"GoldenClan, attack!"
Hailkit yowled as he burst out of the nursery and bounded across the camp. Hawkkit and his brother, Robinkit, and their friends, Lilykit and Seedkit, scurried after him.
Focusing his eyes, Hawkkit scanned the clearing; searching for an easy target. He spotted a leaf swaying gently to the ground, carried by the wind. Hawkkit grinned and unfocused his eyes. He raced, keeping his eyes trained on the falling leaf. He braced his legs, ready for the perfect moment to pounce. I'll catch it before it touches the ground!
Suddenly a shadow loomed over him. Confused, Hawkkit abruptly halted in his tracks. The shadow passed over him momentarily; looking up, Hawkkit was amazed by the sight of his brother, high in the air as he swiftly snagged the leaf in his claws.
"I got it!" Robinkit yowled in triumph, as he landed on the ground. He raised his paw, showing off the leaf with glee.
Hawkkit frowned, disappointed over the fact that he caught his "prey". But he quickly ignored the feeling and replaced it with fondness. Hawkkit knows better than anyone how shy and insecure Robinkit can be, so he is happy he is able to succeed like this; even if it is a small trivial thing.
"That's great, Robinkit!" Hawkkit meowed with delight.
"Wow, Robinkit! You jumped so high!" Lilykit awed in wonder. "How did you manage it?"
Robinkit frowned and shrugged. "I just did it." He replied.
Hailkit rolled his eyes and scoffed from afar. "Anyone can jump that high." He hissed. Hawkkit grit his teeth in annoyance at his remark.
It's been over a moon since he first opened his eyes, and though Hailkit and him didn't get along back then; Hawkkit tried his damned best to give the boastful kit a chance for them to be friends. But as time went on he wasn't so sure he wanted to be friends with the likes of him. Not if he constantly made fun of his brother and keeps boasting how much of a great warrior he's going to be. The day Hailkit decides to be more charitable is the day Hawkkit will take a dive on the Big Pond.
"Can we get back to the game now?" Hailkit asked. "We are supposed to be a patrol of GoldenClan warriors fighting off an invasion, remember?"
Ever since Hazelstep told them about GoldenClan, Hawkkit and the others always came back to pay a visit to the elders; bringing them fresh-kill as offering, and begged him to tell more stories. Overtime the kits grew inspired by said stories, and here they are now; pretending to be legendary warriors of the ancient clan.
Getting his head back in their game, Hawkkit focused his eyes and targeted the bramble bush wall that surrounds the camp.
As he raced towards it, he saw from the corner of his eye as Lilykit pounced on a palm leaf that lay at the foot of one of the palm trees overhanging the camp's clearing. "I got a trespasser!" She squealed, stomping it repeatedly with tiny gray paws. "That'll teach you a lesson!"
Hawkkit leaped at a straying tendril from the camp wall; he accidentally got his paws tangled in the brambles, losing his balance he fell over. He jumped to his feet, turning around to glare at the tendril. "Only rogues would be so low to trip their adversary!" He growled, raking his claws across its leaves. "Take that!"
But the more he fought the bramble tendrils the more tangled up Hawkkit became. He wiggles and churned furiously, trying to escape its grasp on him to no avail. He contemplated calling the others to help him, but felt too ashamed to do so; Hailkit would laugh and make fun of him if he ever saw him in this situation. If he could just get Robinkit to notice him without attracting too much attention…
"Do you need any help, little one?"
Hawkkit looked up from his struggling at the sound of the soft voice beside him. Towering over him is a pretty blue-gray tabby she-cat, her blue eyes gentle as she gazed at him worriedly.
"Nah, I'm fine." Hawkkit squeaked. He definitely doesn't need one of the warriors to help him out of this mess. He is bigger and stronger now; he'll be a warrior! And warriors don't need help.
"You sure?" She inquired. "You look pretty tangled up, and might need some help."
"I can get out of this any moment I want." Hawkkit insisted. "I'm a warrior!"
The she-cat purred and her whiskers twitched with amusement. Hawkkit felt himself flush with embarrassment. Is she laughing at me?
"Of course you are!" She purred. "But even warriors need help from others, you know." She pointed out. Leaning forward, she grasped his scruff in her teeth, pulling the tangles down with one claw she freed him and placed him neatly on the ground.
Hawkkit craned his neck back so he can gaze upwards at the she-cat. He stared at her striped pelt, thick and shiny against the sun light. She stared back at him curiously.
"Do you know who I am?" She questioned him gently. Hawkkit shook his head, feeling mildly ashamed for not knowing most members of his Clan. But then again, he is only one moon old after all. "I'm Swallowfeather; nice to meet you little one. You are one of Rowanwhisker's kits, right? Hawkkit, is it?"
"That's right!" Hawkkit nodded eagerly. "Are you one of the senior warriors?" He asks.
"You're correct." She nods. Hawkkit notices her gaze shift away from him to something else behind him. "I think your friends are waiting for you." She points out with a slight chuckle. Hawkkit turned his head and sees his brother with Lilykit, Seedkit and Hailkit all staring expectantly at him. "You should go; best not to keep them waiting for much longer." Swallowfeather nudged him towards them with her muzzle.
"Are you going out on a patrol?" Hawkkit asks, before she could turn away.
"Sort of. Today's task is a big deal for two of the Clan's apprentices today." She answered. She turned her head away and gazed towards the wide patch of reeds and fern on the far left side of the clearing. Slipping out of the apprentice's den entrance is the familiar shape of Haypaw. He made quick work to clean behind his ears before trotting over to Swallowfeather.
Swallowfeather must be his mentor! Hawkkit realized. He pricked his ears and flicked them backward when he heard the sound of paw steps approaching his position, and figured that it was his friends who grew curious and decided to join them.
"Ready to go?" Swallowfeather questions Haypaw. The apprentice nods eagerly in response.
"Are you going to your warrior assessment?" Lilykit questions curiously, taking notice of his eagerness.
"Yep!" Haypaw meows in excitement. "And if everything goes right, I will become a warrior today!"
"Aren't you nervous?" Robinkit asks worriedly.
Haypaw shakes his head. "Nah. I've been training hard for so many moons, I know there is no way for me to mess this up now." He meows.
"As soon as Rowanwhisker returns with Runningpaw from his assessment, then we may go." Swallowfeather speaks up, her gazed fixed in the camp's entrance.
"You mean our dad?" Hawkkit pipes up, sharing a glance with Robinkit. "He's coming soon?"
Swallowfeather nodded. Hawkkit directed his attention towards the camp entrance as well, excited to see his father's arrival. He pricked his ears, swiveling towards the entrance. He could hear the sound of leaves being crumpled and crunched under the weight of paws approaching the camp entrance. Focusing his eyes. Hawkkit saw beyond the gorse walls of the camp. He spotted a brown and white tabby tom cat with blue eyes, carrying a large bird in his jaws; and walking alongside him is a smaller cat, a brown tabby with amber eyes.
That must be Rowanwhisker! Hawkkit thought in excitement; focusing his eyes back to normal.
"Come on, we should leave them to it." Hailkit says, nudging his littermates away. "They'll be too busy with their father to play now; they can meet up with us later."
Lilykit looked back and forth between her brothers and Hawkkit with a worried glance. "Well, okay then." She mewed hesitantly. "Is it alright with you two if we go?" She questioned.
Robinkit nodded. "Go on ahead." He meowed reassuringly. Hawkkit nodded to her as well. Lilykit smiled and bounced after her littermates.
Hawkkit shared a glance with Robinkit. He puffed out his chest and lined his paws smartly in front of him. Please let Rowanwhisker be proud of us! They've heard so many times from Brindlecloud how much of a great warrior their father is, how brave and skilled fighter and without a doubt, the best hunter in StoneClan. Hopefully I can grow up to be just like him!
This will be the first time they'll meet their father since they've opened their eyes. Hawkkit recognizes his scent whenever he came to visit them, but they were always asleep. Now they'll see him eye to eye.
Hawkkit felt Robinkit stiffen beside him as the gorse barrier in front of them began to tremble. Rowanwhisker, and who Hawkkit assumes to be Runningpaw, padded through the entrance with mouthfuls of prey.
"How are things out there?" Swallowfeather stepped up to him and asked. Rowanwhisker placed his prey down, so he can talk and turned to her.
"Just fine, it seems." He reported. "With this good weather, prey is running plentiful and are all out. I don't think it will be a problem for Haypaw's assessment."
Swallowfeather dipped her head in gratitude and moved towards the entrance, followed closely by Haypaw. She turned her head in Rowanwhisker's direction with an amused expression. "By the way, you have some little ones waiting to meet you." She purred teasingly with her whisker twitching before she bounded away into the gorse tunnel, disappearing from sight.
Rowanwhisker turned around and was surprised to see both his kits sitting upright, with their chests puffed up; trying to catch his gaze. A purr rumbled in his throat and a smile formed on his face at the sight of his kits looking up at him expectantly.
"Hello, little ones." Rowanwhisker purred. He bent down and touched noses with each of them; he stepped back to take in their appearance. Hawkkit did the same with him, despite having just seen him from far away, looking up close he realized how much in appearance they have in common. I look just like a miniature version of him! With only the eyes being the main difference. I got mother's eyes.
"Look at you two. It seemed like just yesterday I visited your mother in the nursery when you were first born." Rowanwhisker mused.
"Should I just carry this to the fresh-kill pile?" A voice spoke up, interrupting them. Hawkkit completely forgot that Runningpaw was there as well.
"Yes. And you may rest, if you wish." Rowanwhisker nodded in confirmation. Runningpaw dipped his head and carried his catch; padding away from them.
"Was it hard to catch that bird?" Hawkkit blurted curiously, remembering the rather large bird his father was carrying when he came into the camp.
"And what type was it?" Robinkit added.
"That was a seagull; very annoying and loud creatures that fly over the Big Pond." Rowanwhisker responded. "They aren't that hard to catch though. They are often too busy cleaning their own feathers and screeching to notice us, if you're stealthy enough that is."
"Meeting our kits, I see."
Hawkkit turned his head around and saw Brindlecloud standing there, gazing at the three of them with an affectionate gaze. Rowanwhisker padded forward and nuzzled his cheek to hers; a deep purr rumbling in their throats.
"How was hunting?" Brindlecloud prompted.
"It was fine. But I wasn't the one doing most of the hunting." Rowanwhisker replied sheepishly. "It was Runningpaw's assessment today, so I only had to observe him."
"He's becoming a warrior today?" Brindlecloud inquired in astonishment.
"He and Haypaw." Rowanwhisker added. "It was about time too; they worked long and hard for this, and they've earned it."
"They've certainly developed their skills over these past few moons." Brindlecloud noted, touching her mate's shoulder affectionately with the tip of her tail. "After all, you are a great mentor, and an excellent warrior."
"Will you be mentor to one of us?" Robinkit piped up, swishing his tail excitedly.
"As much as I would love to; Shrewstar doesn't like to pair up relatives together when it comes to mentorship." Rowanwhisker putted in gently, as if he was cautious as to not upset them. "But I am certain he'll choose good mentors for the both of you."
I wonder who my mentor will be…
Hawkkit glanced around the clearing, focusing his eyes on all the warriors and analyzing them closely. All of them seem to be skilled warriors in their own right; and any of them could prove to be good mentors. Though Hawkkit doesn't know all of his Clanmates names yet, he can easily recognize them by the color of their pelt and the sound of their voices from far away. But there will be a time when he'll know all of them.
"I gotta go now. Shrewstar invited me to share prey with him and Russetheart, and I need to report on Runningpaw's assessment." Rowanwhisker meowed, turning to Brindlecloud He then looked back to his kits with an apologetic smile. "Sorry I couldn't spend more time with the two of you. But I'll make it up to you; perhaps some time later we can play a game? Would you like that?" He suggested.
Hawkkit perked up in glee. "Any game we want?" He squeaked in excitement. When Rowanwhisker gave an assuring smile and nodded in confirmation; Robinkit and Hawkkit bounced around the clearing in happiness. Rowanwhisker and Brindlecloud purred in amusement at their kits antics.
Rowanwhisker bid his mate and kits farewell, and trotted away from them to pick something of the fresh-kill pile. Hawkkit focused his eyes on him and saw his father pick a crab from the pile and head off into a secluded, distant corner of the clearing. Brindlecloud went back to the nursery, leaving Hawkkit and Robinkit behind.
Hawkkit swiveled his ears sideways to the left, hearing the bushes tremble as pawsteps padded through the gorse tunnel of the entrance.
"Look over there!" Hawkkit motioned his brother towards the tunnel. From the entrance a ginger tabby she-cat came bounding into the camp. Her dark red fur gleamed like fire in the sunlight and her dark stripes make her pelt stand out.
"That's Russetheart; the Clan deputy." Hawkkit heard Lilykit and her brothers approach them from behind.
"She must be coming back from a patrol most likely." Seedkit noted.
Following the deputy into the clearing there were three other cats. A white she-cat with black ears, walking closely alongside her is a small silver tabby she-cat; who Hawkkit deduced to be her apprentice. And the last cat to step into camp is a pale gray tom with darker flecks. So many cats, and he barely knew their names.
The five kits watch as the patrol scattered; with Russetheart padding across the clearing to join Rowanwhisker. They turned their heads towards the Deadtree. Out of the small opening under the dry tree, between its roots, a rather slim cat slipped out from the hole. A golden brown tabby with green eyes slipped out from underneath the Deadtree. He stopped, craning his ears and looking around the clearing with a calculating gaze.
"That's him." Hawkkit heard Lilykit's hushed whisper of awe under her breath. He glanced at her and noticed how wide her pale blue eyes were at the sight of her own father. "That's Shrewstar!"
Hawkkit glanced at her brothers to see their reaction. Hailkit is frozen with wide green eyes, staring at the Clan leader from the other side of the clearing with admiration. Seedkit on the other paw looked rather apprehensive. Is he afraid of him? Hawkkit thought in confusion. Maybe he's just as nervous to meet his own father, as Robinkit and I were to meet ours.
"Haven't you talked to your father yet?" Robinkit spoke the unanswered question, sensing the change within the group. "Doesn't he visit you in the nursery?"
"He's Clan leader; he has more important things in his mind." Hailkit replied; watching his father's movement as he made his way over to join Russetheart and Rowanwhisker.
"We want to meet him, but Sageflower always tells us to wait for the right time." Lilykit added.
Hawkkit frowned, feeling sympathy for the three cats; yes, even Hailkit. "But he's your father! Surely as Clan leader, Shrewstar can make up time to visit you sometimes?" He exclaimed. Before today, Hawkkit always wondered how his father was like. He would smell his scent and his voice whenever he visited them in the nursery, but he wanted to meet him face to face, and in the end he wasn't disappointed. He couldn't ask for a better dad.
"Either way, we can't go to him now." Hailkit hissed. "He's too busy talking to your father to pay any attention to us."
"Why don't you guys try and talk to him first thing at dawn?" Hawkkit suggested. "It's way too early to start any duties, and he'll be free to meet you."
"So, we should wake up early and wait for him to come out?" Seedkit pondered. "I guess that could work. But, what if he doesn't like us? And the reason why he hasn't come to meet us yet is because he doesn't care-"
"Don't say that!" Hailkit snapped, his fur bristling and fluffing up. "Shrewstar is an honorable leader; he wouldn't neglect his own kits. We'll meet him at dawn, and you'll see how much he cares for us. He's just busy running a clan."
Hawkkit could hear deep in Hailkit's voice the hint of doubt masked in his confident tone. He isn't sure in what he's saying. He realized. Did even Hailkit doubt his own father's devotion to his family?
Feeling the heavy tension between the three kits, Hawkkit shifted uncomfortably on his paws. He spotted a patch of fresh moss growing on a fallen tree trunk, and had an idea to switch the mood around. Skillfully he snagged a piece of moss with his claws and crunched up into a tiny ball. Hawkkit grinned as he aimed and batted the ball.
"Think fast!" Hawkkit shouted, batting the ball with one paw. It went flying towards Robinkit. He thought it would hit him, but somehow, Robinkit swiftly snagged the moss ball in his claws like a flash of lightning. This caught the attention of the others, as they stared in amazement.
"Sharp moves, Robinkit!" Lilykit meowed in awe, impressed with his reflexes.
Hailkit was quick to scoff and roll his eyes, however. "Big deal. Anyone can do that!"
Robinkit smirked and suddenly flung the moss ball, hurling in Hailkit's direction. He was caught off guard and the ball hit him lightly in the face. Lilykit burst into a fit of giggles, while Robinkit snorted with laughter, trying to hold it in at Hailkit's flabbergasted reaction. Hawkkit tried to bite down so he wouldn't laugh out loud, but a few snorts escaped him.
"No fair! I wasn't ready!" Hailkit protested; flushing with embarrassment.
"But you just said anyone could do it!" Seedkit pointed out in between the fits of giggling. "And Robinkit wasn't even paying attention when Hawkkit hurled the ball either."
Hailkit frowned but then it turned into a smirk. "I guess this means the ball is all mine then." He meowed; snagging the ball in is claws to display it. He saw the others expressions of shock and outrage, and smirked even more. "What? You want this? Come and get it then!"
At once, Hawkkit and the others hurled toward Hailkit to try and pry the ball away from him. Laughing and having fun for the rest of the day, their previous problems completely forgotten. Hawkkit could even put his dislike for Hailkit aside in order to keep his friends content. Even Robinkit seem to be more open now and not nearly as timid as he was before.
Hawkkit stopped in mid-game however, when his ears pricked at the sound of rustling leaves near the camp's entrance. Turning his attention away from the game, he focused his eyes and saw Swallowfeather arrive with Haypaw by her side; the two of them carrying plenty of fresh-kill in their jaws.
They are back from the assessment! Hawkkit realized. He focused his eyes to the sky and noted the sun nearly set over the horizon; diving behind the stone walls of the camp. He saw the two of them deposit their catch over to the pile before sharing a few words with Shrewstar. Curious to learn what they're talking about, Hawkkit pricked his ears and swiveled in their direction.
"So Haypaw qualifies?" Shrewstar prompted with a cool meow.
"He passed the assessment with ease." Swallowfeather reported, glancing back towards Haypaw with pride in her blue eyes. "He has more than proven himself worthy of earning his warrior name."
"Then it is agreed?" Shrewstar asked, shifting his gaze between the two mentors and his deputy. All of them nodded in confirmation. "Very well." The leader said before standing from his spot and walking away from them, followed closely by Russetheart just beside him.
"Hawkkit? Is everything okay?" Hawkkit snapped out of his view and unfocused his eyes back to normal when he heard Lilykit's quizzical mew beside him. "You just stopped playing out of nowhere."
"Runningpaw and Haypaw are becoming warriors now." Hawkkit explained to them. "Shrewstar is just about to start their warrior ceremony!"
"What? How do you know tha-"
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather around beneath the Deadtree for a Clan meeting." Shrewstar's voice called from the very top of the tree. One by one, the cats leave their dens at their leaders call and food the clearing.
"Come on, let's go up at the front before the spots are taken, or else we won't see anything!" Lilykit exclaimed, already bouncing away to the ceremony.
"But we aren't old enough to catch our own prey!" Robinkit pointed out unsurely.
"No one will complain." Hawkkit reasoned, nudging his brother towards the crowd.
Hawkkit and Robinkit swerved through the crowd of cats until they've reached the very front. They met up with Lilykit and the others and sat beside them. Focusing his eyes, Hawkkit could see his father sitting beside Swallowfeather just to the right of the Deadtree. Among the crowd he spotted Brindlecloud sitting neatly with her tail curled in front of her, murmuring to Skyfang sitting next to her. The silver tabby queen's belly is an enormous bulge now; it won't be long until her kits are due.
Hawkkit unfocused his eyes as the talk died down among the crowd. Haypaw and Runningpaw were standing in the middle of the clearing, staring upwards at Shrewstar as he started the ceremony.
"I, Shrewstar, leader of StoneClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." He announced; his voice loud and clear but calm and unwavering. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your own life?"
"I do." Runningpaw and Haypaw vowed simultaneously.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names." Shrewstar went on; his gaze fixated on Runningpaw first. "Runningpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Runningshade. StarClan honors your speed and cleverness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan."
Shrewstar jumped down from the top of the Deadtree to approach Runningshade. He bent his head forward and rested his nose to his head. Runningshade licked Shrewstar's shoulder in gratitude before they stepped away from each other. Shrewstar's attention shifted to Haypaw.
"Haypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Haystripe. StarClan honors your spirit and energy, and we welcome you as a full warrior of StoneClan." Shrewstar announces, before resting his head on top of Haystripe's. In return, Haystripe bent forward and licked his leader's shoulder in gratitude.
"Runningshade! Haystripe! Runningshade! Haystripe!"
The clan began to chant loudly, cheering for their Clanmates new names. Hawkkit and the others shared amused glances, but weren't sure if they should join in on the chanting as well. But since they were all friends with Haystripe at least, and Runningshade was Rowanwhisker's apprentice it made sense for them to cheer as well.
"As it is tradition to our customs, the newly made warriors shall sit vigil for us tonight and guard the camp in silence while we rest." Shrewstar went on. "And with that, this meeting is over."
The crowd scattered; many of them going ahead and congratulate the newest warriors of the clan. Hawkkit and the others included.
Hawkkit watched Runningshade and Haystripe make their way to stand right in front of the camp's entrance. Sitting straight and staring ahead of them, without moving or uttering a single sound. Hawkkit stared at them with admiration; he held so much respect for them. Finally warriors.
There will be the day when it's his turn to sit vigil for his clan. Him and Robinkit, side by side; together. I can't wait to start my training! But even more so, I can't wait to earn my warrior name!