Battlecats - The Path to the Trees

Chapter 8

At last. Viperkit, Tankit, and Ratkit were being made battlekits. The whole pod had gathered to watch the ceremony. The phase that had passed had been a difficult one for Gingerkit. Viperkit had not stopped in her tormenting, and it took all of Gingerkit's strength to not tell Fallenheart or Lion Spirit about her misdeeds. But Viperkit's words echoed through her mind each time she dared to tell. I can lie just as well as you can Gingerkit. It made her stomach churn knowing that today she would be made a battlekit. But that would also mean she would no longer have the time on her paws to seek her out and inflict her malice upon her. Though it wasn't an end all be all for Viperkit's torment, Gingerkit knew that telling on her would do nothing. Especially if Viperkit were to lie her way out of it. Gingerkit shook her head free of those thoughts. Today, she would cheer for Ratkit and Tankit, the two friends she knew she had. Viperkit could eat a rotten fish for all she cared.

Lion Spirit stood above them all, atop his boulder stacked den. Gingerkit gazed up at the commanding chief as she sat next to her brother and mother. "Cats of WebPod," Lion Spirit's meow boomed around the clearing. "Today is a very special day for three young kits." The sandy colored tom looked down upon the three kits sitting at the head of the gathering, sitting tall and proud. "These three kits have come of age to become battlekits and under our Ancestor, Discovery, and his shining eye, I, Lion Spirit, grant them their new names and position in the pod."

Lion Spirit leaped down the edge of the boulders and made his way slowly over to the waiting Ratkit, who was first in line. "Ratkit," Lion Spirit began. "Do you promise to uphold the Values of the Ancestors and train hard to become a fully realized battlecat?" Ratkit nodded eagerly at the chief's words. "Of course, Lion Spirit! I'm a WebPod cat through and through." He gazed joyfully at the large tom.

Lion Spirit smiled, "Such enthusiasm." He remarked as he touched noses with the black tom. "Then by the Ancestor of the Sun, I give you your name and mentor. From this moment on, until you've received your battlecat name, you will be known as Ratpaw." Lion Spirit stepped back and flicked his tail and a tom with folded ears stepped forward. "Ratpaw, you will train under Archear, a very excellent battlecat with a lot of joyful enthusiasm, just like yourself."

Archear dipped his head politely to Lion Spirit before stepping forward and touching noses with his new battlekit.

"Viperkit," Lion Spirit continued once the other two cats made their way into the crowd to sit beside each other. "Do you promise to uphold the Values of the Ancestors and train hard to become a fully realized battlecat?" Viperkit nodded, sitting up even straighter to make herself look taller. "I will always uphold the Values of the Ancestors. I want to be like you someday." She smiled proudly.

"Very ambitious," Lion Spirit praised as he began to touch noses with her. "Then by the Ancestor of the Sun, I give you your new name. From this moment onward, until you've received your battlecat name, you will be known as Viperpaw." Lion Spirit, again, stepped away and flicked his tail once more. Pantherroar, Gingerkit's uncle, stepped forward. "I know you like a challenge Viperpaw, Pantherroar is a strict and studious mentor. I hope you train well under his care." Viperpaw nodded once more and touched noses with Pantherroar once he approached. The two made their way into the crowd, sitting in front, a couple of tail lengths away from Gingerkit.

"I'm going to be a great battlekit," Viperpaw meowed, looking up at her new mentor with eyes shining with excitement. "I sure hope so, I demand a lot from my battlekits. So, I expect a lot from you too, Viperpaw." He gave the she-cat an expectant glance.

"Of course, Pantherroar," Viperpaw sat up straighter, squaring her shoulders. "I can take whatever you throw at me. I don't have to be pampered like some cats." The brown and white battlekit turned her head just slightly to glance at Gingerkit mockingly.

The calico kit glared back at her. How dare she think Gingerkit needed to be pampered! She could do anything if she put her mind to it. Viperpaw didn't know what she was mewing about. Just wait, Viperpaw, I'm going to prove to you I can be better than you. So much better.

"Then by the Ancestor of the Sun, I grant you your new name. From this day forward, until you've received your battlecat name, you will be known as Tanpaw." Lion Spirit's loud meow broke Gingerkit from her thoughts. The chief had stepped away from the tan tom and with a flick of his tail the ginger tom Orangestreak appeared. "Orangestreak is a young tom who has yet to train a battlekit, I hope he passes on his wisdom from his training onto you." The two cats touched noses and afterward the pod erupted into chants of "Viperpaw, Ratpaw, Tanpaw!" with Gingerkit cheering the loudest for Ratpaw and Tanpaw.

The chanting went on for several heartbeats before the pod broke apart to get prey from the kill mound to celebrate. Gingerkit watched the newly made battlekits make their way up to the kill mound to receive first pick along with their mentors. Her chest welled with jealousy. What she wouldn't give to be a battlekit right now.

"Come on Gingerkit!" Goldenkit mewed, pushing her with his head. "We have to get a piece of prey before everything is gone!"

"O-Oh yeah, right..." Gingerkit got to her paws and let herself be pushed by her brother toward the kill mound. Scorchbird wasn't far behind. Scorchbird picked out a nice plump trout for the three of them and they all settled around with the gathered cats to eat their share.

The entire pod was having a wonderful time. Between eating their fill of new spring prey and telling jokes and old and funny stories. Older battlekits jumped into the middle of the gathered cats and performed sensational fighting moves and talents, entertaining the rest of the cats. Battlecats laughed and joked about their battlekits and cats from the other pods. Even the curins, Tigerlily and Spiderleap took time away from their herb keeping to join the festivities. Tigerlily spoke with a bedraggled brown tom while Spiderleap sat aside to enjoy his prey. The new battlekits spoke with their mentors and introduced themselves to the already existing battlekits.

After a while, the festivities died down and cats began to retire as the moon made its way overhead. The mentors bid their battlekits goodnight and Viperpaw, Ratpaw, and Tanpaw made their way to the battlekits den with the older ones, chatting about picking nests for the next several phases.

Gingerkit watched them disappear inside the den. She would be sleeping there soon. Only two more phases and she would be leaving her mother's side to train to become a battlekit. She would be able to attend Moonlight Meets and go to the Sandy Isles where the battlekits often went to have fun and make friends among different pods.

Goldenkit nudged her side, "We'll be there soon." He mewed, casting a longing glance at the battlekits den. Gingerkit nodded, shifting her paws underneath her chest. "Yeah, I was just thinking about it."

"I'm nervous." Goldenkit confided, leaning in close to Gingerkit. She gave him an incredulous stare. "Why're you nervous? I'm so excited, I can't wait!"

"I'm afraid I won't be good enough...what if I don't get fighting stances right the first time? Or what if I don't take to swimming like the other cats do?" Gingerkit rolled her eyes and nudged her brother reassuringly. "So, what if you don't? That's why it's called training, so you can learn at your own pace, and you don't have to get things right the first time."

"I guess you're right..." Goldenkit sighed. "Yeah, I am right," Gingerkit mewed. "And I bet Lion Spirit will give you a patient and kind mentor. Some cat who's willing to go at your pace."

Goldenkit blinked warmly at Gingerkit then smiled. "Thanks, Gingerkit." He purred and licked her cheek affectionately. "And besides," Gingerkit began, giving her brother another gentle nudge, "I'll always be there to encourage you if you don't get things right the first time. That's what siblings are for."

The two kits smiled at each other; a singular thought being shared between them. Gingerkit knew they would always be there for each other. They were all the other had. Her brother would always be her best friend, no matter what.