Chapter 2
Frostkit bounced excitedly up to the highrock, tilting her head up to face the great leader. Snowstar's fur glowed silver in the sun, his head tilted down to look at Frostkit, Icekit, Stonekit, and Willowkit in pride.
"Today, four kits will experience one of the most important ceremonies of their lives…" The white tom trailed off, flicking his gave towards Stonekit. "Stonekit!" The leader called, summoning Stonekit to his paws. "Do you promise to protect your clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do, Snowstar." The grey tom promised, ambition shining in his yellow-green eyes.
"Then, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stonepaw." He stopped, gaze raking the crowd.
"Snaketail!"
Frostkit stared up in astonishment. Snaketail? That's the clan deputy! She thought in shock, her paws seeming to grow heavy under her. She saw the brown deputy rise to his paws, padding over to Stonepaw.
"Snaketail, I trust you to train Stonepaw to become the best warrior he can be." Snowstar said warmly. Snaketail pressed his muzzle to Stonepaw's head lightly, before sitting down beside his newly appointed apprentice.
"Icekit!" Snowstar called, gazing down at his daughter. "Please step forward."
Frostkit's sister padded stiffly up to the highrock, looking up towards Snowstar.
Icekit," He began, pride sparkling in his eyes. "Do you promise to protect and defend the clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Icekit nodded vigorously, then said loudly, "I do."
"Then, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Icepaw." Snowstar breathed. "Breezeclaw, step forward."
Frostkit had never seen the black tom before, watching him stride to sit below the high rock. He touched noses with his new apprentice before sitting down.
"Breezeclaw, I trust you will teach Icepaw everything you've learned from your previous mentor." He said. Breezeclaw nodded proudly.
"Frostkit!" He called next, and Frostkit's blood seemed to freeze in her veins. She padded up to the high rock slowly, anxiety weighing her down.
"Frostkit, do you promise to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" He asked her. Frostkit nodded slowly. "I do." She whispered.
"Then, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Frostpaw. Silverheart!" He called almost instantly, as if he had planned her mentor as soon as she was born.
Frostpaw had never met Silverheart before, but immediately recognized which one she was as a pretty silver cat with black paws slowly padded up to the high rock. She suddenly remembered her now, as her mother used to tell her stories about Silverheart's agonizing life. She shivered. The poor depressed cat looked into Frostpaw's eyes deeply, then tore away her gaze swiftly. "You just remind me of my sister." She mumbled, touching noses with Frostpaw. Frostpaw was stunned, then relaxed as she sat down next to her new mentor.
Snowstar stared at Frostpaw and Silverheart for a second longer, before looking away. "Willowkit, step forward." He commanded. Willowkit obeyed almost immediately, padding confidently forward.
"Willowkit, you have chosen to follow the path of a medicine cat. Do you promise to follow and protect the medicine cat code, until your dying breath?"
"I do." Willowkit purred, and Snowstar nodded swiftly.
"Then, until you receive your full medicine cat name, you will be known as Willowpaw. Follow in Arcticfeather's paw steps." He said. Arcticfeather touched his nose to Willowpaw's head, smiling. "You've always been inquisitive." He joked, and Willowpaw giggled.
"Clan dismissed!" Snowstar called, turning and padding into his den. Frostpaw stared after her father before turning to Silverheart. The silver she was staring blankly ahead.
"Err, Silverheart?" Frostpaw asked nervously, and Silverheart shook out her pelt before replying, "Sorry. I'm guessing you want to know what we're doing today?" Silverheart asked, forcing a smile. Frostpaw looked uneasy, then nodded. "Yeah. Explore the territory? Hunt? Fighting practice?" Frostpaw suggested. Silverheart glanced out the camp entrance. "Exploring the territory… Yes, that's what Shrewclaw taught me my first day." She mumbled. "Yes. exploring territory." Silverheart said a little louder this time. "Let's head out, before it gets dark."
Trotting after Silverheart, Frostpaw's icy blue gaze flicked around the territory. It was huge! Tall trees towered over her and Silverheart. Birds soared over Frostpaw's head; she let out a small giggle.
"Frostpaw? I can't show you the SunClan border if you don't follow." Silverheart half joked. "Now come on, before the badgers get you."
Frostpaw bounded up to Silverheart, a smile plastered on her jaw. "SunClan? I've always wanted to see SunClan…" She purred. "Where?"
"Just up ahead." Silverheart responded, padding up to the border. "This is the SunClan border. Can you pad along where their scent markers are?" Silverheart asked. "They're pretty fresh."
"Okay." It seemed easy enough. Frostpaw padded along where she scented the markers, veering off where the markers met a small creek, which ran though the border. She turned and began to follow the stream.
"Err, Frostpaw? Are you following the scent markers or the creek?" Silverheart asked, her eyes nervous.
"Uhh, the scent markers, like you asked?" Frostpaw stifled a small laugh. "Why?"
"That's not where the border is." Silverheart gave a low growl before trotting over, giving where the creek was a good whiff. Silverheart's surprised and furious expression gave Frostpaw the impression that she scented SunClan as well.
"Those territory-thieving fox-hearts!" Silverheart spat. "The patrol just went through; these markers are fresh. They can't be far now." Silverheart began to stomp furiously down the stream. Frostpaw followed, bewildered.
They arrived to a small patrol; what looked like maybe two warriors and an apprentice. Silverheart padded up to them, clearly trying to control her temper.
"What did you think you were trying, setting the scent markers along the stream?" Silverheart said in a semi-calm voice. Her eyes blazed and her fur bristled.
A russet she-cat stepped up. "Every cat knows SnowClan can't manage their own territory. It's not like you'll be able to take it back." The she-cat smirked at Silverheart's furious gaze.
"Is that a challenge?" She spat, flattening her ears. "Because I'll show you just how wrong you are!"
The russet she-cat turned away. "No, it would be such an unfair fight… I think we'll just take the territory and go." She gave an arrogant swish of her tail before disappearing into the undergrowth.
Letting out a furious screech, Silverheart rushed across the border. Frostpaw leapt forward and clamped her jaws down on Silverheart's tail, pulling her back.
"Don't!" Frostpaw said through a mouthful of fur. "It'll be better if we tell Snowstar."
Silverheart let her fur lie flat. "Okay." She said, taking in a deep breath. "Let's go. Now."
Frostpaw's heart thrummed hard. What made SunClan think they were so weak? Did I do anything wrong?
Silverheart stomped angrily towards the camp. Frostpaw followed slowly. Silverheart? Tell me what I did.
Arriving at the camp, Frostpaw didn't even get a chance to ask Silverheart anything. The silver warrior stormed into Snowstar's den, her fur bristling. Frostpaw could clearly hear the snarl in Silverheart's voice, even if she couldn't make out any words. Could she be talking about me, along with the SunClan warriors? Frostpaw wondered, shaking the thought away. No. She wouldn't. She knows I'm a new apprentice.
After what seemed like moons, Silverheart padded out of the leader's den. She seemed much calmer than she was before. The silver-pelted she trotted up to Frostpaw.
"Did I do something wrong?" Frostpaw blurted before Silverheart could say anything. Immediate anxiety flooded through Frostpaw. Oh, great. I just interrupted my mentor. Frostpaw though feebly.
"Not at all, Frostpaw. Quite the opposite, actually. If you hadn't scented those warriors, we wouldn't have found out about them stealing our territory until the next border patrol."
Frostpaw's eyes danced with excitement. Silverheart wasn't mad! "Does that mean I'll be made a warrior?" Frostpaw asked eagerly.
"No, of course not. Don't get ahead of yourself; you've just started your training." Silverheart gave a warm smile. "I think that's enough for today. Head off to the apprentice's den, why don't you? I'm sure you want to tell your sister all about your encounter." Flashing a final smile, Silverheart trotted away.
Frostpaw bounced with excitement. She skipped over to the apprentice's den, where Stonepaw was standing on a stump, surrounded by Icepaw and two other apprentices Frostpaw didn't know.
"…And you should have seen the look on Snaketail's face! He said he'd never seen an apprentice carry so much moss." Stonepaw gloated, his green gaze smug. "Hey, Frostpaw!"
Frostpaw wrinkled her nose. "Moss? Ha! Silverheart took me to explore the territory." Frostpaw raised her muzzle high into the air. "We saw SunClan, trying to steal our territory!"
Stonepaw's jaw dropped in astonishment, before shaking his head swiftly. "Yeah, right! There's no way you saw SunClan."
"Well, I did! Ask Silverheart!" Frostpaw retorted.
"Who, that depressed bag of fleas? Every cat knows she's not fit to be a mentor, let alone a warrior. You know what our mothers said! She's too weighed with grief to carry on with her duties." Stonepaw hissed.
"Not true!" Frostpaw spat. "She's a better mentor than you think!"
"Suuure." Stonepaw laughed. "And I'm a mouse."
Frostpaw lashed her tail, her temper overtaking her. "Why, I'll-" Before Frostpaw could lunge, Icepaw shouldered herself in between the quarreling cats.
"Enough!" She wailed. "Stop it, Frostpaw!"
"What?" Frostpaw looked at her sister in disbelief. "This – this excuse for a warrior tried to-"
"Frostpaw, what did I say?" Icepaw growled. "He can have his opinion!"
"And I can have my facts!" Frostpaw retorted. "Who's Silverheart's apprentice? Me! So I know more about her mentoring than you or Stonepaw!"
"Whatever." Icepaw rolled her eyes, turning back to Stonepaw.
Frostpaw lashed her tail. Fall head over heels for that arrogant tom! See if I care! She growled in her mind, stomping off to the fresh kill pile. One of the apprentices from the den trotted over to Frostpaw. His eyes were friendly.
"Hi! I'm Sparrowpaw, how about you?" He asked, sitting down beside Frostpaw.
"Frostpaw." Frostpaw mumbled, curling her tail over her paws. She tugged a vole from the fresh kill pile to her paws, taking a tiny bite.
"That's a nice name!" Sparrowpaw smiled. "Mind if we share?"
Sparrowpaw was nice. Frostpaw gave a tiny nod. Delighted, Sparrowpaw bent down and took a bite happily from the vole.
"So, what happened on your first day?" He asked.
"Oh, well, you might not believe me, like Stonepaw." Frostpaw mumbled, taking another bite from the vole.
"Oh, come on! Lots of crazy things happened to me on my first day. I promise I won't think you're lying."
"Okay," Frostpaw still looked uneasy. "Silverheart and I-" She broke off, looking at Sparrowpaw. She hoped he wouldn't call her mentor names like Stonepaw had. Sparrowpaw only gave a tiny nod, signaling for Frostpaw to continue.
Frostpaw took in a deep breath. "Silverheart and I were exploring the territory," She continued. "When she asked me to follow the border between us and SunClan, using the scent markers. I did, and the markers lead along the stream by the border." Frostpaw explained. Sparrowpaw's eyes were wide.
"That's not where the border is!" the light grey tom exclaimed.
"I know." Frostpaw flicked her tail. "So did Silverheart. The markers were fresh, so we followed the border until we came upon a patrol. They said SnowClan can't manage their territory; Can you believe that?"
"What?" Sparrowpaw's shoulder fur bristled. "Why, I'll-"
Frostpaw cut him off with a flick of her tail. "Save that fury. Snowstar's sure to lead an attack." She soothed, resting her tail on his shoulders. "Anyway, they even went so far as to say how unfair the fight would be – most likely implying they were stronger – and the leader of the patrol pranced away like she was the ruler of StarClan!" Frostpaw's fury returned again.
"Those crow-food-eating fleabags!" Sparrowpaw spat, his tail lashing. "I hope Snowstar teaches them a lesson!"
"He'll probably mention it at the gathering. It is tomorrow, after all." Frostpaw reasoned. "Speaking of the gathering, I wonder who'll go?"
"Yeah." Sparrowpaw stood up. "I hope me. I want to see the look on SunClan's face when we tell Greenstar all about their arrogant attempt to steal territory!"
"Yeah." Frostpaw agreed. "They'll look so shocked!"
Standing up, Frostpaw finished off the vole before curling up in her nest and drifting off into sleep.