"Stop it!" Snapped Leafwing, grabbing the kit by its scruff and pulling it back toward her belly, angrily glancing at the tabby kit in front of her. "It's time you were apprenticed, young cat!"The tabby muttered sullenly under his breath, backing away from the white-and-grey flecked kit. "Are they okay? Sorry!" He mewed, but silently agreeing with her. If only Mothstar would give him a mentor, already!
"So you should be." The queen replied, not looking up from gently licking her kit's flank. Her two kits were her first litter, and very small, smaller than average for one-moon-old kits.
"Are you causing more trouble, Birchkit?" Asked a half-amused voice. He craned his neck round to see his mother stood in the entrance to the nursery.
"Yes, he is, Dawnwing! I was just saying it's about time he was apprenticed. Along with Dewkit, obviously, bless her, but after the accident she's only just back in touch with kit playing!"
Dawnwing nodded, grabbing Birchkit by the scruff and dropping him down in his own nest. "Wait!" He grunted as he landed. "What about Lilykit and Brindlekit?"
Around a moon ago, Lilykit and Dewkit had strayed out of camp and gone all the way to the Twoleg nest. There, they'd climbed a mysterious block that led to another floor, and got trapped in a mouse-trap. It was days before they were found, and it had delayed Dewkit's apprenticeship, as she was older than Lilykit and Birchkit.
"Well, yes, Lilykit too. But… Birchkit, you know Brindlekit won't be a proper apprentice, so don't mention it to her, okay?" Concerned eyes peered at Birchkit.
"Why?" He mewled, pressing himself against his mother like a tiny kit again.
Dawnwing sighed. "You know why, Birchkit, now you be good until I get back."
Snorting, Birchkit trotted out of the den after his mother, and prepared for a long haul of play-fighting in the nursery. Maybe tomorrow. After all, he was almost six moons.
-
"Birchkit," the golden she-cat began. "You are now ready to become a apprentice. From this day forth, until you sufficiently earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Birchpaw. Step forward."
Fondly, the clan watched as a timid kit jumped up onto the rock, his usually excited eyes blazing with worry.
"The warrior I am picking to mentor you is loyal, persistent, strong and hard-working. I expect him to pass these qualities onto you. Foxwhisker, step forward."
His eyes glinting with surprise, the dark-red warrior wove his way through the gathered crowd and crouched next to the kit. "It's okay, you're fine." He murmured, touching noses with him.
"Thank you, Foxwhisker." The warrior dipped his head to the leader, and leaped down nimbly, signalling for Birchpaw to follow. The tabby apprentice followed his lithe mentor, his own well-muscled body different. He turned his head back to crane and look at the other kits who were also ready for apprenticeship; Dewkit, Lilykit and Brindlekit.
"Dewkit, you are overdue to become an apprentice. Let your curiosity not sway you in apprenticeship, but help you!" Purrs of amusement arose from the clearing, to which Dewkit made a 'hrrumph!' of annoyance. They were referring to one moon ago, when the curious Lilykit and Dewkit wanted to explore the Twoleg houses around them, and subsequently got caught in mouse traps. Now that Dewkit had fully recovered, she was ready to join her brothers in apprenticeship.
"Until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Dewpaw. Step forward."
As the kit did so, Mothstar began again. "Your mentor shall be the brave Hazelfoot, who has seen seasons of battles and I hope his experience will help you." Briefly, she rested her muzzle on Dewpaw's head, ignoring Dewpaw's grumpy gaze. Hazelfoot was not only brave and loyal but he was strict! Nevertheless, she touched noses with him as he stepped forward, and followed him back to sit down.
"And dear Lilykit has chosen a different path in life. Lilykit will today become a medicine cat apprentice. Obviously, her mentor will be Crystalvoice. Lilykit, from this day forth, until you earn full status, you shall be known as Lilypaw."
Mothstar's eyes gleamed at Lilypaw warily, wondering whether she'd really made the right decision allowing the kit to become a medicine cat. What she - and the rest of the clan - didn't know was that she was born a rogue, a loner, maybe a kittypet. They'd found her in the forest, tucked under dock leaves, shivering with cold. Brindlekit's mother Leafwing had cared for her since, pretending to the clan - even to her mate - that Lilypaw was truly hers. Mothstar sometimes wondered whether Leafwing herself confused Lilypaw to be truly her own.
Lilypaw limped forward, her paw still twisted from being caught in a mouse trap, and touched noses with the silvery tabby who stepped forward. "Thank you, Crystalvoice," she murmured, purring gently. Crystalvoice just nodded, her eyes warm, and stepped down.
Mothstar took a deep breath, her golden dappled pelt swaying in the light breeze. "Last but not least is Brindlekit."
She almost flinched, but was ready for the gasps below. She guessed most of the clan assumed Brindlekit was just unhappily watching, but no, Mothstar was determined to let Brindlekit become a full warrior. Nervously, the kit stepped forward onto the rock, her tortoiseshell tail flicking with nerves and annoyance.
"Brindlekit, you mentor shall be Leopardstorm. He is headstrong and understanding, but also fierce. Leopardstorm, I expect you to pass your knowledge onto Brindlekit."
Mothstar waited for the usually impatient cat to shake is head in annoyance, tell Mothstar she must be joking, but he just stepped forward and touched Brindlekit's nose against his own.
"And until you are a warrior, you shall be known as Brindlepaw."
Swiftly, she glanced down at the clan, and they yowled, "Dewpaw! Birchpaw! Lilypaw! Brindlepaw!"
She let out a hollow breath, and didn't look back as she headed for her den. And once again the prophecy haunted her, the breathy words "One of kin, one of young, one of death, one of stranger… And one of those is lies."