Kestrelkit was staring at the sunrise over the snowy peaks of her mountainous home. None of her siblings had woken up yet, and only the dawn patrol was up, so she had no one to play with.
A rustle in the ferns behind her, and a light, pine-like smell, told her that she had company.
"What are you doing up this early?" her brother, Falconkit, asked.
"Oh, you know, waiting for my lazy brothers to wake up," she teased.
"First off, I'm not lazy, and second, it's dawn. No one in their right mind is going to be up at dawn."
"Whatever."
Kestrelkit rolled her eyes. A moment later, she pounced.
Her paws pummeled his underbelly, while pinning him underneath her with her greater weight. Falconkit growled and sneaked his back legs underneath her stomach. He thrust them upward, to throw her off, but only succeeded in kicking air.
Kestrelkit had leapt off to the right at the last second, and now attacked her brother's tail with even more ferocity. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her scruff, her paws being lifted off the ground, and soft, dark brown fur brushing her
back.
"Mom!" she whined. "We were just having fun!"
"But fun can wait," Mapleflower said through the bundle of fur in her mouth.
"Mom-" Kestrelkit started.
"You are attending your first apprentice ceremony," the dark brown she-cat meowed firmly. "Lightningkit is your cousin, and you are therefore expected to be present for such a prestigious event. And you are not supposed to
look like rogues for such a ceremony. Now, where is your brother?"
Falconkit bounced in place, squeaking, "I'm here! I'm here!"
"No, sorry dear, I meant Hawkkit," Mapleflower muttered, distracted.
Her amber eyes searched the camp avidly, becoming more and more distressed by the moment. Then her eyes both lit up and darkened at the same time, if such a thing was possible.
She had spotted the young tabby at the entrance to camp, with Ashtail, one of the senior warriors. He had burrs in his fur, and a gleam in his yellow eyes. But when they met his mother's, that gleam quickly dimmed.
"What," Mapleflower hissed, "in StarClan's name were you doing outside of camp?!"
"That would be my fault," Ashtail mewed, stepping in after sensing trouble. "I say him hanging around the camp, and thought I'd take him for a slight jaunt a few fox-lengths outside. Please, blame me, and not the kit."
"Father, I-really, it is-I'm so sorry-" Mapleflower stuttered, not really seeming able to construct a good sentence.
Kestrelkit stepped in. "What I think Mom means to say is, 'Thank you for bringing my kit back safely, and I would like to have a word with him.' Right Mom?"
"Ah-yes, of course. That is exactly-yes, yes. Come along now, Hawkkit, no dawdling. Thank you!"
She aimed one last remark at Ashtail, over her shoulder, keeping one eye on Hawkkit the entire time.
"Sorry, Mom," Hawkkit muttered when they had gotten a few paces away.
"Sorry isn't going to cut it, mister," Mapleflower said sternly. "You've set us back a few minutes, worried me to death, and-oh, I'm just so glad you're safe."
This was her mother's nature, Kestrelkit thought. Mad one minute, sad the next, and in three seconds she was as happy as a kit with a piece of moss before it got boring.
Mapleflower hugged her son close to her side, and began licking him fiercely on the top of the head. His tufty tabby fur was tamed by her rough tongue, and his stripes soon gleamed. Falconkit got the same treatment soon afterwards, and Kestrelkit
was last. The first two kits got a couple more touch-ups, but they soon had to turn towards the TallStone. Mapleflower approached proudly, as if presenting them to the Clan for the first time.
But even more proud, and standing close to the TallStone, was Crystalshine, with her smug looking son languishing next to her.
He had a sort of lazy elegance to him, Kestrelkit thought. He didn't have to try to be dignified.
His black stripes gleamed, and his blue eyes shone bright and clear. A shadow fell over him, and Silverstar stood on the rock. She looked down on the entire clearing from her perch, regal, yet fond. Then she spoke.
"Lightningkit, you have com to the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed."
She began the ceremony immediately, as everyone was already there.
"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lightningpaw. Your mentor will be-" and here she paused, looking over the assembled Clan "-Cinderfur. I hope Cinderfur will pass on all that she knows to you.
Cinderfur, would you please step forward?"
The light gray she-cat padded forward, eagerness in her bright yellow eyes.
"Cinderfur, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You have received excellent training from Graymask, and have shown yourself to be brave and clever. You will be the mentor of Lightningpaw, and I expect you to pass on all that you know
to him."
Cinderfur bent over, reaching down to touch noses with her new apprentice. Lightningpaw stretched out, and their noses brushed for a brief moment.