Shaded Twilight
Summary
Stormpaw is a young medicine cat apprentice of SnowClan, but the young she-cat feels like an outcast in her own Clan. And when SnowClan's deputy, a cruel and heartless she-cat named Cinderfrost, exiles both Stormpaw and her mentor, Nightsong, without any reason whatsoever, Stormpaw and Nightsong flee to MoonClan for safety.
A Few Moons Earlier
"You're almost there, Dawnflower! Just one more push should do it." Morningpetal meowed encouragingly. Her apprentice, Nightsong, watched with nervous anticipation as Dawnflower clenched her teeth and gave one final heave as ordered. A small, wet dark tortoiseshell bundle tumbled into the nest, and the black and white medicine cat quickly began licking it.
"It's a she-cat!" Morningpetal declared, placing the tiny kit beside Dawnflower's belly. In an instant, she snuggled up beside her mother and began to suckle.
"How many more?" Nightsong asked, ready to move if she was called to duty again.
Morningpetal felt along Dawnflower's flank with her paw. "There's two mor coming!" She declared, and Dawnflower's eyes widened in terror.
"C'mon, you can do it, Dawnflower." Morningpetal encouraged, and Dawnflower did as the older medicine cat had instructed.
After what felt like hours of pushing and yowls of pain, Dawnflower finally relaxed when the final two kittens were born.
"Congratulations, you have three healthy she-cats." Morningpetal declared, and Nightsong quickly began licking the two she-cats to get them dry.
"Are they here yet? How's Dawnflower doing?" Nightsong's thoughts were cut off as Dawnflower's mate, Ravenclaw, pushed his way into the nursery. The black tom's eyes lit up when he saw his daughters.
"There beautiful!" He meowed, looking down at the three small kits, Dawnflower smiled tiredly up at him as he licked the top of her head.
"What do you think of Stormkit for the tortoiseshell, Rainkit for the black and white one, and Willowkit for the black one?" Dawnflower asked, still not removing her eyes from her kits.It was almost as if she was worried that they would disappear if she looked away for even a fraction of a heartbeat.
"There perfect." Ravenclaw purred, bending his head forward to lick his mate between the ears.
"Stormkit, Rainkit and Willowkit, welcome to SnowClan little ones." Dawnflower meowed softly, finally tearing her gaze away from the three small kittens suckling at her belly and looking Ravenclaw in the eye.
A few nests away, Cinderkit wriggled herself free from Willowstorm's grasp and stumbled over to see her new Denmates. The dark gray she-cat had been born only a few days before and had just opened her eyes the previous morning. Nightsong watched as she blundered up to Dawnflower's nest, staring at Stormkit, Rainkit and Willowkit with a look of awe and curiosity in her eyes.
"When will they be ready to play?" Cinderkit mewed, reaching out to prod Stormkit with her paw. Nightsong moved her away before she could, however, and Dawnflower shot her a grateful look.
"They won't be ready until they opens their eyes." The black and white medicine cat apprentice informed her, biting back a purr of amusement at the crestfallen look on her face.
"Don't worry, Cinderkit. They'll be out and about before you know it. Kits usually open their eyes fairly quickly." Nightsong meowed, smiling down at the small dark gray she-cat, who smiled softly.
Morningpetal opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted as two of the older kits, Spottedkit and Ashkit, came barreling into the nursery followed closely behind by their mothers, Silverberry and Moonstream. The two kittens screeched to a halt at the sight of Stormkit, Rainkit and Willowkit, staring at their new Denmates with a mixture of awe and fascination. Spottedkit went to prod Stormkit with her paw, but a warning look from Moonstream stopped her.
"They all sure do seem to like Stormkit." Morningpetal remarked, as she watched Ashkit, who was getting scolded by Silverberry. Dawnflower smiled fondly as she watched the kits stare in excitement at her daughters, no doubt waiting to be able to play with Stormkit, Rainkit and Willowkit.
"All cats old enough to catch their own pray gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." Came Brightstar's yowl from the Highrock, we all stood to our paws and made our way outside.
"It is time to give three of our warriors their first apprentices." Brightstar began.
"Cinderkit, please step forward." Brightstar meowed, and the little gray molly bounced forward excitedly, gazing up at the SnowClan leader with wide blue eyes.
"From this day on, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice will be called Cinderpaw." Brightstar continued.
"Icewing, please step forward." Brightstar meowed, and a small, white furred molly stepped forward, sitting at the base of the Highrock as she stared up at her leader.
"Icewing, you have shown yourself to be a warrior of exceptional courage and bravery. I trust that you will pass on all I have taught you onto your new apprentice." Brightstar meowed, and Icewing bent down to touch noses with Cinderpaw.
"Spottedkit, please step forward." Brightstar meowed, and the small dark tortoiseshell molly stepped forward.
"From this day on, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice will be called Spottedpaw." Brightstar meowed.
"Shadowpelt, you will be the mentor to Spottedpaw." Brightstar meowed.
"You had a valuable mentor in Hazelfur, and I trust you will pass on all she taught you to this apprentice." Brightstar meowed, and Shadowpelt bent down to touch noses with Spottedpaw.
"Stormkit, please step forward." Brightstar meowed, and the small dark tortoiseshell molly stepped forward.
"From this day on, until she earns her warrior name, this apprentice will be called Stormpaw." Brightstar meowed.
"Nightsong, please step forward." Brightstar meowed, and the black and white medicine cat stepped forward, sitting at the base of the Highrock as she stared up at her leader.
"Nightsong, you have worked hard to learn the ways of a medicine cat, and helping to heal your injured Clanmates, Morningpetal has taught you well, and I trust you will pass on all she taught you to this apprentice." Brightstar meowed, and Nightsong bent down to touch noses with Stormpaw.
"Cinderpaw, Spottedpaw, Stormpaw, Cinderpaw, Spottedpaw, Stormpaw." Yowls of excitement ring out, as the four new apprentices went to sit beside their mentors.