Blue. Beige. Tan. Maroon. Pink. Salmon. Navy. Amber.
These are the colors of the sun set.
And I am Amber.
Amberwing.
The sunset is a place of peace, love, and joy. This, for a time, was the opposite of my life. And this is the story.
"Amberkit. Her name is Amberkit." Willowsong had said that night, that cold, cold night. Brookshine nodded. It was an unusually somber night.
A cat had died.
Amberkit had suckled right up to her mother, her pelt already bushy from being born on a leaf-bare night. She had been pushed aside by spasms, and joined by another kit.
"Cloudkit." Willowsong had said, and passed out. She was a sickly cat, and so Silverkit was stillborn. His name was never brought up again. Cloudkit and Amberkit were confused that night, when their mother was taken away. When they had to suckle a stranger. When some cats they'd never seen in their lives started to dote on them. They grew closer to their father, Thunderwhisker. Thunderwhisker was a bold, strong cat who amused the two with stunts and tricks. Cloudkit tried to imitate him, while Amberkit preferred to sit and listen to the apprentices argue. And two moons later, Amberkit called Cloudkit stupid for the first time. Then they met their mother.
Cloudkit sat on a branch, radiating confidence and happiness. "Are you ready?" He had squeaked to his father, who was sitting on the branch Cloudkit wanted to jumped to, and his sister, who was perched next to him. Thunderwhisker purred at his bold kit, and nodded. Cloudkit sat there, preparing to jump.
"Hurry up!" Amberkit complained impatiently, and leaped across, stumbling a little but managing to balance herself. She tiptoed over to her father, who flashed her a warm grin.
Infuriated, Cloudkit sprung across. Amberkit had moved back to where she had landed, and Cloudkit bowled into her, sending them both flying off. Thunderwhisker let out a groan, and gracefully jumped down, hoping to beat his kits, both of which were madly flailing around. He failed. Amberkit was sent sprawling into the fresh-kill pile, which cushioned her fall slightly. Cloudkit was lucky enough to land on his paws, but stood there in a state of shock.
Amberkit regained her balance, and stormed over to her shell-shocked brother.
"You are so stupid!" She shrieked, her voice cracking and her amber fur fluffed up. "I was standing right there, in plain sight, and you jump into me! You've embarrassed me, and probably Thunderwhisker too! You are stupid!" Hurt, Cloudkit's fur rose defensively, making him look rather like an angry thundercloud.
"At least I'm not the one who walked into someone's path while that someone is jumping!" Cloudkit yelled back.
"That's not even what happened!" Amberkit retorted.
Cloudkit bolted to the nursery, where his temporary mother was watching her kits play mossball.
"Serves him right." Amberkit huffed, and glared at the cats, daring for someone to approach her. Nobody felt like doing that.
Thunderwhisker padded up to his mate, who had just recovered from a two-month coma.
"Are these our kits?" Willowsong asked weakly.
"Yup." Thunderwhisker replied, bursting with pride.
"I hate you."
"Sit up straight!" Willowsong commanded her kits, who immediately stopped slouching. She licked their coats, not a hair out of place.
"Stop it!" Cloudkit yelped, her sand paper tongue grazing his back. Amberkit ruffled up her newly clean fur, and bolted through the nursery entrance.
"Amberkit!" Willowsong groaned, and Cloudkit took the opportunity to run also. "You're going to look like you've just rolled in mud!"
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, come beneath the highrock for a Clan meeting!" Stormstar's voice echoed throughout the camp, and Willowsong groaned again.
Amberkit and Cloudkit happily bounded up to the highrock, excited as ever.
"Amberkit and Cloudkit, please step forward!" They had already done so, knowing her words were coming. Cloudkit was so excited his stormcloud-like appearance had begun to show, and Amberkit took deep breaths, calming herself. "Amberkit and Cloudkit. Do you promise to serve the warrior code, and help NightClan thrive, no matter what the cost?"
"I do!"
"Yes!"
The two soon-to-be-apprentices chirped. Amberkit beamed with pride, and Cloudkit was overcome with enthusiasm.
"Then from this moment on, until you become a warrior, you shall be known as Amberpaw and Cloudpaw. Your mentors will be Birchpelt and Blazeleap." Birchpelt came up to Amberpaw and grinned. They touched noses, and the two pairs got down from the rock.
Willowsong was still unhappy about the state of their pelts.
"Well, I'm guessing due to the fact that your father is Thunderwhisker, you have been out of the camp and into the territory?" Blazeleap asked, looking at the apprentices, hiding her amusement when they both nodded. "Well, I suppose we should show you around anyways so you actually know where you are. We should probably go separately so we can get to know each other better." Birchpelt nodded, and headed off with an excited Amberpaw trailing behind him.
"We're going towards the Stream. And the Waterfall. And the Star Pool. And technically, also the Pine Copse. And, well, really the Marsh, Herb Patch, Training Ground, and Sunstones." Birchpelt decided, and Amberpaw wondered why he was her mentor. But, they continued to walk through the territory, Birchpelt occasionally giving her tips.
So, by the end of the day, Amberpaw was happy. Cloudpaw was bored, and this is the reason he almost died.
"YOU IDIOT!"
"Am not!"
"YES, YOU ARE!"
Cloudpaw lay in the Medicine Cat's den, breathing faintly. His words were more of a rasp than a retort. Moments before, Amberpaw had spoken to their father - the reason for their conversation.
"What did he do?" Amberpaw asked, concern dripping from her voice.
Brookwhisper, the medicine cat, sighed. "He decided he was hungry, and he saw a beehive. He wanted honey. He climbed a tree. He paws the beehive. He gets stung. He falls from the tree. He breaks his leg. He gets stung more. He turns out to be deathly allergic to bee stings. If he hadn't of been found.."
That was why Amberpaw called Cloudpaw an idiot for the 169th time.