"Wait up! C'mon, Redkit! Sunkit!" The shrill voice of a small calico she kit rose from the side of the nursery. A mottled calico she cat struggled to keep up with her two siblings due to a bad limp caused by one of her back legs. She flattened her ears and picked up the pace, determined not to be left in the dust by her siblings.
"Ah, what's wrong Lostkit? Can't keep up?" The cruel sneer of Jaykit sounded off to the side where he and his two brothers watched her struggle with smug looks on their faces. Two moons, now, she had to put up with their incessant bullying. Petalheart turned a blind eye whenever her kit was being mocked, as did most of the clan. Lostkit couldn't begin to fathom why they didn't like her, though she knew it had something to do with her leg. They thought she was a useless kit, wasting hard-earned prey. Once, she'd heard Bluesong comment on how Lostkit would have to become an elder as soon as she was given her apprentice name; an apprentice with a lame leg could never be even a half-ways decent warrior.
"I'm fine!" Lostkit huffed, sending a nasty glare toward the trio of tormentors before reaching her siblings who had stopped to wait up. Redkit had an annoyed look.
"Can't you not be so useless for once, Lostkit?" He seethed, gritting his teeth as he spat the words out. Lostkit flinched back, eyes wide. She was used to Redkit speaking to her like the other three tom kits; he liked to hang around with them and had picked up their nasty habits. Still, it surprised Lostkit when her brother used such degrading words against her. Weren't her siblings supposed to stand up to her? At least Sunkit wasn't rude to her.
"Ah, put a mouse in it, Redkit!" Sunkit spat, cuffing her brother over the ears. Coalkit, Nettlekit, and Jaykit froze wide-eyed and stared at Sunkit in shock. Where had such a young kit picked up such foul language? She was lucky no warriors had heard! Redkit looked just as shocked.
"Whatever. I'm going to hang out with my friends, not some excuse for a cat." He sneered, stalking over to Mothleaf's kits and sitting down. The four huddled together and began to snicker, casting glances toward Lostkit.
With a small sigh, Lostkit flopped on the ground, shoulders hunched over. "Why don't they like me, Sunkit? I never did anything wrong... They blame me for a bad leg that isn't even my doing!"
Sunkit sat down beside her sister and pressed her side against hers. Though the two had very similar fur, Sunkit's was much more well kept and groomed. It had a shiny look to it, and looked beautiful, just like their mother. Lostkit's fur was unkempt and seemed to just be odd patches dotted throughout her fur.
"Ah, their just being mousebrains, Lostkit. They'll grow out of it. Badgerscar said so himself, remmeber?" Their father was one of the few cats in the clan who treated his kits equally. While Petalheart had tried to convince the tom to leave Lostkit on the border for a different clan to find, he'd stuck up for the kit. He had said it was StarClan's will that they be gifted with a deformed kit because only they could take proper care of her. Petalheart had replied by saying they were cursed to have such a failure of a kit. Many times Badgerscar and Petalheart had gotten in arguments over their little daughter. Badgerscar had convinced Petalheart that if she neglected Lostkit, she would be breaking the warrior code for neglecting a kit in need. For that reason only, Petalheart still cared for Lostkit, if one could call it caring. She fed the kit and made sure she wasn't being too troublesome, but as far as mothering went, Redkit and Sunkit were her only children. She'd made that point clear time and time again. Lostkit had done everything she could think of to make her mother proud, which usually ended up in a scolding from Petalheart. Nothing could please her!
"Hmph." Lostkit replied, raising her head to scan the camp hopefully for their father. He hadn't visited them yet today, and his company was always something that could cheer the small calico kit up.
"Out of the way!" A growl sounded behind the two she kits. They spun around simultaneously to see Shinekit and Icekit barreling from the nursery, nearly crashing into the younger kits. Lostkit let out a surprised squeal and jumped out of the way just in time to avoid having Shinekit crash into her. Well, jumping wasn't exactly the word. It was more of a tumble.
"Watch it! You almost crushed my daughter!" Petalheart's snarl sounded from the nursery as she stalked out, towering over Jadepelt's kits. The deputy was hardly around the nursery anymore; once her kits were four moons old, she had insisted on resuming her duties as deputy, leaving Bluesong, Petalheart, and Mothleaf to care for her two while she was busy.
Lostkit looked up at her mother, a surge of hope fluttering in her chest. 'She's going to yell at them for crushing me! She does care!' Her happiness ended moments later when she realized her mother's protectiveness was geared toward Sunkit.
"Apologize to Sunkit this instant or you two won't be made apprentices for another week!" Petalheart snarled, eyes blazing furiously. Sunkit ducked her head and looked at her paws, embarrassed to have her mother being so overly dramatic.
Shinekit and Icekit would become apprentices the very day. Not wanting to risk having their ceremonies delayed, the two flinched back and muttered apologies. Only when Petalheart was satisfied did she turn to Sunkit and began to fret over her poor daughter.
"Are you hurt? She didn't touch you, did she? Oh, I knew you would be a strong one! My brave, perfect, little Sunkit!" She purred, rubbing her jaw across Sunkit's head adoringly. "You'll make a brave warrior one day, Sunkit. You and Redkit! What terrific additions to the clan!"
The queen turned and padded away, acting as if Lostkit did not even exist. 'I'll make you look at me one day, mother. I'll make you proud.'
"All cats fast enough to catch their own prey gather before me for a clan meeting!" The proud voice of Onyxstar called the clan together. The black tom stood gallantly atop a small boulder that was no more than the height of a single cat and waited patiently for the clan to gather. Shinekit and Icekit sat at the very front, Jadepelt fussing over them to make sure their fur was neat and tidy. Great things were expected from the two kits since their parents were the two leaders of the clan. It was only natural that they become worthy warriors of WindClan themselves
"Can we watch, mother? Please?" Sunkit begged Petalheart, rubbing against her mother's foreleg in an attempt to drum up a bit of compassion. Redkit sat rigidly beside his sister, waiting eagerly to hear their mother's reply. She had to let them go! She just had to! Lostkit knew better than to get her hopes up; their mother never let them go to any of the clan gatherings. She said some nonsense about them being only for the mature and dignified cats within the clan. The other kits got to go, and they were only a few moons old!
Something within Petalheart was kinder today. The beautiful silver queen nodded her approval and sent the kits out, her words aimed specifically toward Redkit and Sunkit, "Do be dears and don't be disruptive. Sit with your father!" Lostkit had followed her siblings out as best she could though her twisted leg prevented her from keeping up with them. By the time she made her way all across the giant clearing, the little she kit was wheezing from the effort.
"Can you shut up already? I can hardly hear Onyxstar with your noisy breathing!" Redkit spat, giving his sister a sharp glare before readjusting to hear the leader better. Lostkit ducked her head apologetically only to feel the warmth of a tail wrap around her side. She looked up to see Badgerscar gazing down at her, a small glimmer of amusement in his eyes. The black and white tom pulled Lostkit closer and nodded toward the mighty leader, signaling for her to ignore her brother.
"As the warrior code dictates, when a kit turns six moons old, they may become apprentices. Shinekit and Icekit have reached this milestone in their lives and it is time for them to be passed on to their mentors. Shinekit," Onyxstar's daughter bounced forward, eyes shining like her namesake, "From this moment on until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Shinepaw. Yellowheart," The golden she cat had been seated near the front, ready to approach the duo when called. It was custom for the leader to ask a warrior if they wished to be a mentor first, and she had done well to keep her secret from the others until now, "You were my apprentice moons ago, and have proven to be a valuable asset to the clan. We ask that you pass your diligence and eagerness on to this apprentice. Icepaw,"
The white tom kit approached more slowly than his sister with his chest puffed out proudly. 'He should have been named Goosekit." Lostkit thought with a snicker, noticing how he seemed to waddle.
"From this moment on until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Birchgaze, you're one of the best trackers the clan has. Pass on all you know to your apprentice."
"Shinepaw! Icepaw! Shinepaw! Icepaw!" The cats of WindClan cheered in unison, their voices yowling the new names of the apprentices to the skies above. Redkit stared in awe at the new apprentices, already envision their own ceremony.
"Who do you suppose our mentors will be?" Sunkit whispered, glancing around at the warriors. "I think I would like for Softsong to teach me. She seems very kind."
"Pfft!" Redkit wrinkled his nose, giving a violent shake of his head. "She's too soft, just like her name! I want a real warrior for my own mentor. Someone strong, like Rowanfoot!"
Badgerscar glanced down at his kits, feigning hurt. "None of you want me as your mentor?"
"W-We didn't say that, father!" Redkit squeaked, eyes widening. "I-I just thought it wasn't aloud for you to teach us."
"Right you are, Redkit. What a wonderful apprentice you'll make. All of you." Badgerscar purred, wrapping his tail around all three.
Lostkit couldn't help but frown. "Even me?" She muttered dejectedly, casting her eyes toward the ground. What warrior would want her for an apprentice? She had a permanent deformity. She would be unteachable! She'd probably just be forced to move into the elders den when she was an apprentice. Or worse, the nursery to care for every litter of kits to come during her lifetime! Oh, StarClan no! She could never live a life like that!
"You'll learn to be a warrior with you leg, Lostkit." Sunkit spoke up, giving her sister a light nudge. "It'll just take more time." Somehow, her words did nothing to help Lostkit feel better. If anything, her words stung in Lostkit's heart. She'd be a pitiful warrior for sure! No one would ever want her as an apprentice!
"Kits! Time to come back to the nursery!" It was Bluesong who had appeared to fetch them, her stomach preventing her from moving very quickly. She waddled over to Badgerscar, giving the tom a polite dip of her head before rounding up the trio of kits. "Come no, little ones. It's nearly time for you three to go to bed!"
"Ah, but it's not even sunset yet!"