowed quickly. “But today you’ll get to climb taller ones.”

Curlpaw’s eyes still glittered with amusement as she replied, “Okay, Violetblaze.”

Lightningtail, Sandpaw, Berrypaw, and Sunclaw, Berrypaw’s mentor, separated into one group, while Curlpaw, Swirlpaw, Violetblaze, and Stemfall formed the other. “Are we all going to stay in this clearing together?” Crystalkit asked anxiously.

“Yes,” Lightningtail replied. “You’ll just be doing different things. Come on now, Crystalkit and Spiralkit.” She beckoned them with her striped tail.

Spiralkit and Crystalkit hurried over to the group.

“You may start,” Sunclaw told them.

Berrypaw and Sandpaw scrambled over to an oak tree. Spiralkit followed them, Crystalkit on her tail. “The first and easiest way to climb up a tree,” Berrypaw began, “is to slowly pull yourself up with your claws sticking into the bark.”

Sandpaw dug her claws into the trunk and slowly inched her way up, then leaped down again. “Try it,” she mewed.

Crystalkit stepped forward and put an experimental paw onto the trunk.

Berrypaw rolled his eyes. “You know you unsheath your claws, or it’s not going to work.”

Spiralkit leaped forward, her claws stretched out. As soon as she felt rough bark touch her pads, she dug her claws in hard. She took a breath and glanced down. Crystalkit was below her, frowning as Spiralkit’s tail dangled right above her nose.

“That was great, Spiralkit!” Sandpaw exclaimed. She padded over and grabbed her by the scruff and helped her down onto the ground again. “It was very smart, too!”

“I agree.” Lightningtail paded over and nuzzled Spiralkit’s forehead. “She was brave to try that.”

Spiralkit felt a burst of pride. She praised me! She actually praised me! She glanced back at Crystalkit. Her sister was staring at her in awe, but her tiny claws were dug into the grass below her. She’s jealous, Spiralkit realized. Of course she’s jealous.

Spiralkit looked over where the other group was climbing a tall maple. Curlpaw was perched on a middle branch, looking around for the next paw hold. Swirlpaw was digging her claws into a branch way higher than her sister’s, looking uncertainly upward. Her eyes shone with determination…and fear.

There was a flash of light and suddenly Spiralkit saw the gray-and-white tabby slip from the branch, falling down, down, down from the high branch…

Spiralkit gasped and the real world came back. She blinked up at Swirlpaw. The young apprentice was still grabbing tightly onto the branch. She hadn’t fallen. That must’ve just been my imagination, Spiralkit thought. After all, anyone would worry that she might fall…but I’ll go over and warn her anyway. She bounded over to where Stemfall and Violetblaze were sitting beneath the maple.

Stemfall was staring up eagerly. “Go, Swirlpaw!” he cheered. “You can do it!” Violetblaze was looking at Swirlpaw with total fear in her eyes.

“Be careful, Swirlpaw!” Spiralkit called up to her friend. She’s not going to fall, she’s not going to fall, she’s not going to…

Suddenly Swirlpaw’s paws slipped from underneath her. With a screech she lost her balance and tipped over. Spiralkit watched in horror as the apprentice plummeted down from the tree. “No!” she shrieked, starting to bound over to save her from the terrible fall.

But she was too late. Swirlpaw landed on the ground with a loud, sickening thump.