Frostwing's Decision--On Hold

Chapter 3: Frostkit

"Oh, just look at those sky blue eyes! Isn't she so cute?"

Mother? I wondered, opening my eyes even wider. Looking around, I noticed more kits. This must be the nursery. Then I felt a large paw pull me toward a warm body. I snuggled closer, my eyes again feeling incredibly heavy.

When I woke once more, it was midday, and the sun was quickly dropping behind the trees. I could hear several mews of laughter coming from outside the nursery. The cat who had huddled with me was asleep. I crept as quietly as I could on my small furry paws out into the fresh morning air, and listened for more voices. Just over the side of a rock were three kits play fighting, two toms and one she- cat. The bigger tom was a brownish- orange, long- haired tabby with pitch- black stripes. The other was gray with black stripes and one black fore paw. He looked like a small, fluffy raccoon. I couldn't help but let out a tiny squeal of laughter. Suddenly, all three cats turned to stare at me. The she- cat looked similar to the brown colored tabby, but with a white chest. The grey tom surveyed me a while, then sneered, "Hey Tigerkit, isn't that your new kittypet sister?"

Kittypet?

"Watch it, smarty whiskers! She's not a kittypet!" Tigerkit answered, bristling.

"Oh, yeah? I bet she couldn't even-"

That's it. I hate this guy, his tone of voice, his looks, everything. Before he could finish his sentence, I was on him, clinging tight, and batting at his head.

"Help me!" he screeched.

"He, watch it, blue eyes!" the she- cat yelled.

Blue eyes. I stopped clinging, and the raccoon tabby shook me off. Standing up again, I turned toward the she- cat. 

"Careful there! Small as you are, you need to be careful how you play- fight." She glanced mothering at the raccoon kit.

"I'm fine," he muttered, sulky.

"Who are you?" I asked quizzically.

"Huh?" She asked back, a bit shocked that I could actually talk. "Oh, you mean our names. I'm Brindlekit, this is my brother," pointing to Tigerkit, "and this is Blizzardkit. What's your name? Do you want to play with us?"

Wanna go play? Someone had asked me that before. But like everything else, even this memory was almost gone.

"Blue eyes?"

That nickname pulled my back to the present. 

"I'm..."

I couldn't remember my name. Did I have one? Was it 'blue eyes?'

"I... don't know," I answered in a small voice.

"Um, well," Brindlekit looked doubtfully at her play mates, "I'll call you Blue Eyes for now, OK?"

Thankful for some sort of name, I nodded and answered cheerfully, "Sure. Let's play!"

We played till around midday, and all the while I was getting used to my new clan mates. At lunch time, Tigerkit and Brindlekit's mother, Sparrowsong, called us in for a meal and a nap. I fell asleep watching my siblings as they slept. Sparrowsong had forbidden them to go outside, and so they had napped most of the day. The sounds of the outside world eventually droned into the background as I closed my eyes...

By the time my excited sister woke me up, the sud had fallen. The sky had darkened, and the moon was up. Sparrowsong walked into the nursery and said there'd be a naming ceremony and we could listen if we were good and quiet. I instantly agreed, curious as to what a naming ceremony was. My siblings wanted to go too, and they finally convinced Sparrowsong. When the moon hung high in the sky, the black cat, who I now knew as Hollystar, stood on the big rock. Then, she spoke.

"Stormclaln! We come here tonight to name two new apprentices. Blossomkit and Honeykt, come forward." Two kits, a light pink and a golden- yellow, stepped forward, chests puffing proudly.

"Poppyfur," Hollystar continued, "will you take Honeykit as your apprentice, and teach what you've learned?"

"I will," Poppyfur replied joyfully.

"Then Honeykit, I name you Honeypaw, until you receive your warrior name." The little she-cat stood up to lick the black she- cat's shoulder. "Yes Hollystar."

"Poppyfur, I know you will share your wisdom and skills with Honeypaw. Teach her wisely."

 Hollystar turned toward the other kit. "Blossomkit, come here." The leader scanned the crowd briefly, searching for some cat. "Stormtail, will you mentor Blossomkit in the way of the warrior, teach her our code, and share with her all that Scarface taught you?"

Stormtail looked at her paws with the mention of her old mentor. Then she looked up boldly.

"Yes. I will." He smiled.

"Blossomkit, you will be Blossompaw until you receive your warrior name. Listen to your mentor; you will learn much from her."

"Blossompaw, Honeypaw! Blossompaw, Honeypaw!" Their names echoed throughout the clearing as their clan mates cheered for them enthusiastically.

"I also have something else that must be said," Hollystar mewed loudly above the cheers.

Eventually, the area became quiet again.

"The new kits in our nursery, the four found on the border, have officially been claimed by Sparrowsong and Longpelt." She let that sink in for a few moments. "Sparrowsong and Longpelt have already given them names. "Hollystar looked straight at me. "They will be Frostkit, Stonekit, Silverkit, and Petalkit, until they reach six moon."

All was silent. Nothing moved. No one spoke, or even whispered. Hollystar continued once again.

"And as you all know, the gathering is tonight. Jetstream, Iceclaw, Darkwing, Nightsong, Stormtail, Blossompaw, Poppyfur, Honeypaw, and Longpelt, you'll be coming. Let's go."

Sparrowsong herded everyone back to the nursery. I cuddled next to my sister, Silverkit. Was that even her name? I wouldn't know. I couldn't even remember my own name. 

"Frostkit?" Silverkit's soft voice whispered timidly.

I looked beside me at her big green eyes, shining up at me in the pale moonlight. "Yes?"

"I miss her, Streamkit. I miss her."

Streamkit, Streamkit...