Hello, everyone! Sorry if I didn't update for a while!
First, onto reviews...
Sootfire: I know, right? I liked the part from one of the books in Omen of the Stars which Dovewing talked to Bumblestripe about fire ants. Anyway, yes. Snowpaw likes him, but Tigerpaw likes Frostpaw. But he still can't tell which cat is which. :D
Firestream of Ice: Thank you!
Writing with a Smile: LOL! Yeah, here's your update.
Maddiebird: Thanks!
Froststorm: Thanks, but I already have warrior names for them. I'm sorry I couldn't use yours. :(
Roseberry: Thank you! Please keep reviewing! The two kits are identical, but somehow, there's some extra spark in Frostkit.
Firestar: Sometimes, they are, like Snowkit (NOT THE ONE IN THE STORY). But Cloudtail isn't deaf, so why should these two be?
Guest: I'll try and look for your story!
Speclestar: Here is the update. Anyway, they don't have to be deaf. Cloudtail wasn't.
Herbwing: Thank you!
Leafstorm101: Yeah, sorry. It was a challenge, so yeah. I hope you liked that one!
Whisperblaze:Yeah. True.
That was quite a lot! Onto the story...
Tigerpaw pressed against Frostkit comfortingly, then touched his tail to hers. Frostkit's small nose stretched upward to touch the apprentice's. "It'll be fine," he promised soothingly. "I promise." The two had grown closer over the last few moons, and Tigerpaw had seemed to have taken a liking for Frostkit. However, he, like so many others, couldn't tell the littermates apart, either.
Frostkit forced herself not to flinch as she received a glare from Snowkit. The two she-cats were both six moons old, now, and their apprentice ceremony was about to start any moment now. Tigerpaw didn't seem to notice the look that passed between the two identical littermates.
A bit of a scare shot through Frostkit. Snowkit looked exactly like her, so Tigerpaw might think that she was Frostkit, instead of Snowkit. Her own sister wouldn't do that, would she? Somehow, Frostkit wasn't so sure.
Frostkit shook her head to clear the thought. This was Snowkit, not some ShadowClan cat! It was her own sister!
She blinked, to find that Ashstar had already let out a call, bringing the clan together, and that Tigerpaw was nudging her into the center of the clearing. Frostkit's brilliant blue eyes grew round with excitement as she padded into the center of the clearing.
"It'll be fine, Snowkit," she whispered, into her littermate's ear, which twitched as her warm breath struck it.
"Frostkit and Snowkit have both reached the age of six moons and are ready to become apprentices," Ashstar mewed calmly, addressing the whole of ThunderClan. Frostkit puffed out her chest, feeling the gazes of the entire clan on her pelt.
From somewhere in the crowd, Tigerpaw's reassuring amber gaze met her blue one.
"Frostkit, step forward." Oh, StarClan. For once, I wish I wasn't first.
Swallowing nervously, the pure white she-cat stepped towards the Highledge, eyes gleaming. "From this moment onwards, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Frostpaw." Frostpaw watched as her leader's dark blue gaze scanned the clan. "Silverfrost, you have proven yourself to be a brave and loyal deputy. Pass on all you know to Frostpaw."
Uh-oh. Now, Snowkit looked furious as Frostpaw padded over to touch noses with the silver tabby she-cat, the deputy of ThunderClan.
"Snowkit, step forward." Frostpaw thought she glimpsed slight reluctance in her littermate's eyes as she padded forward. "From this moment onwards, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw. Featherheart, you are a determined and compassionate she-cat. Pass on all you know to Snowpaw."
Frostpaw watched as her sister touched noses to the slender brown tabby, then pulled away to glance at her. Frostpaw's gaze immediately fell onto her paws, and she turned away to look back at her mentor.
She barely heard the clan call out her name, along with her sister's.
"Frostpaw! Snowpaw! Frostpaw! Snowpaw!"
Frostpaw trailed after her mentor, her eyes gleaming with excitement. This was probably the first time the two littermates had been separated, and Silverfrost had decided that they would first be learning a 'very necessary skill of every warrior'.
"Here. Sit down, Frostpaw." Silverfrost's eyes were calm and held no emotion.
Frostpaw obeyed the silver tabby, settling onto a soft patch of grass. "What am I going to learn?"
"Patience." Frostpaw wasn't sure if that was just another way of saying 'wait' or if that was the skill she was going to learn. Almost as if she had read the young white she-cat's mind, Silverfrost smiled. "That's just what you're going to learn, today."
"How?" Frostpaw's gaze followed the deputy's fur as Silverfrost paced beside her.
Almost as if she hadn't heard, Silverfrost continued. "It is a very important skill that a cat needs to learn, especially while hunting." She settled down beside her. "Now, just wait. Observe what's happening around you. If you se prey, accept that it's there, but don't strike."
Huh? Frostpaw whipped around to face Silverfrost with wide eyes.
Silverfrost purred. "Just wait."
A few long minutes passed, and Frostpaw turned her senses to the area around her. The wind was crisp and fresh, and the birds chirped above her, as the mild breeze whipped around her slender shape, ruffling her white fur. The scents of the forest filled Frostpaw's nostrils, and she let out a sigh of comfort.
"Are you ready?"
Frostpaw's senses grew alert once more. "What?"
"To actually start learning about this. Patience, by the way, is also useful when you're on guard duty." Silverfrost flicked her tail. "It's not actually as boring as it sounds." Oh, really? Frostpaw flattened her ears.
Silverfrost leaned towards her, flicking her tail clamly onto her back. The feeling of the soft fur somehow calmed Frostpaw.
"Really, Frostpaw. Patience isn't just about waiting. It's also about vigilance." Silverfrost whisked her tail off Frostpaw's white back. "Did you sense anything of interest to us? Like prey, perhaps?"
Frostpaw shook her head. "No. I mean, yes. Well, I heard birds, but I suppose they are too high for us to reach."
Silverfrost purred in amusement. "For now, maybe, Frostpaw." Her words rang with the wisdom of an older cat. "But one day, you'll be an amazing warrior. I can feel it." There was a pause, and Frostpaw blinked at her mentor, twitching her whiskers self-consciously. Then, the deputy let out a cough, seeming back to normal, and the present. "As for now, you can focus on patience."
"How do I focus on patience, as you say?" Frostpaw snapped.
Silverfrost didn't seem to be angry. "Be vigilant, as I said. Spend the time we have today on noticing what's around you."
"So, how was it, today?" Snowpaw's voice was laced with anger and bitterness as she spoke to Frostpaw. "I bet you had a wonderful time, with the deputy as your mentor, didn't you, Frostpaw?"
Frostpaw looked away. "Well... it didn't seem like something a normal session would be like." Snowpaw shot her a questioning glance. "Silverfrost asked me to work on patience, and observe every thing around me."
Snowpaw sounded scornful. "What sort of first day was that?"
"It wasn't too bad."
"I'll tell you what's too bad," Snowpaw growled, angrily. "You know it as well as I do. There's something different about you, other than your appearance. I'm going to try and find out what it was."
"How?"
"Just as a test, you're going to be Snowpaw, until we go to sleep."
What in the name of StarClan? Frostpaw blinked, confused, then let out a sigh. "All right." The things I do for her! She shook away the thought. Anything to make Snowpaw satisfied. She padded alongside her sister. "Hey, er... Frostpaw, do you want to visit Swiftheart? She hasn't seen us the entire day!"
"Uh... sure, Snowpaw!" It seemed to come easier for her.
"How was your first day?" A golden-brown tom padded in front of them, signaling with his tail for them to stop. Frostpaw watched as her sister stepped slightly closer to Lionstorm, their father. "Which kit... apprentice... are you?" he asked Snowpaw, leaning closer.
Frostpaw let out a sigh of relief, as her sister spoke. "I'm Frostpaw."
"So you're Snowpaw?" Lionstorm asked Frostpaw, and, reluctantly, she nodded. "How was your first day?"
"Silverfrost told me to work on... patience," Snowpaw blurted out.
Lionstorm looked interested. "Oh."
"And I got a tour of the territory." Frostpaw quoted what Snowpaw had told her earlier.
"Interesting." Lionstorm let out a small cough. "Now, you two, get something to eat. Then, go to sleep. You're apprentices, now, so you can't sleep in tomorrow, remember." Frostpaw's heart soared. Now, I'm Frostpaw, again.
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