Take Your Best Shot

"Take your best shot," growled the scarred tom.

The ginger kit looked uncertain. Her blue eyes were full of fear and her ears were flattened.

"What's wrong, kit? Scared?" The dark tom smirked.

The kit's eyes widened as she shook her head. "Frost is never scared!" She dashed forward, scampering underneath the tom and clawing his inner legs with her tiny claws.

The tom watched Frost with interest. "Weakling! You are my daughter! You must have gotten this from your weakling mother!"

Frost flattened her ears. "I'm sorry, Father."

Father growled and struck Frost with his large paw. Frost flew into a tree, landing on the ground with a thump.

Frost stood up shakily. Her back was ruffled and she was bleeding from a cut on her leg.

Father stalked over to his kit and picked her up by the scruff. He began to shake her back and forth violently.

Frost cried out in pain as she felt her fur and flesh tear from the back of her neck. "Father stop!"

"What did you do wrong? Answer and I'll stop!" he yowled at her as he continued to shake her.

"I apologized! Apologizing is for the weak! I am not weak!" Frost closed her eyes, ready to feel herself drop to the ground.

The impact of her hitting the ground was harder than usual. She could hear an oomph coming from the direction of her Father.

She quickly scrambled to her paws and looked around. She saw her Father pinned down by a strange light-grey cat. "Father!" She dashed forward, her claws unsheathed. "Get away from him!"

The strange cat looked at Frost with a confused expression. "Father?" She expression soon turned angry and she looked down at Father. "You're her father? You were abusing her!"

Father smirked and nodded. "She's my daughter, and I'm training her to be strong."

Frost stopped in her tracks, which was a fox-length away from her father.

"That's not training. That is abuse." growled the stranger, who Frost now recognized as a she-cat.

"She's my daughter, and I shall do with her what I please. Now if you could be so kind as to ge-"

Father was interrupted as the she-cat's claws dug into his throat. Frost's eyes widened in shock.

The she-cat's head leaned down so that her mouth was right next to Father's ear. She whispered into his ear, something Frost would never forget. "Not anymore."

Frost was shaking in her fur. Her father had been killed, and she had been taken to a strange place full of strange cats. She was on a high ledge, and she was very afraid.

The she-cat, who she now knew to be Wolfstar, placed her tail around Frost as she called to the cats. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me here beneath the Caveledge for a Clan meeting."

Clan? Caveledge? These confused Frost as she watched cats pour into the clearing down below.

"I have found this kit being abused by her rouge father. She is now my adopted kit. I have taken care of her father. Everyone, this is Frost." Wolfstar removed her tail to show the clan her new kit.

Frost stepped forward until she was at the edge of the ledge. She looked down at the cats. Her ears flattened as she saw looks of disapproval.

Wolfstar narrowed her eyes. "I will perform the ceremony. As Frost is a kit, I shall make my own ceremony.

"Frost, you have chosen to give up your rouge life to live the life of a Clan cat. You will train and live with the cats you see before you. Do you accept this life?"

Frost hesitated, before meowing, "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I name you Frostkit, a new kit of WolfClan." Wolfstar licked Frostkit's ear.

"Frostkit! Frostkit!" The cheering came from a little ginger kit from a den. His cheering was loud, and that perked up Frostkit.

"Frostkit! Frostkit!" She looked around and saw a ginger-and-white cat, as well as a brown-and-white cat, cheering for her.

Slowly, the whole Clan joined in for the cheering, welcoming Frostkit to their home.

As the cheering died away, Wolfstar nudged Frostkit with her head lightly. "That ginger kit is Adderkit. Make friends with him. Take your best shot."

"Frostkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Frostpaw. I will be your mentor." Wolfstar jumped down from Caveledge.

Frostpaw touched noses with her new mentor, trying to ignore the surprised looks from her clanmates. Her eyes glittered as she pulled away and her clanmates began to chant her apprentice name.

"Frostpaw! Frostpaw!" they chanted, Adderpaw and Flowerpaw the loudest.

Wolfstar looked down at Frostpaw with a motherly gaze. "You will be a great apprentice, Frostpaw. To be a warrior will take your best shot."

Frostpaw narrowed her eyes. Her tail swayed back and forth in concentration. This was her assessment to be a warrior. Her opponent, Flowerwish. The ginger-and-white she-cat was mirroring all of her moves.

"Come on! One of you have to make a move! Take your best shot!" called out Heatherstreak, the deputy.

Frostpaw's ear twitched as she heard the phrase that she had been hearing her whole life. Take your best shot. She gave a mental nod as she charged forward.

She zig-zagged forward, her eyes on Flowerwish's the entire time. She watched the warrior's eyes flicker to the left before she charged as well. Frostpaw smirked.

She quickly fainted to the left. Just as Flowerwish struck out, Frostpaw switched directions and lashed out her paw. She pushed as hard as she could, but to no avail.

Flowerwish turned on her and pushed her down. Her opponent pinned down her back.

Frostpaw struggled, but couldn't get out. She had one option left to win. She went limp, her eyes filled with determination.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Heatherstreak about to stop the fight. She watched Wolfstar put her tail in front of the deputy.

Frostpaw gave an inward sigh of relief as she felt Flowerwish relax. She smirked. Using all of her energy and strength, she pushed upwards.

Caught of guard, Flowerwish flew into the air and landed on the ground. Frostpaw quickly pinned the warrior.

Flowerwish relaxed, but Frostpaw wasn't going to fall for the same thing. When she pushed upwards, Frostpaw held on. Flowerwish collapsed on the ground, defeated.

"Okay, fight over! Frostpaw is definately the winner," meowed Heatherstreak.

Frostpaw smiled and stepped off of Flowerwish. "No hard feelings?"

"Of course not. Great job," meowed Flowerwish as she rolled herself to her paws. "You'll make a great warrior."

"Thanks."

"We all know that Frostpaw passed her hunting assessment. She has definately taken her best shot. She is ready to become a warrior," meowed Wolfstar.

Frostpaw smile widened. I'm going to be a warrior!

"We shall hold her ceremony when we get back to camp," Wolfstar informed the group of cats. "Let us head back."

The cats began to head back to camp. Frostpaw walked with Adderpaw, her best friend. "Congrats Frostpaw," meowed Adderpaw.

"Thanks," she purred.

"You'll make a great warrior. Then you'll be leader and I'll be your deputy!" Adderpaw meowed excitedly.

"I don't know... Maybe I'll make Fawnsoul deputy just to make you upset," she joked lightly.

Adderpaw gasped. "You wouldn't!"

"Oh, I would." Frostpaw flicked her tail over Adderpaw's nose.

The ginger tom sneezed. "Furball," he meowed playfully.

"You are sure RIGHT I AM!" Frostpaw wrapped her tail around Adderpaw's head. "I shall be Frostfurball, the greatest warrior ever!"

Adderpaw sneezed again. He pawed away Frostpaw's tail. "Frostfurball? Sounds too long. Maybe Frostfur or Frostball... or combine it to make Frostfall or Frostbur."

Frostpaw sighed. "Keep guessing. Go on, take your best shot."

Back at camp, Wolfstar called the cats into the clearing for Frostpaw's warrior ceremony. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me here beneath the Caveledge for a Clan meeting.

"Frostpaw has completed her assessment and is ready to become a warrior. Heatherstreak and I both feel that she is ready."

Frostpaw puffed out her chest. She looked at Heatherstreak, who nodded at her from her spot at the foot of the Caveledge.

Wolfstar continued. "I, Wolfstar, leader of WolfClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

"Frostpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Frostpaw lifted her head high. "I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Frostpaw, from this moment you will be known as Frostfire. Starclan honors your determination and independence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WolfClan." Wolfstar jumped down from the Caveledge and rested her muzzle on the new warrior's head.

Frostfire licked her shoulder as the Clan called her new name. "Frostfire! Frostfire!"

"Frostfire will hold a silent vigil tonight. She will guard the camp alone without saying anything," Wolfstar informed the Clan.

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirit of Heatherstreak may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WolfClan will be Frostfire."

Frostfire looked up in shock as she heard her name. "Th-thank you Wolfstar. I shall serve my Clan well."

From beside her, Adderblaze placed his tail on her shoulder. She turned to the tom and smiled. "You will be leader, just like we said as kits."

"You mean like you said." The new deputy swiped a paw at Adderblaze's ear. He didn't duck. "Furball."

"Though Wolfstar's death is a tragedy, we must not mourn for too long. There are rouges still out there, the same ones who killed our noble leader. Tonight, I shall travel to Mooncave and recieve my nine lives. In the mean time...

"I say these words before StarClan, that the spirit of Wolfstar may hear and approve of my choice. The new deputy of WolfClan will be Fawnsoul." Frostfire searched the crowd for the brown she-cat. Her eyes caught Adderblaze, who was frowning in disappointment.

"Thank you," meowed the she-cat. Frostfire located her. "I will serve my Clan well." Fawnsoul bowed her head slightly.

"Shrewfrost and I will leave for Mooncave as doon as the travel herbs are ready. Fawnsoul, you are in charge." Frostfire jumped down from the Caveledge and headed to the medicine cats' den.

"Shrewfrost? I'm ready to leave."

Froststar stood in front of the nine starry cats. Wolfstar stood in front of all the rest.

"I hail you by your new name, Froststar. Your old life is no more. You have now recieved the nine lives of a leader, and StarClan grants you the guardianship of WolfClan. Defend it well; care for young and old; honor your ancestors and the traditions of the warrior code; live each life with pride and dignity," meowed Wolfstar.

"Froststar! Froststar!" chanted the starry cats.

"Always remember," whispered Wolfstar. "Take your best shot."

AN- 1,879 words. This didn't take too long.

Froststar- a bright ginger she-cat with white markings on her ears, belly, chest, and paws. Her eyes are blue.

Father- a grey tom with a ginger chest and dark amber eyes.

Wolfstar- a light-grey she-cat with light green eyes.

Adderblaze- dark ginger tom with a light ginger stripe leading from his nose to the middle of his tail as well as light ginger markings on his ear tips. His eyes are green.

Heathersteak- a light brown she-cat with yellow eyes

Fawnsoul- pale brown she-cat with white markings on her ears and tail as well as three white spots on her lower back. Her eyes are light amber

Shrewfrost- a dark brown tom with a white tail and blue eyes