Main Authors: ExplosionsAreFun and A Twinkling Flame
"Hey! Hey! HEY!"
Smolder almost jumped out of his nest. He looked up and saw Ice sitting next to him, staring at him.
"Come on, sleeping beauty! I wanna show you something!"
Smolder blinked the sleep out of his eyes and got up slowly. The other to-bes shifted slightly, but didn't get up. The tom followed Ice out of the cave where the to-bes slept, being careful not to wake them and wondering where Ice was taking him.
They ended up outside of the main cave altogether. No cat was out and about, to his relief. Ice padded over to a spot under a small rock and picked up something in her mouth, offering it to Smolder. He took it cautiously and was surprised when he scented mouse. He dropped it and looked at Ice. "Did you catch this?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, I did!" The she-kit said excitedly, though she then sighed "It's not the best, I know. It's kind of scrawny."
"Shh, you need to whisper," Smolder said, glancing around. She mouthed a 'sorry'. "And it's a great catch! You're doing more good than most of those lazy prey-hunters, and you're just a kit, too... Not that there's anything wrong with being a kit!" he added hurriedly at her glare.
"Thanks, Smolder," she purred. "But I also wanted to say...I don't think we should practice hunting anymore-"
Smolder cut her off. "What? But... don't you like it? I always have... well, I have fun teaching you! And you just caught something, you're doing so well, why would you..."
Ice curled her tail around his muzzle. "Shut it and let me finish! I was going to say that we shouldn't practice hunting anymore in the daytime. Moon always tells me not to go near you, and I'm not supposed to go outside in the first place. She hasn't caught us together yet, but it could happen if we're not careful. So maybe we can start meeting at night. How about that?"
"Oh. Oh yeah, that's fine." Smolder felt awkward. Ice uncurled her tail.
"Well, what do you say? It's still dark."
"A cat needs some sleep, you know."
"Fine, fine, we can play tomorrow. Meet me right here around Moonhigh. Let's not talk to each other tomorrow, to avoid suspicion."
Smolder nodded and they slipped back into the cave, unseen and unheard.
He awoke the next morning, feeling slightly more tired than usual. He didn't have any training that day, so it didn't matter too much. Quietly he wondered if he would ever have any more training; Stoneteller hadn't given him a mentor.
He decided to visit Red, He padded out of the to-be's den and walked towards Stoneteller's cave, hoping only his mentor would be there. He glanced in cautiously and saw that Red was lying down, appearing to be asleep. The tom walked over to her and poked her gently with a paw. "Red?"
She opened her eyes slowly, then got up into a sitting position. "Oh, hello Smolder. I was wondering when you'd visit."
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yes, actually. Stoneteller says I'm completely recovered. But-"
She was interrupted by a sudden, high-pitched gasp. Smolder was pushed onto the ground by an unknown force.
He looked up to see Starling standing between him and Red. "Red! I know you are fond of this cursed devil, but you don't need to endanger the lives of your poor, unborn kits by talking to him!"
"You're... expecting?" Smolder asked, ignoring Starling.
"Yeah. Leaf says I need to go be in the nursery right away, too. He's the father. I know he loves me, and wants what's best for me and the kits- it has been really cold lately, and it's dangerous for a kit-mother to be out and about- but seriously. River has been pregnant for a while and she only recently moved to the nursery." She sighed.
"I told you to stop talking to him! Listen to me, or I'll tell Stonetell-"
"Tell me what?" The Teller of Pointed Stones padded into her den and surveyed the room, narrowing her eyes and she spotted Smolder. "Oh. You. Get away from her. You need a new mentor. Follow me." She walked out again, and Smolder had no choice but to follow.
"Cats of the Tribe, gather around to hear my words..."
Stoneteller sat on top of a rock next to the cave. Everyone gathered around and looked up at her; kits stopped playing to watch with round eyes; to-bes halted arguing to see what was going to happen, wondering if they would become full-fledged cave-guards or prey-hunters that day, running humble lines of acceptance through their heads; kit-mothers paused gossiping to sigh and slowly walk over to the rock. Once she was satisfied she had everyone's attention, Stoneteller began.
"Cats of the Tribe, I bring news of new births in this harsh winter. The cave-guard Red sun that hangs over sky is expecting kits and they will come sometime in the next two moons. New tribe members are always welcome, and are needed in this harsh time. However, she will be unable to attend to her normal duties of protecting us all, so the remaining cave-guards will have to work harder to make up for her temporary loss." She cast a glance towards where the cave-guards sat together. "Oh yeah, and her apprentice, Smoldering embers of dead flames, needs a new teacher. Thunder that rumbles loudly, you wil mentor this to-be in his true mentor's absence."
Smolder sighed. He had expected a real ceremony, one all the other apprentices would've gotten, but he should have known better. Something he was prepared for was Thunder's outcry. "What?! I have to mentor this cursed... creature?"
"Yes, you do. I dislike him as much as you do, but if we don't mentor him he'll run away, and if he runs away he'll return to his father and they'll attack. We wouldn't stand a chance against those rogues. So he stays, and you're going to mentor him."
As if! Smolder thought, his initial disappointment replaced by anger. The closest he'd ever get to those mangy curs would be to get Hare back.
Thunder sighed. "Yes, oh great and wise Stoneteller."
Stoneteller met the cave-guard's eyes for a long moment, then the old she-cat flicked her tail. "Dismissed." She turned and walked back into the cave.
Cats broke off into groups, whispering amongst themselves. Thunder let out a low growl, sounding like the thunder he was named for, and padded over to his new apprentice. "Come on, let's go train now. You've been lying around for too long."
Smolder nodded and followed the irritable tom out of camp, terrified about what was to come, his only comfort Ice flicking her tail along his shoulder as she passed by.
Smolder sighed and crashed into his nest that evening. They had battle training that day, and while Thunder fought with sheathed claws, the to-be still felt bruised all over from constantly falling onto hard rock. The cold had seemed to sap all of his energy after a few moments of battle, so he could hardly fight back. Thunder wasn't
affected by the constant snow, though; if anything he had more energy than a normal cat. Hatred is a fire that burns fiercely, Smolder thought with a small sigh, too quiet to bother the other apprentices. I wonder if Ice won't mind that I skipped our first Moonhigh training session... he thought, then drifted into sleep.