A kit opened his eyes, it was weird to see light. A blurry shape gasped, and called another cat to the den. Two kits bounded up to the confused kit.
"Oh-isn't he just gorgeous!" a she-cat gushed at the kit.
"His pelt is so sleek, just like his mothers'." another cat purred.
"Someone call Adderfang! He'd want to see his three bundles of joy, wouldn't he?" the she-cat called.
A few heart beats later, Adderfang loomed over his kits.
"Shouldn't you name them?" Dewtail asked.
Adderfang sighed, he wasn't happy with his kits. He sat up on his haunches,"The brown she-cat is Twigkit, the black tom is Blackkit, and the cream she-cat is Sorrelkit."
He stood up and left, he didn't bother talking to his kits. Blackkit stood up and watched his father pad away.
"Where's their mother, Dewtail?" Owlkit asked.
Dewtail hushed her kits and drew Adderfang's litter closer to her belly. "These kits are wonderful, one day Adderfang will see that."
Dewtails' words rung in Blackkit's head. If Adderfang was our father, why wouldn't he spend time with us? he thought bitterly, as he closed his eyes to sleep.

Another day started, another day ended. There's a dawn patrol and then the dusk patrol, but everyday Blackkit grew more and more bitter. Adderfang wouldn't even notice his kits anymore. Even at their apprentice ceremony, his father sat at the edge of the clearing, his head low, with no pride at all.
Yellowclaw, Blackpaw's new mentor, would now and then complain that their are too many apprentices, which Blackpaw would agree on. Blackpaw, Yellowclaw, Sorrelpaw and Hollystripe were put in a hunting patrol, for the first time. Blackpaw's paws itched with excitement as he padded alongside his sister through the forest, this was his second visit to the territory.
"Blackpaw, I want you to scent for prey! Look like this," Yellowclaw demonstrated how to scent for prey, he opened his mouth ajar and scented for prey. Blackpaw opened his mouth and drew in all the scents of the forest.
River, trees, leaves, stones, grass,
Blackpaw recited all the scents he smelt, but then he smelt a mouse below some undergrowth. "There's a mouse over there." Blackpaw indicated with his tail.
Yellowclaw nodded,"Now let me see your hunting crouch."
Blackpaw crouched, best he could, to impress his mentor.
"Nice, but tuck in your tail more and make sure you're downwind, you don't want your prey to know you're here. And remember light feet."
Blackpaw tucked his tail in and made sure he was downwind. Silently stalking the mouse. The little creature ate a piece of nut minding it's own business. Wiggling his high quarters, Blackpaw jumped onto the mouse.
Yellowclaw padded over, "Don't forget to kill it!"
Blackpaw did a killing bite and the mouse hung limp in his jaws. He couldn't wait to show Adderfang that he was use to the clan! Sorrelpaw and Hollystripe rejoined the hunting patrol. Sorrelpaw caught two voles and Hollystripe caught a large squirrel.
"Nice catch!" Yellowclaw nodded towards the squirrel.
"Oh no, Sorrelpaw caught this, she's like the worlds greatest hunter! All this on her first hunt!" Hollystripe praised her apprentice.
Blackpaw's mouse felt like nothing compared to Sorrelpaw's catch.
"Wow Blackpaw! I can't believe we just went out on our first hunting patrol!" His sister purred. The hunting patrol entered the camp. Leaving his catch on the fresh kill pile, Blackpaw looked for Adderfang. He saw his father eating a shrew in a shaded area of camp. Blackpaw proudly lifted his tail,"I caught a mouse today on my first hunting patrol!"
Adderfang shot him a side glance, his eyes unreadable. His father shook out his pelt and left. Blackpaw's tail drooped, What will it take for me to have a real father?