Chapter 2
The next weeks for the clan and the kits were tough. A half moon past though, and steadily during that times, the cats recovered. Even Shadekit and Fernkit were feeling better. Rockshade and Willowshadow were happier too.
Quite the contrary, time had only expanded Silverkit's grief. She still blamed herself for the lost of her sister, and was lost in her own world of mourning.
Willowshadow! Rockshade!" Rainstar called. The two warriors bounded up to him immediately. "How are the kits feeling?" The leader asked.
The two warriors exchanged a look before Rockshade meowed, "Fernkit and Shadekit are better but Silverkit is…" His voice trailed off as he pictured his youngest kit.
"Silverkit is still very sad. She won't speak unless some cat asks her a question, and even then she says as little as possible. She is lost in a world of hurt. She is inattentive, staring at nothing, lost in her thoughts. "
Rainstar said nothing for a moment. He thought hard. It would be unfair to give her littermates their apprentice names and keep Silverkit in the nursery, but also equally unfair to hold Fernkit and Shadekit back if they were ready. He sighed, knowing there was no alternative. "I'll hold their ceremony at Sunhigh. I think paring Silverkit with just the right mentor will bring her back to us." He padded off to speak with Fishcreek about hunting patrols.
Shadekit ran up to her parents. "You and your sisters will have your ceremony today." Rockshade announced. Shadekit let out a purr of excitement and looked around for her littermates.
Upon finding them she jumped on Silverkit, obviously expecting her to engage in a play fight with her. But Silverkit just shrugged her off. Shadekit looked at her worriedly, but before she said anything Fernkit bounced on her. "We're getting out names today!" she meowed to Fernkit. Fernkit squealed happily. Shadekit looked over at Rainstar and Fishcreek.
"I have to ask him something," She said abruptly. She left her sisters outside the nursery. Trying to push her nervousness away, she walked up to Rainstar. "Could I ask you something?" She meowed seriously.
Rainstar was shocked, from the seriousness of the kit or that she needed to talk to him, it was unclear why. But he just nodded and beckoned for her to follow him into his den.
…
"Let all cats old enough to swim gather beneath Mossrock for a clan meeting." Rainstar called to the clan promptly as soon as the sun was directly above them. The clan streamed out of their dens like the river flowing into a waterfall. The cats looked at their leader expectantly.
"I have spoken to Rockshade and Willowshadow. They have told me their kits are ready for the apprentice ceremony. So today is the day they will begin to learn what it is to be a Riverclan apprentice." Rainstar announced. "Watersong, Shadekit has asked to be the next Riverclan medicine cat. Will you accept her as your new apprentice?"
Watersong meowed, "Yes. I think she will be a fine medicine cat. She has a lot of compassion."
"Shadekit, until you receive your clan name you will be known as Shadepaw." The clan cheered her name, congratulating her and wishing her well.
Shadepaw said, "Thank you. Losing Mosskit made me want to protect all of my loved ones. I train in the name of Mosskit." The clan bowed their heads in respect. Shadepaw and Watersong touched noses and moved to the back of the group.
"Silverkit, you have much grief but with Fishcreek as your mentor you will learn to push aside your feelings for the good of your clan. From this day forward until you receive your warrior name, you'll be known by the apprentice name of Silverpaw." Silverpaw's eyes grew wide as Rainstar announced the deputy was to be her mentor. Fishcreek padded up to her, and the two cats touched noses. The clan cheered her like they did Shadepaw.
Rainstar gave Fernkit her apprentice name and said, "Smallflower I trust you to train her well, to pass on your wisdom and strength to her through her apprenticeship." The clan chanted her name, and the meeting drew to a close.
Oakpaw and Rosepaw dashed froward, eager to greet to know their new denmates.
Fishcreek said, "Frostwhisker, Webpelt will you go hunting please? Smallflower you, and I will be having a training session with our apprentices. Rockshade, you and Willowshadow and Graymist patrol the Shadowclan border. Sandclaw, Splashspot take the Windclan boundary. Reedpelt and Rosepaw can come with us for training and Oakpaw will you tend to the elders?" The cats nodded their assent and headed to their duties.
Fishcreek gathered his patrol together with a sweep of his tail and set out for the training hollow. Along the way, he and Smallflower pointed out the landmarks to Fernpaw and Silverpaw. When they got there, the mentors turned to the apprentices. Fishcreek nodded to Reedpelt, letting him lead the training session. "Today is a good for fishing tactics. Pay attention Rosepaw! Just because you are a moon older dosen't mean you can drone me out."
Rosepaw nodded ruefully, "Sorry Reedpelt."
Reedpelt nodded and continued. "When fishing, the most important thing to do is make sure your shadow dosen't fall on the water. When you see a fish, scoop it out with your paw. Speed is crucial. Then give it the killing bite." The three apprentices nodded.
Smallflower meowed, "Do you want to try it out in the river?" Rosepaw and Fernpaw nodded and dashed off excitedly, Rosepaw leading the white and ginger apprentice.
Silverpaw just stood there lost in memories, her dropped tail wrapped around her paws. She didn't seem to have any energy or will to do things. Fishcreek padded up to her. "Silverpaw. Are you still sad about Mosskit?"
She looked at her new mentor mournfully. "Yes! Of course I am! Her death was my fault." Bittersweet memories surged through her. Mosskit was always so happy and fun; her life should have been much longer, her days spent serving the clan.
"Why do you feel you are responsible?" Fishcreek asked her.
"Cause it was my idea to leave camp, and I was the one who persuaded her to go!" Silverpaw wailed.
Fishcreek shook his head. "If that's what you think, I have no answer. But let me tell you this. Everything happens for a reason, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be. Focus on your training. There's nothing you can do for your sister now. Training will make you forget about it"
Silverpaw rounded on her mentor. "What reason could Starclan have for letting me kill my sister? She's just a kit!" She snapped, "I want her back! I don't ever want to forget Mosskit! There are some things more important than the clan."
Fishcreek expected Silverpaw to be mad but when she turned toward the river, her ears flat against her head, tears rolling down her face.