Thanks to SilverMoon last chapter!
A newleaf breeze swept through the camp. Small buds blossomed from the stems of withered plants, breaking through what remained of the snow.
Sleetstar stood stock still on top of Highrock, eyes proud as he surveyed his clan.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting."
Silverkit's pelt bristled as he settled down on a patch of dry ground. Flamekit padded up to sit beside him.
"Now that they're apprentices, they'll be more full of themselves than ever," The ginger she-kit grumbled. Silverkit nudged her gently.
"Don't be such a downer, sis. In three moons, it'll be us standing up there," Silverkit mused positively.
Rainkit, Stormkit, Featherkit, and Kestrelkit sat beside their parents, pelts impeccably groomed. Their father, Wolfstorm, snarled as he saw Silverkit looking at them.
Like father like son, Silverkit thought bitterly. It seemed as if half the clan had something against him and his mother.
Flamekit looked pure ThunderClan, from the colour of her pads to the length of her tail. While Silverkit's paws were small, his toes splayed out, features of a SkyClan cat. To better grip branches, Cloudflight had said.
Silverkit dug his claws into the dirt. He hated being different. The other kits had start ed calling him Oddkit. Flamekit wasn't exactly blind to the looks he got either.
Sleetstar's booming voice rang out over the clearing.
"In naming new apprentices, ThunderClan remains strong," The white leader rested his eyes on the four kits
"Stormkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and the time has come for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Duskpelt. I hope that he will pass down all he knows to you,"
Stormpaw's eyes widened as he stared at the huge brown tabby tom.
"Duskpelt, you are ready to take on a apprentice. You have received excellent training from Ravenstrike, and you have shown yourself to be a cunning and loyal warrior. You will be the mentor of Stormpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him," Stormpaw rushed up to his mentor, skidding to a stop as the tom stared at him sternly. They touched noses.
"Rainkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and the time has come for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Rainpaw. Your mentor will be Fernshadow. I hope that she will pass down all she knows to you,"
Rainpaw found her way to the lithe cream she-cat.
"Fernshadow, you are ready to take your first apprentice. You received excellent training from Mosspelt, and you have proved yourself to be a skilled hunter and fearsome warrior many times over. You will be the mentor of Rainpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her," Rainpaw daintily pressed her nose to her mentor's. Fernshadow's green eyes were unimpressed.
"Featherkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and the time has come for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Featherpaw. Your mentor will be Amberclaw."
No!
"I hope that he will pass down all he knows to you," Featherkit looked around for her mentor. She finally found the ginger furred warrior at the edge of camp.
"Amberclaw, you are ready to take on a apprentice. You have received training from myself, and you have shown yourself to be a compassionate yet strong warrior. You will be the mentor of Featherpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her," Amberclaw smiled reassuringly at the nervous apprentice. They touched noses and stepped back.
Kestrelkit was the only one of his littermates remaining. The dark brown tabby tom stared at his paws.
"Kestrelkit, you have chosen a special path. From now on, you shall be known as Kestrelpaw. Your mentor will be Pinespring. You will travel with him to the Moonstone at half-moon to be properly recognized as a medicine-cat apprentice."
"Stormpaw! Rainpaw! Featherpaw! Kestrelpaw!"
Silverkit let his voice join those of his clanmates. He called Featherpaw and Kestrelpaw's names loudly toward to sky.
After the cheering had died down, Sleetstar jumped off the Highrock. Kestrelpaw walked toward Silverkit and Flamekit shyly.
"I never knew that you wanted to be a medicine-cat!" Silverkit exclaimed. Kestrelpaw shifted from paw to paw.
"I wanted to keep it a secret," The apprentice admitted sheepishly. "I didn't even tell Wolfstorm,"
By the looks of it, Kestrelpaw's father was not impressed.
"Where will we go now?" Stormpaw demanded. He was silenced by a glare from Duskpelt.
"You will be collecting moss and cleaning out the elder's den, since you clearly don't seem to understand that you cannot talk out of turn," Duskpelt narrowed his eyes.
"But-" Stormkit's outraged yowl was interrupted by his mentor.
"You'll be doing the same tomorrow if you don't hurry up," Duskpelt promised. Stormkit huffed and stormed off to the fallen tree. Silverkit purred at the irony.
Too bad, Stormface! Who dislikes good ol' stormy and rainy?
Oc's still needed!