Light Fading
Chapter 1
By Snakepaw
A brown tom-kit lashed his tail and squirmed away from his mother as she groomed him for the upcoming ceremony. He groaned. Finally, Mistywater stopped licking his pelt.
"Clawkit, stop squirming! You have to look nice for your ceremony!" She growled. She looked frustrated, but still had that loving look in her eye as she gazed at the brown kit.
"You've been at it for moons though!" Clawkit muttered. Hopefully, Talonstar would exclaim the usual, 'all cats old enough to swim gather here for a Clan meeting', before Mistywater licked all his fur off.
"And anyway, you haven't even gotten a chance to groom Ripplekit, Mudkit, or Frozenkit!" Clawkit added evidence to his case. Mistywater sighed and mumbled something under her breath. She then stopped, and went on to Ripplekit.
"All cats old enough to swim gather here for a Clan meeting!" Talonstar's ancient voice echoed throughout camp.
Clawkit raced out of the nursery and slid to a halt beneath the Great Willow. At last he would become an apprentice! Suddenly three more kits crashed into Clawkit, making him tumble into the mud. He glared around for his siblings, who had now caused more annoyance for Clawkit.
"Uck!" He protested, shaking his fur. So much for Mistywater's clean-up. He thought.
"Sorry, Clawkit!" Ripplekit apologized, followed by Mudkit and Frozenkit.
"It's okay. Doesn't make a difference, since my fur is already brown!" He joked. The others purred, and not a split second afterward Talonstar started the ceremony.
"Today, we are here to appoint new apprentices, a vital part of a strong Clan. Mudkit, Ripplekit, Frozenkit, and Clawkit, step forward."
The siblings part-bounced, part-waddled their way over to Talonstar.
"Frozenkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Frozenpaw. Leafheart, you have received excellent training in Featherflight, and I am sure you will pass on all your skills to Frozenpaw." The silver apprentice excitedly touched noses with her new mentor.
Clawkit couldn't blame her, Leafheart was quite popular among the Clan for a new warrior.
"Mudkit, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Mudpaw. Frostspots, you are patient and willing to serve your Clan at any cost, and I hope you pass on all you know to young Mudpaw." The two touched noses, sat down, and Talonstar continued.
"Clawkit. Until you are a warrior you will be known as Clawpaw. Hawkfeather will be your mentor and I hope she will teach you all she knows." Clawpaw shuddered nervously and touched noses with Hawkfeather. He was tough, and had a strange personality, but he was sure he would learn a lot from him.
"Ripplekit. Until you receive your warrior name you will be known as Ripplepaw. I know Hollowbranch will pass on all his knowledge and skills to you." As the mentor and apprentice touched noses, the Clan cheered.
"Frozenpaw! Mudpaw! Clawpaw! Ripplepaw!" Clawpaw felt his chest swell with pride. He knew he would do all he could to serve his Clan, even if that meant sacrifice.
Suddenly the sunhigh patrol barged back into camp, but it was only Graybreeze and Reedpaw. Where was Flametuft?
"Graybreeze?" Featherflight asked, genuinely confused. "What's wrong?"
"It's Flametuft! He's gone!" She yowled, and the Clan gasped, "He said he had to make dirt, and a long time later, he still hadn't come back. I went to check on him…and he was completely GONE!"