Mentors by WyldClaw

Plot: another Warrior kit story! takes place before 'pouncing lesson'. Amberkit's point of view. I don't own anything asides from Molefur's name. Written before Bramblestar's Storm came out. Enjoy

XxX

"YAHHHHH!" I yelled as i pounced on my father's white pelt. Snowkit, Dewkit and i were playing 'badger attack' in front of the ThunderClan nursery as Brightheart watched purring with delight . "I, the great Amberfur, shall defeat the evil badger and be the greatest warrior ever"

My best friends and cousins Lilykit and Seedkit were watching us . "Go Amberkit!" Lilykit squeaked. My parents were watching them while Brackenfur went out on a patrol. After the Dark Forest attack , Brightheart had taken the two she-cats under her care. She said Sorreltail would have wanted it.

Snowkit shook his head as he pounced on our father who was playing the badger . "Nu-uh sis. I'm going to get the badger. " he flattened himself to the ground.

Cloudtail let out a cry of pretend panic. "I am the evil badger and shall never be defeated. "

"Wanna bet?" Snowkit jumped from the ground flew through the air and landed on his back. "Snowpelt says different" my gray brother Dewkit zigzagged between Cloudtail's front paws.

"I got him!" Dewkit mewed.

I grabbed a hold of his white pelt and started licking it. "Hey! Amberkit that tickles" Cloudtail chuckled.

"Good job Sweetheart" Brightheart purred.

"thanks. " I mewed.

Snowkit bumped his nose against cloudtail's fur He swayed slightly as Dewkit jumped up next to me and giggled. "Oh no. They've discovered my weakness. Can't last. longer" he plopped on the ground and closed his eyes.

I got off and poked his side with a paw as my litter mates followed my example. "Uh Dad?"

"are you okay?" Dewkit asked. "He's not moving. "

"is he dead? " Snowkit looked worried and ran over to mom. "B-Brightheart! I think we broke Cloudtail"

She got up and licked his white head. "Don't worry, Snowkit. Your father is okay-it will take a lot more that playing with kits to take down your father. . He is just getting his breath back. L ook"

As if to prove this point, Cloudtail's ear twitched and he groaned as he got up. "You three are getting heavy and big."

"Or you're too slow. " Squirelflight's voice drifted over to us. The ginger deputy winked at us as she came closer, her belly beginning to poke out "someone's got to cut back on the fresh kill"

"hey, I don't eat that much"

" Yeah! squirlyflight! " Dewkit, Snowkit, lilykit, and i jumped up and ran over to her-Seedkit had fallen asleep in a patch of sun. She purred- she didn't mind that we messed up her name. We jumped up and down as we bombarded her with questions. "Did you see us take down cloudtail?"

"Is Sorreltail coming back soon?"

" Did you see what we did?"

" Are you gonna tell bramblestar?"

She purred with amusement. "Your three kits are going to be a pawful."

"They already are" cloudtail muttered as he stood up, leaves and twigs sticking to his fur. His face softened when he saw the hurt look on my face. "I don't mean in a bad way, sweetheart. I mean that you will keep who ever mentors you on their paws "

"Oh"

"I want Molefur to mentor me, " Lilykit spoke up.

"He's your nephew." Snowkit pointed out

"So?"

"He won't be tough on you" Snowkit added

"He will if Sorreltail lets him"

"I doubt it," I said. "Molefur is gentle with you"

Dewkit turned to squirelflight. "Is that possible? Cats can mentor their kin"

"It happens sometimes" she replied "not often"

"Firestar mentored me when i was an apprentice" cloudtail added, " He wasn't easy with me"

"You weren't easy to deal with when you were young, dear," Brightheart reminded him. " You were hot headed and stubborn. But even though you made a lot of mistakes, StarClan showed you the right path. "

"yeah.. I guess you're right" Cloudtail sighed. . My sister Whitewing told me that at first he didn't believe in our warrior ancestors but after the dark forest battle he had come to accept that they DID exist . but I could how hard it was for him to admit that.

"Didn't Brackenfur mentor Whitewing?" Lillykit asked.

Squirelflight looked at the dark white-patched tabby and flicked her whiskers. "That's right Lillykit. Brackenfur was her mentor. If i recall she worked very hard. In fact next to me she was the only apprentice in the Clan during the Great Journey"

"wow!" I was in awe. I had heard tales of the Great Journey and it sounded scary. " she was the only other one?"

"that's right, sweetie. " Brightheart blinked warmly at me. "there were times that Whitewing felt like she couldn't go on and then it was up to the other warriors to keep her going"

"so the clan was like her mentor?" Lilykit asked.

"wouldn't that be confusing?" Snowkit piped in.

oddly it wasn't the older warriors that answered but Dewkit. "I don't think so snowkit. From what mom is saying I think that it wasn't like the Clan took over her training but rather helped her out in tough times and brought her spirits up when she was low"

Squirelflight's eyes gleamed with pride. "that's very perceptive of you, Dewkit"

"wow, son! Did you come up with that all by yourself?" Cloudtail was amazed.

He ducked his head in embarrassment. "I just guessed"

"your future mentor will be very impressed with your input" the dark ginger deputy commented.

"How does Bramblestar choose mentors?" I blurted out. The deputy and my parents looked at me. My siblings squeaked in terror-. I felt embarrassed and looked down at my white paws. I shouldn't have asked. "I'm just curious. I know that it's probably up to him to decide the mentors "

Squirrelflight tapped me with her bushy tail. I looked up into her bright green eyes. "Don't feel bad, little one. It's not your fault you asked that. you're four and quarter moons and Lilykit and Seedkit's ceremonies are in a quarter moon. You're probably a bit jealous and anxious. And As to who bramblestar chooses for the mentors, it's who best suits you. Say for example you are very hyper and won't listen to anyone- "

Cloudtail, laughed . " are you referring to yourself. when you were younger "

"I wasn't that hyper or bad , dear Cloudtail " she pointed out and he rolled his eyes. . "anyways the leader would give you a patient mentor who would be able to calm you down. If an apprentice needs coaxing they will get a mentor who is outgoing, "

"or in some cases its who is best suited for the task. Whitestorm was a very good mentor and taught me a lot. He was a very wise teacher" my mother added. "he was so caring and kind. It didn't matter to him if I took a long time to learn the hunter's crouch or improve my battle moves"

squirelflight gazed down at me kindly. "Did that answer your question?"

"yes it. Thanks Squirelflight."

Seedkit sleepily opened her eyes, yawned and got up. "Did i miss something?" The pale ginger she kit asked sleepily.

"We were discussing who our mentors are going to be" Lilykit told her.

"Oh. As long as I get a good mentor I don't -" Seedkit's ears perked up as we heard cats come back. "Brackenfur an' the patrol are back! Race you there Lilykit! ! " The two sisters jumped up and sped out of sight, each wanting to be the first to greet them.

Squirelflight shook her head and her whiskers twitched in amusement "Those two are just like Cinderheart and Poppyfrost were at their ages." I tried to picture the light smokey-grey she cat as a young kitten but i couldn't. " I have to go organize the dusk patrol- Cloudtail, you're on it"

"Fine by me, " he shrugged his shoulders. "I'll see you three later. "

"Bye cloudtail!" Snowkit purred.

"Bye dad" Dewkit and I mewed.

He licked each of us and left.

" I'll see you later" she turned around and left.

"Mama, can you tell us a story" Snowkit bounced back to the front of the nursery. Dewkit and i followed him.

"Wellll," she thought about it.

"Pleeeeaaassseeee" Snowkit, Dewkit and I gave her ' sad kit faces.

She started chuckling. "Oh, how can i say no to you three? Whitewing had me wrapped around her paws when she was your age. "

We came closer and she wrapped her tail around us. "Okay, my little sweet hearts. What story would you like to here?"

"Grandma Frostfur!" I suggested.

" The Bloodclan battle" Dewkit piped in.

"How you and Cloudtai fell in love," Snowkit added.

Her good eye looked moist as she remembered it. " Good choice, Snowkit. " our ginger and white mother commented.

"it was back it the old forest. As your uncle and aunt Brackenfur and Cinderpelt were already apprentices, it was Thornclaw and my turn. He received Mousefur as a mentor and I got this kind hearted warrior named Whitestorm- who was Sorreltail's dad ..."

The end