Shadowkit's P.O.V
It was cold when Shadowkit awoke. Leafbare had just passed but the cold weather still lingered. She looked around the nursery, Lavendersky still lay sleeping in her nest with Hailkit tucked under her tail. Shadowkit sighed at the sight, wishing Coldheart treated like how Lavendersky treated her own kits. Rolling out of her separate nest, Shadowkit bounded out of the nursery and into the chilly air outside. Fluffing out her dark fur Shadowkit made her way to the fresh-kill pile, on the other side of camp she could hear her littermates and the other kits playing.
As she tugged a surprisingly plump mouse out of the pile, Shadowkit saw Lionpaw and Silverpaw exiting the apprentice den. Her two friends having become apprentices only recently, with a wave of her tail they noticed her and came to her side.
"Morning Shadowkit." Silverpaw mewed, his blue eyes sparkling, beside him Lionpaw chuffed his greeting.
"Morning Silverpaw, Lionpaw. What are you two going to do today?" Shadowkit asked as they pulled out some prey for themselves. They made their way to the tree stump. Silverpaw plopped down next to Shadowkit while Lionpaw sat on the other side of her.
"Finchclaw going to take us and have us spar with Violetpaw, just to see where we are at with combat then we're going hunting." Silverpaw explained as he ripped into the sparrow he had gotten. Lionpaw grunted in agreement, the large tom preoccupied with tearing the meat off of the half frozen squirrel he was eating.
"Violetpaw? Isn't she and Songpaw going to become warriors soon?" Shadowkit asked, after all Violetpaw was already known around the clan for being quite the aggressive fighter. Well that and her strained relationship with her littermate, Songpaw.
This time it was Lionpaw that answered, "Yep, Finchclaw seems to think that we need to know what it's like to fight with someone that is more experienced and as aggressive as a fox."
Shadowpaw let out a small laugh, only to be cut off by Coldheart's voice across camp. Her mother was in a shouting match with her own sister Snowpetal, who's own mate stood off to the side. Pheasantwing looked about ready to throw himself off the cliffside.
"I don't care about that, Snowpetal! If I see you anywhere near Lightningkit or Skykit I'll shred that pelt of yours!" Coldheart spat at the pretty she-cat. Her tail was lashing about and her ears pinned back.
"I believe you're missing one, what about Nightkit? Oh, wait that's right, your disowned your own kit and had her name changed simply because Boulderclash died protecting her! What if he had died protecting Lightningkit or Skykit? We all know you hated Shadowkit from even before then!" Snowpetal hissed back the fur on her neck rising.
Shadowkit leaned into Lionpaw's long fur as her mother and aunt's argument began to gain more attention from their clanmates. She even saw Lavendersky poke her head out of the nursery.
"How dare you" Coldheart spat, "Don't you bring Boulderclash into this! It's that cursed kit's fault he's dead and thats all that matters."
Lionpaw shifted and moved to nudge Shadowkit. "Go back to the nursery" Lionpaw whispered. Shadowkit nodded knowing that if Coldheart caught sight of her now, she'd turn water to blood. She snuck past her clanmates and slipped into the nursery, inside there was only Hailkit since Lavendersky had stepped out. The frail tom raised his head from his nest to get a look at her.
"Are you feeling better, Hailkit?" Shadowkit asked as she slipped by him.
"Y-yes." Hailkit stuttered, Shadowkit couldn't help but feel pity for the tom. He had always been the sickly one, and has a severe stutter. Their relationship wasn't as strained as it was with Shadowkit and most of the other kits. She supposed it was because she bothered to include Hailkit in conversations and even play a few games with him when he is in better health. He had made it clear that he was grateful that she treated him like he wasn't delicate, especially since the other kits in the nursery acted like he would fall over at a light breeze.
Shadowkit settled down in her nest, flattening in it, in hopes of not being bothered as the noise outside went down. Shortly after it went quiet the den entrance shifted as Littlebee and the other kits entered the den. She pressed down into her nest further as Skykit caught glance of her. With a smirk her sister came bounding over, Lightningkit and Littlebee's kits following after her.
"Well, look who it is. The clan's murder that's yet to be exiled." Skykit sneered, the calico she-cat glaring down on her.
"Yeah! She's the reason Boulderclash is dead, and he was one of the best warriors of Thunderclan!" Smokekit added. Beside him Redkit was nodding in agreement.
Shadowkit hated this, she was treated like this constantly. Shadowkit risked a glance at Littlebee, the gray she-cat was just watching with uninterested eyes. However, that single glance costed her.
Suddenly a flash of hot pain seared across Shadowkit's muzzle. Jumping out of her nest, her eyes refocused on Smokekit who snarled at Shadowkit.
"Don't look at my mother! Just because Coldheart doesn't love you doesn't mean you can get any sympathy from our parents!" Smokekit shrieked at her. Quailkit, who had been silent during this finally stepped up.
"Unlike you, when we become apprentices we'll be trained by the best warriors while you're exiled. It's only because you're a kit that Spiderstar hasn't kicked you out yet." Quailkit sniffed her head tilted to look down on Shadowkit.
Shadowkit flattened her ears to her head, she turned and left the nursery, hopefully Lionpaw and Silverpaw hadn't left yet. Once outside she scanned the camp hoping to find one of the brothers but was unsuccessful. She sighed, at least Coldheart wasn't in camp. However, she did spot Snowpetal and Pheasantwing laying by Jagged Rock. She stiffened when Snowpetal caught sight of her and the silvery-gray she-cat waved with her tail to come over. Swallowing the fear in the back of her throat, Shadowkit padded over on silent paws. Upon reaching the pair she was surprised on what happened next.
"I would like to apologize to you Shadowkit." Snowpetal said softly, Shadowkit's head snapped up in shock.
"What for?" Shadowkit squeaked still rearing from the sudden kindness bestowed upon her.
"For bringing up your father, I know things have been difficult for you since he died." Snowpetal explained, "The clan might be behind Coldheart when it comes to how to treat you, but I know Boulderclash cared very much about you and if he was still here he wouldn't allow this to happen to you."
Shadowkit's lip quivered as grief began to creep back in her heart. Ever since Boulderclash's untimely end she hasn't been told that she was cared for nor that Boulderclash would still be there protecting her had he not died. All she has faced since his death was blame, first it was blame from her grieving kin then it turned into hatred and blame from the majority of the clan. Boulderclash had been a loved and respected warrior, his death alongside the deaths of Swanspeck and Jumpfoot had rocked the clan. Boulderclash had been deputy after all.
"T-thank you, Snowpetal." Shadowkit murmured, but Snowpetal tilted her head.
"What happened to your face?" Snowpetal asked, Shadowkit flinched slightly.
"It's nothing, Smokekit just didn't like that I had looked at Littlebee for help." Shaowkit mewed quietly. Snowpetal frowned at that and Pheasantwing's eyes widened somewhat.
"You should go to the-" Snowpetal was cut off as Spiderstar's voice rang out, calling a clan meeting.
Shadowkit looked over her shoulder to see Spiderstar and Goldenhoney sitting on Jagged Rock. She could also see Lionpaw sitting at the edge of the crowd with Violetpaw next to him. Shadowkit realized that it must be Violetpaw and Songpaw's warrior ceremony.
"Songpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code even at the cost of your life?" Spiderstar questioned.
"I do." Songpaw replied confidently, her green eyes shining brightly.
"Then from now on you're Songbird, for your cheerful attributes and hunting abilities" Spiderstar announced proudly. All around the clan cheered Songbird's new name. However there was a noticeable shock when Spiderstar ended the clan meeting right after, there was no warrior ceremony for Violetpaw.
Shadowkit looked at the tortoiseshell she-cat, even from across the camp, Shadowkit could sense the unbridled rage radiating off of Violetpaw. The older she-cat's eyes were filled with hatred and then disbelief as Driftedleaf walked past her to congratulate Songbird. Shadowkit herself was shocked, it was no secret that Driftedleaf and Violetpaw were planning on becoming mates, and for him to just pass by her like she was nothing was surprising. She watched as Violetpaw spun and darted out of camp.
Shadowkit fluffed her fur slightly, it was now sun-high. With a sigh she made her way back to the nursery.
