Warriors: Blazing Fires

Chp. 6

Chp. 6

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"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath Great Rock for a Clan meeting," Thistlestar's mew rang out in the clearing. Nightkit padded over to the Great Rock and peered around, looking for someone to sit by. Soon enough, she spotted Blossomkit seated over near Fallensnow, so she padded over to join them.

"Hey," she meowed as she sat down beside Blossomkit.

Fallensnow stared quizzically at Nightkit, then cautiously replied, "Hey."

"What's up with that?" Nightkit whispered to Blossomkit. She just shrugged and turned her attention back towards the Great Rock. Hmm. Everybody seems to be acting weird.

"Cats of LeafClan! We gather here today to witness one of the most important ceremonies in the Clans; the naming of new warriors. Dovepaw, Robinpaw, Larkpaw, step forward please." Nightkit watched as the three apprentices stepped forward, eyes shining, and the LeafClan leader jump down off the Great Rock.

"I, Thistlestar, leader of LeafClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of the warrior code and I commend them to you in your turn. Robinpaw, Dovepaw, and Larkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend it with the cost of your lives?"

"I do!" Dovepaw meowed, trying to keep still but totally failing.

"I do," Robinpaw mewed, eyes shining.

"I do," Larkpaw meowed, looking just like Dovepaw.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Dovepaw, from this moment forward, you will be known as Dovespirit. StarClan honors your courage and skills and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan." Dovespirit stepped forward and licked Thistlestar's shoulder while he rested his muzzle on top of her head. Then she stepped back and took a place at the edge of the crowd, bouncing with excitement.

"Robinpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Robinfeather. StarClan honors your bravery and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan." Robinfeather stepped forward to meet Thistlestar, then the same exchange happened between them.

"Larkpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Larkflight. StarClan honors your determination and we welcome you as a full warrior of LeafClan." Larkflight did the same as Robinfeather and Dovespirit. The clan erupted into loud cheers. "Dovespirit, Robinfeather, Larkflight!" Then, as soon as it began, it was over, just like Petalkit's life, Nightkit though bitterly.

"I wonder when your apprentice ceremony will be held. All three of you are nearly old enough," Fallensnow remarked.

"There should still be four of us," Nightkit replied glumly. She remembered back to the time that Petalkit had still been alive. It was almost a whole moon ago that that dog had gotten her, and it was if no one in the clan even remembered her anymore.

A surge of anger swept through Nightkit. "Petalkit should still be with us, or had you forgotten about her?" Without waiting for an answer, Nightkit got up and stalked away. Behind her, she could hear Blossomkit meowing, "Don't worry. She just hasn't been herself lately after Petalkit's death. I'll go talk to her."

How dare she make excuses for me! Furious, Nightkit raced to the small hole at the edge of camp and crawled into it, nearly bumping into Thornkit.

"Watch it!" he snarled, then realizing it was her, lowered his voice a little. "No need to go crashing into me," he mewed gently.

Nightkit snorted. "I'm just wanting to spend some more time with my dear brother," she mewed sarcastically.

"Well go away. I'd rather be alone and I was here first, so that's that," he mewed, then batted her with his forepaws, trying to get her out.

"You can't make me move," she pointed out, then as if proving her point, she scrambled up against the wall and curled up tightly. "See?"

"Whatever," Thornkit scoffed. "I'll just leave."

"Have fun!" Nightkit called sarcastically as he crept out from the hiding place. Nightkit curled up into a ball with her tail covering her nose, trying to get some sleep. But as soon as sleep came, she wished she hadn't closed her eyes in the first place.

Again, like almost every night, she had appeared in the clearing. A small mangled body lay out in the center of the small sandy clearing, unmoving. Nightkit peered more closely at it, realizing that it was her sister. Grief overtook her. I should've saved her!

Suddenly, she felt as if something was crushing her, but Nightkit knew it would go away. It always did, but each time it happened, it always seemed longer and more painful. The force seemed to be trying to suffocate her. Nightkit struggled to breath. Thrashing as much as she could to try to get it away, Nightkit suddenly awoke in the small hideout, breathing hard.

"Are you okay?" a small voice mewed, practically making Nightkit jump up. Nightkit turned to face Blossomkit who had a worried expression on her face. "You were making a lot of noise."

"I'm fine!" she snapped. Nightkit didn't want to tell anyone about her nightmares or talk to anyone at all.

"Ok then, if you're sure. But all I'm saying is try not to be such a prickly hedgehog."

"I'm not," Nightkit snapped.

Blossomkit snorted. "Right there is an example of that. And you also snapped at Fallensnow earlier. If you don't shape up, no one will want to hang out with you anymore. Even me," she meowed. Then she got up and padded out the hole, leaving a stunned Nightkit.

Does anybody like me anymore? Well, there's only one way to find out. Nightkit crawled out of the hiding spot and crossed the clearing to find Lightpaw, who was helping the elders.

"Can I help?" Nightkit asked, mostly wanting to see what Lightpaw's reaction was.

The white she-cat beamed at her. "Of course!" Then with a mischievous look in her eyes, she added, "You get the mousebile," and raced away before Nightkit could protest.

Sighing, Nightkit padded along to the medicine cat's den, brightening with each step. She wanted to hang out with me! Or maybe she just didn't want to get the ticks off Darkfrost. Shrugging to herself, Nightkit chose her first thought and carried on with her task, tail held high.

💧💧💧~*~💧💧💧

Nightkit padded wearily away from the elder's den. That apprentice is way too cheery! Nightkit trotted over to the fresh kill pile, ready to eat. Then she remembered the mouse bile still on her paws. Sighing inwardly, she changed course until she arrived at the medicine cats den.

"Back so early?" a voice mewed.

"Just to clean my paws," Nightkit replied innocently. "That mouse bile is some bad stuff!"

Redsong purred. "Use the small stream over there," she mewed, flicking her tail to indicate the direction. Nightkit trotted over to the small pool of water at the back of Redsong's den. The water ran out of a small divot in the ceiling that formed a small pool. Nightkit could never figure out where the water disappeared to, but the pool always remained the same size.

Nightkit quickly washed her paws, said goodbye, and padded back over to the fresh kill pile. Choosing a thrush for herself and a mouse for Moonfeather, she trotted over to the nursery and disappeared inside the small den.