Willowkit woke with a jolt, it had already almost been half a moon. All it did was drag by with endless boring days that were filled with Tigerpaw and Berrypaw boasting. Honeypaw seemed oddly quiet Willowkit hoped she was just focused on her training. Or just ignoring them cause they were kits as long as she continued to ignore them. At least ignore Sorrelkit she seemed a little happier. She even wanted to play more, tossing around a moss ball with Willowkit for a while before settling down with Foxpool for a sunhigh nap.
Willowkit was on edge since she saw, or thought she saw, the amber eyed star-filled cat. She couldn't get it out of her mind. When she wasn't playing with Sorrelkit she tried practicing her stalking under the careful eyes of her friends Cherrypaw and Thunderpaw. Thunderpaw correcting her when he saw fit.
Juniperstar watched the kit from the shadow of her den who was already trying to be an apprentice. The blue-gray she-cat was intrigued by the kit. She had never seen a kit with so much drive for learning. Willowkit seemed to surprise her at every turn. Most kits just wanted to play while Willowkit seemed focused on being an apprentice before she was even one. She had the heart of even a senior warrior, with much more to learn that is. With the right guidance she could have all of Starclan in her paws. Whitepetal glided up to her on the quietest of paws. She was the only cat in the clan that could sneak up on the young leader.
"Whitepetal, what did I tell you about not making noise before you walk up on me?" the blue-gray leader meowed after she jumped at the white cats appearance.
"To not too," She purred amusingly and flicked the young leader with her tail. "I was never good at listening."
"She's going to be a great apprentice," Juniperstar said directing Whitepetal's line of sight with her nose.
Whitepetal looked out at the young Willowkit who was practice stalking a imaginary mouse. Her stance was already pretty well. Thunderpaw pushed her into a slightly better stance and let her stalk forward and to spring on the imaginary mouse.
"With the right guidance," Whitepetal said echoing the thoughts in Juniperstar's mind. "Who are you going to make her mentor?"
"You'll just have to wait and see," Juniperstar meowed to her.
"Why do you always try to be mysterious? It gets kind of old," Whitepetal said as she walked back to her stone den.
Juniperstar scoffed as she wound her way around the stones and disappeared in her den. She went back to watching the kit. In one more sunhigh Willowkit and Sorrelkit would be apprentices. Willowkit needed a perfect balance and Sorrelkit need a strong and kind mentor. She knew exactly who should mentor both. She slunk back into her den her eyes glinting with pride.
She was restless again lying wide-awake in her nest. Willowkit knew this sunhigh she would be made an apprentice. Everything she wanted but now the thing she thought about the most was the mysterious figure. It hadn't appeared again but she kept dreaming of the figures silent screeching. What was it trying to tell her?
She sighed deeply rolling on to her back and batted at her tail restlessly. Sorrelkit let out a snuffling snore and curled deeper into a ball. Foxpool's soft breathing and Milkflower's snoring sounded in her ears and suddenly she felt her pelt prickle like she was being watched and quickly flipped over seeing and looking towards the entrance again. The outline was faint but she could clearly see the deep sad amber eyes again. Willowkit, less scared this time, stood and slowly padded a little closer to it. The outline shuttered, disappearing and reappearing, like Willowkit was blinking rapidly. The sad looking cat was again silently trying to say something to her but she couldn't make out. Until suddenly it blinked out without appearing again. Willowkit scrambled to where it had been standing and gazed up at the slivers of moonlight shining through the entrance. Nothing there was nothing. Sighing sadly she padded over to the shared nest and once again curled up and wrapped her tail over her eyes and tried to sleep.
She woke to Foxpool cleaning Sorrelkit vigorously. Her short fur was easy to clean just like Foxpool's. Willowkit's on the other hand took longer to clean out and rarely stayed clean for long.
"You're finally awake! I thought you were going to sleep right up til our apprentice ceremony!" Sorrelkit meowed around Foxpool who was cleaning her face.
Willowkit let out a 'hhhmmpp' in reply yet again she didn't sleep very well. Dreams plagued with the mysterious cat. Sorrelkit purred a loud thanks to her mother as she finished cleaning her.
"Now no playing it is almost time for you ceremony and I don't want to have to clean you again. Sit there while I clean Willowkit," Foxpool meowed and caught Willowkit by the scruff as she tried to hide deeper in their bedding to escape from her.
She cleaned out the moss and tangles from her tossing and turning with the few winks of sleep she got. Fluffing out her hair a bit to make her seem bigger. It took awhile and a bit of fighting from Willowkit but Foxpool finally got her clean. She pushed them side by side. Sorrelkit was beaming but Willowkit's head was sagging on her shoulders and her eyes only half open.
"My beautiful daughters! How you have grown. I can't wait for you to learn all you can from your new mentors," Foxpool meowed with tears glistening her eyes. "Now look bright now. Any second Juniperstar will make the announcement."
The two she-cats sat shuffling on their paws for a long time. Sorrelkit trying with all her might not to flop down on the ground. She didn't want to risk her mothers wrath for her own comfort.
"You excited?" Willowkit whispered her eyes still half lidded.
"More nervous than excited. Did you not sleep much?" She asked worried for her sister's well being.
"No. Couldn't sleep." Willowkit said laying her head on her sisters side to keep it up. "But at least we get to be apprentices now." She tried to sound as excited and determined she had been for the past two moons but she couldn't muster the energy.
Willowkit desperately needed sleep in a place no moonlight would shine so she could stop thinking about the haunting cat that was disturbing her sleep and her mind. Eventually she would just drop from exhaustion. Sorrelkit buried her nose in her sisters deep fur breathing in her scent. They stayed like that for a long time reflecting on their last time in the nursery again. At least they would always be together. Willowpaw would make sure of that. With every muscle in her body she would make sure they always together in every aspect of their life.
It felt like hours but it was actually only a few long heartbeats until the loud cool voice of Juniperstar sounded around camp. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Brokenbranch for a Clan meeting."
Sliding out of the den behind their mother they moved swiftly to the Brokenbranch. Juniperstar watching them closely her eyes shining with even more pride than normal. Or maybe it was just Willowkit's eyes tricking her again. Sorrelkit and Willowkit sat at the bottom of Brokenbranch with Juniperstar perched above them. The clan swarmed them happily, well most of them. Tigerpaw and Berrypaw sat the furthest they could that could still be deemed respectful. Honeypaw sat next to Snakestrike her head sagging on her shoulders casting her mentor careful looks. In the front and the most visible were their parents and the other two apprentices, Thunderpaw and Cherrypaw, beaming at the two soon to be apprentices.
"Sorrelkit and Willowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you two to be apprenticed. From this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sorrelpaw and Willowpaw."
"Cedarfang, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Shadowstar, and you have shown yourself to be brave and kind. You will be the mentor of Sorrelpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Sorrelpaw."
Cedarfang had already stepped forward and was looming over Sorrelpaw. She shakily stepped forward and pressed her nose to his. He purred and beamed at her. Cedarfang was huge compared to her with broad strong shoulders he looked terrifying. Juniperstar looked at Willowpaw.
"And Willowpaw. I will be your mentor. I will pass on all I know to you."
Willowpaw stared at her amazed as small murmurs started around camp. Juniperstar jumped down from Brokenbranch and landed a few rabbit hops in front of her. She turned and padded up to her before bending her head. Still amazed she out of instinct leaned forward and touched noses with her leader and now mentor.
The Clan despite their amazement at their leader taking on a mentor they started to chant the new apprentices name "SORRELPAW! WILLOWPAW!". Willowpaw couldn't help but notice the lack of Berrypaw and Tigerpaw voices among the calls. Honeypaw had even perked up and started calling the sisters names.
"I have one more announcement for you all. Squirreltail has told me she is expecting kits and will be moving to the nursery tonight. I am very proud that Starclan continues to honor our clan with kits." Juniperstar had dipped her head towards Squirreltail who was next to Thistlepelt.
Willowpaw noted that the two cats had the tips of their tails wrapped together and the she-cat had a slightly larger belly than normal. Bashfully she looked down at her paws the praise from her leader. Thistlepelt looked at Squirreltail with much admiration. From all she could see it was safe to say Thistlepelt is the father of litter Squirreltail was carrying.
Many sent well wishes their way then made their way over to the new apprentices. Willowpaw and Sorrelpaw got many greetings and licks from the cats in the clan. Milkflower licked both the kits on the head and wandered over to Squirreltail to help her set up her new nest in the nursery. She never moved out of the nursery and Willowpaw didn't think she ever would. Willowpaw remembered overhearing Milkflower tell Foxpool she was better off making sure the nursery was well defended and kept tidy and strong than trying to hunt in the forest. While Foxpool was better at hunting Milkflower was better a the up keep of the dens in camp. She didn't just rewind the bracken in the nursery. She also did the leaders, medicine cats, apprentices, and elders den when needed especially if she wasn't expecting kits. She also make sure the entrance of the den was always snug and well hidden.
After what seemed like endless talking to almost every cat in the clan Juniperstar finally approached her as the sky started to fade into orange and purple colors mixing with the blue. Her expression was soft as she say how tired both of the kits looked and she let out a small purr. "Tomorrow your training starts. Cherrypaw and Honeypaw have gratefully got out and gathered moss for you two and made nests for you in the den. So why don't you get some fresh-kill and make your way to sleep? I want you both well rested for the tour of the territory tomorrow."
Both apprentices nodded at their leader and slowly made their way to their new den. They went to the fresh-kill pile and each picked out a mouse. Honeypaw was the only one awake standing outside the den she nervously shifted from paw to paw as Willowpaw and Sorrelpaw approached.
"Hi," She meowed softly barely meeting their gaze.
Willowpaw looked the long-legged golden-brown tabby she-cat up and down before switching her gaze to Sorrelpaw. Her eyes were wide as she looked at Honeypaw.
"Look I'm sorry for the way I acted as a kit. You didn't deserve it my mouse brained brothers influenced me into it. I was wondering if I could sleep by you two and try to make it up to you eventually," She stuttered out quickly looking at Sorrelpaw.
Dropping their mice Willowpaw sat and started to naw on her meal right away. Sorrelpaw looked at the she-cat for a bit longer before sitting.
"Of course you can," She said softly.
Honeypaw purred and rubbed her muzzle across the she-cat's flank. Sorrelpaw gulped down her mouse while Willowpaw was cleaning her muzzle. They padded inside the den and saw a group of three empty nests. Willowpaw curled up next to the wall and Sorrelpaw curled up next to her. Feeling her pelt burn Willowpaw picked her head up and say the orange eyes of Berrypaw glaring at her from where he was curled up next to Tigerpaw. Flicking her ear at him she curled tighter into a ball as Honeypaw laid next to the two sisters. For the first time in a moon Willowpaw fell asleep quickly and stayed asleep.