Chapter 2: Mentors
Ever since that day back when Sunkit and Eggkit were two moons old they hadn't spoken.
No matter what Sunkit tried Eggkit wouldn't speak to him.
But now they were six moons old and ready to become apprentices.
"Eggkit... why won't you talk to me? It's been forever! Besides, it's supposed to be a happy day! We're about to become apprentices!" Sunkit willed, as Eggkit washed herself.
"I'll talk to you." Dovekit, Berrypool's kit cooed, brushing her cream colored pelt against Sunkit's.
Sunkit ignored her and continued to talk to Eggkit, but talking to Eggkit was like talking to a thistle.
It would only prick you in response.
"You made me find out about my mother's secret! You have no idea how much that hurt!" Eggkit hissed, sulking away from Sunkit.
Sunkit's tail drooped.
"Eggkit's a jerk! Why do you even bother talking to her?" Dovekit meowed, still pressed up against the flame-pelted tom.
Sunkit scooted away from Dovekit before answering.
"Because she needs me! No one understands her! She's nothing like her father and if anyone spent any time with her trying to be nice you would see that!" Sunkit spat before trotting over to his mother.
"Oh you're just in time Sunkit! Oh... you look so much like your father." Lillyfur meowed scornfully, as if wishing Sunmask was here to see his kittens become apprentices.
"Anyway, don't Ravenkit and Icekit look beautiful?" Lillyfur meowed proudly, giving Icekit one last lick across her ear.
"Let me fix you up Sunkit." Lillyfur purred, pulling her son in to wash.
Sunkit didn't resist, he just went with the flow, knowing it would go faster that way.
Nightkit, Dovekit's sister looked at Sunkit with interest.
"Do you think you'll be a warrior by the time Dovekit and I get apprenticed?" The black she cat asked, her head naturally tilting to the side.
"Hopefully." Sunkit mewed, thinking about leading patrols and fighting CliffClan, ForestClan's only rival.
"I hope my name's cool though... if it's something girly like Sun'pool' or Sun'leaf' I'm going to die!" Sunkit hissed at the thought of having such a name.
"What about Sunset?" Ravenkit teased. Sunkit shot his sister a glare before retorting.
"Fine, RavenFANG." Sunkit teased, knowing that she hated having a name ending in 'tooth' or 'fang'. Ravenkit hissed in response before turning to Icekit.
"Let all cats able to catch their own prey gather beneath the oak for a clan meeting." Mountainstar's raspy meow filled the clearing.
Sunkit padded out into the clearing, matching Eggkit's pace.
Eggkit looked over at Sunkit and scowled, quickening her pace.
Sunkit soon gave up until he reached Mountainstar's oak tree.
Eggkit was sitting at the base of the oak.
His sisters sat far from Eggkit, and he decided to sit next to his old 'friend'.
Before Eggkit had a chance to snarl at Sunkit and sit somewhere else, Mountainstar began to speak.
Ravenpaw had received Rainpelt as her mentor, and Icepaw had received Darkriver as her mentor.
It was Eggkit's turn.
"Eggkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Eggpaw. Your mentor will be Oakclaw."
Sunkit's heart sunk. Oakclaw was by far the cruelest cat in the clan. This won't end well. Sunkit thought miserably.
" I hope Oakclaw will pass down all he knows." Oakclaw gave Eggpaw a smirk before roughly touching noses with his new apprentice.
Mountainstar's old face brightened when he announced Sunkit's name.
"Sunkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Firetooth. I hope Firetooth will pass down all he knows."
Firetooth brightened at his new apprentice.
Sunpaw and Firetooth gently touched their noses.
"I will make you as good as my brother. Your father will come back, reborn as you." Firetooth whispered. Sunpaw's eyes widened.
"Your Sunmask's brother?" Sunpaw gawked. Firetooth nodded.
"Now be quiet, Mountainstar isn't done yet." Firetooth hushed Sunpaw.
"Now normally I don't let family mentor family but I trust that Firetooth won't cushion you Sunpaw." Mountainstar finished.
Before Sunpaw could ask if he could train with Eggpaw today, she and Oakclaw had already left camp. Sunpaw's ginger ringed tail drooped in disappointment.
"Alright, first things first Sunpaw, you have to know the boundaries of Forestclan. The last thing we need is for you to wander into the twoleg place, or worse, Cliffclan territory." Firetooth growled.
Sunpaw gave a curt nod.
"So, if Cliffclan's so hostile why aren't they attacking us when we're short of cats?" Sunpaw asked curiously.
"Alright, I'll admit that Brookstar isn't a monster. She knows how cruel Birchstar was, so she's giving us six more moons for us to get a grip on our population. But, if any ForestClan cats trespass on Cliffclan territory then her mercy is forgotten and her clan will rip us to shreds." Firetooth explained as we padded through the mossy forest.
The moss and cool dirt felt nice on Sunpaw's paws, it gave him comfort as they traveled deeper into the woods.
"That's nice of Brookstar." Sunpaw replied, flexing his claws nervously.
Soon the forest ran out. Hot, sharp, dusty rock greeted Sunpaw's paws, making him wince.
"Is this what Cliffclan's like?" Sunpaw asked. Firetooth nodded.
"Yes. We have all of this side of the river. So technically this is our land." Firetooth explained, flicking his tail towards the quick flowing river.
"We don't usually go here though. Unless you want a scrawny mouse or to be eaten by an eagle don't come here." Firetooth growled his warning.
Sunpaw nodded hastily.
"Now let's get out of the open before an eagle sees us."