Warriors Forbidden Kits

Chapter 2

This chapter is dedicated to DarkLight19 for being such a great fan.

Starkit paced anxiously. Today was probably the most important day of his life. Today was his apprentice ceremony. It was supposed to start at sunhigh, and that was only in a few minutes.

"There you are! Worried as always." A voice teased. Starkit flicked his ears, but didn't stop his pacing.

"You should lighten up Starkit. Just think, soon it will be all over." The voice continued. Starkit turned to see the speaker. It was his brother, Stonekit. He had gray and white fur, and looked a lot like their dad Stormstone. But he was not a plain cat. He always seemed to be joking around.

"But what if I get a bad mentor? Or what if my mentor never has time for me? Or what if I mess up? Or what if I can't remember anything they teach me? Or what if-" Starkit ranted.

"You'll be fine! You're the smartest out of all of us. Not to mention the oldest." Stonekit said. Starkit calmed down.

"Technically, Amberpaw is older than us." Starkit pointed out.

"But Amberpaw is from a different litter. He's only our step brother anyway."

"Have you seen Smokekit anywhere?"

"Yeah. She's with mom in the nursery, getting all prettied up. That reminds me, mom wanted me to get you. It's your turn for a bath." Starkit groaned, but he followed Stonekit into the Earthclan nursery. A silvery she-cat sat there, fussing over a gray kit. Featherfur and Smokekit.

"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you Starkit. You're all done Smokekit dear. Starkit, let me have a look at you." Featherfur said. Smokekit stood up and padded over to her brothers, and Starkit sat in front of Featherfur. She began licking him vigorously.

"Who do you think your mentor will be?" Stonekit asked Smokekit.

"I don't know." Smokekit said quietly. She was very shy, and usually very quiet.

"I hope I get dad! Then we can protect Earthclan together!" Stonekit exclaimed, pretending to pounce on an imaginary cat. He growled and pretended to wrestle with an invisible enemy. Another cat entered the cave. He looked like a larger version of Stone kit, and he grinned as he looked at the kits.

"I'm not allowed to be your mentor Stonekit. But don't worry, Morningstar chose good mentors for you three." He said.

"Stormstone!" Stonekit exclaimed, running forward and pouncing on Stormstone. Stormstone laughed, and the two of them rolled around playfully. Featherfur looked up.

"Stormstone! You're going to mess up their fur!" She scolded. Stormstone stopped playing and stood up apologetically.

"Sorry Featherfur." He said. Featherfur sniffed.

"There you go. All finished." Featherfur told Starkit. He jumped to his feet.

"Thanks!" He said. From outside of the nursery came a loud meow.

"Let all cats old enough to hunt gather around for a clan meeting!" A she-cats voice said. Stonekit bolted out of the cave with Starkit right on his heels. Stormstone followed slightly behind with Smokekit, and Featherfur watched from the entrance. A moment later, an orange/brown cat entered the nursery.

"Are you coming mom?" The tom asked.

"Of course Amberpaw. Just give me a moment." Featherfur said. Amberpaw watched her.

"When is he going to tell them?" He asked finally.

"I'm not sure. I keep telling him that the longer he waits, the worse the pain will be for the kits. But he won't listen to me. I think he's trying to convince himself that she never really happened." Featherfur sighed.

"But doesn't Stormstone still love Silvermoon?" Amberpaw asked. Featherfur's eyes flashed, and she looked up sharply.

"Be more careful where you mention that name. That name has caused this clan grief." Featherfur snapped.

"But she saved my life! And Stormstone's too!" Amberpaw said. Feathefur sighed.

"I know precious. But now isn't the time. Let's go watch the ceremony." Featherfur said. Amberpaw followed her out of the nursery and to the gathering of cats under a large boulder. A tan she-cat stood on top of the boulder.

"Today is a very special day. Three of our kits have reached the age of six moons. They are now ready to be apprentices. Tumbleleaf, step forward." The cat on the boulder, Morningstar, commanded. A brown tom stepped forward.

"You have served your clan well over the years. Are you ready for an apprentice?" Morningstar asked. Tumbleleaf nodded.

"Starkit, step forward." Morningstar said. Starkit trembled, then took a step forward.

"Tumbleleaf, you will be Starkit's mentor. May you pass your knowledge and quick wits to him, and may he obey you in turn. Starkit, from now on you will be known as Starpaw." Morningstar announced.

"Starpaw! Starpaw!" The clan cheered. Starpaw and Tumbleleaf nodded to each other, then sat together.

"Maplestep, step forward." Morningstar commanded. A calico she-cat stepped forward.

"You have served your clan well over the years. Are you ready for an apprentice?" Morningstar asked. Maplestep nodded.

"Smokekit, step forward." Morningstar continued. Smokekit took a tiny step forward.

"Maplestep, you will be Smokekit's mentor. May you pass your grace and confident nature to her, and may she obey you in turn. Smokekit, from now on you will be known as Smokepaw." Morningstar announced.

"Smokepaw! Smokepaw!" The clan cheered. Smokepaw and Maplestep nodded to each other, then the two cats went and sat together. Morningstar cleared her throat. Stonekit shifted nervously.

"Riverrun, step forward." Morningstar commanded. Stonekit's mouth fell open. Riverrun? That was his mentor? A silvery she-cat stepped forward. Her fur was turning white with old age, and she walked with a slight limp.

"You have served your clan well over the years. Are you ready for an apprentice?" Morningstar asked. Riverrun nodded.

"Stonekit, step forward." Morningstar said. Stonwkit hesitated, then stepped forward.

"Riverrun, you will be Stonekit's mentor. May you pass your wisdom and quick thinking to him, and may he obey you in turn. Stonekit, from now on you will be known as Stonepaw." Morningstar announced.

"Stonepaw! Stonepaw!" The clan cheered. Stonepaw nodded stiffly to Riverrun, then the two cats sat together.

"Earthclan now has three new apprentices! May they learn the ways of the earth." Morningstar yowled. Then she jumped down from the rock and congratulated the three new apprentices. The rest of the clan congratulated them as well, and it was a few minutes before the siblings could talk again.

"I can't believe I got Riverrun!" Stonepaw complained.

"She can't be that bad!" Starpaw said.

"Easy for you to say. You got Tumbleleaf!" Stonepaw sighed.

"So she's a little old. How bad can she really be?" Smokepaw asked. Stonepaw glanced at his mentor. She was talking to a bunch of the elders like she didn't have a care in the world.

"I'm guessing pretty bad." Stonekit sighed.