Chapter Ten: No Longer a Kit
Many Gatherings had passed, but there wasn't anything new, except for the occasional snow. Prey was now harder to find, but the twolegs that had invaded MapleClan's territory hadn't come back.
Sweetkit yawned, stretching out her limbs. One of her legs kicked Bluetail in the stomach, causing the blue-gray queen to grunt and raise her head, amber eyes glowering at her kit.
Sweetkit had begun to become more adult-like, growing out of her fluffy fur and her kit-like personality, as well as spending more time with the apprentices. My apprenticeship is due any day now… At that thought, the white kit got to her paws, stumbling out of the nest that she and Bluetail shared.
Ever since Sorrelflower had her kits, the nursery had been crowded. She had given birth to Owlkit, Honeykit, Pebblekit, and Smokekit.
"Bluetail, I might need a different nest soon…" she didn't want to offend her mother, which would be very bad. Sweetkit kneaded her paws against the nursery floor, where moss and bracken were strewn about.
Bluetail sighed. "And just why?"
"Our nest is getting small."
"If you insist, Sweetkit."
Sorrelflower was now awake at this point, most likely due to the fact that one of her kits –apparently Pebblekit, the silver one- was yowling loudly.
The mottled queen grimaced, apologizing hastily.
Sweetkit said, "I'm going outside, Bluetail. I might be able to catch up to the apprentices and train with them." The she-cat quickly groomed her disheveled fur, protesting as her mother stood and began to rasp her tongue over her fur.
"I was thinking you could watch the kits." Bluetail argued in a sharp tone, "Sorrelflower's been exhausted with them and you always go about. They're old enough for you to play with them, and besides, you'll be training with Ashpaw and Rosepaw soon enough!"
The silvery-blue queen shot a look at Sweetkit that said no more arguing. Sorrelflower looked questionably at Bluetail, controlling one of her kits that was the color of charcoal.
Bluetail flicked her ears, lying back down. "Sweetkit would be happy to play with your kits and take them off her paws. Wouldn't you, dear?" She flicked her tail, looking firmly at her kit.
Sweetkit nodded, forcing a smile. Why does Bluetail have to ruin everything?
Sorrelflower seemed surprised. "Are you sure? I could take care of them and let Sweetkit play-err, train with Ashpaw and Rosepaw…" The white she-cat brightened, her green eyes gleaming.
"It's no problem, Sorrelflower. You could still supervise."
Sweetkit muttered underbreath, before flicking her plumy tail and lumbering down the slope, noticing it was sun-high due to the position the Sun was in.
She heard Sorrelflower speaking with her four kits, before Honeykit's goldeny pelt was distinguishable as she raced down the hill, followed by the jet-black of Owlkit's. The black she-kit slipped, falling onto Honeykit, and they toppled down to the bottom, squeaking.
Smokekit strut past his littermates, smirking. Pebblekit dove onto him, bringing them both crashing onto the turf. Outraged, the dark gray tom yowled, barreling into the pale gray she-kit, just as Sorrelflower descended down the slope.
Sweetkit sniggered, before standing expressionless. Honeykit and Owlkit were grooming themselves, as if nothing had happened.
"Why are you fighting with Pebblekit?" asked Sorrelflower, her hackles rising.
Smokekit bristled, while Pebblekit attempted to look innocent, her head tilted and ears flattened.
"She leapt on me!" he snarled, amber eyes sharper than flint.
Sorrelflower sighed, and shook her head, as if exasperated. "Pebblekit would never do that, Smokekit." She turned around, heading towards a clump of ferns in the sunlight.
As the charcoal-gray kit was about to retort something, the mottled queen looked back, and stopped walking. "Just stay out of trouble."
Smokekit turned towards Sweetkit. "So you're in charge of us?" he sounded skeptical, even though she was a few heads taller. The white kit saw Bluetail nestled in a nook in the nursery entrance.
"Yes. And you better follow your mother's instructions, or else." She snapped, feeling defensive, her snowy-white fur rising.
Smokekit looked at her for a few moments longer, before dipping his head.
Owlkit swept his small tongue around his not-yet-canines. "Can we see the freshkill pile?"
The white she-cat nodded. "But you can't eat anything since you don't have teeth."
They bounded over, and she watched from a distance, sitting down, whilst licking a paw and running it over her ears.
A feathery voice sounded from behind her. "Sweetkit, are you busy?"
She turned around and saw a black-and-white mottled she-cat. "Oh. Good morning, Rosepaw." Sweetkit dipped her head in greeting, getting to her paws.
Rosepaw repeated her question, with a slight edge to her voice.
"Yeah…" Sweetkit paused, before continuing in a sour tone. "I have to watch Sorrelflower's kits. Sorry."
The apprentice sighed. "It's fine. I've heard they were a loud bunch." Rosepaw looked around, before whispering into her ear, "I overheard Waspfire talking with Thornstar. I think your apprenticeship is later today."
Sweetkit purred, "Thanks, Rosepaw. Hopefully your warrior ceremony is soon."
"That's not going to happen anytime soon, but thanks." The apprentice laughed, and stopped as she saw the three kits come bounding over, their eyes wide. Smokekit wasn't with them. Well, he was bound to get in trouble sooner or later.
"Smokekit said he was going to explore camp without us! Can you show us around?" their outraged squeals sounded more or less like what Owlkit said.
"Should I?" Rosepaw leaned down, her muscles rippling underneath of her sleek pelt. Sweetkit shot a grateful look at the apprentice.
Owlkit tilted her head, recognition dawning on her features. "Aren't you an apprentice?"
Rosepaw purred, nodding. The kits bobbed their heads up and down in unison, excitement glistening in their eyes. "Yes. Now would you like me to show you around?"
"Hold on." Sweetkit frowned. "Sorry Rosepaw, but I need to ask them something. Where'd Smokekit go?"
The three kits had the grace to look embarrassed, scuffing the half-frozen dirt with their paws and avoiding the white she-cat's glare.
"He kind of-um, went alongside the camp wall towards the big tree over there that Mother says is Thornstar's?"
Rosepaw exchanged a shocked look. "Leave him be. Thornstar's his father." Sweetkit murmured. The apprentice nodded stiffly, before regaining her excited appearance.
"I'll show you to the apprentices' den first. Come on!" The black-and-white she-cat bounded off, and the kits scrambled over each other to catch up with her, stumbling and tripping. Sweetkit trailed behind them, thinking about her warrior name –when the time would come. Sweetfern? No. Too mushy. Sweetfoot? No.
"Sweetkit!" she was jerked back to reality by the loud –and slightly irritated- call from Rosepaw. The white she-kit rushed towards her, panting an apology once she reached the apprentice.
The mottled she-cat opened her mouth to respond, before the loud yowling of Thornstar alerted them. Smokekit was at the base of the Oak Tree, looking slightly dejected.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Oak Tree!" the leader of MapleClan balanced on a low-hanging branch. Sweetkit saw Bluetail and Sorrelflower racing towards her.
"Sweetkit! Waspfire says it's time for your apprenticing ceremony!" the blue-gray queen mewed, and began to groom her kit. The white she-cat sidled away.
"I can groom myself!"
Sorrelflower snarled, "Where's Smokekit?" she beckoned her kits towards her, and they reluctantly obeyed, muttering and groaning.
Rosepaw pointed towards the base of the Oak Tree with her ears, before purring to Sweetkit, and hurrying towards where most of the Clan had gathered.
"Kits, go back to the den." Sorrelflower mewed tensely, and shot off towards Smokekit.
Bluetail purred, "Follow me."
The she-cat walked over near the tree, and Sweetkit followed, sitting down. Bluetail then seated herself near some fauna a few fox-lengths away. Sweetkit turned her attention to Thornstar, and walked forward as he beckoned her.
"Sweetkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." Thornstar paused, taking a breath before yowling, "Do you promise to train under the code our ancestors created?"
"I do!"
"Then from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sweetpaw. Your mentor will be Ebonyclaw, and I hope he will pass down all the things he's learnt down to you."
Sweetpaw quickly licked Thornstar's shoulder, and he continued;
"Ebonyclaw, you are now ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Turtlespeck - whom is now in StarClan, and you have shown yourself to be cunning and patient. You will be the mentor of Sweetpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know down to Sweetpaw."
Sweetpaw saw the jet-black tom, and her eyes widened as he padded forward. He was slim yet muscular, and she'd always seen him but never acknowledged him. Amusement glistened in his eyes as the white she-cat rushed forward a bit too quickly to touch noses with him.
"Sweetpaw, Sweetpaw, Sweetpaw!"
She purred as she heard the Clan chanting her new name, watching as many finally departed for their duties.
"Congratulations!" Honeykit chirped as Sweetpaw padded off towards Bluetail and Waspfire. The white she-cat purred, and licked a tuft of fur on the kit's forehead.
Smokekit demanded, "Will you teach us how to do a hunting crouch?"
"When you're older, she will." Sorrelflower answered for her, and Sweetpaw nodded in gratitude, before loping over to her parents, aware of Ebonyclaw's gaze on her back. A thrush lay at Waspfire's paws. The deputy purred, rasping his rough tongue over her ears.
"Congratulations. Ebonyclaw will teach you well." He murmured to her, as Bluetail stayed silent.
"Stop delaying and let her eat the bird," Bluetail snapped playfully, "I bet she's starving, and Ebonyclaw looks impatient."
Sweetpaw glanced at her mentor, and saw him sitting by the camp entrance, his tail twitching.
"Oops." The she-cat mewed, and thanked her parents for the thrush, finishing it in record time. She then bounded over to Ebonyclaw, whom barely acknowledged her. Humph. That's rude.
The black-tom's pelt was becoming invisible as the Sun set further and further into its nest below the horizon. His voice jolted Sweetpaw out of a daydream. "Since it's too late for me to lead you to the training clearing, I'll teach you how to control your paw-swipes."
Sweetpaw pricked her ears, excited. "Is it hard? How long do you think it'll take me to learn?"
"Won't take too long, since all you'll be doing is collecting moss." Ebonyclaw's voice was husky with laughter.
"Oh. T-that's nice, I guess."
They broke into silence, until they reached a copse of elm trees with moss layered thick on their roots.
Ebonyclaw glanced at the rising moon. "You need to control your claws like this," he brought her over to an old tree, and began slicing the moss off in neat squares, before stacking the flowerless plants on top of each other.
The apprentice nodded, trying to copy her mentor on a nearby tree. "Like this?"
The tom examined her piece of moss. "Not quite. If you gave that to the elders, they'd complain; there are a few pieces of bark in there."
Sweetpaw felt her fur warming in embarrassment, and she licked her chest fur.
"No one's good at it first; Thornstar wasn't and neither was Waspfire."
Sure... The she-cat sulked, and continued snipping the pieces of moss, finding it easier as the moon glowed brightly in the darkness. The chunks of moss were becoming neater.
Ebonyclaw mewed, "We should get back." Sweetpaw couldn't see him, except for his amber eyes. "Press on the moss pile, and squeeze the water out. Then tuck some under your chin, and take some in your mouth, like this." The tom demonstrated, and Sweetpaw did the same.
"Like this?" her mew was muffled, but the warrior nodded, and the apprentice purred happily.
The tom led the way back to camp, and Sweetpaw kept her gaze trained on the faint outline of his back. The moonlight barely hit him somehow.
When they finally reached camp, the white she-cat was exhausted, not used to the awkward position her muzzle had been settled in, and the extra weight on her paws.
Brambleheart was on duty guarding the entrance. Ebonyclaw nodded to him, and dropped his bundle of moss once they neared the freshkill pile, looking directly at Sweetpaw. "I can take your moss; you should go on ahead into the den and get some rest. I want you up early tomorrow."
Nodding, Sweetpaw dipped her head in thanks and trudged over to her den, almost veering over to the Nursery on instinct. I'm an apprentice now!
As she quietly padded in, the she-cat could see the other two apprentices slumbering. An empty nest with moss already layered in was beside Rosepaw. Silently thanking her friend, Sweetpaw sunk into her nest, sighing and quickly drifting off.
