Thanks for the reviews! I hope that you enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Warriors. The last time I checked, my name wasn't Erin Hunter. :)
Chapter Two
Stonekit batted at Smallkit's ears. The she-cat squealed with delight and reared up on her hind paws. Stonekit dodged her blow and leaped on top of her. Both of them broke out in laughter.
"I can't believe it!" Stonekit exclaimed between gasps for air. "We're going to be 'paws tomorrow!"
Smallkit nodded her head vigorously. "I can't wait to see who Flickerstar has chosen for our mentors!"
Frozenkit watched with thoughtful eyes as the two resumed their play. Flickerstar. I have to remember his name...I wonder if Lionkit has met him?
She had heard the leader's name many times, but it was brought up so briefly that she could never keep it in mind. She wanted to learn every cat's name in the camp, so that they would see her as intelligent when she finally met them.
Frozenkit continued to watch Stonekit and Smallkit stumble around as they tried unsuccessfully to pin one another to the floor. Leafpelt, who had been dozing, was suddenly aware of everything going on. "Come on you two! You're going to be apprentices tomorrow! Stop fighting like immature ducklings." The words were harsh but Leafpelt's voice was warm with love.
Had Snowshine ever spoken to Frozenkit like that?
"Nettlekit," Leafpelt said to her son. "Don't you want to play too?"
"Not really," the dark gray kit mewed. Frozenkit looked at him as sat in the corner of the nursery, his tail wrapped neatly over his paws and his eyes dull.
It was peculiar to see him that way. Nettlekit was always running around and doing all of these crazy things. It struck Frozenkit as utterly anomalous that he of all three kits would be doing nothing but watching the action happen without him.
She pawed herself out of the nest and scrambled to where he sat. Nettlekit turned his head slightly to look at her, but said nothing as she approached him. She stuck out her nose and sniffed him gently. He didn't smell sick or hurt. Frozenkit tilted her head. "What's wrong, Nettlekit? Why aren't you playing with your littermates?"
He looked down at her (he was twice her size), and blinked.
"Do you feel okay?" she asked, this time expecting a reply.
"I feel fine," he finally responded. "I just...don't want to play."
"Are you kidding?" Frozenkit meowed. "You love playing! You always go around boasting that you're going to be the best warrior ever! Why aren't you saying that now?" She peered over at Stonekit, who was trying to aim a blow at Smallkit's flank. "You know what you would usually be doing? Holding Stonekit down and pretending to rip his throat open! Remember how they would scream and yowl for you to stop? You guys would laugh and laugh and have a great time! Why aren't you doing that now?"
Nettlekit shrugged. "I don't know, I just-I don't want to."
"Do you not want to be a warrior?" asked Frozenkit. "Do you want to be the medicine cat or something like that? I thought every cat had the dreams of becoming a warrior. I thought every cat wanted to be leader."
"Well, you're wrong. Hey, don't feel down about it. You are just two moons old," said Nettlekit.
Frozenkit felt her jaws part in a gape. She closed her mouth and looked at Nettlekit as he stared at his brother and sister.
What he said was true, she was just two moons old-two moons, a quarter and a day- but why could no one see her as anything else but that? She was a kit, yes. She was small, yes. But why could she not be as good and as wise and as strong as the rest of them.
Nettlekit of course, was also a kit, she should not take his word seriously. But she felt that his word mattered. As eccentric and hyper as he was, he did a well job at observing things. Why could he not see the Frozenkit was more than just that-a kit?
She was going to mention something about his words, how they stung and stirred a little anger within her, but she did not think it was worth it to begin a pointless dispute that could get the Queens demanding that they pipe down. So instead, she said, "Well I have that dream. As does Lionkit and Smallkit, and even the deaf elders out there that Stonekit wants to be Stonestar someday."
Nettlekit looked at her questioningly. "Really? It all seems really ridiculous. At first, I did want to be a warrior, an honored, big strong one, but I look out in the camp and think about how many warriors are out there in the Clan. Honestly, Frozenkit, not all of them will become leader."
"I know that!" mewled Frozenkit. Her neck fur bristled. "But we still all want to right?"
"I think it's a long shot for any of us to become leader. You're too tiny-"
"Why does that matter?"
Nettlekit ignored her and continued. "Smallkit is too mouse-brained, Stonekit is too arrogent, and I'm just not up for it. Though Lionkit has a good shot at it. He's already training!"
Frozenkit growled. Everyone thought that Lionkit was perfect. Could they not just see past her size? "Remember yesterday, when I snuck out of the nursery?"
"How could I forget? Snowshine was yelling at you forever."
She swallowed at the reminder. "Well I was watching Oakshade and Lionkit practicing and they were doing absolutely nothing. They were just pouncing on each other. What is he really learning?"
To her surprise, it was Leafpelt who answered. "He is just a kit. Once he gets older he'll be learning more advanced moves." The ginger and tawny she-cat looked over at the two playing kits, "Stonekit and Smallkit aren't using their claws."
"Hey, you might as well call me Stonepaw now," Stonekit remarked.
Frozenkit blinked at Leafpelt. He is just a kit, she had said.
Then why do they treat him like a warrior?
Nettlekit winced when Smallkit bit Stonekit's tail. Frozenkit frowned at him in puzzlement. "Are...you hurt?"
"Oh...no," Nettlekit replied.
"Then why did-"
She was cut off by the sound of Snowshine slipping inside after her morning walk. She acknowledged Leafpelt with a nod and settled down in her nest.
Frozenkit flicked her tail in goodbye, to which Nettlekit made no response. She padded over to her mother and prodded her lightly with her paw. Snowshine's shoulder rolled as she felt it and she turned her head around. "Hello, Frozenkit," she greeted.
"Hi," Frozenkit replied. "There's-there's something I want to ask you."
Snowshine made a small movement indicating she wanted Frozenkit to go on.
"Well, this is going to sound kind of weird, but...why did you name us what you named us?"
"What?"
"I mean, why did you name me Frozenkit, and Lionkit, Lionkit?" she asked.
"Oh," Snowshine meowed. "Well, that's simple. You are Frozenkit because your pelt is white, white like ice." She smiled as she went on. "Your brother is Lionkit, because he was a big and strong kit at the start. Your father picked it out. He'll be a good warrior."
Frozenkit narrowed her eyes. "Okay...will I make a good warrior?"
Snowshine blinked at the question. "Oh, darling, only time will tell."
Frozenkit dug her tiny claws into the ground. "Do you think I'll make a good warrior?"
Snowshine scoffed. "Of course I do. All mothers do. I can see you now, chasing after a plump squirrel in the newleaf, and Lionkit, battling off strong ShadowClan cats."
"Can you see me battling off strong ShadowClan cats?"
"You'll be trained good enough to do that," Snowshine murmured.
Despite the warmth in her voice, Frozenkit felt offended at the words. Good enough? Just good enough? Why not amazingly? Why not perfectly? Why just good enough?
Frozenkit sighed and peered outside the nursery entrance. There she saw Lionkit out there, talking with an apprentice. An apprentice! He wasn't going to talk to Stonekit or Nettlekit, no they weren't good enough. He had to talk to the big apprentices.
"I can see it now," Snowshine whispered. "You two trying to climb the Owl Tree. Both of you will reach the top, sending off a beautiful, victorious chorus to all that have ears."
Frozenkit looked down, she knew exactly would be there first.
So, that puts an end to the second chapter of Trapped in Ice! I hope you enjoyed. Please review and look out for chapter three!
~Destiny
