Warriors: Shooting Star Book #1 A Star Is Born (#Wattys2015)

Chapter 2

It was a moon after Foxkit passed away from kitten cough. Lambpelt had given birth to two kits, Poundkit and Meadowkit. Poundkit was a brown tom with amber eyes, which make him good at hiding and catching prey. Meadowkit was grey with light silver eyes. Wolfkit could only play with them when Lambpelt said it was okay. Or more like, whenever Bellowvoice said it was okay. The tom was nervous the older kits would crush his new borns. Goosetail never was nervous for Wolfkit. He'd never visit him or Hazelnose. He never even shared two words with his mate for all Wolfkit knew.

Adderstar was getting more and more frustrated with the warrior every time he walked out camp. Wolfkit wondered where his father would go every day. He also wondered what was outside the camp. Kits weren't allowed outside camp without a warrior. But Goosetail was running off on his own so much, Wolfkit was getting suspicious.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the high ledge!" Adderstar called out to the Clan. Willowsigh got up and lead Sparrowkit and Hazelkit out the nursery. Hazelnose got up and Wolfkit followed her. He looked around to see the whole Clan gather around where Adderstar stood on a high ledge, overlooking the cats around him. Willowsigh groomed Sparrowkit and Hazelkit roughly until they batted her away with their paws. Their father, Dustytail, was looking at them proudly as they sat down and listened.

"Sparrowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Adderstar began, Wolfkit quickly looked from Adderstar to Sparrowkit who stepped up proudly. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Sparrowpaw. Your mentor will be Stripeclaw. I hope Stripeclaw will pass down all he knows on to you."

The golden warrior stepped up and went to stand before the new apprentice. "Stripeclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Squirreltail, and you have shown yourself to be quick and persistent. You will be the mentor of Sparrowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Sparrowpaw." Stripeclaw lowered his head and touched his nose to Sparrowpaw's. The two then went to stand on the side as Hazelkit's turn came up.

"Hazelkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Hazelpaw. Your mentor will be Poppystream. I hope Poppystream will pass down all she knows on to you." Adderstar repeated the ceremony. The ginger warrior, Poppystream, stepped up and stood before Hazelpaw.

"Poppystream, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Earthfoot, and you have shown yourself to be sharp and understanding. You will be the mentor of Hazelpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Hazelpaw."

Poppystream touched noses with Hazelpaw and the two went to stand next to Stripeclaw and Sparrowpaw. Adderstar jumped from the High Ledge and went to speak to some of the other warriors, probably about Goosetail, seeing as he wasn't anywhere nearby.

Poundkit and Meadowkit poked their heads out the nursery curiously, but shied back in after a stern look from Bellowvoice. Wolfkit was then lifted off his paws by Hazelnose and was brought back inside the nursery.

"What's a Gathering like?" Wolfkit asked as Hazelnose groomed herself. She was picked to go to the Gathering, leaving Lambpelt to care for Wolfkit.

"It's when all five Clans come together for one night of peace," Hazelnose answered between strokes, "it's one night where leaders and warriors from different Clans can share tongues and hear how each Clan is doing.

"Well, then why can't kits go?" Poundkit mowed.

"It may be a night of peace," Lambpelt started, "but, it's still a long trek to the Gathering and it will go way past resting time."