Disclaimer: Warriors isn't mine.
This is also for Isis Writer's Rivalries Challenge.
Ceremony
She crept forward, careful to keep her steps light; her prey was unaware of her approach. She crouched, tail waving slightly, before she leapt, landing right on her target.
Stormkit let out a yowl of shock, leaping to his paws, Frostkit hung on as he bucked, almost throwing her off. Stormkit was already strong, but Frostkit was determined.
Stormkit twisted to see who was on him, eyes blazing. "Frostkit!"
"I'm the best hunter." She challenged, tightening her grip, though she made sure not to hurt him.
Stormkit's whiskers twitched, "but I'm the best fighter." With that he bucked again, this time dislodging her.
Frostkit tumbled in the dirt, shaking off her pelt. "Fine, but everyone knows that Ashtail is one of the best hunters." She raised her head slightly; surely the gray she-cat would want her.
Stormkit huffed, "she's also one of the better fighters." He gave a small bounce, which showed his broad shoulders.
Frostkit shook her head, "you keep hoping Stormkit, you keep hoping."
Stormkit lashed his tail once, before he lunged, tackling Frostkit. They rolled, battering at each other, Frostkit wasn't going to lie, her brother was strong. Some of the warriors had given him admiring looks, obviously wanting him for an apprentice, though none had been Ashtail.
The white she-cat twisted, getting loose, Stormkit growled, chasing after her. Frostkit turned, making sure to make it tight, charging past Stormkit, so close their fur brushed.
Frostkit glanced over her shoulder, Stormkit was trying to stop, but he wasn't as graceful at running as Frostkit. She laughed, before focusing on where she was going. She leapt onto the rock that the apprentices ate near and leapt off, giving her a bigger advantage over Stormkit.
She continued forward, lengthening her stride, she knew how to run.
"What is this, is the camp on fire?" Frostkit was halted by someone's paw; she looked up to see Blazelight. The ginger she-cat looked down at her as Stormkit finally caught up, sides heaving.
"No, Blazelight, we were just playing." She murmured, moving back.
The elder sat down, wrapping her tail around her paws, "there's nothing wrong with that, it's good for young cats. Just watch where you're going, you would've run into me if I hadn't seen you coming."
Frostkit flattened her ears, what if Ashtail had seen that? "We'll be more careful."
"We promise." Stormkit added, her brother brushed against her.
The elderly she-cat shook her head, "it's fine. After all, I'm sure you're just excited, how long until you're apprenticed?"
"A quarter moon." Stormkit answered promptly.
"That soon?" the ginger she-cat chuckled, "well, play carefully, kits." She got slowly to her paws, continuing on her way.
Stormkit flattened his ears, "let's go back to the nursery." He was clearly embarrassed, how he shuffled his paws and looked down.
Frostkit nodded, glancing after Blazelight, "that might be a good idea."
Frostkit awoke alone, the den was empty, but it had been the noise outside that got her attention.
She hurried to the entrance, sticking her head out, and stared. Stormkit was wrestling with Firepaw, the tortoiseshell she-cat had two moons on him, but her brother was holding his own.
"StarClan, the muscles on that tom."
"Come on Firepaw, I trained you better than that!" That was Brownpelt; he had reared up to see over the crowd.
"Imagine the fighter he'll grow up to be."
Frostkit was impressed, watching the splashes of white as Stormkit tumbled away from Firepaw. The two shook off, laughing. Frostkit stiffened; Ashtail was staring at her brother, nodding slowly. Frostkit narrowed her eyes, Stormkit hadn't won yet. She watched as Stormkit looked around, accepting his Clanmates' complements. Frostkit would give him one later, now she needed to figure out how to get Ashtail's attention.
Frostkit perched carefully on the rock, watching the apprentices beneath her, they were sharing prey with Stormkit, he seemed to have joined the den early. She slowly slide down, carefully, stopping herself every once in awhile. The apprentices and her brother hadn't even noticed, they were deep in conversation about training they'd done earlier, Stormkit's eyes huge as he listened to the details of Firepaw and Nightpaw's spar. A few feathers blew away from the chaffinch they were sharing. Frostkit squared her shoulders, and leapt forward, landing squarely on Stormkit.
"Agh!" he yelped, flipping over. "Again Frostkit?"
She battered at her brother's back with her hind paws. "None of you even noticed me!"
"Shh!" Cloudpaw pulled Stormkit off her. "Not so loud, my mentor's already given me trouble about not paying attention!"
"You are a bit scattered brained." Nightpaw pointed out, taking a bit of the chaffinch. "Feel free to have some too Frostkit."
Firepaw settled down, tucking her paws under her chest. "I guess you want Ashtail too then?"
"You told them?" Frostkit demanded, staring at Stormkit, who'd flattened his ears slightly.
"Yes, he wanted our advice." Nightpaw flicked his tail, lightly brushing her ears with it. "Plus it wasn't that hard to figure out. We may not have been looking at you but she was."
Frostkit cautiously glanced across camp under the guise of taking a bite of the bird. Ashtail was speaking to Graystrike, but glanced over while she did so, never quite keeping her eyes on the young warrior.
Frostkit gulped, the meat sliding down her throat. Had she been impressed?
"Why did you tell me?" Stormkit whined, looking up at the older cats, "she probably saw me when I had all those feathers stuck to my muzzle."
Cloudpaw chuckled; the white tom just shook his head, "don't worry too much about it. I promise, it's not so bad, no matter who you get. Honestly Squirreltail was the last cat I wanted for mentor, but now it's not so bad."
"His point…" Nightpaw muttered, seeing the kits sharing a look, "is to enjoy being an apprentice, no matter what. I hope you do realize at least one of you will not be her apprentice."
Firepaw turned her head, "I think Pebblewing is calling you two."
Frostkit pricked her ears as the sound of her mother's voice reached them.
"Come on Stormkit."
"Thanks for the meal!" he called to the apprentices, grabbing a feather as he followed Frostkit.
Frostkit watched the three apprentices and Stormkit play with the moss ball. Oh Stormkit was showing off, how well he kept up with the apprentices, the strength he used to hit the ball, once more a group was watching the young tom.
Frostkit swallowed her envy for her brother, maybe she could play too, prove how fast she ran. Her heart leapt into her throat, Ashtail had come over to watch, invited by Brackenwhisker. Ashtail settled down next to the golden-brown tom, the two exchanging quiet words. Frostkit squared her shoulders, watching as the moss ball began to fly higher and higher. She stalked forward, waiting, until it flew above Nightpaw. With a powerful lunge Frostkit caught it between her paws, a hunting technique she'd seen the apprentices practice catching birds with.
"Show off!" Nightpaw called, poking her with one paw, "Come on now, share."
"That was well caught though." Frostkit's heart quickened, Ashtail nodded slowly, eyes still trained on her. Frostkit swallowed, unable to move until Ashtail turned again to Brackenwhisker.
"No." She let go of the moss ball to look over, her brother had a look of dismay, realizing he'd lost. She parted her jaws, Nightpaw's comment coming back to her. Oh StarClan, the look on Stormkit's face. She'd do anything to take that look away.
Stormkit backed away from the game, turning to run into the nursery.
Frostkit's white fur glistened and still Patchwing fussed over her.
"Look your best, this is your only apprentice ceremony after all." Her mother insisted, grooming the fur between her ears.
Frostkit glanced over at Stormkit, the gray and white kit sat in the corner, shoulders slumped dejectedly. They hadn't spoken since Ashtail's complement yesterday. Actually Frostkit wasn't sure Stormkit had said anything since yesterday.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather for a Clan meeting!"
Frostkit looked up as Foxstar's voice echoed through camp. She saw Stormkit flinch, and she swallowed, now that she was she wasn't sure she wanted to be the winner of their contest.
"Come on you two, that means you Stormkit; come on, out, out, out." Patchwing murmured, the gray patched she-cat herding her litter outside. She saw Cloudpaw sitting next to his mentor, Squirreltail nodded to her as they passed.
Foxstar's ginger fur gleamed in the sunlight, the thick furred tom waited for the Clan to quiet before speaking, "we are gathered here to see these two kits made apprentices. Frostkit, come forward."
Swallowing, not daring to take her eyes off Foxstar, terrified to see the crushed look on her brother's face, she stepped forward.
"Until you become a warrior, you will be known as Frostpaw. Brackenwhisker, while young, you have proved a most successful hunter and I trust you will guide this young apprentice."
"I will." Frostkit turned to look at her mentor, stunned; she thought… she touched noses, and followed him away, looking over at Stormkit, who had a mix of bewilderment and hope on his face.
"Stormkit, come forward." Her brother padded forward, Frostkit held her breath as the sunlight hit his broad shoulders. Oh he was going to be a warrior BirchClan could be proud of.
"Stormkit, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Graystrike, you are also young, but you're a fine warrior, and I trust you will pass the knowledge onto this apprentice."
Frostpaw watched them touch noses, heard the Clan cheer their names, touched noses with her brother when he padded over, but it was all distant, as if through fog. Neither of them got Ashtail?
"Come on, we'll show you the territory." Graystrike offered, the dark gray she-cat's eyes glittering, "not the gorge of course, but maybe the forest."
"Why not the gorge?" Stormpaw asked, following their mentors, Frostpaw still in her haze.
"Didn't you ever hear about the time Blazelight fell in?" Brackenwhisker asked, with a soft laugh. "She was an older apprentice than you and even then she barely climbed out."
Frostpaw blinked slightly, "she climbed out of the gorge?"
"Apparently, she passed out at the top, but the story goes that her mentor found her with her pads torn to shreds, as if she climbed the wall."
Frostpaw shook her head, "amazing."
"You seem quiet." Graystrike commented, "I know we're young but we'll try to be good mentors. Right Brackenwhisker?"
"Of course!" he agreed, nodding eagerly. He slowed, studying Frostpaw. "I know I wasn't who you wanted, being the youngest warrior. But if I let you in on a secret, can we try?"
Frostpaw looked up, "what secret?"
"I wanted to mentor your brother. Graystrike wanted to mentor you." He chuckled, "we really wanted it that way. It was Ashtail who convinced us to this."
"Ashtail wanted you to mentor me?" Frostkit repeated, staring at him.
"Yep." Graystrike agreed, still leading the group, "she pointed out that you two both had skills and we would be the cats to hone them, if we got the right apprentice."
Frostpaw looked over at Stormpaw, who shrugged. Looking back at Brackenwhisker, she nodded slowly. "We'll make it work."
The tom chuckled, "that's the spirit! Now come on, it's a long trip!"
Up next is well... A flood of Flooded related one-shots.
