Petals of a Rose
Chapter 1
Rosefur set her paws down lightly, careful not to alert the sparrow, oblivious to the cat stalking it. She took a couple of careful pawsteps until she was about a mouse-length from the bird. Then, she pounced on top of the bird and gave it a sharp bite to the neck before it could alarm the other prey. Satisfied with her catch, she picked it up in her mouth and headed east, where her other prey was buried.
Rosefur shivered—her short. dark-cream pelt was not accustomed to the frigid leaf-bare winds just yet, but she figured she would get used to it soon. She had seen countless leaf-bares since she became a warrior, which was long ago. Of course, she wouldn't be joining the elders for a long time, but she wasn't exactly one of the youngest warriors, either.
She uncovered her hidden prey, dusting off the dirt with her paws, and crammed them into her jaws. Satisfaction welled up inside of her. Her clanmates would not go hungry this leaf-bare.
As she entered the ThunderClan camp and deposited her catch on the fresh-kill, she spotted her brother, Toadear, racing towards her, exitement blazing like a fire in his green eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but instead collapsed to the ground, panting.
Rosefur purred with amused affection. Three pawsteps ahead of himself, as usual. She poked her brother's black-and-white-patched body with her paw. "Ready to tell me now?" She asked, whiskers twitching with amusement.
As Toadear caught his breath, he shot up from the ground. "My kits! My kits are going to be apprenticed today! At moonhigh!" He yowled at the top of his voice. A few cats stopped and stared at him, whiskers quivering and tail-tips twitching. Toadear flattened his ears, embarrased.
Rosefur cuffed his brother's ear. "Mouse-brain!" She hissed good-naturedly. "I'm sure all of StarClan could have heard that!"
"I know, I know. I just couldn't help myself!" Toadear fired back. He sighed blissfully. "I couldn't ask for more, you know? Beautiful kits, a beautiful mate…" He trailed off, love glowing in his eyes.
Happiness for her brother swelled inside of Rosefur like a bird taking flight. She covered his brother's head with licks. "I can't wait for the ceremony!" She purred. Suddenly she had an urge to see Blossomflower, not only Toadear's mate but also a good friend of Rosefur's, and her kits.
"I'm going to see them before the ceremony." She told her brother, touching her muzzle to his ear. She added playfully, "And try not to yowl like that again. The other clans will think we've been attacked by foxes!"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
She ducked her head under the roof of the nursery, padding lightly incase any kits were asleep. She saw Blossomflower grooming her only she-kit, Moonkit, who was protesting, "Mo-om! I can groom my own fur!"
Blossomflower purred. "Just let me groom you!" She growled good-naturedly. "If I let you do it you'll look like a fox that's been in a fit for a moon!" She looked up at Rosefur, ears pricking in delight. "Oh, hello Rosefur! Good to see you!"
Rosefur purred. "You too!" She looked at each of her friend's kits in turn; Moonkit- black she-kit with white paws, ears, tail-tip, and underbelly with dark blue eyes, Applekit- red-orange tom with amber eyes to match, Patchkit- black-and-white tom with green eyes, a tiny copy of his father, Toadear, and Shortkit- dark brown tom with gray eyes.
"How are the kits?" Rosefur asked.
"We're doing just fine!" Moonkit mewed before her mother could say anything. "We're going to be apprentices soon!"
"Moonkit!" Blossomkit scolded. "Be respectful of other warriors!"
"Or anyone bigger than you, for that matter!" Applekit growled, trying to act like a wise clan elder.
"Good!" Moonkit squeaked. "That means I don't have to respect you!"
"But you do have to respect me!" Shortkit interjected, standing up on his hind legs. "I'm way bigger than you!"
"Oh yeah? Wanna make a bet, Shortkit?" Moonkit teased.
"Say that again!" The brown kit squealed indignantly.
"You're no bigger than a mouse!"
"That does it!" Shortkit shrieked. He pounced on his sister, biting her tail.
"Eep!" Moonkit squealed and shoved her brother off with her fluffy white forepaws. But before Shortkit could pounce again, Blossomflower placed her two forepaws on the bickering kits.
"That's enough!" Their mother mewed sternly, then added playfully, "I'm big enough to squash you both flatter than a leaf!"
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge!" Rosefur heard a yowl from the Highledge. Hollystar was going to name the new apprentices!
"Good luck, kits!" She called to her friend's four kits as she left the nursery. She could hear Moonkit's protest; "We're not kits anymore!", along with Blossomflower's scolding mew. Rosefur's ears twitched in amusement. She almost pitied Moonkit's new mentor. She could imagine Moonkit charging off in all directions, scaring off all the prey…
She sat beside Toadear, who was quivering with pride for his kits. It wasn't long before Blossomflower joined Toadear, her kits just behind her. The two cats nuzzled, twining their tails together.
"I'm going to be an apprentice." She heard Moonkit mew proudly to Bumblepelt, Blossomflower's brother.
"Yes, I heard." Bumblepelt's mew was amused.
Then she saw Hollystar's black pelt jumping up to the Highledge. Her clanmates fell silent as she mewed. "It is time for one of my favorite duties." Her bright green eyes shone with warmth. "Moonkit, Applekit, Patchkit, and Shortkit have reached their sixth moon."
She hesitated for a moment, letting the news sink in. "Applekit."
Applekit padded up to his leader, his amber eyes containing hardly supressed exitement.
'From this day, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be called Applepaw."
Applepaw squeaked with exitement, jumping up and down beneath the Highledge.
"Poppyfrost."
The tortoishell cat's tail went straight up.
"You were mentor to Briarclaw, and he is a credit to his clan. Now I ask you to take the responsibility of mentoring Applepaw. Teach him all that you know."
The senior warrior bowed her head. "I will do my best." Applekit stretched his muzzle to touch noses with his new mentor.
Hollystar spoke again. "Patchkit."
Patchkit scampered up to the Highledge.
'From this day, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be called Patchpaw."
Patchpaw blinked, ready for the next step.
"Bumblepelt."
The tom's ears pricked.
"You will be mentor to Patchpaw. Teach him of all of your loyalty and courage.
Bumblepelt bowed humbly without saying a word, then touched noses with his new apprentice.
Hollystar went on. "Moonkit."
She let out a squeal of delight as she ran over to the Highledge.
'From this day, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be called Moonpaw."
Moonpaw's eyes glowed. "Moonpaw!" She echoed.
Rosefur was unprepared for what happened next. "Rosefur."
Rosefur could hardly believe her ears. I'm going to be a mentor!
"Rosefur, no cat could be as loyal as you are to ThunderClan. I ask you to teach that loyalty to Moonpaw."
She just stood there, mouth open. The other cats started to purr, amused.
"Badger got your tounge, Rosefur?" Hollystar mewed, tail twitching with amusement.
"I…I…Thank you!"
Hollypaw just smiled. She turned to Moonpaw. "Go on."
Moonpaw raced over to Rosefur. She raised her muzzle to touch noses with her, but not before Moonpaw could hold back a sneeze. "Achoo!"
The purrs of amusement from the other cats grew louder, until even Hollystar was purring, whiskers quivering.
Rosefur cuffed Moonpaw playfully over the ear. "Cheeky furball!" She mewed affectionately. The touched muzzles properly
Rosefur's head was so full of mentoring thoughts that she completely missed Shortkit's apprenticeship.
Soon after the meeting broke up, Moonpaw asked her about a million questions. "What are we doing today? Are we going to catch a mouse? Can we patrol the border? Can I climb the sky oak?"
Rosefur snorted with amusement. "If you keep asking questions, all the prey will die of old age!" She contined. "I'm going to teach you how to hunt mouse." She beckoned with her tail for Moonpaw to follow her into the forest. Her head buzzed with happiness. This was the beginning of a wonderful mentorship.