Lynxfur sat in the clearing with the kits, their ears flattened. Flameclaw got back not that long ago. Lynxfur watched as the ginger warrior paced back and forth across the nursery. Frostheart was sitting at the entrance, having been kicked out a while ago. Dapplepaw stuck his head out, eyes shinning. "Flameclaw, come meet your kits! You have two daughters!"
Flameclaw disappeared into the nursery, his pelt bristling with excitement. Icekit, Cheetahkit, and Shadekit bounded over to Frostheart. Together, they entered the nursery. Lynxfur rose to his paws and padded over to the entrance. He stuck his head in and saw two tiny kits at Flowerclaw's belly. One was ginger with a white tail-tip. The other was a golden tabby. "Did you name them yet?" Icekit asked, gazing at the kits.
"This is Cloudkit," Flowerclaw touched the ginger she-cat gently with her muzzle.
"Goldenkit," Flameclaw gave the golden tabby a gentle lick.
"They're going to be a pawful soon." Lynxfur warned Flameclaw, as he slid into the nursery. He nudged Icekit over to Frostheart.
"I know, but I don't care." Flameclaw meowed, lying down beside Flowerclaw. Lynxfur left the nursery, leaving the new family together.
A few moons passed, and Lynxfur's leg got stronger. He was now allowed to continue his duties. Lynxfur sat in the clearing, his chest puffed out with pride. His kits were becoming apprentices! Raccoonpaw got his warrior name a moon ago. He was Raccoonpelt now. The rogues had settled in well and the clan had grown to accept them. Snakefang had moved to the nursery, expecting Moonstripe's kits. Frostheart was sitting next to Lynxfur, purring loudly. Icepaw was bombarding Badgerflame with questions. The chilly wind cut through Lynxfur's pelt and he fluffed it up. Leaf-bare had arrived last moon with an early snowstorm. There was still snow on the ground but the warmth of the gathered clan had succeeded in melting a little bit of it.
"Until he has earned his warrior name, he shall be known as Cheetahpaw." Longstar meowed, his gaze narrowed. "Swallowtail, you have trained Moonstripe well. I expect you to pass on you know down to Cheetahpaw." Swallowtail padded forward and touched noses with Cheetahpaw. They withdrew into the clan.
"I hope Swallowtail trains him well," Lynxfur muttered under his breath. Despite his misgivings he knew that the tom will be a fine mentor for Cheetahpaw.
"Cheer up!" Frostheart gave him a hearty nudge. "He'll be a warrior before long." Lynxfur purred, Frostheart was right. They weren't kits anymore.
When he payed attention to the ceremony again, Longstar was calling Raccoonpelt forward. "Raccoonpelt, you are ready for your first apprentice. Even though you are a young warrior, I expect you to pass down all Lynxfur and Swallowtail have taught you down to your apprentice, Shadepaw."
"I'll try," Raccoonpelt promised. The young warrior stepped forward and touched noses with Shadepaw. They withdrew into the crowd. The clan burst into cheers.
"Shadepaw! Cheetahpaw! Icepaw!" Lynxfur cheered, padding over to his kits. Frostheart padded over at his side, her eyes shinning. Icepaw, Cheetahpaw, and Shadepaw looked excited and overwhelmed. The clan was pressed around them, offering their congratulations.
"I can't believe we're apprentices!" Cheetahpaw meowed, his tail twitching.
"I'm going to be the best fighter ever!" Icepaw declared, puffing out her chest. Lynxfur shook his head, Badgerflame sure had his work cut out for him.
"You can be the best fighter," Shadepaw cuffed Icepaw's ear. "I'm going to be the best warrior ever!"
"It's not a competition," Lynxfur meowed sternly. He gave each of his kits a gentle cuff to the head. "I expect all three of you train hard and listen to your mentors."
"Of course they will," Frostheart nudged Lynxfur away from them. She gave each of them a lick before they bounded over to their mentors. They watched as the new apprentices were led out of the camp. Raccoonpelt seemed to be doing fine, despite Shadepaw bouncing around his paws. Lynxfur figured that if Raccoonpelt needed any help, he could ask the senior warriors for advice.
"Ready to swim for a while?" Monarchfall asked, padding over. "It should be one of your last." The medicine cat looked tired. Dapplepaw had went over to the medicine cats den right after the ceremony. Buzzardwing and Juniperberry had come down with whitecough. Monarchfall and Dapplepaw had isolated them from the clan. They had begun collecting catmint a few days ago, fearing the worse.
"Of course," Lynxfur meowed. He had grown to like swimming, and some of his clanmates teased him about being a Riverclan cat. For once he didn't mind. At least it was better than what he used to get. "As long as I'm back for a hunting patrol later."
"Can I come?" Frostheart hadn't been out of the camp for a long while.
"Sure," Monarchfall meowed. "The more encouragement the better. He gets grumpy in the water."
"I'm not grumpy!" Lynxfur protested. He had only snapped at Monarchfall once. Ever since then, Monarchfall had been teasing him about being grumpy.
"Whatever you say," Monarchfall rolled his eyes. "Let's go before our fur falls off!" Lynxfur followed the medicine cat out of the camp, Frostheart at his side. They padded along a well-worn path that led to the twoleg half-bridge and the lake. As Lynxfur rounded a bramble bush, he saw the lake glittering up ahead. It hadn't frozen yet! He broke into a run, the wind flattening his whiskers against his face.
"Slow down!" Frostheart called, pelting after him. Monarchfall pounded at her heels. Lynxfur slowed to a halt at the shore and looked back at them. Monarchfall reached him first, Frostheart skidding to a halt a few moments later. She was puffing, her eyes glazed.
"You could run better than that," Lynxfur teased her.
Frostheart flicked her tail. "You try being in the nursery for six moons!" She retorted, stalking past him. She stood at the waterline, the water lapping her paws. She let out a sigh, her face tilted towards the leafbare sun. "I've missed being a warrior."
Monarchfall nudged Lynxfur into the cold water. "Why don't you start swimming?" Lynxfur didn't protest he padded deeper into the water. The pebbles rolled under his paws, but Lynxfur kept walking until the bottom dropped away from his paws. He disappeared under the water for a heartbeat before kicking out strongly. He rose to the surface, spluttering and snorting the water out from his nose. He moved his paws steadily, shivering as he did so. Slowly he began to feel warm and circled around to where Frostheart and Monarchfall were sitting on the shore. Frostheart's whiskers twitched with amusement and her eyes shone. Lynxfur swam over until he felt the pebbles under his paws again.
"Why don't you join in?" Lynxfur asked.
"It's not going to happen," Monarchfall shook his head. Lynxfur had tried to get the medicine cat to join him countless times before, but he always refused.
"What about you?" Lynxfur gazed at his mate.
"I don't know..."Frostheart meowed uncertainly.
"Oh, come on!" Lynxfur padded closer and splashed her. Frostheart stared at him in shock as he pranced away.
"You'll regret that!" Frostheart growled, leaping after him. She gasped as she slipped and fell into the cold water. Lynxfur paused, concern filling him. He had made sure to stick to the shallows since Frostheart couldn't swim. Relief filled him as Frostheart rose to her paws, her blue eyes wide. She was shivering, with cold or rage, Lynxfur couldn't tell.
"Are you okay?" Lynxfur padded over and sniffed her.
Quick as a flash, Frostheart swiped his paws out from under him. Then she pinned him in the river, taking care to keep his muzzle above the water. Lynxfur stared at her in surprise as she growled playfully. "Now I am!"
"Get off me, you great lump!" Lynxfur growled, water rushing into his mouth. Frostheart let him up, and he spat out the water. He raised his paw to splash her again but Monarchfall beat him to it.
"That's enough!" Monarchfall called. "Let's head back to camp." Lynxfur padded out of the lake, Frostheart beside him. Lynxfur moved with ease, his injured leg not bothering him at all. Tomorrow will be his last session in the lake, which will mean that he is fully healed.
Shadowclan
Leader: Longstar: A long pelted tom with green eyes. The pelt is black and white
Deputy: Lynxfur: Dark brown tom with big paws, small ears and a long tail. Has wide owl like eyes, one green and one amber. (His paws aren't big as in size to body but bigger than a normal cat's)
Medicine cats: Monarchfall: a ginger tom with black stripes and blue eyes – Apprentice: Dapplepaw: A dappled brown and white tom with green eyes
Warriors:
Sunrise: A tom whose pelt looks like the sunrise and has sparkling green eyes
Whitetail: A brown she-cat with a white tail. Has hazel eyes Apprentice- Whisperpaw
Badgerflame: Has a badger like coat with a short temper. Has amber eyes, tom Apprentice: Icepaw
Swallowtail: A sandy colored tom with brown eyes and black stripes Apprentice: Cheetahpaw
Watermist: Silver she-cat with black stripes that slowly merge together. Soft white paws and a white tail tip. Dazzling amber eyes.
Moonstripe: A silver-ginger tom with black paws and stripes and a ginger tipped tail. His ears tapper off into a tuff of black fur. Has pale leaf-green eyes. Apprentice - Nightpaw
Flameclaw: A ginger and white tom with amber eyes. Apprentice - Graypaw
Fawnwing: A brown she-cat with a white speckled back. Has pale blue eyes
Raccoonpelt: A silver tom with a silver and white striped tail and a black mask over his amber eyes Apprentice: Shadepaw
Frostheart: A white she-cat with faint black spots and light blue eyes
Apprentices:
Whisperpaw: A calico she-cat with green eyes
Nightpaw: A black she-cat with amber eyes
Graypaw: A gray she-cat with a white chest and green eyes
Icepaw: A white she-cat with a silver sheen and ice blue eyes. She has a faint black circle around her left eye.
Cheetahpaw: A lithe, white tom with ginger spots and a long, winding tail. Has hazel eyes
Shadepaw: A dark brown tom with one white right hind paw and green eyes.
Queens:
Snakefang: A ginger she-cat with a long winding tail and silver eyes
Flowerclaw: a golden pelted she-cat with leaf-green eyes
Kits:
Cloudkit: A ginger she-cat with a white tail tip with green eyes
Goldenkit: a golden tabby she-cat with amber eyes
Elders:
Juniperberry: small ginger tom with golden eyes
Buzzardwing: frail cream she-cat with hazel eyes
Cloudeye: a black tom with amber eyes though he is blind in one eye
Hi there! Good news! School is finally out for the summer! Anyway thanks to all those that have reviewed! For those of you that are wondering, this story will probably be around thirty chapters, maybe less, maybe more.