Legacy Rising: Dark Secrets

1

Rewritten ✔
Edited ✘

"Mother, I can groom myself!" Pebblekit struggled in her mother's grip. "Why does Sparrowkit get to do it himself?" The other gray kit looked over at his sister, his blue eyes shining with glee.

"Because I'm bet-"

He was cut off as their mother murmured, "He's going next, Pebblekit." She continued to groom the kit's soft fur, picking out bits of moss and loose fur. Pebblekit pouted, shoving her paws into the sandy camp floor. Once Stormpuddle was done, Pebblekit fell back into her mother's chest, purring. The older she-cat gave Pebblekit one last lick and then carefully pushed her onto the ground beside her. Sparrowkit tumbled over to sit with his mother's tail around his paws, a little tuft of fur sticking up on his head.

Pebblekit tuned out the familiar hum of her Clanmates going about their business and stared up at the sky. It was almost sunhigh. Almost time for her to become an apprentice. Pebblekit shook off her nerves. This was supposed to be an exciting thing, not something scary!

She looked around camp again. The old warriors' den was a fallen tree that had started rotting seasons and seasons ago. The newest warriors always slept on the outside, the oldest in the newer warriors' den, that was across the clearing near the river. The leader, Otterstar, and his deputy, Troutfrost, both slept inside the tree. The apprentices' den was the hole where the tree had fallen, but it had been dug out more to accommodate the living conditions for a warrior-in-training. The elders' den was on a hill overlooking the camp. It was a big rocky overhang that had also been carved out over time. The nursery was in the far corner of camp, next to the fallen tree.

Pebblekit's gaze held onto the nursery, her eyes filled with something. Wistfulness maybe? Or maybe she was just cold. It was leaf-bare after all.

"Pebblekit! Otterstar is up on the rock!" she heard her brother mew. Immediately after, she was belly up on the ground.

"Sparrowkit! Stormpuddle just washed me!" she grumbled, getting up and shaking off. She swatted her brother over the ears playfully.

"Who do you want as your mentor? Maybe if we say it right now, StarClan will give Otterstar random thoughts to change our mentors!" Sparrowkit exclaimed enthusiastically, nodding his head.

"One of the senior warriors would be nice... but even though Beesting and Darklight are young they're awesome warriors," Pebblekit fantasized. Sparrowkit nodded as he added in his opinion.

"I want Otterstar or Troutfrost as my mentor!" he yelled up to the sky, as if StarClan could hear him. Pebblekit laughed at her brother's childishness.

Both kits jerked their heads over to the Wetrock as Otterstar's voice suddenly boomed around them.

"Let all cats old enough to swim in the rapids gather around Wetrock for a Clan meeting!" the brown tabby shouted from atop the rock, his sea-green eyes scanning the crowd for the youngest cats. Pebblekit strode forward, her brother and mother by her side. Her eyes were wide with awe.

"Sparrowkit, step forward," Pebblekit watched as her brother's tail flicked to and fro in excitement as he took a few steps forward. "Sparrowkit, 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 Sparrowpaw." Sparrowpaw bounced in joy, then realized he was still in the presence of the entire Clan and tucked his tail beneath his legs in embarrassment.

"Your mentor will be Beesting," Otterstar continued. "I hope Beesting will pass down all he knows to you." Otterstar turned to the honey-colored tabby.

"Beesting, even though you are young, I believe you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Ambertuft, and have shown yourself to be resourceful and intuitive. You will be the mentor to Sparrowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." The new mentor and apprentice walked forward towards each other and touched noses. Sparrowpaw's eyes shined with happiness as Pebblekit was called forward.