[This chapter was rewritten!]

The leaves and greenery around camp had turned from green to beautiful variants of orange. The once before blue, sunny skies were now mostly cloudy throughout the entire day and it would more than often rain, creating puddles and mud mostly anywhere. Whenever you would set a paw down on the wet ground, it would always make a sound. Ravenkit was suprised the warriors were able to catch any fresh-kill at all. All ShadowClan cats would spend more time grooming themselves to keep their pelts free from mud and rain water. It was the beginning of Leaf-fall.

The sun had yet to show itself, leaving the camp in almost complete darkness. The shuffling sounds of cats starting to wake up from their dens started to litter the dark camp in noise. A few senior warriors were already awake and sat just outside the warriors den, awaiting the rest of their morning patrol or apprentices. One of the warriors perked up as a noise came from the Nursery.

Ravenkit were completely invisible if it weren't for his white muzzle and pale green eyes. He blinked slowly at the warriors at the oppisote end of camp, his tail twitching. His fur was ungroomed and a tuft of moss hung from the edge of his ear. He turned around when Halfkit followed close behind him out of the protected nursery. She shook in unease as the cold wind hit her.
"It won't be fun to be apprentices in this..." groaned Halfkit as she sat down beside Ravenkit.

Ravenkit nodded. "Yeah, but its finally happening!" purred the black tom. "We'll finally get to explore the territory." Barkclaw had been kind enough to take them just outside of camp a few times before. The new scents and different scenery promised the kits a great time when they would be made full apprentices of ShadowClan and explore the rest of their territory.
Beetlekit shuffled out from behind them and squezzed in between the two. Ravenkit playfully swiped a paw over his ear.
"Did Boulderheart's kits see you?" asked Ravenkit, looking over his shoulder to see if he had any small followers.
"No, they're still asleep," yawned Beetlekit. "But they'll probably be awake for the cermony."

Boulderheart's kits were younger than them by a few moons, but they tailed them everywhere. It felt like they never had time to themselves. Four more kits in the nursery was too much as Ravenkit, Halfkit and Beetlekit got bigger. Mousepaw, Rushpaw and Shredpaw had been apprentices for most of Ravenkit's time in the nursery and it wouldn't be long until they would be warriors. Ravenkit and his littermates could mostly care for themselves now, so Cherrytail spent most of her remaining time helping Boulderheart with her kits. It would be a relief for everyone to let some kits finally become apprentices and make more room in the nursery.

As the camp started to become lighter, the day promised to be a bright one after all. Only a few gray clouds marked the sky and too be free from rain for a day would make everyone at ease. It was noticable when warriors and apprentices didn't hesitate to step out of their warm dens and not get hit by rain. The ground was still soft and Halfkit didn't stay seated for long. Patrols moved past the nursery and headed out of camp. Barkclaw waved his tail at them before joining his own patrol.

"Rosefang!" meowed Beetlekit suddenly. He ran across camp and pounced at a red tabby's paws. The she-cat purred and licked Beetlekit across his head. Ravenkit and Halfkit followed shortly.
"Hey, little ones," meowed the she-cat. "Sleep well?"
"Better than ever when knowing we will be made apprentices today!" purred Halfkit. The red tabby purred amusingly in response.
Ravenkit nuzzled against the she-cat's shoulder. She was almost completely identical to Cherrytail, because they were sisters! Rosefang was the deputy of ShadowClan, therefore she was constantly under warrior duties and leading the Clan beside Swiftstar. But when she had the time she loved the see the kits.
"Has Swiftstar spoken to you about the cermony?" asked Ravenkit.

"He usually don't tell me about cermonies," meowed Rosefang. "That's up to him, if he dosen't seek advice from me. It will be a secret to all of us until its time!"
"Rosefang," a deep voice came up from behind Rosefang. She quickly looked over her shoulder to see a large red tom. He had white patches scattered across his thick coat. Ravenkit recognized him, it was Marshpool. Cherrytail had told them about him. Him and Rosefang had been mates before she became deputy. When Rosefang had become deputy the hopes of having kits of their own was shattered and they were slowly drifted apart. Ravenkit always feared the worst whenever they spoke to eachother.
"Me, Heavyfoot and Pricklepelt are gonna check the dog scent we scented yesterday." meowed Marshpool.
"Of course. If its any bad news, quickly report back." responded Rosefang. Marshpool, along with the two other warriors padded away.

"Dog scent?" mewed Ravenkit with his fur bristling softly. "Is there a dog on ShadowClan territory?"
"Don't worry, Ravenkit," purred Rosefang softly. "It was an old scent and the dog is gone now. We wanted to make sure that its nothing dangerous."
Ravenkit still had a bad feeling. He had never seen a dog, but he has been told about them from the elders. Larger than cats, stronger than the biggest warrior and kills relentlessly. If you survive an encounter with a dog, you would surely been blessed by StarClan. The grumpiest elder, Ratclaw retorted that you should never try to face a dog, cause then you're already dead. For Ravenkit, it would be a nightmare to ever see a dog with his own eyes.

"Why don't you all get groomed for the cermony?" meowed Rosefang as she flicked the moss tuft off Ravenkit's ear. "You wouldn't want to come looking like an ant hill in front of Swiftstar."
The kits growled at Rosefang's playful comment and swiped their paws playfully at her before running back to the nursery. As Ravenkit squezzed into the nursery, he relized Rosefang told them that too probably get their minds off the dog and change the subject.

Ravenkit saw Cherrytail herding the flock of newly awoken kits back to Boulderheart before she noticed her own kits enter the nursery.
"There you are," purred Cherrytail. The kits she had just gathered became disoriented again as they saw the older kits return.
"Ravenkit!!" called Stoatkit loudly before jumping proudly at the black tom's shoulders. Ravenkit stumbled and growled as he pushed Stoatkit down to the ground again.
"Be careful, Stoatkit!" growled Boulderheart softly. "You don't wanna hurt the other kits." The small gray tabby she-kit rolled her eyes and went over to Halfkit instead.
"When is the cermony?" asked Dapplekit excitedly.

"We don't know yet." answered Beetlekit. "We asked Rosefang, but she didn't know either."
"But she said something about a dog." added Halfkit, busy play fighting with Stoatkit. The nursery suddenly went silent for a second, even Stoatkit froze when she heard Halfkit's comment.
"Dog...?" the silence was broken by Woollykit's scared whimper. He turned to face his mother. "But...aren't they dangerous?"
"Yes, they are," answered Boulderheart, giving him a comforting lick. "But I'm sure the warriors has it under control. Right, Halfkit?"
"Yeah, Marshpool was just heading out to check the scent," mewed Halfkit. "Rosefang said there was nothing to worry about, so don't be scared, Woollykit!"
"If there is a dog, I'm gonna show him how a ShadowClan cat takes care of trespassers!" growled Stoatkit. She sunk her claws into a clump of moss on the floor of the den.

"Yeah, right." grinned Hawkkit. "I'm sure that dog could swallow you whole, Stoatkit."
Stoatkit growled and pounced on her brother. Ravenkit padded over to Cherrytail. She lovingly started to groom him, just before Ravenkit got a shocking thought. What if Swiftstar relized the danger of a dog that the cermony would be cancelled? He tried to shake the thought, but it stuck to him like cobweb when suddenly a loud yowl ruptured into the camp.
Beetlekit's spine spiked, making him look like an overgrown hedgehog. Boulderheart nearly flew out of her den, but stayed put when her kits ran towards her for their sudden instinct of safety.

"What's happening?!" the unknown voice of a warrior raced past the nursery outside and towards the entrance of camp.
"Dog! There's fresh dog scent in our territory!" another voice hissed. It must have been the same warrior that yowled as they entered camp. Ravenkit recognized the next voice.
"Was it near camp?" meowed Rosefang strictly.
Ravenpaw couldn't help but take a peek through the nursery wall. Panting and exhausted Pricklepelt stood wobbling, surronded by a few other warriors including Rosefang. She was one on the warriors Marshpool took along to check the dog scent.
"It's a bit further from the previous spot. We didn't see it, but it seemed like it only was a few moments ago it was there," panted Pricklepelt. "Marshpool sent me as soon as he noticed it and I ran straight here."
"So he and Heavystep are staying put on the dog's last known location?" a black she-cat hissed furiously. "Is he mousebrained?!"
"I don't know what they're doing now," added Pricklepelt. "Marshpool just told me to report this. I didn't have time to ask what they planned on doing."
"For all we know, they're already dead!" the black she-cat spat and turned to Rosefang. "There's more patrols out there. They may not know there's a dog still in the territory."

"I told everyone to be careful since we first smelled it, Mumblenose," meowed Rosefang calmly as possible. "But we can't risk the dog finding our camp or killing a patrol. I hate to send out more cats into the jaws of danger, but we have to inform everyone."
Rosefang quickly structured a plan, sending out one quick warrior or apprentice to each patrol to inform them of the danger. Swiftstar had awoken from the racket and had stepped into the clearing of camp. Ravenkit had seen him many times. He had no time to call for a Clan meeting and instead gathered the remaining senior warriors in camp to prepare themselves if the worst scenario would happen. Ravenkit couldn't hear what he said as Cherrytail pulled him back, along with Halfkit and Beetlekit.
"There's no time to panic. Just stay in here and the Clan will take care of everything." she ushered.
"But our father is out there!" mewed Ravenkit in slight panic.
"We're supposed to be made apprentices today!" added Beetlekit.
"Now is not the time for that!" hissed Cherrytail. "You can't be sent out there fresh out of the nursery if there's a dog running around!"
"W-We could help." Beetlekit tried to say more, but Cherrytail stopped him.
"I said no, Beetlekit. Don't be mousebrained," growled Cherrytail, staring at her kits with a hard glare. "I don't want any harm to happen to you."

Cherrytail went over to Boulderheart after that, making sure all her kits were with her. Ravenkit sat in the corner with Halfkit and Beetlekit with racing thoughts. As they sat there, a dog was in the territory and any second it could crash into camp, wrecking havoc.
"Its stupid how we can just sit here." whispered Halfkit, her tail whipping impatiently. "We could be just as helpful as everyone else. If we were made apprentices a day ago, I'm sure we could also go."
"Mom said its too dangerous, though," mewed Ravenkit, his shoulders droping. "What would we do if we ran head first into that dog?"

"How can we be so sure? That dog could have strolled home to its Twolegs already and we're panicing for nothing!" growled Halfkit. "We have to help!"
"Even if we wanted, how could we get out of the nursery and camp without anyone seeing us and then finding our way through the territory without getting lost?" whispered Beetlekit, glancing nervously at Cherrytail who still had her back turned.
"Just play along." whispered Halfkit, a small grin on her face. Ravenkit adored his sister cause she always seemed so much braver than him. He tried to stand up as straight as he could beside her.
"Mom..." mewed Halfkit softly. Cherrytail turned around and stared at them. "I need to go to the dirtplace...Is it okay if Ravenkit and Beetlekit tag along?"
Cherrytail had a thoughtful expression before sighing softly. "Okay, but be quick! Go straight back here when you're all done."
Halfkit nodded softly and prodded Ravenkit as she padded slowly out of the nursery. The moment she came out, she crouched and crawled beside the thick wall of the nursery until she was behind the den. Ravenkit and Beetlekit followed her closely.

"Now what?" whispered Beetlekit, looking carefully over his shoulder before crawling closer to his littermates. Ravenkit hoped no one had seen them since everyone was busy and paniced about the dog.
"There's a small crawlspace under the bramble wall here," mewed Halfkit, padding towards the bramble wall.
"How long have you known that?" wondered Ravenkit. Halfkit shrugged.

"Long enough til now. I think some kits before us made it." meowed Halfkit as she moved some brambles aside and there was a small crawlspace under the wall. Just by looking at it Ravenkit could tell he would still be stabbed by the sharp brambles. Maybe if he was a moon younger he could just make it without getting hurt.
"Be quiet." whispered Halfkit before pushing herself as close to the ground as possible when she went into the tiny crawlspace. Ravenkit grew worried as he saw her completely disappear.
He exchanged a doubting glance with Beetlekit before poking his head into the crawlspace. He could see Halfkit's fur stuck on one of the brambles. The wall was thick and it would take a few seconds before you were out of it. During those few seconds, you could question your actions and think if it was really worth it. But it was far too late as you could only go forward and couldn't back out anymore.
"Come on!" Halfkit's comment came from the other side of the wall. Ravenkit knew he would feel relieved if he saw her. He took a deep breath and pinned his underbelly to the ground as he crawled under the camp wall. When his ear touched one of the brambles, he froze for a second and pinned his ears to his head. When he was finally at the other side, he shook himself furiously.
"You did it!" meowed Halfkit in excitement. "Beetlekit, come on."
Beetlekit arrived shortly. As he removed a loose bramble from his flank Ravenkit took in his surrondings. Large pine trees stretched far over their heads and in front of them were never ending forest. Halfkit had started sniffing the air, but only the scent of camp was still present.

"Where are we supposed to start?" asked Ravenkit, picking at a pinecone. "Pricklepelt never specified where they found the scent."
"What are we even supposed to do when we find a scent?" asked Beetlekit. Halfkit turned to her brothers quickly.
"I don't know everything!" she growled softly. "We have to be brave, all of us. We would be apprentices by now,
so we should act like ones! All we have to do is make sure the dog scent is far away from camp and we will work from there."
Ravenkit gulped. Halfkit was right. He was the proper age of an apprentice, yet he acted like a kit. Was he really a proper warrior if he cowered for the smallest thing?
"You're right!" pitched Ravenkit. "We have to keep the Clan safe in some way. We can't sit like mouse brains when we have gotten this far." Halfkit gave him a encouraging smile.

"Then let's go!" meowed Beetlekit, puffing out his pale chest.
The kits moved side by side as they slowly made their way deeper into the territory. Maybe straight into the jaws of danger. Ravenkit couldn't help the small tingle in his pads as the new pine needle covered ground poked them. It may have been the excitement, or the sudden surge of new scents. Ravenkit didn't know the scent of dog, but the elders had described it. Sour and strong, you couldn't go wrong. When it rained, dogs had a much stronger scent. But because it was such a clear day so far, no rain to make it easier for them. Ravenkit could yet feel some uncertainty with just a description of a dog scent and had never smelled it himself. He had to entirely trust his mind and some elder's rabble to lead him.

They had walked for a while now. Jumping over big roots and smelling the air every few tail lengths. Ravenkit could hear and smell many new things. It may have been prey nearby, but he had no idea how he would be able to catch it, even if he wanted too. Honestly, he had lost his sense of hunger and appetite since the dog was announced. So far, he smelled nothing that reminded him with the scent of dog. He should have been relieved by that, since they were supposingly near camp and not in any danger. Yet he could still feel tension in the air.

All of them froze as something started to approch them. The sound of paws pushing down on moist ground and cracking twigs made panic surge through Ravenkit.
"Hide!" whispered Halfkit as she dived underneth a bush. The bush was surronded by small marigold flowers and had a strong scent. Ravenkit pushed himself underneth the heavy thicket of the bush and pressed himself onto the ground. He relized just then the bottom of the bush was halfway a puddle and he started to feel cold against his underbelly and paws. He wanted to move over just a bit, but he froze when the animal came into veiw, yet only its paws.

It was a cat, luckily. "Nothing?" meowed a second cat approching.
"Can't smell anything." Ravenkit recognized the first cat's voice. It was Marshpool! He was alive. Ravenkit had a small feeling of relief. He didn't know if the other cat was Heavystep, as he wasen't as aquianted with her.
"Best so. Its still too close to camp." the second cat hissed.

"We should circle the whole perimeter around camp to make sure." growled Marshpool, his tail lashing furiously.
"We should just return to camp and report that—" Marshpool seemed to have started to walk away in the middle of the second cat's sentance. "Marshpool, wait!"
The sound of the two cats started to vanish. The kits still stayed put even after the sound was complete gone and only the sound of forest remained. Ravenkit was the first to peek his head forward. The cold of the puddle had started to creep on him.

He slowly made his way out, followed by Beetlekit and then Halfkit.
"Marshpool is alive, atleast," mewed Beetlekit, licking his wet paw. "That's something to report back, since he didn't seem to want to report it himself..."
"The dog is still out there, though," meowed Halfkit. "The constant patrolling around camp confirms that. They want to make sure its not near camp. We should retrace their scent and maybe have a chance to pick up something they missed."

Ravenkit nodded softly and sniffed the ground Marshpool and the other cat were on a second ago. The scent was very familiar, but outside of camp it was mixed with many other scents of the territory.
Slowly and carefully they traced back the two warriors scent. They hit many stops, turns and large obstacles the warriors easily cleared, but near impossible for them. One was a wide ditch that was atleast two fox lengths wide and just as deep in depth. At the bottom was a small brown stream of water.
"Maybe we should take an easier route around it." requested Beetlekit, looking both ways across the ditch. "We could go down, but I don't know how we'll get up. Look, the sides are just mud. We can't climb that."
"But we could lose their scent that way. We could just jump!" meowed Halfkit, preparing to launch herself. Her flank started to brace for a big leap. Ravenkit had a big surge of hesitation and sudden sense of disaster that he bit Halfkit in her scruff to stop her. She yowled and whipped around.
"What was that for?" she growled, reaching over her head with her paw to reach her scruff.

"You would only fall straight down and hurt yourself!" hissed Ravenkit, backing up. "None of us have ever jumped that wide. If you fall down there, you won't be able to get out."
"W-We should just—" Beetlekit tried to cut the small hissing fit short, but stopped himself when a new sound approched them. It was from the other side of the large ditch. Frozen in shock, the kits awaited the newcomer to show itself.

It was no one of Ravenkit's expectation. Mousepaw's reaction was very simular to his own. Suprise and shock. At first, no one said anything to eachother. It was just a stare between them across the ditch.
"W-What...what are you all doing out here?!" hissed Mousepaw, his eyes suddenly flaring with rage. "Don't you know there's a dog roaming about?"
"We wanted to help," meowed Halfkit loudly. "We should have been apprentices by now!"

"Even if you were, I'm sure you wouldn't even be allowed—...LOOK OUT!"
Ravenkit didn't understand at first. Mousepaw just began screeching. His fur bristled wildly and his eyes the widest he had ever seen. Ravenkit made the relization when the thicket behind him suddenly made a large crash and loud snarling started.
The sound of Mousepaw's sudden screech had made the dog just as shocked as everyone else. Instinct had made the dog not think twice when he snarled at the three kits in front of him, only to dive his open jaws towards them the next second...