"Alderkit, get your tail right back over here this instant!" The surly queen snapped at the young tomcat who slinked away sneakily to the fresh-kill pile.
The small tabby bristled his fur in fear. His mother was scary when she was angry. She was more ferocious than the strongest of ShadowClan warriors. He turned around guiltily, his stomach still rumbling. He had been too excited to eat this morning, but now it looked like he wouldn't be able to gulp down a quick snack.
"It's your turn to be washed," she mewed, this time softer. "I don't want you looking like a stale mouse during your apprentice's ceremony."
"Alright," he padded back over to the queen who began warmly washing his ears and greasy pelt. "I'm hungry." He mumbled, her tongue smoothing down the fur by his whiskers. She ignored his complaint.
His two littermates, Daisykit and Nightkit, were wrestling by the nursery with the younger kits. Alderkit eyed them enviously. He wanted to play too! His mother continued to wash his fur even when he felt perfectly clean.
"Can I go play now?" Alderkit asked his mother squirming away from her rough tongue. "Or eat something?"
The queen flicked her tail irritatedly. "I don't want your fur covered in prey bits. There's no time to play. Say goodbye to your denmates." She nudged her son over to the nursery. "Okay, Nightkit, Daisykit, say bye."
"Is the ceremony really today?" Daisykit mewed, her green eyes wide. "I'm so excited!"
One of the younger kits scuffed a pebble. "Lucky. We still have three moons to wait."
"It'll be your turn sooner than you think." Nightkit said to them.
"Yeah," Alderkit nodded to his brother and glanced down at the other kits. "Then you can train with us."
"Now, now, kits," his mother sweeped her litter close. "Whitestar will be calling everycat to the Highrock soon." She licked Nightkit and Daisykit's ruffled fur quickly. "I made sure to tell Whitestar which warriors I want mentoring you."
"Really?" The small she-kit squeaked. "Will you be my mentor?"
"No," the queen purred. "But you will be happy with who I picked out for you!"
"Oh," Daisykit's eyes lit up. "I hope it's Hazelstripe."
The queen stood up on her large paws and led her litter over to the Highrock where the ThunderClan leader would be holding the ceremony. Alderkit leaned in close to his dark-furred brother and whispered: "Who do you think our mentors will be?"
Nightkit cast a thoughtful glance back to him. "Knowing Mothfur, she probably wants your mentor to be Larktail."
"The deputy?" Alderkit felt his heart quicken with hope. The hunger pangs in belly softened from the thought.
The smaller tomkit shrugged. "I don't know who I might get, but as long as they're a good warrior I'll be happy." Nightkit mewed, swiftening the pace of his paws to keep up with their mother.
Alderkit sat down next to Mothfur. This was their last days as kits! No longer would he be able to sleep against his mother's thick, gray pelt. They would be sleeping with the older apprentices.
He looked up at her and caught her eye gazing proudly down at him and his siblings. He sat up straight, almost as tall as her shoulders. Nightkit was slouched over and Daisykit copied her eldest brother, sitting up straight with an erect tail.
Finally, Whitestar emerged from his den, brushing the soft tendrils of vine with his fur. He called the Clan together for the ceremony.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather by the Highrock for a Clan meeting."
Alderkit looked over his shoulder and watched as his friends from the nursery raced out to join the Clan meeting. The elders padded out of their dens and nests and the warriors sharing tongues quickly joined the litter by the Highrock.
"ThunderClan will have some fine apprentices this season." One of the senior warriors mewed.
"And it's about time Hazelstripe gets a new apprentice." Another cat whispered.
Alderkit felt his sister squirm with excitement. With most of the cats gathered, Whitestar began the ceremony. Alderkit felt a rush of fire flush into his belly.
"Daisykit, you are now known as Daisypaw. You will be mentored by Hazelstripe." The white tom declared.
The pale warrior padded through the Clan over to the tiny kit. "I am honored to be your mentor." She purred.
Daisypaw could barely hold her joy inside. Her throat rumbled with the deep sound of her purrs. She quickly pressed her nose to her new mentor's own. Daisypaw's happy, green eyes sparkled like Silverpelt.
Whitestar looked down at the happy pair, satisfied with the instant bond between the new apprentice and mentor. "Nightkit," he addressed the dark gray tom. "From now on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw. Your mentor will be Foxfoot."
Alderkit nudged his brother with a quick jab of his paw. What a lucky cat! Foxfoot had the quickest pair of paws in the Clan. He was a great warrior and a great hunter.
Beside him, Alderkit heard his mother scowl quietly. "His mentor was supposed to be Larktail." Alderkit glanced at his mother with the corner of his eye. He thought for sure she'd at least recommend the deputy to him and not Nightpaw! Perhaps Whitestar thought the deputy would be more suited to mentoring him instead?
Nightpaw approached the ginger warrior with tiny pawsteps.
"Foxfoot, you are swift and intelligent, and I hope you will pass on your wisdom to Nightpaw."
"Most definetly!" The big tom mewed sincerely.
Alderkit couldn't tell if his brother was delighted or unimpressed. The sharp yellow of his eyes was always hard to figure out.
Finally, after what like many seasons, it was Alderkit's turn. The brown tabby kit searched the eyes of his Clanmates looking for a hint of who his mentor would be. Dreams passed by in his mind as quick as the flap of a bird's wing. Could it really be Larktail who would train him as a warrior? Or could it be Whitestar himself?
"Alderkit," the leader tugged his head out from the clouds. "You will now be known as Alderpaw."
Alderpaw took in a deep breath of forest air, relishing the first moments of his new name.
"Your mentor will be Stormclaw."
The newly named apprentice blinked his eyes in surprise. Stormclaw? He looked up at the huge gray-and-white tom who padded towards him. Alderpaw felt his mother's tense shoulders relax. She requested that this young warrior mentor him.
Alderpaw felt a choking lump in his throat. Stormclaw was named for his sharp, hooked claws that helped win the battle for Sunningrocks against RiverClan. He was made a warrior earlier than his littermates because of how viciously he fought for his Clan.
But the young, powerful tom had softness in his eyes.
"Stormclaw, you are cunning and strong. Pass down your bravery and courage to your first apprentice." Whitestar meowed proudly.
"I certainly will," the large tom nodded, leaning to press his nose against his apprentice's.
Alderpaw purred as he turned back to his mother. Her eyes were glittering with joy. Her mouth was the first to yowl.
"Alderpaw! Nightpaw! Daisypaw!" She cheered, claws flexing and kneading the earth with her whiskers twitching in rhythm.
The Clan joined in and chanted the new names with her, but Mothfur's voice was the loudest of them all.
Alderpaw looked at his littermates. Daisypaw was scraping the earth, her ears twitching wildly. Nightpaw looked down at his paws but the shine in his eyes was unmistakable. Hazelstripe and Foxfoot were nodding towards each other respectfully.
Stormclaw's meow startled Alderpaw's joyous stuper. "How are you feeling?"
"Excited!" He replied. "I can't wait to begin training and explore the whole territory and fight with ShadowClan!" His tail was whipping around wildly. He shook his head slightly and regained his composure. He was an apprentice now. "I am honored to be your first apprentice."
Stormclaw flicked his ears. "I am honored to be your mentor." He mewed warmly.
"Wow," Alderpaw sighed through his nose. "This is going to be awesome."
"Indeed," the large tabby agreed.
He padded over to his mother, the rush of joy still buzzing beneath his pelt. He brushed her legs with his cheeks, happy to breath in her familiar sweet scent. She nuzzled him tenderly. "Do you like your mentor?"
"Yes! Thank you!"
"Thank Whitestar." Mothfur nodded. "Except for Nightpaw. What a slip!" She added with a growl.
His brother and sister padded over. Daisypaw reached up and licked the fur above the queen's eye. "Thank you so much! I can't believe I have Hazelstripe as my mentor! I'm so lucky! Thank you!"
"Anything for my kits." She mewed. She turned her yellow gaze to his brother, her eyes darkening. "I'm sorry, Nightpaw. I requested that Larktail be your mentor, but Whitestar must have cobwebs in his ears." Mothfur looked up at the leader who was speaking with the deputy by his den. "I ought to teach that tom a lesson." She hissed.
"What?" Nightpaw blinked his eyes. "Foxfoot is fine. He is a really good warrior. Uh, thanks for trying to get the deputy for me. But, Foxfoot is probably even better."
Mothfur nuzzled her son. "Thank you for understanding. I'm sure Foxfoot will be a fine teacher. Now," she sat up. "Go back to your mentors. They will tell you what to do now."
"Are you going to be a warrior again?" Daisypaw asked.
"Yes," Mothfur nodded.
"Great!" Alderpaw purred. "We can all train together!"
"Perhaps," she nodded once more. "Now run along. Respect your mentors and do as they say. Never disobey them."
Alderpaw held in a chuckle. Disobedience was quickly snuffed with Mothfur. She'd claw their hides off for playing Mossball when they should be sleeping and nip their tails when they would run off to bother the elders too early in the morning.
Alderpaw was determined to listen to every word of his mentor and follow every order. He wanted to become the best apprentice in the Clan, and then become the best warrior in the forest! He tipped his head an thought to himself:
Alderstar had a nice ring to it.
Amazing Author Note: I know, I know, generic prologue right? You meet the kits, they get their mentors, and blah blah blah there's always Mother's favorite and et cetera.
Come on, I'm sure I'm not the only one here who has read (or just simply seen) hundreds of Warriors fanfictions where the kit inevitably becomes leader. They have a destiny from StarClan, or they simply don't fit into their Clan because of their physical condition, the way they think, or for simply no reason.
I honestly have a hard time reading those. Sometimes I'll go through a whole story because the author's writing is simply amazing, but I usually just can't go through the whole cliché route. Oof, what a rant this is!
Just warning you that this isn't "Alderstar's Journey" or "Alderkit's Destiny."
This is Felled.