I'm writing these up like no one's business. I'd like to complete this before I publish my PMD story on the deadlines. Enjoy ~!
Chapter 26
"Four Moons Later."
8/18/16
It was May, and Stealthfire and Stoatfrost's kits are now four moons old.
Darkkit was curled up far behind the nursery, he hears the other kits playing, but knows better than to join. Goldkit is with them.
He perked his ears when he hears Brightpool and Reedfeather talking nearby.
"Lightkit and Whisperkit look so cute." Reedfeather gushed.
"And Cloudkit is such a sweetheart, but didn't Stealthfire have four kits? Where's the other one?"
"Darkkit? No clue…"
Good. I want it that way.
"He's such a strange kit," Brightpool said. "He never plays with the others, he just...stares."
"Whisperkit does that too."
"Yes, but Darkkit's isn't normal. He almost looks as if he wants to kill someone."
Darkkit decided to pad from behind the nursery and cough in the she cats direction.
Reedfeather jumped, and Brightpool glared at Darkkit.
"You shouldn't sneak up on warriors, it's very rude!"
Darkkit curled his lip.
"It's also rude to gossip about cats when they're not around."
Brightpool and Reedfeather gasped in offense and crossley turned their backs on him. Darkkit notices that several cats were staring at him disapprovingly and quickly averted their attention when he looks at them.
"Darkkit."
The jet black tom was approached by his mother.
"Brightpool and Reedfeather say that you were disrespecting them for no reason."
"They were gossiping about me." Darkkit growled. "It's not my fault that they're mouse brains!"
Stealthfire sighed.
"I wish you could ignore them. Reacting with aggression will only make it worse for you."
"Or maybe you're sick of hearing about me!" Darkkit hissed.
"You know some of them are lying! And you're letting them walk all over you!"
"... I'm doing the best I can, I'll tell Thornstar and he'll straighten them out."
"No!" Darkkit snapped. "Just stop 'trying' and just leave me alone!"
"I can't do that. I'm your mother-."
"Well I wish I didn't have a freak for a mom!" Darkkit ran into the nursery without waiting for a reply.
Stealthfire watched him go with a broken heart.
He didn't mean it, he's just frustrated.
But yet Stealthfire's heart took the insult seriously, and her hearing drowned out all the noises when she saw cats gather around the High Rock.
She slowly pads and sits next to Stoatfrost when her hearing returns.
"-kits who reached their sixth moon, and are ready to become apprentices. Goldkit, Tigerkit, step forward, please."
The two brothers pad toward Thornstar as Thrushwing looked on with pride.
"Goldkit, do you promise to train as an apprentice to learn the warrior code?"
"I do." Goldkit said. Several cats murmured fondly of the creamy brown tom.
Thornstar said, "Then until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Goldpaw. Fernfoot. You are a patient and intelligent warrior, and I hope you pass down everything you know to Goldpaw."
The pale grey she cat with black striped paws stepped forward.
Goldpaw pads down - barrels over Tigerkit - and touched noses with her.
"Tigerkit, please step forward."
The dark gold tom shook his fur and pads forward. Thornstar recited the same words with Tigerkit.
"I do." He said softly. Stealthfire noticed everyone fell eerily quiet when Tigerkit was called up.
"Then from now on, you shall be known as Tigerpaw."
Stealthfire feels the tension running through the cats.
Come on! Don't blame him for what Lionstar did!
This felt entirely unfair. They've treated Tigerpaw like this since Lionstar died in battle. And even though Tigerpaw's pelt was getting darker into a faint shade of brown, cats still give him the stink eye while Goldpaw was treated kindly.
"Stealthfire will be your mentor."
The gold she cat's fur bushed up at the mention of her name. Tigerpaw looked at her with surprise and happiness.
"This will be your first apprentice." Thornstar told her. "You've proven yourself as a loyal and dedicated warrior time and time again despite your quirks and upbringing, I know you can pass your knowledge down to Tigerpaw."
Stealthfire feels Stoatfrost nudge her awake. She quickly pads to Tigerpaw and accidentally bumps noses together. Tigerpaw flicked his tail, flustered.
Stealthfire touches noses with Tigerpaw.
"Goldpaw! Tigerpaw! Goldpaw! Tigerpaw!"
The cats dispersed after the ceremony ended. Tigerpaw gave her a look of curiousity and eagerness, it made Stealthfire's ears heat up with embarrassment.
Geez.
"Uh, why don't you eat something before we leave?"
"I'm not hungry." He replied.
Great, great start…
"Okay. Then wait for me near the thorn barrier, I need to talk to Palewhisker for a second."
Tigerpaw nods and padded toward the thorn barrier after Fernfoot and Goldpaw left.
Stealthfire luckily caught Palewhisker heading for the den.
"Can I ask you something?"
Palewhisker nods. "By all means, but I doubt I know anything about training a warrior apprentice."
Stealthfire laughed dryly. "No, not that. I'm technically still a queen. Is it okay to leave my kits after all this?"
"Well, normally kits start eating solid foods around four weeks after birth. So it's not much of a risk leaving them around four moons, you're good to go. Just one thing."
Palewhisker went inside the medicine cat den and came out with a pile of leaves.
"This is parsley. It'll dry up any remaining milk you have left."
That evening, Whisperkit was watching Cloudkit practice learning herbs.
"What's this?" He asked her, holding a dried out root.
Burdock root. Whisperkit opened her mouth...no sounds came out, not even a squeak. Cloudkit frowned.
"I wonder if there's an herb for helping you talk. I'll ask Yellowflower!"
Cloudkit ran off to the medicine cat den, leaving Whisperkit by herself.
She saw Stealthfire return with Tigerpaw in toe. Tigerpaw was very strong and handsome despite his young age. Whisperkit wished she could talk to him…
"We're going to try hunting tomorrow morning." Stealthfire told him.
Tigerpaw nods. And Stealthfire leaves to talk to Eaglecry.
There's my chance!
Whisperkit puts one paw forward, but the sudden appearance of Redpaw bounding to Tigerpaw, purring, Whisperkit backed up and looked away.
Don't be like that you chicken heart! She scolded herself.
Whisperkit looked again and saw Volefang lead Redpaw away from Tigerpaw.
Whisperkit saw her chance and pads toward Tigerpaw. The dark gold tom felt himself being watched, and looked over his shoulder to see Whisperkit.
"Hey there." He said. "You're Stealthfire's kit, right?"
Whisperkit fought the urge to wrinkle her nose. Is that all he saw her as?
"Actually, I was going to eat. Would you like something?"
Whisperkit nodded and made her tail bush up and twitched her nose.
"A squirrel? Okay, I'll look for some." Tigerpaw pads away, and Whisperkit waits for him when she feels eyes boring in her pelt.
"What do you think you're doing?" Redpaw growled, bristling her red fur.
"Kits should stay in the nursery!"
Well maybe you should go back there then!
Whisperkit would've loved to see the look on Redpaw's face, but she promptly ignored her, even when Redpaw is directly in her face.
"Tigerpaw doesn't like freaks, so spare yourself and get lost… Or you could say something to make me leave."
Redpaw smirked when Whisperkit narrowed her eyes.
"I'm glad you see it my way." Redpaw swung her paw and knocked Whisperkit down.
The dark grey she cat sees Redpaw frolick to Tigerpaw and press herself against his pelt.
Stuck up wench!
Whisperkit spat and shook her fur out, and leaves for the nursery.
"Whisperkit!"
She turned around and saw Tigerpaw with a pigeon in his mouth.
"Sorry, I couldn't find any squirrel."
Whisperkit looks over his shoulder to see Redpaw glaring in her direction. She blinks gratefully and takes the pigeon.
"W-Well, I hope to see you tomorrow." He said before leaving to the apprentices den. Whisperkit took her pigeon and went to the nursery where Darkkit was waiting, and she heard Goldpaw yell,
"Is that your new playmate, freak?"
Darkkit bristles his fur.
"Don't you have better things to do than harass us?!"
Whisperkit pushes Darkkit further in the nursery, and eats her pigeon.
Her brothers know how to listen to her through gestures.
But the only thing she truly wants is to be able to talk.
