A/N: I don't own Warrior Cats and some excerpts come directly from Bluestar's Prophecy, which I also don't take credit for!
NorthWindBlowing: Thank you!
FreeEcho: Haha I was hoping they would be! I'm pretty sure Thistleclaw wouldn't have been training in the Dark Forest if Snowfur hadn't died, and I imagine that while he still may be a very arrogant and aggressive cat, he wouldn't be as cruel as Bluefur sees him to be. I also really wanna show that Snowfur's only seeing one side of him! So while the rest of the Clan sees a war-ready warrior, she just sees a loving mate who's devoted to spending time with his kit and wife :)
Kurioimori: They're gonna get along again for sure! I think the bond between siblings really is stronger than a fight, and Bluefur is just feeling jealous of the distance that Whitekit creates, but that won't be a problem forever. At the end of the day, they're both still sisters, and that comes before everything else.
Shadowwolf1997: Ahhh I know, and I do feel bad about it! I definitely don't hate Bluefur's character, I actually really admire her! I think she's just very empathetic, and she feels the emotional aches in her Clan in a way the rest of the cats don't. So they simply don't understand where she's coming from. But now that she knows her and Snowfur aren't actually fighting, she'll have a redemption! I just really needed to emphasize her empathy and bouts of depression that she's prone to, for something that happens later on to be explained.
Snowfur flicked her ears as she heard her sister enter the hollow. Whitekit was sleeping peacefully against her, tuckered out from the fighting with Thistleclaw and then from playing with Tigerkit.
"I came back early to spend time with Whitekit." Snowfur flicked her ears again, hopefully her sister knows to come in quietly! She didn't hear the rest of the conversation she had, or who it was with.
Bluefur squeezed into the nursery, and Snowfur met her blue gaze before looking down to the sleeping Whitekit. "He was tired after his feed," she apologized. "I think Thistleclaw and Tigerkit wore him out."
Bluefur nuzzled him gently and licked the top of his head. "He's going to grow up and be the strongest warrior our Clan has ever seen." She murmured to her sister and Snowfur blinked appreciatively.
Bluefur backed out of the nursery, and Snowfur rested her head in her nest. As much as she adored Whitekit, she missed being on patrols and helping her Clan. She was feeling antsy and cooped up in the small den and couldn't wait for her son to finally be apprenticed so she could get back to her warrior duties. Although today was Tigerkit's ceremony, so Whitekit wouldn't be that far behind him.
Snowfur could hear the low voices of Thrushpelt and Bluefur, they must be talking fairly close to the nursery. She hoped that the two would end up together, Thrushpelt was a good warrior. He was kind and a loyal member of ThunderClan. A much better choice than Oakheart was, Snowfur flicked her tail just thinking about how quick her sister was to jump to that RiverClan warrior's defence.
She let herself drift to sleep, trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling that she should be doing more for her Clan from her pelt.
Snowfur awoke to Sunstar's yowl from Highrock. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock."
Leopardfoot was grooming Tigerkit, trying to tame some of his bushy hair.
Whitekit stumbled around, eyes still blurry from sleep as he focused on Snowfur. "What's going on?" He questioned.
"You'll see," she purred, proud for Leopardfoot. It wasn't always so certain that Tigerkit would get to be this age, his sisters Nightkit and Mistkit had both died when the three of them were only a few days old.
She nudged Whitekit out of the nursery, and the other kits came out just as confused with their mothers. Leopardfoot pushed Tigerkit to the middle of the clearing, where he sat with his chest puffed out.
Bluefur was squeezing herself out of the warriors' den, while Fuzzypelt and White-eye were on their paws beside the nettle patch. Lionheart and Goldenflower were dragging a bundle of bracken through the camp entrance; they abandoned it beside the barrier of gorse and hurried to join their Clanmates. Adderfang had been stretched outside the warriors' den, and Poppydawn and Speckletail had been chatting with Windflight and Dappletail at the edge of the clearing. They all came to join Featherwhisker and Goosefeather, who sat beside Sparrowpelt with their tails wrapped neatly over their paws.
As Snowfur settled beside Robinwing, she swept her eyes across the camp, purposely seeking out Tawnyspots. She found him, thin and trembling, crouched in the fern tunnel, shadows dappling his dull pelt. He really looks sick!
The Clan stared up expectantly at the ThunderClan leader.
"Clanmates, it's time to welcome a new apprentice." Sunstar, his eyes fixed on Tigerkit, leaped down from Highrock and beckoned the young tom forward. Leopardfoot quivered with pride as the ThunderClan leader went on.
"Tigerkit is six moons old and more than ready to begin his training. From this day, until he earns his warrior name, he shall be known as Tigerpaw."
Snowfur looked around at her Clanmates, all seemed excited to see who would become the young apprentice's mentor. Thistleclaw was more than ready for an apprentice, seeing how well he had been training their kit, and Snowfur hoped it would be him.
"Thistleclaw will be his mentor."
The spiky warrior padded forward, tail high, and pressed his broad muzzle to Tigerpaw's head.
"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" As the Clan cheered his name, Snowfur felt as though she would burst with pride, which must be similar to how Leopardfoot was feeling. This also meant Thistleclaw was one step closer to becoming deputy, and although Snowfur wanted to secure that spot herself, she would be beside herself with joy if her mate got in instead. This was, of course, all reliant on Tawnyspots, but from the way he was looking, a new deputy was not out of the question.
Whitekit nuzzled closer against Snowfur's white pelt, blending in perfectly. "I'm glad Sunstar didn't make Bluefur Tigerpaw's mentor," he mewed. "I want her to be my mentor."
Snowfur purred, wrapping her tail around her little kit. "I'm sure Bluefur would be honoured to mentor you, little one." And she was sure her sister would train her kit well.
Poppydawn padded forward as Sunstar went on. "I have one more announcement," the ThunderClan leader meowed. "Poppydawn has decided to move into the elder's den."
Snowfur wasn't surprised. While watching the Clan's going-ons, she'd seen that Poppydawn was bringing back smaller fresh-kill than the rest of the patrols she was on, and her muzzle was beginning to fleck with grey.
Poppydawn dipped her head. "I am grateful to my Clan for giving me the chance to serve them this long, and for the peaceful life I will have as an elder," she meowed formally.
Her Clanmates streamed around her, brushing muzzles, flicking tails.
Tigerpaw shouldered his way through the crowd and touched his nose to Poppydawn's. "I'll take better care of you than any other apprentice!" he promised.
Snowfur admired the young tom's eagerness, remembering her own apprenticeship and how much she resented the dull chores like clearing out dens. Tigerpaw was certainly determined to live by the warrior code and Thistleclaw would teach him how to do so in a strong and formidable way.
"Finally" Sunstar had one more announcement "while Tawnyspots is ill, Adderfang will stand in as deputy."
Stormtail nodded to his dentate as Adderfang puffed out his chest.
"Tawnyspots will return to his duties once he's recovered," Sunstar added.
Uneasy glances flashed between Stormtail, Fuzzypelt, and Adderfang. Clearly the senior warriors weren't as certain of Tawnyspot's recovery as there leader was.
Goosefeather stepped forward. "I need help gathering herbs," he announced. The Clan stared at him. Snowfur was surprised that the medicine cat was acting like a medicine cat for once, and imagined the rest of the Clan had similar thoughts.
"Bluefur?" Goosefeather tipped his head to one side. "Would you come?"
Deciding not to meddle in their business, Snowfur turned to Whitekit. "Now that Tigerpaw is out of the nursery, you need to be careful with the younger kits. They can't play as rough as you can." He nodded in understanding, before scampering off to bother Frostkit and Spottedkit.
She watched the Clan again, wishing more than anything to be a part of it once more so she could have a shot at replacing Tawnyspots. And once I'm leader, I'll have Bluefur as my deputy. We always promised that's how it would be.