A/N: This chapter is mostly going to be focused on the Night Shifters and Kurt meeting the clan, along with a few vital points/characters to the plot. Next chapter will be all in the human world and take place the same time as these. (Basically this chapter is what happens at night, the next is the days during Kurt's stay at Dalton) Things are going to get more confusing before they get better so remember, any questions you have, feel free to ask! I'll post the answers at the bottom of the next chapter, unless they are key points to the plot, and then they will be answered on their own in the story.
As I did with the last chapter, here's a free explanation: The camp Wes took Kurt to see is where the clan lives. The dens Kurt saw were the Elder's den, and Nursery. Usually the two are individual dens, Elders(retired cats) in one, Queens(Mothers) in another. But the camp is large enough to split it into a few dens, giving cats more room.
(Little note: Yes, they do have other names. No, I will not be changing names. I will still use their human names. At the bottom of this chapter, there will be a list of other names)
Chapter 4: From this moment on
"There's a dog in the forest!"
Alarmed mews sounded throughout the camp. The queen Elizabeth was talking to ushered Sorrel and Dove into one of the dens. Trent was racing over with Brittany and another she-cat. The clan was moving quickly around.
"We need to chase it off!" Kurt looked to where the voice came from.
It's the cat that saved me from the dog! He recognized the larger cat, his eyes were hard with power.
"It'll take a strong patrol to do that!" One of the cats that was with Thad announced as he leaned on Thad.
The large cat nodded. "Liz! Wes! I want you each to take a patrol and lead it away." He jumped down from his perch on top of the rocks. "I'll come with Liz's patrol."
Elizabeth looked at the cats in the clearing. "Dusk, Brittany…Vixen, and Yarrow." She announced.
"Trent, Soot, Mist, and Trout, you're with me!" Wes called.
The cats gathered around them. Elizabeth looked at Kurt. "Stay here," Her muzzle flicked towards one of the dens. "Guard them."
Kurt nodded, walking on shaking paws to the den his mother pointed out. He wanted to fight! But at the same time, he just wanted to hide away. The den he was guarding smelled strongly of herbs, and his mind flashed to Devin. Am I guarding the Medicine cat den? He wondered.
A cream colored she-cat poked her head out of the den. "Come inside! If the dog breaks through, you'll do more good hidden!" She told him, and Kurt followed her inside.
One side of the den was lined with moss and ferns. A few cats were asleep in the makeshift nests, oblivious to the danger. A queen with three kits laid nearby, her eyes watching Kurt fearfully as her kits mewled and tried to get closer to him.
"Kurt!" A night black cat padded over to him. His belly fur was a dark brown color, and there were two white stripes going down his back like a badger. "Is there really a dog?"
"Devin?" The cat nodded. "I guess there is, Thad came racing in with three other cats yowling about one."
Devin nodded. "Then there is one. Thad's the best tracker in the forest."
This cat seemed so different from the scared ten year-old Kurt met at Dalton. He seemed more confident, more prideful. Devin sniffed at his shoulder before grimacing.
"Creamfur! How much marigold do we have?" He called to the she-cat that told Kurt to come into the den.
She checked a corner of the den where Kurt could see piles of leaves and berries and seeds. "Plenty, is his shoulder ok?"
Devin shook his head. "Looks like it could get infected."
"Use cobweb on it too Littlepaw." Creamfur mewed, bringing over the marigold. "You must be Softheart's kit." She purred to Kurt. "I'm Creamfur, one of the medicine cats here. Littlepaw- oh you probably know him as Devin- is my apprentice."
"What's that?" He pointed with his tail to the leaves.
"Marigold." Creamfur explained as Devin came over, one paw tangled in cobwebs. "It's to stop infection."
"The stuff I put on it before won't follow you here." Devin took over the explanation as Creamfur chewed at the marigold. "And going through the entrance to camp with that probably got it all dirty. So the marigold should clean it out. The cobwebs will keep the marigold in place, and keep anything else from getting into the scratches."
Kurt watched silently as Creamfur put the poultice on before sticking the cobwebs to it. It didn't sting like the cleaning alcohol did. While she worked, Kurt thought about the strange names. Did all the cats have names like Creamfur's? Did Wes? He guessed that Softheart was Elizabeth. Did he have another name?
"There, all done." Creamfur sat back. "Ready to fight off any dog that tries to break in?" She teased him.
"Of course!" Did he have a choice really? He wouldn't mind the chance to stretch his claws though.
Devin rolled his eyes. "You seemed interested in Medicine cat stuff before!"
"Really now?" Creamfur's questioning gaze raked over him, growing into puzzlement as she whispered something under her breath. "Never mind that." She shook her head. "There's time for him to choose."
"Not much time." The growl came from beside the queen with kits.
"There's plenty of time Hawkclaw." Creamfur bristled. "He's only just got here."
Hawkclaw was a pretty large cat, but it was his paws and the claws they hid that surprised Kurt. His paws were massive, the speckled gray fur doing nothing to hide their strength. Kurt stifled a gasp at the cat turned to look at him with one eye. The fur around where his other eye would be was sleek, gleaming around large wounds like the ones Kurt sported.
"He got his name because of the hawk that took his eye." Devin whispered. "I'm glad I didn't get him as a mentor!"
"He's a medicine cat?" Kurt hissed silently.
The smaller cat nodded. "He and Creamfur are the two here. But he was a warrior before that."
Kurt didn't have to ask what a warrior was.
"Momma I'm fine!" The squeaking kit drew everyone's attention in. "I wanna go see the dog!"
Hawkclaw hissed at the kit. "You'll do no such thing!"
The queen's ears flattened. "She was just curious!" She drew all three kits closer to her belly. Outside, the dog's barks signaled the patrol's arrival to it. Kurt shivered and tried to keep his fur flat from the noise.
Hearing it out there while he was trapped inside made his mind up. There was no way he could be a medicine cat. His claws slid out against the soft earth. Why wait for his decision? He was ready now! If his mother could be a warrior, why couldn't he?
The rest of the clan were as silent as mice as the barking drew closer. Devin crouched down beside Kurt, his eyes trained on the entrance to camp. If the dog broke through, they would have to fight. In the clearing, warriors stood guard at the other dens. Even a few queens and younger elders were ready.
Kurt flexed his claws and shoulders, falling into a crouch next to Devin. Without even thinking, he steadied his back paws to push him forward when needed. He could feel the power in them, feel everything from his claws to tail tip, his whole body was trembling with the thought of a fight.
But it was unneeded. The dog's barks traveled away from camp, and everyone relaxed. Kurt shoved away his disappointment at missing out on a fight, at least the kits were safe. He looked over to the three in the den, they were all peering out at him over their mother's tail. One of them, the one who wanted to see the dog, slipped out of her mother's grasp and tumbled into Kurt's paws.
"Are you an apprentice too?" She asked, looking up with wide golden eyes.
"Not yet." Kurt admitted. "But I'm going to be."
"Then you're a kit now?"
Kurt thought for a second before nodding. "I guess you could say that."
The kit squealed, leaping at Kurt and climbing up on his back. "You're a huge kit! Maybe you can be the dog in our games!"
"Gorsekit!" Her mother hissed. "Get down now! You'll hurt him!"
Kurt laughed. "It's ok, she's not hurting me." He stood up slowly, making sure Gorsekit wouldn't fall. "We can play later, after it's safe."
Gorsekit purred. "Yes! Hear that Rabbitkit? Minnowkit?" She called to her littermates.
"Only a moon old and already they think they're the biggest kits in the clan, next to you of course." Devin plucked Gorsekit from her perch on Kurt's shoulders. "Go back to your nest. It's not safe yet, we have to wait for Rushclaw's all clear."
So many names… Kurt thought. Why couldn't they be easier things to remember?
"Rushclaw's the deputy." Devin nodded to the black and white cat sitting in the center of the clearing. "He'll be able to see the patrols first, and tell us if it's safe."
"He's no deputy." Hawkclaw growled. "He's just a head-strong warrior who thinks Softheart is just that, too soft!"
Yowls broke outside of camp and every cat stiffened. The sound made Kurt's blood run cold. Mom! He couldn't stay in the den any longer. Rushing out as fast as his paws could carry him, and Devin fast on his heels, he ran out of camp. He heard Rushclaw calling after them before three other cats followed.
"Never thought I'd see you here." One said, catching up to Kurt.
"Guess it runs in the family, even if by marriage." Kurt greeted him. "Mike, what can we do to fight that dog?"
Mike was silent for a second, giving one of the other cats a chance to speak.
"Don't think, just attack!"
Kurt nodded, pushing his paws to move faster as they cleared a fallen tree in a few leaps. His claws tore at the bark as he saw the dog right behind the tree. It had one hefty paw pinning Elizabeth down, it's jaws ready to snap at her neck.
"I don't think so mutt!" Kurt hissed, slamming into its jaw with a well-timed leap. He heard a satisfying crack as one tooth feel beside him. Guess we'll know if this is Sebastian by how many teeth the meerkat has left. Kurt's tail lashed back and forth as the dog abandoned Elizabeth for his much younger prey. "Come on mutt! Let's see you take me on!"
"Kurt, no don't! Run!" Elizabeth called as Mike helped her to her paws. Devin gave her pelt a quick sniff before ordering her up the tree with the other two patrols. They tried their hardest to get the dog away, but it was just too quick.
The dog snarled, looking strange with one tooth missing. Kurt looked into its eyes, this one wasn't the one he wanted to fight. But it didn't matter, he had friends to protect. With a snarl of his own, he leaped at the dog, slashing at its muzzle with a few quick lashes before diving underneath it to avoid the counterattack. The dog yelped in surprise as Kurt's teeth sank into its belly, his claws slashing at the dog's leg.
Kurt let go with a yowl as the dog grabbed his tail. His breath was knocked out of him as one of the dog's paws came down on his chest. He struggled for breath as two of the cats from the first patrols fell onto the dog from the tree. They attacked it from above as the two nameless cats that came with Kurt attacked from below.
Seeing a losing battle, the dog began to back off, letting Kurt up in the process. He aimed one more feeble paw swipe at the dog before it was out of reach before letting his head fall to the ground. His chest heaved with the effort of breathing and he barely noticed one cat helping him to sit up.
"Come on Kurt, you'll feel better if you can get at least somewhat sitting." It was Devin underneath him, pushing up as another cat pulled him by his scruff.
The leader was the one who had Kurt's scruff. "It…It's you….the cat from before…"
"That was foolish!" He growled. "Twice, I've had to watch you fight a dog! What if Wes and I had not jumped in time? What if I hadn't found you the first time?"
"Kurt!" Elizabeth was out of the tree quickly, rushing over to her kit. She took Devin's place, supporting Kurt and giving his chest a few strong licks.
Kurt fell against Elizabeth, glad for his mother's support. "Why…why haven't I woke up? I thought I woke up when I was injured…"
"Your body's adjusted to it." Wes told him. "Usually twenty minutes is the limit, but it's been an hour now. Wait until you're here from dusk to dawn." He pulled Kurt to his paws, steadying him and taking the leader's spot at his side. Kurt leaned gratefully on Wes' strong shoulder. "Take everything you've been told about dreams, and throw it out the window."
"I think we can throw reality out there too." Kurt complained. He looked to the other cats. Everyone seemed shaken, whether from excitement or fear, but no one seemed too badly hurt. "And speak of being told…I've been hearing quite a few strange names."
Wes grimaced. "I told them to wait on that…I'll explain it when you aren't dead on your paws."
~.~.~.~.~
The trek back to camp seemed to be even longer than the trip to fight the dog. Kurt was practically carried by Wes and Mike, Elizabeth was leaning heavily on the leader, and Brittany walked closely with Yarrowbrush and Vixenpelt. Trent was talking to the other cats on the patrol, they seemed to be discussing something important, but Kurt couldn't hear it clearly.
"Creamfur!" Devin called as they finally reached the camp. "We're back!"
Creamfur rushed over, herbs dangling from her jaws as she looked at the patrol. "Get Kurt to the den, I can treat the others here." She instructed.
"Come on Kurt, just a bit farther." Wes grunted, grabbing Kurt's scruff to adjust how the tom was standing.
Kurt fell almost limp in his jaws, he was tired and his lungs still burned. All he wanted to do was to wake up, or fall into a dreamless sleep. He barely noticed when Mike scrambled under him and lifted Kurt onto his back.
"That dog really did a number on you didn't he." Mike steadied Kurt before walking towards the Medicine cat den. "Or is it the asthma?"
"B….both…" Kurt gasped. He had forgotten about the ailment. The air in the forest was fresh and clean, nothing had triggered his asthma before. But the pressure on his lungs, and the dog's disgusting scent, must have triggered it.
"Shit." Mike whispered. "And there's no chance of waking up yet…"
"I can see if I can reach Jeff or Nick." Wes offered. "They can try and wake him up."
Mike shook his head. "Hawkclaw can treat it. This is nothing compared to the coughing fit Dovekit had a while ago." He lowered Kurt slowly into one of the nests near Gorsekit and her siblings. The three of them watched as Kurt tried to curl up, only to be stopped by their mother's paw.
"Don't do that." She told him. "It'll only make it worse."
"Hurts…" Kurt croaked. He wondered why he hadn't woken up yet. This was about as bad as all of the nightmares, and he always woke up before anything serious could happen.
"I know. You just went up against a dog if my hearing is correct. You're bound to be hurting." Her tongue drew over his ears, the motion soothing him slightly.
A low growl caught their attention as Hawkclaw set down a few herbs next to the nest. "Asthma and dog fighting are not two things that should go together." He grumbled, pawing out different leaves from the pile. "These are burnet for strength, coltsfoot to clear your lungs, juniper," he rolled a berry from the pile, "for breathing-"
"Just give them to him, he doesn't need to know all of them!" The queen snapped. Hawkclaw growled, shoving the herbs towards Kurt.
"I figured he'd like to know what I was giving him Featherstep."
And I'm supposed to eat them? He questioned silently. By Featherstep's expectant look, he decided he was going to have to eat them. It was hard to swallow them, but he could feel them working fast. The burn in his lungs slowly died down and his head became clearer. They tasted odd, but not bad. Quicker than the inhaler too.
He rested his head on his paws, letting his eyes drift close as he fell into an uneasy sleep, and a painful awakening.
"Stretch out your paws, there you go." Featherstep ran her paw over Kurt's shoulder. "It's healing nicely."
Creamfur and Hawkclaw were out collecting herbs. Devin was nearby, checking over Elizabeth's wounds. Gorsekit, Minnowkit, and Rabbitkit sat by their mother quietly. Kurt was surprised at how well behaved they were, much different from yesterday. Even Gorsekit was sitting silently.
Kurt's legs trembled with the stretching. Featherstep told him to do a few as soon as he woke up, no matter which world he was in. It would keep his shoulder from going stiff. His chest fur brushed the ground as he stretched farther, his tail lengthening behind him. He spied Rabbitkit's tail, and poked at it gently with a claw.
The kit squeaked in surprise before turning on Kurt. "The dog almost got me!"
"Attack!" Gorsekit yowled.
Kurt purred as their tiny paws tried to push him out of the stretch. He finally gave way, toppling over onto his side as the kits scrambled onto him. "Glad to see you aren't made of stone anymore!"
Elizabeth watched her son fondly. "He'll make a great mentor one day, and a great father." Her gaze raked over her son, seeing so much difference in the bubbly kit she had raised. From what Wes and Brittany had told her, he grew to be cold towards mostly everyone. It was self-defense, but she frowned as she remembered Brittany telling her of Kurt's fear that Burt wouldn't accept him.
Gorsekit and Minnowkit held on as Kurt turned back onto his belly. Rabbitkit jumped up to his head, worrying Kurt's ear with his teeth. "Let's get through my apprentice training first before there's any talk of kits." He said nervously.
Elizabeth agreed silently with the statement. There would be plenty of time for kits later. "Have you decided what path you'll take? I know Hawkclaw's been looking for an apprentice."
Kurt scowled. "And miss out on battles like the one against the dog? No way!"
"And here I thought the little Kittypet wouldn't want his fur getting dirty." Wes teased, walking into the den. "With as much fuss as you put over your hair and skin. Not to mention the fuss over clothing. Just today you were complaining about how dull the uniforms at Dalton are, again!"
"Well this is different." Kurt countered. "I doubt these three know who Marc Jacobs is."
"Who?" Rabbitkit asked.
"See?" Kurt's tail flicked. "Besides, if I'm going to be visiting here every time I fall asleep, I might as well become useful to the clan."
Devin looked up. "Medicine cats are useful. If it wasn't for Hawkclaw you could've died!"
"Well yeah, but I'd just be a better fighter. I don't think medicine cats are of any use if they argue with every cat that walks in."
"Enough you two," Elizabeth wrapped her tail around Kurt and gave Devin's ear a quick lick. "No fighting."
"It's good to see that our newest apprentice has a fighting spirit though."
Elizabeth bowed her head as the leader walked in. "Hello Stormstar."
Wes bent his head to whisper to Kurt. "That's Stormstar, the leader. Only leaders have –star."
Stormstar looked Kurt over. The small cat felt even smaller around this cat. The first time they met, he didn't seem any larger than Kurt. But now, looking at him closely, Kurt could tell he was quite larger. His fur reflected his name, off-white with darker gray patches, and his yellow eyes were like lightning.
"It's time for him to be welcomed as an apprentice." Stormstar decided. Elizabeth mewled in surprise, drawing Kurt closer to her side.
"So soon?" She questioned. "But it's only been a few days!"
Stormstar purred to the she-cat, "You were my apprentice on your second night here, Softheart."
Elizabeth still looked troubled, but nodded. Kurt wondered what was going on between his mother and the leader.
Sorrelkit did ask if I was his kit…what if-
Stormstar's booming yowl broke his thoughts. Wes waved his tail for Kurt to come out of the den, the kits trailing behind them with Featherstep and Elizabeth. The whole clan gathered in the clearing, Kurt could see Brittany, Mike, and Trent too. Thad had wretched a claw catching a vole, and was probably awake with Jeff or Nick to fix it.
"Today is a great day for the clan." Stormstar began. "New apprentices are always welcomed, and today we have two."
Kurt blinked in confusion. Two new apprentices today? He looked around for any other cat, and spied one of the kits from yesterday, Sorrelkit. She was buzzing with excitement, her tail quivering. Her eyes locked with his and he waved his tail to her.
"Sorrelkit, from this moment on, you shall be known as Sorrelpaw." Stormstar announced. "Yewstrike," Kurt felt Wes shift beside him, "you will be her mentor."
Sorrelpaw padded over to Wes, touching her nose to his.
So they did take other names, Kurt thought, at least Wes did.
"Kurt, step forward." Kurt stood up, walking slowly over to Stormstar. "You are new to the clan, but you fought like a seasoned clanmate against the dog. From this moment on, you shall be known as Songpaw." Stormstar looked to the clan, finding the right cat that he wanted. "Rushclaw."
Devin had pointed out the cat to him before. The tom walked up to him, standing only inches above Kurt. But there was something in his eyes that made Kurt's fur prickle.
"You shall be Songpaw's mentor." Kurt tried his hardest not to flinch as Rushclaw touched his nose to Kurt's head.
The clan moved around the two new apprentices, greeting them with warm mews and purrs. Elizabeth and Devin were the first two to reach Kurt.
"Congrats Kurt." Devin purred. "Too bad about the mentor though." He made sure Rushclaw couldn't hear before continuing. "He's a mean one…his last apprentice didn't last a month before he stopped coming here."
Kurt held his head high. "Well I won't be leaving any time soon." He promised.
"No more chasing after dogs and you won't have to leave." Elizabeth scolded him. "Honestly Kurt, what were you thinking?" She sighed. "At least now you have a mentor to listen to instead of your instincts."
The rustling of branches from up above Kurt startled him out of the hunting crouch he had been practicing. Above him, Sorrelpaw was with another warrior. Wes was staying up to do something unheard of in the Warblers; studying on a Saturday. Vixenpelt was teaching her how to climb trees.
Rushclaw on the other hand, was teaching Kurt how to hunt mice and voles. "You're doing it wrong!" He growled at Kurt. "Think of the mouse as the last thing that could save the clan."
Kurt scowled and crouched down again, making sure his weight was even before sliding his paws forward. There was no sound from him, only from Sorrelpaw and Rushclaw's twitching tail. He focused on what his mentor told him. The last thing that could save the clan…the only thing between Gorsekit, Minnowkit, Rabbitkit, and death.
"Try it again!" A shove from Rushclaw unbalanced him. Kurt could see why his last apprentice left.
You're not getting rid of me that easily. He crouched again, subtly tensing his muscles to ready himself for the shove. It came, and Kurt didn't move.
"You're stalking prey not becoming a rock! Stop tensing up, we're battle training now." Rushclaw turned away from Kurt, walking through the thick undergrowth. Kurt shook his pelt free of dirt from the last two falls before following after him.
It was only his first day of training, and Rushclaw had put him through his paces. Before hunting practice, he had been practicing paw slashes. And before that, it was a run through the forest. Kurt was sure he would be tired tomorrow.
On his way to the training spot- he had lost Rushclaw along the way and was using his mentor's scent to get there- he found Hawkclaw. The medicine cat was gathering juniper berries from a bush and growling to himself.
Why are he and Rushclaw so prickly? Kurt questioned silently.
"Omen…never been born…supposed to be a medicine cat…" Kurt picked up only some of what Hawkclaw had been saying.
"Hawkclaw?" He asked softly.
The medicine cat turned to look at him with a dark glare. "What? Rushclaw not training you hard enough? Have to come and bother a medicine cat instead? Or have you finally figured out you're supposed to be a medicine cat?"
"What?" Kurt stepped back. "What are you talking about?"
"Of course you wouldn't know, daft apprentices never pay attention to omens." Hawkclaw grumbled. "You wonder why you came here in the first place, right?" Kurt nodded. "It wasn't just because Softheart's here. No, you're destiny is not around her."
His fur began to bristle. "Well it's not around being a medicine cat either! I'm a warrior apprentice!"
"You're a Kittypet!"
"Hawkclaw." Kurt turned to the bushes where Wes walked out of. The tom had finally arrived in camp. "Creamfur needs you back at camp to take a look at one of the queens."
The medicine cat's ears flattened before he picked up the berries and walked towards camp. Wes walked over to Kurt, touching noses with his friend.
"Don't mind Hawkclaw, he's just grumpy about his brother getting an apprentice. He and Rushclaw are littermates." Wes explained.
Kurt nodded. "Have you seen Sorrelpaw yet?"
"Not yet."
"She's in the trees."
"And you are supposed to be at the training spot?" Wes questioned.
Kurt squeaked. He had forgotten about that in his banter with Hawkclaw. "Yes! I'm supposed to be there!" He raced through the forest, following Rushclaw's scent to a small clearing. But he doubted it was the right place. This clearing was close to the river, but full of rocks both smooth and jagged. "S-sorry Rushclaw. Hawkclaw-"
"My brother is nothing but a nuisance!" Rushclaw growled. "Climb up there!" He flicked his tail to the largest rock. Around it were many jagged rocks, but Kurt could see a path up it.
"Alright." He jumped up to the first smooth rock, wondering exactly what Rushclaw was planning. As he jumped to the next one, he found out what his mentor wanted. He ducked under a paw swipe, noticing the gleam of the sun on unsheathed claws.
But I thought we wouldn't use claws in training! Kurt jumped to the next rock, only a few more leaps until he would reach the base of the largest. Rushclaw matched him step for step though, weaving through and on the jagged rocks as if they were not even there. His claws snagged the new marigold that Devin put on Kurt's shoulder, ripping through the poultice like it was water.
Kurt leaped again, only to fall onto the next rock as another slash connected with his side. He growled, kicking out at Rushclaw and recoiling quickly before his mentor's jaws could snap around his leg. He scrambled up, jumping to the base of the rock before hooking his claws into one of the paw holds he found.
"Do you think it will be that easy?" Rushclaw jumped to a ledge above him, shoving him down with both front paws. Kurt could smell the blood as Rushclaw scratched at his nose, but didn't let it distract him.
Is this about jumping…if he won't let me climb? Kurt crouched down, taking a mighty leap up to where Rushclaw was. His mentor gave him a second to scramble up to the ledge before lashing out again.
Kurt screeched as the claws came close, screwing his eyes shut and wincing in pain as the blow hit the top of his muzzle. He heard the blood splatter on the rock and opened his eyes. Across his muzzle was a deep scratch, blood trickled down from it like an icicle in the sun.
"No enemy will stand around and wait for you." Rushclaw told him. "Do you think warriors hesitate? It only takes one heartbeat for your enemy to decide on an attack, and in that heartbeat they can kill you."
Kurt narrowed his eyes, determination numbing the stinging on his muzzle as he leaped at Rushclaw. The tom moved back, but he wasn't Kurt's target. In a single heartbeat, he twisted. The next paw hold was just above his mentor's head, and he used it to propel himself up to the next ledge.
Before Rushclaw reached him, Kurt scrambled up to the next, getting closer and closer to the top. Rushclaw tried to grab one of his back paws with his claws, but Kurt whipped his long tail down to knock the claws away. Just one more paw hold, and he would be at the top.
Kurt's lungs were beginning to burn again as he struggled to catch his paw on the hold. After the running he did before, he wasn't so sure he could make it up. His claws scraped against the rock, almost letting go until teeth dug into his scruff.
Rushclaw pulled him up the rest of the way, dropping him onto the large expanse of rock and letting Kurt stand up. "This was to test your determination. And you've passed."
Kurt let a choked purr escape at the half-praise. It wasn't an easy test. Looking out beyond the rocks, he couldn't see past the trees. But the river looked like a tiny stream from up there.
"Get used to the view." Rushclaw whispered. "Stormstar may lead the clan now, but soon it will be you leading them. I do not train any less than leaders."
Kurt shivered. He was barely an apprentice! But he couldn't deny, being leader sounded good. Don't think about it just yet Kurt Hummel. He warned himself.
But how could he not? Here, no one was judging him. The clan, other than the other Night Shifters, knew nothing of his ordeal with Blaine. Few probably knew he was gay, but the way Yarrowbrush and Troutstream were treated, he would safely guess none of the clan would care. And what was better, was that he was being noticed. Not pushed away for Blaine, not silenced by Rachel. Rushclaw had only eyes for him.
Songpaw may be a soft name, but let every cat here know that it does not belong to a soft cat! I'll listen to everything Rushclaw teaches me, and then…McKinley won't know what hit them!
A/N: Kurt's getting a bit cocky as a cat, isn't he? I'm blaming the new cats for that one.
List of names(Human – Cat)
Wes – Yewstrike
Kurt – Songpaw
Elizabeth – Softheart
Trent – Dewheart
Brittany – Ivystorm
Thad – Foxrush
Devin –Littlepaw
(This is only the known by Kurt cats. There will be others, and let's not forget our loveable dogs too! They don't have name changes though. And I will NOT be using their cat names. They will be called by these names in the feline world though. But never will I put things like {"[sentence here]" Yewstrike said.} Because it would get too confusing too quickly.)