I apologize for the wait. I'm happy to see the increase in follows and favorites, though! Enjoy the first Fogkit POV chapter. Next time, back to Beekit.
Ivypool's prickly tongue enveloped Fogkit into a world of disgustingness. The tiny silver tom squirmed out of her grip and hurried after his brother and cousins, feeling mildly upset they hadn't bothered to wait for him too.
But they had already been swallowed by the crowd, blocked from view by Dovewing and Bumblestripe, so Fogkit settled with walking next to his mother, which wasn't the worst thing that could happen.
"So what's this about?" he mewed to her, despising the squeakiness level of his voice. Judging by how high the pitch was now, it seemed like it would never lower to the same sound as Bramblestar's.
"I'm not completely sure," Ivypool admitted. "It might be a warrior ceremony for the three oldest apprentices." A purr rumbled up her throat and she licked her younger son again. Fogkit shuddered. "Before I know it, that'll be you under the Highledge getting your warrior name."
Immediately he felt a little trill in his heart, and launched himself into a silly jump. He didn't say anything, just followed his mother the rest of the way until they were buried under layers of cat fur, in the heart of the Clan. They settled down, but Fogkit was so small, it was near impossible to see over the cat's head in front of him. Ivypool realized this and bent down so he could climb onto her shoulders. From there, he had a crystal-clear view.
As the silver-and-white queen suspected, it was a warrior ceremony. Three young cats: a thin gray she-cat with some white patches, a lanky gray tom, and a thick, broad-shouldered white tom, all with gleaming amber eyes, stood staring up at Bramblestar.
"I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."
Fogkit tried not to fall off his furry perch as he glimpsed the she-cat step forward, obeying her leader's order.
"Amberpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Amberpaw was visibly trembling, but the confidence in her voice betrayed her nerves. "I do."
Quickly Bramblestar turned to a cream-colored tom with a stubby tail. "Berrynose, do you give your consent?"
He must be Amberpaw's mentor, Fogkit thought to himself, recalling when Ivypool told him and Lakekit about Clan hierarchy.
"I do," Berrynose replied simply without anything more. He looked almost sad as he watched Bramblestar name her.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name," Bramblestar went on, again speaking to Amberpaw. "From this moment on, you shall be known as Amberear." Just at that moment, the newly-named warrior flicked her one white ear, and a few cats rolled their eyes in amusement. Bramblestar smiled as he returned to the ground. "StarClan honors your honesty and forethought, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
With that, Bramblestar rested his muzzle on her head, and Amberear licked his shoulder.
The commemoration went on, and Fogkit became very excited with each new name announced.
Snowpaw was next. He said "I do" to Bramblestar's question and his mentor, a reddish tabby tom called Foxleap, remarked on Snowpaw's successful final assessment.
"Then from now on, you shall be known as Snowtail, in honor of your outstanding father Cloudtail, nephew of Firestar and highest warrior of the Clan." Fogkit's heart thrummed while a white tom with a gray-flecked muzzle and silky long white fur purred loudly in acknowledgement to Bramblestar's statement. "StarClan honors your bravery and courage, Snowtail, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan." Snowtail licked his shoulder.
The white warrior stepped back, and his brother Dewpaw began his third of the ceremony. The gray tom, had he been a turtle, looked ready to shrink back into his shell. But he stayed collected, and puffed out his chest when his mentor, Toadstep, praised him on passing his test. "From this moment forward, you will be known as Dewclaw. StarClan honors your independence and kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."
Bramblestar lashed his tail, ending the meeting after Dewclaw rasped his tongue over the dark tabby's shoulder. The leader made it back up to the Highledge and disappeared into his den.
Fogkit hadn't realized he was staring at the new warriors until Snowtail strolled right up to him and dipped his head. He can't speak until his vigil is over.
The silver tom was taken by surprise, wondering why Snowtail would walk up to him, of all cats, and leaped a few mouse-tails into the air. His mother laughed gently and said, "He probably wishes he'll be named a 'paw tomorrow."
"Well, I couldn't expect it to be tomorrow," Fogkit pointed out. "Maybe Lakekit could, but not me. I still have a few moons of sharing a nest with my mother ahead of me."
Snowtail smirked good-naturedly, then moved on to another couple of cats. Fogkit gazed after him.
"Is something up?" Ivypool asked, sweeping her feather-like tail over her son's sloped shoulders.
"What?" Fogkit unsheathed his claws, frustrated that he had zoned out again. When he spaced out, he didn't even think; just stared at something, which would obviously appear as creepy if he accidentally gawked at a she-cat.
Ivypool repeated her inquiry.
"Oh, um, well, I- I was just thinking how Snowtail is, er, nice," Fogkit stammered, drawing up a lame excuse to make it seem like he had reason behind his thoughtless daydreaming.
"You never know; he could be your mentor someday," his mother meowed with a wistful tinge in her tone.
Later, Fogkit confronted his brother.
Lakekit was suddenly best friends with Flintkit, who was roughly two moons older. Even Puddlekit, at four moons, seemed to prefer their company over his littermates'. Fogkit discovered his black-and-white sibling practicing a very lopsided hunting crouch with the two aforementioned cats.
"Oh, hey, Fogkit," Lakekit said without turning around. He began to shuffle forward, chest grazing the earth and rump in the air. His tail was raised, which of course was a mistake most newborn kits noticed.
"I didn't even speak- how did you know I was-" Fogkit was flabbergasted.
Lakekit snorted. "Puddlekit showed me an' Flintkit how to scent things from behind. It's actually pretty easy…" He went on explaining some junk too advanced for Fogkit to care about. He knows all this, yet he still doesn't keep his tail down for the hunting crouch.
"Never mind that," Fogkit interrupted. "Can we just talk for a moment?"
His brother sat up, swiping his paw over one set of whiskers in a hasty groom. Fogkit gaped at him incredulously. He knows how to groom himself- kind of- already? That's still our mother's job! But this time he didn't speak that out loud.
"Okay, shoot," Lakekit muttered, glancing at him.
Fogkit resisted yowling in annoyance. "I mean in private."
"Chill," Lakekit grumbled, rising to his paws completely and jerking his head farewell to Flintkit and Puddlekit.
"So I just wanted to talk about earlier, when-"
"Do you ever wonder what your warrior name will be?" Lakekit pondered suddenly.
Fogkit growled, "When you-"
"Or your mentor, for when you're an apprentice?"
Giving up, Fogkit sighed exaggeratedly and practically ground his claws into the moss at his paws. They were behind the nursery, which wasn't the most hidden spot in the camp, but Fogkit wasn't about to chat with his brother in the dirtplace. "Um, I guess my mentor might be Snowtail, and my warrior name… I dunno… Fog…"
Lakekit simpered. "Fogcomplainer."
Fogkit was bothered, but went along with him. "Yeah, good one. Fogwhiner. FogI'mjusttalkingaboutmyfeelingswhywon'tyoulistentome."
His brother cocked his head. "Huh? That was a mouthful."
"Clearly," Fogkit snapped. He just exhaled and said, "I was just a little upset about earlier, when you scampered off with Beekit and Morningkit like three mice from a badger."
Lakekit shrugged. "What's the big deal about that?" Of course he doesn't understand.
"You didn't even wait for me while Ivypool was washing me." A sudden spark of anger coursed through Fogkit's burning veins. "Perhaps because you can already groom yourself. Did Puddlekit show ya how to do that, too?" Glaring daggers at the black-and-white tom, Fogkit lifted his front right foot off the ground in a rush, and nearly bit his paw while wetting it with his tongue. Then he rubbed it on his whiskers so much that, by the time he was finished, his whiskers looked like they had been run over by a monster a few times over.
"Are you mocking me?" Lakekit hissed.
"I just might be!" Fogkit retorted, standing up. "Sometimes you're just so clueless, you know that?"
Lakekit lowered his head.
Fogkit curled his lip. "You don't even fit in. I'm levelheaded like Ivypool. So maybe you're like our father."
Just so it isn't back-and-forth sibling arguing all the time for Lake and Fog too, I'm going to bring in the subject of their father now.