WARRIORS: Snowdrift's Promise

Chapter 8

"Stop jumping on my tail, Shadekit!!" Littlekit's hiss woke Snowpaw, her silver-cream colored fur fluffed up at her dark-furred brother. Shadekit glared at his sister with dark purple eyes,"Well if you'd stop whacking your tail in my face; I wouldn't have to do it!" He retorted with an angry lash of his long tail, his midnight black pelt fluffed up. Soon the two kits started squawking at each other and tumbled into the Apprentice's Den, waking poor Billypaw. The snow-white tom had been up late last night because he went to the gathering. The white tom grunted,"What are you two arguing about now?" He sighed and stood, shaking the moss from his fluffy fur and herded the kits outside the Den. His mews and the protests of the kits died away as they drew near the Nursery. Snowpaw gave a purr of amusement and got up, shaking the loose scraps of moss and bracken from her own fur. She then licked a forepaw and drew it over her head, she heard Shadowstep call her,"It's time for training Snowpaw." He mewed, his paw-steps turning faint as he padded away to sent out patrols. The she-cat stood from her nest and left the warm den and stretched, her blue eyes looking around the camp and drew in the fresh dawn air into her lungs, breathing out slowly. She started to go to the Deputy to find out what she was going to do in training only to be stopped by Darkstar,"Snowpaw, you will not be training for a moon." He mewed sternly, making Shadowstep turn and stare at his leader shocked,"And why not?" The deputy meowed sharply, his red gaze challenged the silver tom. Darkstar looked at his deputy and silenced him,"Ironwill and Windpelt were sharing a deep concern last night with me. They rather have Snowpaw be treated like a kit for a moon and share the den with Ironwill, Windpelt, and the kits. They were saying how Snowpaw has been doing all the chores leaving nothing for the other apprentices and taking only the tiny and scrawny pieces of prey leaving her belly rumbling in the night. I have agreed to allow this accommodation so we don't have her starving herself. It'll be like a punishment for trying to make it seem like her life isn't as valuable as any of her clan mates." Darkstar mewed, his eyes looked to the shocked apprentice. Shadowstep dipped his head,"Alright, if you wish it that she is in a moon of being treated like a kit, so be it." He mewed and then touched the she-cat's shoulder with his tail,"You have been pushing yourself too hard, you need to relax and have fun." He mewed, letting her go. Snowpaw's pelt grew hot with anger, she furiously stalked away to leave the camp only to be stopped by Witherpaw,"Snowpaw, stay in camp. You need it." He mewed gently, his eyes worried for his adopted littermate. "Snowpaw please stay and play with us!" Littlekit and Shadekit mewed with a plea, their small tails lifted high. Snowpaw seemed reluctant and sighed,"Fine..." She mewed gently, following the kits. Ironwill stopped them,"How about a story about the great warrior, Firestar. Even though it's a Thunderclan tale, my mother was once a Thunderclan cat and told me all the stories." He mewed with his voice cracked with age. Snowpaw grew excited and nodded,"Ok!" She mewed with the two kits following right behind her. The three young cats followed Ironwill into the Elder's Den, where Windpelt laid in a nest asleep. Her eyes closed and her sides rose and fell with rhythm. Snowpaw yawned and curled in a nest beside the former medicine cats. The two kits soon noticed that they were tired and curled into the nest with Snowpaw, their tiny bodies pressed against the soft, long fur of the apprentice. Smiling, Snowpaw curled around the kits and slowly felt herself relax and sleep soon engulfed her.

Around Sunhigh, the kits were up and awake, causing a massive disruption for the queen and elder,"...Eh... Kits will be kits..." He grumbled with a sigh, his body turned and shifted to go back to sleep. His silver fur ruffled and ragged against his thin frame. Two sets of paws prodded Snowpaw in her side, followed by mewls of complaints,"Snooowpaw!" Littlekit mewled as if disappointed, her fluffy fur puffed out and bristled with excitement. Shadekit's mew sounded just behind her,"Come on! You promised you'd play moss ball with us!" He squeaked, prodding the apprentice's side with his small paws. With a grunt of effort, Snowpaw opened her eyes and gazed at the two kits,"Is it Sunhigh?" She questioned the kits, her body was relaxed and she felt the weight of her exhaustion over her as if a badger had pinned her to the ground. Both kits looked at each-other then outside the den, the sun had stretched just above the bramble barrier that surrounded the camp,"Yes!" Littlekit mewed, tugging on Snowpaw's left ear with her tiny milk teeth. Wincing from the kit's needle sharp teeth, Snowpaw warily lifted her head and shook the kit off her,"Alright, I'm up." She sighed, groggily standing up and followed the small balls of energy out of the Elder's Den Entrance. Her silver fur tugged gently against the thorn thicket the surrounded the Elder's Den. A purr rumbled in her throat, the thorns gently clawed a thin yet amazing feeling against her back. After her tail was out of the den, Snowpaw spotted the two kits tumbling over one another in a flurry of creamy-white and midnight black fur. The apprentice suppressed a mrrowr of laughter as she padded over to them,"Ok, who's ready for a game of moss ball?" She asked, her paws itching to start the fun game she and her adopted litter-mates had played while they were kits. Littlekit and Shadekit had stopped their game and turned to Snowpaw and nodded eagerly, running off to fetch a ball of moss. The two kits came tumbling back with the moss ball right in front of them as they nudged it quickly over to Snowpaw. Their eyes were wide with excitement and joy as they had a new friend to play with. The silver apprentice took the moss ball into her paw and started to roll it for the kits to rush after it. Their fluffy pelts were kit-soft and they're eyes gleamed with the innocent curiosity of a kit's. Mischief was then caught in their eyes as they brought back the moss ball, their tails twitched with innocence as Snowpaw ducked down to examine the ball of moss,"You expect me to buy the fact you managed to get mouse-bile out of Newmoon's den and covered the ball of moss with it, huh?" Snowpaw purred with amusement as the kits tried to trick her. The silver she-cat touched her tail tip and flicked Shadekit and Littlekit's ears as she purred,"I may be an apprentice, but I'm not easily fooled, Witherpaw had pulled that prank on me a few times when we were kits. Boy was Whitesplash furious when I came into the Nursery with that stench!" Snowpaw mewed with laughter in her tone, a purr erupting from her throat. The two kits purred and cleaned the moss, their fur brushed together. Littlekit was first to race back with her littermate at her tail,"Snowpaw! Why aren't you our kin... You act like a older sister towards us!" She squeaked, her eyes wide and curious. Snowpaw was surprised to hear the question come out of Littlekit's small mouth, her blue eyes sparked with anxiety,"Well... you see Littlekit, Windpelt had been medicine cat of another clan when I was just a kit. I was just under two moons old and I had an abusive mother named Skypelt." Snowpaw shuddered, remembering the last time Skypelt had rejected her,"It was the middle of Leafbare around Moonhigh. A blizzard was raging outside, everyone was not too mouse-brained to know it was unsafe. to go outside. My littermate, Thistlekit at the time hated my guts and would blame me for all sorts of things. On that night... Thistlekit had yowled to our mother complaining of me kicking her. Of course I didn't do a single thing. I was on the other side of my other littermate, Kindlekit and Thistlekit wasn't even in kicking range. Skypelt had loved Thistlekit more then any of her kits and placed her on the top of the love list. I was on the bottom and I was most hated." Snowpaw mewed gently, seeing the kits start falling asleep on their paws. 'They must be exhausted...' Snowpaw thought and herded them to the Elder's Den,"I'll continue the story tomorrow." She mewed gently as the kits opened their small mouths to protest. "Go hop in your nest with your mother." She mewed gently.

A moon later, Snowpaw was now plump and well rested, her clanmates looking pleased she had realized that she can't starve herself for the sake of the clan. Darkstar padded out of his den. His silver fur smooth along his spine as he padded to the she-cat," Snowpaw?" He mewed to the young apprentice. Snowpaw whirled around and looked at Darkstar,"What is it?" She asked, her auds flicked with interest. "You have done your moon of confinement. You may now go back to training." The leader mewed, touching noses with the silver she-cat. Snowpaw's eyes widened and smiled happily,"OH THANK YOU DARKSTAR!!" She mewed happily rushing to her mentor,"Shadowstep! Shadowstep! I'm able to go back to training!" The apprentice said with joy. "That's great Snowpaw! Come on, let's go train, I want to show you some Battle moves." Shadowstep mewed leading the way.