Chapter 9: New Warriors
Oddkit sat at the edge of the nursery watching as the cats of MoonClan streamed out of the ancient stone ruins and gathered in the middle of the clearing for a Clan meeting.
Ravenstar's den was located right in the middle of the clearing. In a tall stone tower. The dark Clan leader was proudly perched at the very top looking down on her Clan. The cats gathered around three Apprentices, Sootpaw, Bluepaw and Dewpaw, who were now ready to become Warriors.
Flutter had left Oddkit in the care of Sweetkit's mother Laurelstep. The tortoiseshell Queen was watching the cats gather with her two kits by her side, Cricketkit and Sweetkit, who was sitting next to Oddkit. Shimmerheart and Radiantkit sat inside the nursery, not taking the slightest bit of interest.
"Why can't I be a Warrior?" Moaned Cricketkit, he was a white tom with a grey patches and yellow eyes. He was Sweetkit's brother but didn't act like her in the slightest.
"Hush Cricketkit," warned Laurelstep, "you'll be a Warrior when you're ready." Cricketkit frowned at his tortoiseshell mother with a stubborn look, "but I want to be a Warrior now!" He sulked.
"Shut up mouse-brain!" Hissed Sweetkit, earning an aggressive hiss from her aggressive grey and white patched litter-mate. "That's enough," Laurelstep sighed. Sweetkit turned to Oddkit and whispered into her one cream coloured ear, "StarClan he's annoying," she whispered to her friend.
"I know," replied Oddkit "I honestly don't see how he's related to you."
"He's probably adopted," Sweetkit smirked, "Blazewing and Shimmerheart are probably his real parents."
"Ew gross," Oddkit exclaimed, "that would mean he's related to me."
"How would he?" Sweetkit asked.
Oddkit rolled her miss-matched eyes at her best friend. "Shimmerheart's my mother mouse-brain!" She scolded the white and ginger kit. "Oh yeah!" Sweetkit answered, "I completely forgot about that. I've always seen Flutter as your real mother."
"Yeah me to," answered Oddkit.
"Wait," added Sweetkit, "then if Cricketkit's real parents are Blazewing and Shimmerheart, then that makes Cricketkit your new half-brother and Blazewing your new step farther."
Oddkit nearly jumped higher than the Moon itself. "Are you trying to give me nightmares?!" She asked her giggling friend.
As Sweetkit was still in hysterics at her own joke and the cats were still gathering. Oddkit tuck the liberty look around at the scene before her. Her foster mother Flutter was staring at her three real kits with love and pride filled eyes. Oddkit wondered, when she becomes a Warrior, will Flutter look at her like she does her real kits.
Her eyes then drifted to Sootpaw, Bluepaw and Dewpaw. The three Warriors-to-be were sitting tall just below Ravenstar's den. Sootpaw and Bluepaw had grown into large and powerful Warriors, Extreme Moon Dance training will do that, and both had allot of talent in the Extreme Moon Dances. Yet Dewpaw, having trained in Graceful Moon Dances of had remained quite small and sleek.
Sootpaw's white pelt with ginger and black patches on his back, was nearly washed into place. Bluepaw's black fur and Dewpaw's pale and black striped tabby pelt were also very nearly groomed. Oddkit had watched Flutter groom their fur for this accession. It tuck her ages to complete. Yet she was sure, Flutter enjoyed every moment of it.
Next Oddkit noticed Bluepaw and her mentor Treeheart lock eyes. As the blue and green gazes met, Oddkit could see pride shining in Treeheart's green gaze and pure happiness glittering in Bluepaw's blue orbs.
Oddkit knew that the mentor and Apprentice were close, and she wondered if she would be as close to her mentor as Bluepaw was to Treeheart. She dearly hoped so.
The sound of Ravenstar clearing her throat made every cat silent. Oddkit stated up at the jet black pelted leader as her golden eyes scanned the three Apprentices. "I Ravenstar," she announced, "leader of MoonClan, call up on my moonlit ancestors to look down on these three Apprentices."
"They have trained hard to understand the ways if your noble code and I commend them to you as Warriors in their turn." Ravenstar's yellow glaze locked on Nightfur, Sootpaw's mentor.
"Nightfur," Ravenstar called "is you're Apprentice Sootpaw ready to become a Warrior of MoonClan?" She asked the dark tabby tom sitting in the crowd. "He is Ravenstar," Nightfur answered with a smile.
"In that case," Ravenstar carried on "Sootpaw step forward." The large tom stepped to the foot of High Ledge. His blue eyes shining with excitement.
"Sootpaw," called Ravenstar "do you promise to uphold the legacy of moonlight and guard the secrets of the Moonflowers as long as you live?" Ravenstar asked.
"I do Ravenstar," the large tom gleamed.
"Then by the power of StarClan, I Ravenstar, name you Sootfur, Warrior of MoonClan."
Sootfur bowed to the leader before joining his siblings. His exited smile never leaving his face. "Treeheart," Ravenstar called, "is Bluepaw ready to become a Warrior?" She asked. An even bigger smile crept over the toms proud face, "Yes," Treeheart answered instantly "yes she is."
"Bluepaw step forward," Ravenstar called. The young black she-cat did so with pride in her step. "Bluepaw," Ravenstar addressed, "do you promise to uphold the legacy of moonlight and guard the secrets of the Moonflowers as long as you live?" Ravenstar asked.
"Yes I do Ravenstar," Bluepaw smirked with apprehension and excitement . "Then by the power of StarClan, I Ravenstar, name you Bluetail, Warrior of MoonClan."
Oddkit was surprised that Bluetail had an unreadable facial expression and sat for a moment or two before bowing to her leader and going back to join her brothers. Now, only Dewpaw was left.
"Streamshine," Ravenstar called "is Dewpaw ready to become a Warrior?" She asked the grey tabby striped she-cat. "He is Ravenstar," Streamshine answered.
"Dewpaw step forward," Ravenstar glanced at the shy looking tabby as Sootfur nudged him forward. "Dewpaw," Ravenstar addressed when the pale tabby finally reached the foot of High Ledge. "Do you promise to uphold the legacy of moonlight and guard the secrets of the Moonflowers as long as you live?" Ravenstar asked.
"I-I do Ravenstar," he stuttered, yet the smile on his face told Oddkit and the rest if the Clan that he was with out a doubt serious. "Then by the power of StarClan, I Ravenstar, name you Dewcloud, Warrior of MoonClan."
Dewcloud made a quick bow before bounding over to his siblings with an ecstatic smile in his face.
"Sootfur! Bluetail! Dewcloud! Sootfur! Bluetail! Dewcloud!" The Clan cheered, Flutter's cheers booming above the rest. Oddkit cheered along with them, feeling strangely proud. When she felt Sweetkit's warm breath on her ear. "That will be us one day," the ginger and white she-cat promised.
Despite the doubts Oddkit had in her mind she smiled at Sweetkit and continued to cheer.
That night, the nursery was filled with voices. "You must be so proud of your kits Flutter," stated Laurelstep with a wondrous grin on her pretty face. "I've never been so proud in all of my life," Flutter replied with a smile that didn't lie.
"I know that no cat will be more proud than I, when Radiantkit gets invited to join the Representatives," Shimmerheart bragged. Oddkit was listening to their conversation from where she was playing bunny hop with Sweetkit in the corner of the nursery.
"Now, now Shimmerheart," giggled Flutter, far too proud to be annoyed by Shimmerheart's boasting. "Let Radiantkit be a Warrior before a Representative." Shimmerheart cringed at the golden Queen, she seemed to like cringing allot these days, "don't be idiotic," she hissed to the permanent Queen, "my Radiantkit is far too beautiful to be in such a barbaric position. She will be offered the position of a Representative as soon as she finished her training."
"Are you sure?" Asked Laurelstep "that's never been done before." Shimmerheart turned to the younger Queen in a scorn. "Well a Queen who got pregnant while she was still an Apprentice had never been done before either Laurelstep!" She snapped.
Sensing the tension in the air all the kits stopped playing and stated at the shocked she-cats. Laurelstep's eyes were as wide as the full moon, her mouth hung a gape. Flutter scowled at the silver, grey and white Queen. "Don't try and pick fights around the kits Shimmerheart," Flutter warned dangerously.
"I'm not picking fights, I'm telling the truth!" Shimmerheart snapped back.
"You may think that out there in the camp and other clans you rule the ranks," stated Flutter. "But this is the nursery, and here, I'm the boss."
"I don't care what you are," Shimmerheart replied, "no one doubts my Radiantkit."
Oddkit's eyes moved to Radiantkit, who was chatting to Cricketkit over in the corner. And for the first time in her life she was truly shocked. For the first time in her life, she realised that that kit was her sister. Oddkit almost jumped back. She always knew that Radiantkit was her sister, but she had never given it a second thought.
She hadn't talked to Radiantkit once in her life. Shimmerheart hardly let the beautiful kit out of her sight. And hardly ever let her leave the nursery, saying that her beauty should be saved. Cricketkit hung out in the nursery with Radiantkit allot.
Oddkit had a hunch that Cricketkit liked Radiantkit. But who wouldn't like Radiantkit. She was probably one of the most beautiful cats in the Clan and she was still only a kit. Her fur was a light grey tinged silver, long and soft, with a snowy white underbelly and the softest blue eyes that looked as velvety soft as her fur. She had a voice like a soft stream of running water, the kind of voice that drew a cats to her from miles around just to hear her speak.
Oddkit remembered their naming ceremony. When the entire Clan crowded around the nursery to see the small, beautiful kit shine like a miracle wrapped in moonlight. Many of the Clan cats grew exited and emotional at the sight of her. "She's a gift from StarClan!" They had yelled to the skies, "a true miracle!"
On that night Shimmerheart gave her the name Radiantkit, for obvious reasons. Oddkit had sat with Sweetkit and Flutter the whole hight. Not noticing the disgusted looks the other cats sent her.
Her yellow pelt didn't shine in the moonlight at all, her eyes were strange and miss-matched, like StarClan had ran out of blue eyes and given her one green eye. Or ran out of green and given her one blue eye. She didn't know which colour was meant to be her original.
Her voice wasn't the same as Radiantkit's either. Her's was high pitched and squeaky like Sweetkit's.
So on that night Shimmerheart named her Oddkit. Flutter tried to protest, saying that the name was cruel and that Shimmerheart gave her up and had no right to name her. Yet the laws where that only a mother could name the kits. And so her name was Oddkit and there was nothing any cat could do about it.
Oddkit hated it at first but grew accustom to the name over time. Flutter had told her that once she became a Warrior she can choice to change her name. Flutter had also told her that she would have named her Tansykit, for her bright yellow pelt.
Shimmerheart noticed Oddkit staring at Radiantkit and scowled at her. "Stop looking at my kit!" She warned unleashing her claws, "little yellow rat! You have no right to lay your ugly eyes on such beauty." Oddkit's head hung low as the mean words that Blazewing said mixed with those of Shimmerheart's.
Sweetkit jumped on front of Oddkit and Flutter snarled. "Say one more word to my kit Shimmerheart," she warned in a low danger filled voice, "then it will be the last thing you do."
"You're threatening me?" Asked Shimmerheart in a high pitched voice, "what kind of a Queen are you? You're supposed to care for the other Queens."
"My main priority is the kits!" Flutter snapped, "What kind of a Queen am I? What kind of a Queen are you? Bullying a little kit. You're lucky I don't have you removed from this nursery."
"You can't remove me from the nursery!" Shimmerheart exclaimed "you have no right rouge!" Flutter stud on her paws and approached the still lying she-cat, towering over her. "Try me Shimmerheart," Flutter sneered "try me and see how far you get."
Shimmerheart turned to Laurelstep, "don't you have anything to add Laurelstep!" She commanded despite that fact that she was insulting Laurelstep not only a few moments ago.
"W-Well..." Laurelstep stuttered "I-um... Suppose that... Um well... I think... Um." Shimmerheart scoffed dismissively as she hissed at the young tortoiseshell Queen.
Laurelstep hung her head low. Flutter growled as fierce as a lion at Shimmerheart. That quickly shut the she-cat up. Radiantkit went to join her mother. And Shimmerheart glumly started to bath her kits slickly soft fur.
As the nursery slumped into silence, Sweetkit stomped outside. Oddkit followed after her. Sweetkit sat on a rock in the clearing under the moonlight. Oddkit noticed how like all MoonClan cats, her pelt shone like sliver. She then sadly remembered how hers did not.
Oddkit went to join her friend. "Hey," she greeted as she reached her side "what's wrong Sweetkit?" The ginger and white she-cat kept her amber gaze fixed on the floor as her claws dug into the rock she was sitting on. "Why are they so mean?" Sweetkit asked in a voice that was barely over a silent whisper compared to her usual high voice, "What?" Asked Oddkit.
"Why are they so mean to you?" Sweetkit repeated, "Blazewing, Shimmerheart, Cricketkit, even my mother's to cowardly to stand up to Shimmerheart."
"Well," Oddkit really wasn't too sure but she had a hunch, "it might be to do with the colour of my fur and miss-matched eyes. They think it's weird. And Laurelstep knows that what Shimmerheart's doing is wrong but is too scared to stand up to her."
"That's stupid!" Sweetkit snapped "me and Flutter don't hate you coz of those things. Why should they?" Sweetkit asked with anger.
"I dunno," Oddkit shrugged sadly, she really didn't know.
"It's stupid," hissed Sweetkit, digging her claws into the rock even deeper, so deep in fact that Oddkit feared she may never get them back out. "I know," answered Oddkit pressing her yellow fur against Sweetkit's for comfort. "But I've still got you and Flutter," she stated, "and for now that's enough."
Sweetkit leaned into Oddkit yellow fur. Oddkit could tell she was still upset but she'll get over it and be back to the normal old hyper Sweetkit in no time.
Oddkit stared wishfully at the half moon and stars above and made an inner promise to herself. 'One day I'll be the most helpful cat in the Clan, then every cat will have to like me,' she promised herself. And it seemed like the most promising way to make that happen, was to be one a Medicine Cat.
Wanted to post sooner but my mum decided she wanted to hog the laptop. Sorry again for any mistakes!
