"Brackenkit, Stop." Featherkit was glancing back at him, her gray tail lashing and her her eyes narrowed. She had stopped from her game with paw midair, ready to swipe the ball of moss. The rest of the game was silent, too, staring at Brackenkit with no sign of sympathy. Brackenkit's ears flicked crossly. He stepped gingerly out of the puddle he had been splashing in a moment ago, apologetic.
The she-kit turned right back to her game, where the other kits continued to chatter. Brackenkit padded into the next segment of the nursery, where the dens were kept separate from the playing and safely tucked into a barrow in the ground. He poked his head in, able to see from light filtering through the roots above his head. "Leafkit? Are you in here?" He wandered further into the den and found their nest. Leafkit wasn't there when he touched his nose to the nest. It was cold.
She must be with Ferretfoot, Brackenkit thought, and headed for the camp instead. As soon as his head poked out of the nursery, a nose nudged his flank. He jumped, and then looked up in time to meet Swoopwhisker's eyes. "Where are you going?" she asked gently. "It's a bit windy outside today."
Brackenkit flicked his tail, otherwise still. His paws were set toward the camp. He wasn't planning on going back into the nursery. "I'm looking for Leafkit," he mewed to her, and to his relief she relaxed.
"She's with Boulderclaw, over there," Swoopwhisker told him, gesturing with her speckled tail. "Let me walk you over." He followed her across the camp, though he wished that the queen would leave him be. Thankfully, though, she left him when they got to Boulderclaw and trotted back to the nursery entrance, where a half-eaten mouse was waiting to be finished. Brackenkit turned his gaze toward Boulderclaw, and then his sister. "Hello Boulderclaw," he said, and then crouched by his tiny sister. "Hello Leafkit," he greeted her more gently, like words may break her small frame.
Her eyes were bright, but not wild. It always scared Brackenkit when they were wild. "Hi," she said. "When is your ceremony?"
Leafkit had been so excited about the ceremony, talking to him about it whenever he came by. "Tonight," he said, and then got excited. "We can ask our mentors to train us together! We can work on our skills together and everything!"
"Yeah," Leafkit agreed. "That would be so great!" She rolled onto her back and cocked her head at her brother before reaching out a paw to pat him across the cheek. "I hope Boulderclaw is my mentor."
"No fair," whined Brackenkit. "I wanted to be with Boulderclaw... Wait! I can be with Ferretfoot," he said, and then grinned smugly. "I get Ferretfoot!"
"No!" squealed Leafkit, and then patted his brother with both of her paws in an attempt to hook herself to him. "They're both mine!"
Brackenkit jumped out of her reach. "No. I get Ferretfoot and the leader! And Boulderclaw!"
Leafkit put her paws on her head. "I give up!"
"Cut it out, you two," a deeper voice cut into their play-fight. They glanced up and recognized Brambleberry, the deputy. "You'll get whichever mentor we decide for you," he went on, glancing meaningfully at Boulderclaw. Boulderclaw gave a subtle twitch of his whiskers and adverted his gaze.
"Sorry!" squeaked Leafkit, scrambling to her feet in a clumsy motion.
The deputy dipped his head, and then smiled. "Go get yourselves cleaned up. It's almost time for the ceremony." He padded away, and then Brackenkit looked at Leafkit. She looked at him.
Then, with her eyes shining with mischief, she whispered, "I get deputy."
Brackenkit wriggled his haunches, ready to pounce.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a clan meeting!" the leader's voice rang loud from outside of the nursery. Ferretfoot gave some last frantic licks to Brackenkit's pelt. He tried to twist away from her.
"C'mon, Ferretfoot! We have to go!" He started trotting toward the den entrance, and then glanced back for Leafkit. "C'mon, you too, Leafkit!"
Ferretfoot seemed flustered. "Just, go. Please. I'll get Leafkit out there, but she still needs her wash. Don't let them start without us!"
Brackenkit rolled his eyes. "They won't! Just hurry up!" He padded excitedly out to the clearing, finding Featherkit and sitting by her. She didn't seem to mind that he was there, but she didn't seem completely comfortable with it, either. "We're about to be apprentices!" he mewed to her conversationally, ignoring the way she stiffened her shoulders. She glanced over at him, at first not saying anything.
"Yeah," she said at last, though. "I'm so nervous. Who do you want for your mentor?"
"I don't know," Brackenkit said, shrugging. "Maybe Mottlevine- he's really funny. Remember him? And the mouse?" He was leaning over, facing toward her. He tried searching her face for a sign of greet, but it was difficult with her head still facing forward.
She smiled, though, and Brackenkit sat back a little clumsily, messing his tail fur in the dust. "Yeah, I remember him," she meowed. "Now, shh. Cloudstar is going to start."
Brackenkit turned his attention toward the High Tree. Cloudstar stood proudly at the top, his gaze warmly slipping over the cats below. When his eyes settled on the two of them, Brackenkit froze in place. Finally, Cloudstar resumed his survey of the clan and Brackenkit was able to let out his breath. He shivered as he did so. "Gee, Cloudstar is so big!" He looked around more, locating the medicine cat, Hazewillow, who was perched on a branch. The deputy was at the base of the tree, looking just as proud as Cloudstar but with more formality.
Leafkit finally joined them. She was quiet as she sat huddled next to Brackenkit. He opened his mouth to ask her about that when Cloudstar finally spoke. "Okay, we have everybody," he said, more to himself. He raised his voice. "Cats of RippleClan!" The murmur of the cats died down, and Cloudstar continued. "Today we name three new apprentices. Featherkit," he said, motioning with his tail. Featherkit padded forward a few paces.
"You are the daughter of Brambleberry, and his mate Swoopwhisker. They are both wonderful additions to the clan, and I hope you will carry on their legacy." Cloudstar glanced at Brambleberry, who puffed out his chest from his position at the tree. "I would like to give you another influence, so that you may build on what you have learned morally. Amberlight," he continued. The golden she-cat stepped forward, smiling brightly.
"You will be mentor to Featherkit. Featherkit... With Amberlight, do you promise to put your qualities to good use and work hard to become a faithful warrior?"
There was a beat of silence before Featherkit spoke out. "I do." Her voice didn't even shake.
"Then it is official. Amberlight, please receive your new apprentice. I hope that you will pass down your experience to this young apprentice. Featherpaw!" Cloudstar raised his snout to the air to call out the newly named apprentice.
"Featherpaw! Featherpaw!" Chants rose from the watching cats. Brackenkit joined in enthusiastically.
"Why can't we be apprentices?" Brackenkit could hear from the nursery. He turned and saw Gullkit and Mistykit, who sat grumpily away from the commotion. They weren't quite old enough to become apprentices yet. Brackenkit didn't feel bad for them, though, because every apprentice had to wait their fair share of time. Thawpatch, their mother, dipped her flame-colored head to speak softly to the kits.
"Leafkit and Brackenkit." Brackenkit whirled around. The leader looked down at them expectantly.
Brackenkit looked back with just as much expectancy. "Brackenkit, you have waited patiently the time of six moons. It is time for you to become an apprentice." Brackenkit looked back at Leafkit, who had scooted away from his side. Were they calling them separately? He glanced back at Cloudstar, hesitant. Cloudstar noticed, and cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, your sister cannot become an apprentice with you."
Brackenkit's mouth opened, but no words came out. He looked over at Leafkit. She kept her eyes on her paws. "I don't understand," Brackenkit said. "Why not?" He directed this question at Cloudstar, full of bewilderment.
"Leafkit has a condition that could kill her if she did anything active," Hazewillow said, speaking up for the first time. "It would be more suitable if she let me apprentice her." Her words were formal, and most of them blew over Brackenkit's head.
"A medicine cat?" he repeated, trying to let the words sink in. Finally they did, and he suddenly didn't want to be an apprentice anymore. He didn't know what to say, so he just pressed against Leafkit's side.
"But, you still become an apprentice today," Cloudstar went on sympathetically. Brackenkit looked up reluctantly. "Until you become a warrior, you will be known as Brackenpaw. Due to your brightness and sincerity, I've picked you a mentor who will reflect these qualities well." He dipped his head toward Mottlevine. "Mottlevine will be your mentor. Do you promise to use your qualities now to train for the better of the clan?"
"I do," Brackenkit meowed halfheartedly. He had gradually moved away from Leafkit and was standing with his head tilted upwards to look at Cloudstar.
"Mottlevine, you may receive your apprentice."
The clan erupted into cheers, the serious matter forgotten, as Brackenpaw stepped forward to touch noses with his large mentor.
"I look forward to training with you," meowed Mottlevine. Brackenpaw managed a nod before his kin came crashing into him.
"My kits!" Ferretfoot purred. "I am so proud!" She was licking Brackenpaw fiercely, making his neck fur stick up in clumps.
"I'm not a kit anymore!" Brackenpaw squealed, backing away. He bumped into Boulderclaw. "Sorry!" he told his father quickly, turning around to face him.
Boulderclaw gave his ear a quick lick. "No, it's okay. We're proud of you," he said with a warm curve beginning along the corner of his mouth. Brackenpaw smiled back. Eventually, his parents walked beyond him, brushing their tails along his face as they passed.
He looked for Leafkit, but she was gone from where she was sitting a moment ago. Maybe she was doing medicine cat things already, he decided, and looked for Hazewillow. He found the two talking quietly, Hazewillow's short legs seeming long next to Leafkit, who was standing in front of her. Brackenpaw peered at his sister closely, and was relieved to see that she wasn't too upset. It made him feel a little bit better.
"So," a voice said next to his ear. To his surprise, it was Featherpaw, who had finally broken away from the congratulating licks of her own family members. "I guess we're apprentices now. Do you wanna make our nests?" She jerked her head toward the apprentices' den. His heart sank a little, remembering how he had promised to share a nest with Leafkit. She was sleeping in a completely different den, though.
"Sure," Brackenpaw meowed bravely, and followed her to get some moss.
They padded back behind the medicine cat's den, where the softest moss could be found. (They would know. They used to get in trouble for playing in it.)
Featherpaw made no conversation as she collected her moss, but still waited for Brackenpaw as he paused to get his. He stopped, though, and told her, "I'm gonna look for my sister."
She nodded, and turned back with moss in her jaws.
Brackenpaw padded into the medicine den. "Leafkit?" he called softly. It was so dim inside that he jumped when a tiny paw wrapped around his leg.
"Oh, hi Leafkit," he meowed. She looked up at him from where she was splayed on the ground.
"Hey, Brackenpaw," she responded, her voice dull and tired.
"Are you okay?" Brackenpaw asked her, worried now. "I don't even know about myself. I'm excited to be an apprentice, but we've always been together..."
"Yeah, I'm okay. Hazewillow is gonna make me her apprentice. I'm going to be a medicine cat!" Her voice raised a tiny bit, the excitement reaching her.
"Cool! I can go fight all the mean cats and you can make my wounds better!" he said, optimistic for the sake of his sister.
Leafkit smiled, and opened her mouth to say something when Hazewillow called out for her in the camp. She scrambled to her paws and then started walking away, her tail trailing in the dust.
"Wait, Leafkit!" Brackenpaw said after her. "I'll talk to you in the morning!" She glanced back and grinned.
"I get medicine cat," she whispered, and then she was gone.