(2 Moons Later)
Mothkit yawned and stretched, watching Lionkit and Badgerkit bat at each with their paws. She licked her paw and drew it across her face, shivering as she felt the cold new-leaf air settle upon her fluffy pelt. Ivykit and Echokit were piled together in the nursery, napping by the warm pelt of their mother to escape the cold morning, but Mothkit didn't feel like sleeping right now. Plus, she thought, Ashpelt and her two kits were in there and Sootkit and Scorchkit never stopped whining.
Lionkit suddenly stopped and looked at Mothkit with an inclined tilt of his head. "Mothkit," he called to her. "Are you coming over here? You can join Badgerkit and I, and I think Petalpaw and Stormpaw are going to show us the hunting crouch when they get back from patrol!" With a surprised stare, Mothkit slowly sat up, her ear twitching - Lionkit and Badgerkit usually didn't involve her in their fun since she was so much younger than them..
"Sure!" She called over to Lionkit, and stretched one more time before prancing over to the two kits. "Where are Nightkit and Patchkit? Wouldn't they want to know too?" Lionkit and Badgerkit shared a glance, before Lionkit pawed at the ground and looked away.
"They're listening to stories in the elder's den. Blegh!" Badgerkit stomped her one black paw. "That's boring." She complained, giving a quick glance to the elder's den and sticking out her tongue. Lionkit nodded in agreement, but Mothkit saw him suddenly sit up proudly as he spotted his father coming into camp with Smokesplash and Frostfoot behind him, their apprentices trailing after them.
Lionkit scampered over to his father and stared up at him with adoring eyes. "Sunblaze!" He started to say something, but Sunblaze just smiled and leaned down just barely to rub his cheek against Lionkit's smaller one. Badgerkit wasn't far behind Lionkit, and Sunblaze licked her cheek. Both kits purred loudly, before they spun around and excitedly looked to the two apprentices. Petalpaw and Stormpaw both mock-pounced near the kits and then looked at their mentors with questioning glances. Both Frostfoot and Smokesplash nodded at their apprentices before walking off.
Petalpaw and Stormpaw led the three kits over to the outside of the apprentice's den - it was empty with the only other apprentices either out training or doing their assigned duties.
"Okay, Mothkit, Lionkit, Badgerkit," Stormpaw began, his eyes round and focused directly on the kits, "to do the hunting crouch you have to bend all four of your legs downward until your stomach is just barely touching the ground, and make sure to keep your tail low." He demonstrated as he directed the kits to do the same. Mothkit bent her legs but found herself struggling to keep level and still as she did.
She looked over at the apprentices and Petalpaw was watching Lionkit and Badgerkit, who were doing a little bit better than her but still not as good as Stormpaw. Petalpaw purred at the kits and as Mothkit finally collapsed, unable to hold a good stance, she saw her glance over at Stormpaw.
"Mothkit," Petalpaw called out softly to her. "It's okay that you can't quite do it right now. You've still got a few moons until you're apprenticed age. Lionkit and Badgerkit are only a few days away from being apprenticed. When I was an apprentice I wasn't any good at it at first-"
Stormpaw butted in. "Yeah, Petalpaw was more lopsided than a badger with a broken leg!" He laughed as Petalpaw gave him a playful swipe, and then the apprentices were suddenly embroiled in a playful mock battle, which Lionkit and Badgerkit watched with wide eyes.
Mothkit looked away from the two apprentices and kits, bored again. "Where's Wolfpelt?" she thought to herself, looking around for the distinctive gray and brown pelt of her father. The only one she spotted was Frostfoot, and so Mothkit marched her way over to her father's sibling, who was standing, tail intertwined with Creekleaf's.
"Have you seen Wolfpelt?" She demanded, tail standing straight up in the air. Frostfoot looked down at her and smiled, then leaned down and cooly nuzzled her. Creekleaf, at his side, blinked slowly at her with a soft smile.
"No, I haven't, Mothkit. But I bet Mapleflower would love for you to go back to the nursery. I'm sure Wolfpelt will be back in camp sometime soon, but give it some time. He's got to train Pouncepaw, after all! Just go hang out in the nursery for a while." Frostfoot used his paw to push her softly in the direction of the nursery, where she could see Mapleflower poking her head out.
Mothkit pouted, but scampered over to her mother and rubbed against her leg. "Mapleflower!" She purred and went limp as her mother picked her up by the scruff and pulled her into the nursery. She was placed into the warm pile that was her sisters, and felt herself slowly falling into a deep sleep. "I guess I am tired…" Mothkit thought before drifting off.
Mothkit woke up to gentle murmuring, and she picked her head up to see what it was. As her vision cleared, Mothkit spotted her father's pelt, and purred, pressed against the warm sides of her mother and sisters. She felt her father's muzzle press against her side in a brief nuzzle, and then he himself laid down and added his warmth to the pile of cats.
Mothkit purred in contentment, and kneaded her paws against her mother's belly as she drifted back off to sleep.
Mothkit sat on the dusty ground with her tail pulled tight against her as Lionkit, Patchkit, Badgerkit, and Nightkit sat in front of Runningstar, practically vibrating with excitement. Whitebelly and Sunblaze sat together off to the side, eyes shining with pride. Whitebelly's father Pinetooth sat just outside the elder's den, with Fawnpath, Flowerwind, and Sootstrike next to him.
Runningstar was standing on Highrock, looking down on the apprentices as they stared up at her. With a sweep of her tail, the clan quieted and stared at the four kits and their leader.
Runningstar began. "Lionkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw. Your mentor will be Meadowspirit. I hope Meadowspirit will be pass down all she knows on to you."
Meadowspirit stepped forward, her eyes shining with excitement. Runningstar tilted her head at the excited warrior and continued. "Meadowspirit, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent training from Flowerwind, and have shown yourself to be brave and selfless. You will be the mentor of Lionpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."
Meadowspirit touched noses with Lionpaw, and then they both stepped to the side, next to Sunblaze and Whitebelly. Runningstar turned to the next kit. Patchkit soon became Patchpaw and received Silentdawn as a mentor, who pranced forward with happiness. Nightkit became Nightpaw and became the apprentice of the stoic Tulipfern, who nonetheless smiled at her new apprentice to make her feel more welcome. Finally, Badgerkit became Badgerpaw, and she got Spottedheart, who chuckled at the ecstatic look on the kit's face.
The four new apprentices were all congratulated by the clan while the five old apprentices sat off to the side. Mothkit got closer, wanting to hear their conversation.
"The apprentice's den is going to be way too full now…" Petalpaw pouted as she looked at the four new apprentices. Stormpaw twitched an ear and kneaded at the ground as he stretched, before standing back up fully and looking at his sister.
"Think of it this way, Petalpaw. Those three–" He nodded at Owlpaw, Pouncepaw, and Sparrowpaw, who looked annoyed, "Have to deal with them for at least a couple more moons. We're almost warriors, since our assessment is in a few days according to Frostfoot and Smokesplash." Stormpaw stuck his tongue out at the three younger apprentices, who huffed at the two silver cats.
Mothkit jumped as she felt a paw land behind her, and looked up at her father's face as he licked the top of her head. She purred at him and stood up on her back paws, reaching for his muzzle. "Wolfpelt!" Mothkit heard another excited yowl and looked over to see Ivykit and Echokit stumbling over to them.
When she reached Wolfpelt, Ivykit looked over at her. "You know," she said, disdain in her voice. "I wanted to see Petalpaw and Stormpaw show the hunting crouch too." Mothkit frowned at her sister, fluffing out her fur.
"It's not my fault you were sleeping when they offered!" Mothkit whined, letting her short, fluffy tail brush dust in the air. "All you guys do is sleep and hang out with Mapleflower." Ivykit sneered at her, and Echokit behind her did the same.
"Now girls, stop fighting." Wolfpelt leaned over his three kits and herded them back to the nursery. "You should all be friendly with each other. You're littermates and you'll go through everything together…"
Mothkit twisted her face into a pout, but didn't say anything for fear that her father would continue talking. She just settled into the nursery nest as she felt her father begin to calmly groom her. Ivykit and Echokit settled back against the long, fluffy fur on the side of Wolfpelt's stomach, and drifted off to a light sleep. Mothkit felt herself sliding under at the calming feeling of her father's grooming, and purred softly as she drifted under.
"Mothkit!" Mothkit twitched as she distantly heard her name, and felt a slight poke in her side. "Mothkit, wake up!" She shook her head and turned over, making a low groaning sound to get whoever was poking her to go away. They didn't stop, continuing with a "Mothkit, come on, now that the others are apprentices, the only other kits are Sootkit and Scorchkit! They're too small to play mossball." With another groan, Mothkit fully opened her eyes to see Ivykit standing in front of her, paw just about to poke her side again.
"Finally!" Ivykit mewed, Mothkit staring at her through tired eyes. "Mapleflower's going to play mossball with us. Lionkit and Badgerkit usually play with us but now that they're apprentices they said they had duties and couldn't play anymore!"
Mothkit stood up and stretched, yawning widely before blinking at Ivykit. "Okay!" She mewed, still not fully awake but wanting to play mossball. "I'm ready." Ivykit twitched an ear before turning around and walking out of the den into the clearing, and Mothkit followed her sister, blinking against the harsh sunlight that hit as soon as she left the shaded nursery.
Mapleflower sat just off to the side of the nursery, Echokit batting at her waving tail while she groomed herself. "Mapleflower!" Mothkit mewed, lightly butting her head into Mapleflower's chest.
"Mothkit!" She greeted warmly. "I see Ivykit managed to wake you up." She leaned down and nuzzled Mothkit warmly, pulling her tail away from Echokit at the same time. "Now," she said, "I think you three wanted to play a game." The three of them sat in front of Mapleflower eagerly, as she stepped back over to the nursery and hooked a mossball with her claws. She tossed in the air and Mothkit jumped to where she thought it would land, only to be bowled over by Echokit, who managed to just about snag the mossball only for it to roll just out of her paw range.
Ivykit pounced on the mossball, and Mapleflower once again hooked her claws in it, dragging her a short distance before she jumped off of it. Mothkit concentrated on the mossball and tried to remember the hunting crouch that Petalpaw and Stormpaw had taught her, but only remembered that she had to lower her body and ended up lowering herself too much and falling onto her stomach. Echokit once again tried to pounce on the mossball, but this time she was successful and Mothkit saw her toss it back towards Mapleflower.
Mothkit saw her chance when Mapleflower hooked the mossball in her claws once again and tossed it in her direction, so she leaped for it and her weight caused the mossball to reverse direction and instead she found herself flying straight at her sisters. Like an apprentice leaping straight for a mouse, Mothkit accidentally found herself bowling over her sisters while her claws stayed entangled in the moss, only letting go when she shook her paw vigorously. "Oops," she said, peering at the ball of fur that was Ivykit and Echokit. The two kits leaped up and shook themselves, and then they looked straight at Mothkit with their tails lashing side to side.
"Oh, you're gonna get it for that." Ivykit said, but Mothkit was happy to hear a playful undertone in the statement. Echokit launched herself first, and Mothkit was unable to move to the side and got bowled over for the second time by her sister. Echokit batted her lightly with her paws, and Ivykit was laughing as she circled around them. Directly behind the two, Mothkit could see Mapleflower with a highly amused look on her face, her bushy tail wrapped loosely around her paws. The mossball lay forgotten to the side as the three kits began to playfully reenact a battle between clans, Mapleflower watching with a loving gaze.