A/N: Hi. Hope you like my newest chapter. Reveiw and tell meh! Constructive criticism
is always welcome.
Chapter 2, The Clan meeting.
Icekit stopped outside the nursery, panting. "That," she said, "was close."
"What was close?" someone asked behind her. She spun around, and found herself looking at a huge, white warrior.
"Daddy!" she cried, nuzzling her father.
"Hey, Snowpelt!" a grey tabby warrior called, standing by the entrance to the camp, "You coming or what?"
"Yeah," Snowpelt called back, "I'll be right there!" He turned back to his kits. "Sorry," he said, "I'm on border patrol. I'll be back this afternoon, in time for the Clan meeting." He looked proudly at Blackkit and Skykit, then raced away towards the grey warrior, and they both slipped out of the camp. Skykit turned to his sisters.
"What do you think he means, 'I'll be back in time for the Clan meeting.'" He asked them, "How dose he know there's gonna be a meeting tonight?" Blackkit couldn't guess the answer, and Icekit, who had, was feeling put out, so she didn't say anything. They went back to the nursery, where their mother was eating a fat mouse.
"Hello, my kits." Redflower said, making room for them at the mouse she was eating. It had a lot of meat on it, and easily fed all four cats. It was leafgreen, after all. "Have you groomed yourselves today?" she asked. The kits nodded. "Well it doesn't look like you did." Redflower said, giving her kits a critical eye.
"Well," Blackkit said licking her lips, "we did play fight this morning. That probably messed up our fur." Redflower laughed, then started sharing tongues with Skykit. As they told their mother about their day, she licked Blackkit and Skykit clean. She seemed to be cleaning them with renewed purpose today, and more then once Blackkit complained about Redflower pulling her fur.
"What's with the super cleaning, mom?" Skykit asked.
"Oh," Redflower answered, "I just want you to look nice." Redflower kept her eyes on her oldest kits the rest of the day, trying to keep them neat, something she had never done before.
Later that day, after nearly everyone was back at camp, the leader, Shinestar, leaped up on the Highrock, and called to the Clan, "May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around the Highrock for a clan meeting!" All the cats started to gather around the Highrock, looking up expectantly at their leader.
"Come on," Redflower said, beckoning her oldest kits with her tail, "you two as well." Blackkit and Skykit looked at each other, then at Icekit, questioning looks on their faces.
"Why do we have to go?" Skykit wondered.
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Icekit said angrily. Her siblings shook their heads. Icekit groaned. "You two are going to be made apprentices." She grumbled. Blackkit looked at Skykit, an exited, nervous expression on her face. Skykit looked about the same.
"Blackkit! Skykit!" Their mother called, beckoning them again. The two kits raced off, leaving Icekit lying in the entrance of the nursery, looking over at her siblings enviously. Dawnkit, Berrykit and Goldenclaw came to the entrance as well, to watch the clan meeting.
"Where are Blackkit and Skykit?" Dawnkit asked.
"They're going to be made apprentices. You'll have to call them Blackpaw and Skypaw now." Icekit said grudgingly.
"Really?" Berrykit said in awe, "Wow!"
By then the entire Clan had gathered at the Highrock, and Shinestar started talking.
"We are gathered here today," she said in her regal voice, "to name two apprentices. Blackkit, Skykit, come up here." Blackkit and Skykit went up to the front, looking nervous. "From now on," Shinestar continued, looking down at Blackkit, "until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice shall be known as Blackpaw." Blackpaw's face lit up as she heard her apprentice name. "Honeybadger," Shinestar called to the golden and black she-cat, "you are ready for your first apprentice. You will begin Blackpaw's training. You were taught well by Tigermask. I expect you to pass on everything you know to this young cat."
Honeybadger walked forwards, and touched noses with Blackpaw. Icekit felt her envy boiling inside her. Honeybadger had been taught by the clan deputy! But Icekit also felt pride for her sister for getting such a good mentor.
Shinestar looked down at Skykit now, and started to speak again. "This apprentice," she said, "Shall be known as Skypaw." Skypaw looked excited, and mouthed his apprentice name. "Snowpelt," Shinestar said, looking over at Icekit's father, "You have taught two very successful warriors, and now you shall teach another. I expect you to tell everything you know to this apprentice."
Snowpelt walked proudly forward, and touched noses with Skypaw, whose eyes were shining with his luck at getting his father for a mentor. Icekit looked at them, finding it hard to be too mad, but also finding it had to be completely happy for her siblings.
The entire clan went up to Blackpaw and Skypaw now, calling them by their new names. Icekit noticed that Spottedpaw and Mosspaw were in the throng, talking with the two new apprentices. Icekit looked on sadly, wondering why her friends were talking to her brother and sister now when they hardly noticed them just that morning, and wondered if her own siblings would start to ignore her now that they were apprentices to.