Chapter X
Yet another rainstorm blew over the DuskClan cats, huddled safely in their underground dens. Cinderkit was lying on her side at the far corner of the spacious den.
It wasn't just her, none of the cats in the nursery wanted to move. Bramblekit tried to make light of the situation they were in, but eventually he gave up.
A new queen had joined them; Snowhaze. She was kind, and often chatted nervously with Cinderkit's mother.
The rain pattered relentlessly over their heads. Thunder crackled over their heads and lightning illuminated the den in a terrifying sort of light.
"M-m-mother." Brindlekit whispered, clambering onto their mother. Cinderkit found it quite amusing that the normally confident Brindlekit was acting this way.
The sky was dark, though it had only been some time since DuskClan had awoken.
Snowhaze walked over to Fawnberry, her big stomach almost touching the floor. Brindlekit climbed off Fawnberry and lightly padded over to Cinderkit, to her surprise.
"I know how you feel now, Cinderkit." The fluffy white she-kit curled up, speaking to her for seemingly the first time. The gray cat allowed her to take her space, nodding and shifting to the right.
Mere tail-lengths away from the kits sat the two queens. "What's up with Cinderkit?" Snowhaze asked curiously. "I don't really know." Fawnberry stated anxiously. "She just seems to be very quiet, and unsocial." The other queen frowned.
#-#-#
Rosestar was quietly watching the rain in her den. The fat drops pelted down one by one on the roofs of the dens, and Rosestar wondered what she could possibly do to make the Clan more warm.
Ah, yes! The apprentices were just about old enough to have their final assessment and ceremony. The she-cat stepped out and headed to the small apprentices' den. Petalpaw and Featherpaw lazed about inside, but seeing Rosestar they jumped up immediately.
"Hello, Rosestar, what may we do for you?" Featherpaw questioned, anxious to do something - anything.
"It's time for your final assessment. Come with me." The older cat meowed briskly. The two apprentices followed her, exchanging excited expressions.
"The first assessment will be a hunting assessment." The ginger cat meowed when they reached the muddy forest. "You will be hunting in a pair…
#-#-#
"I, Rosestar, leader of DuskClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."
Rosestar turned to Featherpaw, the eldest of the two. "Featherpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend the Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Featherpaw's eyes were serious. "I do." She mewed, looking up at Rosestar with energy and hope shining in her eyes.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Featherpaw, from now on you shall be known as Feathersky. StarClan honors your honesty and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of DuskClan."
Rosestar touched her nose to Feathersky's head and the newly named warrior licked her shoulder. The leader turned to Petalpaw.
"Petalpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend the Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do!" was the energetic response from Petalpaw, eyes shining.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Petalpaw, from now on you shall be known as Petalflight. StarClan honors your bravery and courage, and we welcome you as a full warrior of DuskClan."
Just like that, the ceremonies were over. Or so the crowd of cats thought. "Naming apprentices is one of the joys of the Clan. Today, I would like to make Fawnberry's kits our first DuskClan-born apprentices."
Cinderkit had been watching the ceremony from the shaded hollows of the nursery tunnel. She tilted her head at Rosestar's words. Really? She would be an apprentice?
A/N: One of my longer chapters! Hope you guys didn't find too boring as it was just a filler.
I'm sick today, so YAY! more updating! and woohoo! Chapter 10!
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-Aqua :3