A/N: You guys are awesome! Four reviews! :D This chapter is a sad one; sorry! Please review!
Thanks to:
halfmoon54- for reviewing
Howlsong13- thanks, I tried my hardest!
ShastamaeFirepool- Nope, poor kit :(
Echo of Dripping Water- Sorry, thanks for reviewing!
Ch.3
"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code; to defend your clan even at the cost of your lives?" Snowstar asked.
"I do," Blizzardpaw replied solemnly.
She could hear Cloudpaw's nervous reply beside her along with the rest of her siblings replies.
"Hailpaw; from now on you shall be known as Hailstrike. StarClan honors you bravery and strength. Icepaw; from now on you shall be known as Icefang. StarClan honors your skills and endurance. Lilypaw; you shall be known as Lilyfrost. StarClan honors your grace and patience. Blizzardpaw…" her father paused.
Blizzardpaw looked up, her blue eyes gleaming with awe.
"From now on you shall be known as Blizzardmoon. StarClan honors your helpfulness and spirit," Snowstar announced.
Blizzardmoon felt her twin brother go ridged beside her.
"Cloudpaw, from now on you shall be known as Cloudwhisker. StarClan honors your hunting skills and gentleness. We welcome all of you as full warriors of CloudClan. Tonight we will have a feast!" Snowstar yowled.
Blizzardmoon grinned at her brother, who returned her smile.
"Hailstrike, Icefang, Lilyfrost, Blizzardmoon, Cloudwhisker!" the clan yowled.
"Hello Cloudwhisker!" Blizzardmoon purred.
"Blizzardmoon, I like it!" Cloudwhisker replied.
Blizzardmoon shrugged, "Yeah, I need to go say thanks to Blueheart. I'll be back."
Her old mentor was sitting in between his oldest ex-apprentice, Whispersun, and his mate, Bumblewhisker.
"Hello, Blizzardmoon, what would you like to eat… vole, rabbit, or vulture?" Bumblewhisker nosed the plump objects on the prey pile.
"Rabbit, please, one Cloudwhisker and I can share," Blizzardmoon nodded, "Blueheart, I would like to thank you for training me… it means a lot."
"You're welcome," Blueheart grinned, "Oh, Bumblewhisker; make that rabbit big enough for three. I think Squirrelfang would like to eat with Blizzardmoon and Cloudwhisker."
Blizzardmoon blushed, "Blueheart!"
Blueheart shook his head, "I see the way you're always looking at Squirrelfang and I'll tell you a secret… he likes you too."
"Really!?" Blizzardmoon said a bit too loud.
Blueheart nodded, "Here," he handed her the rabbit, "Go have fun!"
Blizzardmoon took the rabbit and made her way over to the young ginger warrior.
"Hi, Blizzardmoon, nice name by the way!" Squirrelfang turned.
His personality is the total opposite of Icefang.
"Thanks, hey, I was wondering if you wanted to share this rabbit with Cloudwhisker and me?" Blizzardmoon blushed.
A smile lit up Squirrelfang's face, "Sure!"
Blizzardmoon hurried over to Cloudwhisker and Squirrelfang joined them a second later.
"Rabbit's my favorite; it's a shame that we use them to capture vultures- they never get back to camp fresh. It's so hard to find a fresh rabbit these days!" Squirrelfang laughed.
"I like mouse," Cloudwhisker added, his voice trembling a bit.
Squirrelfangs eyes darkened, "That was always Mossypaw's favorite."
Blizzardmoon rested her tail his shoulders, "I'm sorry."
"Mossykit! Come play moss ball with me!" Blizzardkit called out.
"Coming Blizz!" a little brown tabby she-kit bounced forward, her bright green eyes sparkling.
"So when do you get to be a warrior apprentice?" Blizzardkit squeaked.
"Snowstar said early this morning… well he didn't say it exactly to me. I heard him saying it to Yellowpath. But be quiet! I don't want Squirrelkit to hear!" Mossykit replied.
"That's so cool! And in three moons I'll be joining you!" Blizzardkit replied.
A yowl sounded behind them, "Mossykit! I have something to tell you and Squirrelkit!"
Mossykit nodded, and then whispered, "I think I know what it is. Got to go see what dad wants! See you later, Blizzardkit!"
Blizzardkit sat down and curled her tail over her paws. Cloudkit and Lilykit joined her moments later.
"Icekit is so annoying," Lilykit's fur raised on her shoulders, "Only he wanted to play catch the mouse! He wouldn't let us sneak out of camp; he had to tell mom!"
Cloudkit only nodded in agreement.
Blizzardkit ignored her two siblings, watching Mossykit and Squirrelkit in the distance as they talked to their father. Squirrelkit's tail rose with excitement and Mossykit flashed a knowing smile toward Blizzardkit.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath Tall Hill for a clan meeting!" Snowstar's voice rang out.
Blizzardkit joined Icekit behind a couple of warriors.
"Hey Icekit!" Blizzardkit squealed.
"Hello, Blizzardkit. Are you having a good day so far?" Icekit asked.
"You're always so formal! But, I'm having a great day. So, you kept the rest of them from sneaking out, huh?" Blizzardkit purred.
"Yes," Icekit replied, "I suppose you could say that. Lilykit began it all; Hailkit arranged the plans."
"What about Cloudkit?" Blizzardkit chuckled, "I doubt he could do anything."
"That I must agree to," Icekit snorted.
"Shh!" one of the warriors whom Blizzardkit remembered as Blueheart glared at them.
Snowstar started again, "CloudClan is the strongest it had been since Cloudstar perished. Today we gather to appoint two new apprentices. Squirrelkit, from now on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Squirrelpaw. Whispersun, you shall mentor Squirrelpaw. Squirrelpaw will be your first apprentice- I trust you to pass on your loyalty and kindness. Mossykit, from now on you shall be known as Mossypaw until you receive your warrior name. Blueheart, you have proved a strong mentor to Whispersun and I trust that you will pass on your humor and strength to Mossypaw."
Mossypaw and Squirrelpaw proudly straightened up and joined their mentors.
Blizzardkit joined in calling the new apprentices names, "Mossypaw, Squirrelpaw, Mossypaw, Squirrelpaw!"
"Blizzardkit," Honeyflower tapped her on the shoulder. "It's time for your nap; it's a bit chilly out here."
Blizzardkit followed Honeyflower and Icekit to the nursery; she snuggled up next to her mother and drifted into a deep sleep.
When she awoke she came face-to-face with her mother's worried face.
"Lilykit, Hailkit, Cloudkit, Icekit, and Blizzardkit, I have some bad news to tell you," Honeyflower wrapped her tail around Blizzardkit and Cloudkit. "The two new mentors and apprentices were attacked by a fox on their tour of the territory. They managed to drive the fox off the territory. The next time you see Squirrelpaw, he'll look a bit different. The fox shredded one of his ears badly." Blizzardkit's mother took a deep breath, "And Mossypaw… Mossypaw is gravely injured. Right now she is in the medicine den; but Redthorn says she's not going to make it."
Blizzardkit froze… her best friend… dead? Cloudkit was ridged behind her; suffering from the same shock. She looked over at Icekit, Hailkit, and Lilykit; but they didn't seem sad- in fact the seemed the opposite… did they not understand?
"Mom, can we go see Squirrelpaw's ear?!" Hailkit asked, his voice blistering with excitement.
Honeyflower nodded, "He's in the apprentices den."
Hailkit led Icekit and Lilykit out of the den, all three wanting to see Squirrelpaw's first battle scar. Blizzardkit inched closer to her brother, finding his white pelt comforting.
"Cloudkit?" she whispered.
"Yeah?" Cloudkit's squeak was barely audible.
"Do… do you think Mossypaw's going to go to StarClan?" Blizzardkit's voice shook.
Cloudkit's icy eyes darkened.
"Mom?" Blizzardkit asked.
"Yes, you may go see Mossypaw. Just be quiet and stick with your brother," Honeyflower read Blizzardkit's mind.
Blizzardkit stepped out of the nursery, all the sudden it seemed as if it was freezing outside. Cloudkit numbly followed her. The heather medicine den seemed even drearier, the scent of blood and herbs made Blizzardkit reel back.
"Cloudkit, Blizzardkit," Redthorn nodded, "Are you here to say goodbye to Mossypaw?"
Blizzardkit barely had the strength to nod. Redthorn pointed them over to a small lump of brown tabby fur. Blood stained the cobwebs that wrapped the body in numerous spots.
"Mossypaw?" Blizzardkit whispered.
Mossypaw moaned; her last whisper was barely able to reach Blizzardkit and Cloudkit's ears, "Good… goodbye Cloud… Cloudkit… Blizzard… Blizz."
Her chest barely fell and rose for a couple of minutes before it was still forever. Blizzardkit buried her nose into her friend fur; she could hear Yellowpath, Mossypaw's father's pain filled yowl as he got back from camp from a hunting patrol. She could feel Squirrelpaw's raised pelt brush against hers as he grieved for his sister. She could imagine how Cloudkit was feeling right now- the same grief that was so strong in her heart… and at that moment Blizzardkit promised she would protect Cloudkit with her life.
Blizzardmoon was knocked out of her memories by Squirrelfang's gentle voice, "You okay?"
She nodded, "I'm fine, don't worry about me." She looked up at right ear; most of it was gone- taken from the same fox that killed Mossypaw.
Maybe StarClan took Mossypaw so that Cloudwhisker and I would be so close. So that Cloudwhisker could be happy.
"Silent vigil will be soon for you guys," Squirrelfang pointed his tail toward the setting sun. "Just remember not to dose off; don't lie down and try not to sit too often. Keep walking- it will help to keep you awake. Keep your ears and nose open; they'll help you more than your eyes will in the dark."
"Thanks for the advice," Blizzardmoon leaned up against him for split second before the moment was over. "I'm going to see Honeyflower; goodnight."
Snores echoed over the peaceful camp. Blizzardmoon and Cloudwhisker's white pelts stood out in the chilly darkness. Blizzardmoon felt frozen; but so far Squirrelfang's advice seemed to have worked. Slowly the first light of dawn brightened the camp.
"Good morning," Bumblewhisker approached them and winked at Blizzardmoon, "I trust last night went well. You all have the rest of the day off; get some sleep."
"Thank you," Blizzardmoon reminded herself that tonight they would be sleeping in the warrior's corner.
She fell into step behind Hailstrike and drowsily entered the warrior corner. The cats, most of which were still fast asleep, laid in the grass- some several tail-lengths apart, others mouse-lengths. Squirrelfang's green gaze caught Blizzardmoon's; he waved his tail for her to come over.
"Here, you can sleep in this nest," he flicked his tail at a patch of empty flattened grass beside his that smelt faintly of the newly retired elder, Reedfall.
"Thanks," she curled up; making sure Cloudwhisker had taken the empty nest next to hers.
Blizzardmoon breathed in the scents of the warrior corner. Long forgotten ones clogged her nose. She sniffed out Yellowpath's, Squirrelfang's father who died in a rogue attack. Crystalrain, Lilacwhisker's sister who died in the same attack. And she almost thought she could smell Mossypaw's scent on Yellowpath's nest. The thought of her long lost friend soothed Blizzardmoon and she fell into a deep sleep.
Cloudwhisker and I are Warriors!
A/N: So did you like this chapter? Hate it? Tell me what you think in a REVEIW! Give me three more reviews before I post the next chapter!