Frostshard's Demise

Before

The Apprentices' den was quieter than usual, for it was the day knights would come to select their apprentices.

"Settle down, settle down, kits." Wolfheart sat behind the eager young cats, all of them now six moons old.

"Who do you want as your Master?" a Togruti kit mewed at a Rodian.

"I dunno, any Master is good if he or she teaches me well."

"Oh, gods, this is so exciting!" a wave blue tabby squeaked.

"Quiet! Here they come!"

Sparrowsong, Earthmist, Starrysky, and a bunch of other knights padded in the den... The last cat to come in made every cat gasp with shock.

"It's Horizonstar!" Frostkit whispered in awe. "He rarely takes on an apprentice of his own!"

"Quit daydreaming, mousebrain," Hawkkit's scathing mew made him whip around, pelt bristling. "Surely he'll know I'm superior."

"You seemed to have forgotten, I beat you last week at the training hall." Frostkit snapped back, making Hawkkit growl at him.

'And I'm always going to be one step ahead of you.'

"Cool it, you two!" Seerkit hissed at them before a full-blown battle could start in the Apprentices' den.

Soon, most of the younglings got assigned to their Masters, and only three of them remained- Frostkit, Seerkit, and Hawkkit.

Sparrowsong was the first to choose. The disappointment in the tortoiseshell's eyes was too much for Frostkit to hide away a grim smile.

Yet that bit of satisfaction quickly faded when Starrysky stepped forward, beckoning Seerkit to stand beside her.

"Frosty-"

"No, it's fine," Frostkit muttered, forcing a smile. "Congratulations."

"Chosen an apprentice, I have." Horizonstar rasped after a while, his gaze fixed directly on the white kit.

"Frostkit, be my new Padawan, you shall be."

"Until receive your knight name, known as Frostpaw, you will be."

Astonished gasps sounded in the Apprentices' den.

Troublesome, prickly Frostkit as Horizonstar's apprentice?

But then, maybe it was meant to be that way. Only the leader, who was the wisest of them all, could probably handle him.

Frostpaw didn't feel particularly pleased or honored as the other cats congratulated the new apprentices.

Truth to tell, Horizonstar would just try to tame him, try to influence his stubborn beliefs into his brain, while Starrysky... she was different from the other knights. He had always admired her open-mindedness and rebellious nature, always pushing herself to the limits to serve her clan in her own way.

'Well, even if I got assigned to the Master I like or not, I'll train hard to be the best of them all.' Frostpaw vowed.

Hawkpaw crept into the undergrowth, fury making his pelt bristle.