A/N: Sorry for the wait for this chapter, I'm recovering from a awful bought of mild writers block. My brain just went 'whoa, I'm out of ideas!' But I think I've recovered.
Chapter 7, Icepaw
Icekit was sitting in the center of a group of cats, retelling her Thunderpath tale. Well, really it was only the apprentices, but she was still pleased with her sudden fame.
"You were really at the very edge of the Thunderpath?" Jaypaw asked excitedly.
Icekit nodded. "And I would have stayed there if Lionsky hadn't come along when she did."
"Wow," Mosspaw was looking at her with admiration, "that must have been terrifying!"
"Oh it was." Icekit couldn't lie about that. It had been the single most frightening thing that had ever happened to her. "I keep thinking about what the Monster would have done if it saw me and…" Icekit trailed off. Mosspaw and her siblings looked at her with sympathy.
"Well, I don't think it was that fantastic." Spottedpaw said shortly. She had been sitting at the edge of the group, pretending not to listen. This was the first time she had spoken up. "So yo got lost and ended up at the Thunderpath big deal."
Half the other cats glared at her, but she didn't back down.
"I mean, if you hadn't acted out of your place at first, then you wouldn't have gotten yoursel-"
Mosspaw interrupted her, "Acted out of her place?" He said, glaring at his sister, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Spottedpaw looked back at her brother, "Just that, she's a kit, she shouldn't'' have been trying to track her sibl-"
"You know as well as I do that she's most certainly old enough-" Mosspaw started, but Icekit stepped in front of him. She didn't need him to argue for her.
"I may be just a kit," she said, "but I did track Blackpaw and Skypaw to the clearing. I'm not an apprentice yet, but I will be very soon." With that she walked off, leaving the others sitting there, dumbfounded.
As she walked off she heard Rockpaw say, "Man, now we won't hear the end of the story!"
Icekit walked right into Redflower, who was looking proudly down at her.
"Guess what, my kit!" She asked excitedly.
"What?" Icekit looked up at her mother hopefully.
"You're going to be moving into the apprentice's den!" Redflower looked almost as exited at Icekit felt.
"Really?" She squealed, "When?"
"Tonight!" Icekit did a little dance around her mother, who laughed good naturedly at her enthusiasm. "Come now," Redflower said, "you need to be cleaned up!" they moved to in front of the nursery, and Redflower ran her scratchy tongue over Icekit's pelt.
"What's happening?" Dawnkit asked, bounding out of the nursery.
"I'm being made into an apprentice!" Icekit exclaimed. Dawnkit looked almost disappointed.
"You mean you'll be moving out?" She asked.
"Yes!" Icekit couldn't contain her enthusiasm. She was going to be an apprentice!
Lionsky couldn't help but hear the exchange between Icekit and the little blue-grey she-kit. She smiled to herself, feeling glad that Shinestar had decided to make Icekit an apprentice. It was about time! But in some way, Lionsky felt responsible for the white and red kit. Like it was her duty to train her, even though it was unlikely she would ever be trusted enough to be made into a mentor…
The sun was making its way towards the horizon, and Icekit was still waiting for Shinestar to call a Clan meeting. Just as she was beginning to despair that the leader would ever leap up onto the Highrock and gather the Clan, the cry rang though the Camp, "May all cats old enough to catch there own prey gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" Icekit leaped up and ran in a few circles to ebb her excitement, then rushed to the edge of the group gathering around the tall stone.
"We are here," Shinestar started, "as some of you may have guessed, to start a young cat's apprenticeship. Icekit, would you…" Shinestar didn't even have to finish her sentence; Icekit was up at the front in a matter of seconds.
"From now on, until she has earned her Warrior name, this cat shall be known as Icepaw." Icepaw… She shivered with excitement, and waited anxiously to know who her mentor would be…
Lionsky was sitting at the very back of the group of cats, just beside Squirreltail, as Icekit leaped up to the Highrock.
"It's about time Shinestar made that kit into an apprentice." The smaller cat whispered. Lionsky just nodded. "I bet you get to be her mentor."
"I wouldn't count on it." Lionsky muttered.
"Oh come on," Squirreltail earned an angry look from Snowpelt, who was sitting right in front of them; "you don't still think they don't trust you?" Squirreltail said, lowering her voice.
"Why would they?" Lionsky fell silent, Shinestar was about to name Icekit's, Icepaw's mentor…
Shinestar paused before naming Icepaw's mentor, while the new apprentice sat there wriggling with impatience. She thought of all the warriors in the Clan without apprentices, her mother, Brightstorm, Goldenclaw, Lionsky, and of course Tigermask and Shinestar, though it was very unlikely she would get the leader or deputy. Goldenclaw had kits, and Brightstorm was moving to the nursery any day now. That left Redflower and Lionsky. Shinestar opened her mouth, about to declare Icepaw's mentor…
"Lionsky," the leader said slowly, "you no doubt have been trained well, and I expect you to teach everything you know to this young apprentice." Lionsky came up to the front, a dazed look on her face, and touched noses with Icepaw. The entire Clan was quiet for a moment, then they all started yowling, protesting Shinestar's choice of mentor. Icepaw looked around with confusion at the chaos that had broken the silent ranks.
"Hey!" Shinestar's yowl sounded above the clamour, "This is my decision, if you don't like it, you can answer to me." A few members of the clan muttered at this, but no one voiced a complaint. Without a word, Shinestar leaped down from the rock.
"Why were they so angry?" Icepaw asked quietly.
"They were afraid." Lionsky said it in such a way that it was obvious the conversation was ended. Only half the clan came up to congratulate Icepaw and her apprenticeship, the other half went back to their dens, including Lionsky.