salt in the wound || warrior cats

chapter 7

the apprenticeship

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VIOLETKIT WAS JITTERY WITH EXCITEMENT as she waited by the nursery's entrance. Her white pelt had been washed countless times, to a point where even Swanfrost had quit fussing with it in favor of Sweetkit's tabby fur. 

Today was her apprentice ceremony. And despite the cold, brisk wind of leafbare with the promise of snow, Violetkit couldn't imagine a better day.

Soon enough, sunhigh had come, and patrols were beginning to return from their assignments. Hunting patrols carried with them the skinny bodies of prey, whereas border patrols grumbled about the long going SkyClan issue. One by one, after greeting their friends, they bunched together beneath the Highledge, chatting aimlessly amongst themselves.

Violetkit watched this with a tinge of silly pride - that they were all coming together to watch her and Sweetkit - but she couldn't shake the odd sense of déjà vu, like she'd done this before. 

As Sweetkit approached her, finally managing to escape Swanfrost's grasp, Violetkit spotted a flash of black fur from the corner of her eyes. Turning, she saw Ravenpaw taking a seat besides the two older apprentices, Eaglepaw and Dapplepaw.

"Oh, no," she grumbled. 

Sweetkit glanced at her. "What?"

Ever since Ravenpaw had become an apprentice two moons ago, the white she-kit had spent those moons in pure bliss. There was no annoying thorn on her side; it was just her, Sweetkit, and Brightkit. She'd forgotten about him and that she'd have to share a den with him again once becoming an apprentice. 

But before she could tell this to her sister, Lilystar jumped onto the Highledge and lashed her tail. "Let all cats of ThunderClan gather around the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Very quickly, the chatters quieted, and the two kits bounded up eagerly to Lilystar's side as their mother took a seat beside Frostsky. The ThunderClan leader turned to Sweetkit first.

"Sweetkit, 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 shall be known as Sweetpaw. Your mentor will be Stormbird."

Even from the corner of her eye, Violetkit can see shock ripple through the Clan and Swanfrost start to bristle. 

It had been moons since Sunbounce and Stormbird's fight, but tensions between the two toms were high, and it seemed that Swanfrost was taking the ginger tom's side as to who Violetdust's murderer was. Clearly, she wasn't happy Stormbird was assigned Sweetpaw's mentor.

And when Lilystar turned to Violetkit and assigned her her mentor, the white she-cat couldn't help but wonder if maybe the ThunderClan leader was purposefully trying to cause commotion.

"Violetpaw, your mentor will be Sunbounce."

As soon as Lilystar spoke the ginger tom's name, Violetpaw felt her stomach drop like a stone. Her previous opinion on Sunbounce still stood, and every time they interacted, he was so coldly polite that it felt mean. It was a feeling she couldn't explain, but she found herself wishing she and Sweetpaw could switch mentors. 

Sunbounce's muscles were tense as he padded up to tap his nose against Violetpaw's. It hardly seemed like he was paying attention; he looked more interested in shooting sideways glares at Stormbird. Mentoring littermates meant they'd have to spend a lot of time together.

"Violetpaw! Sweetpaw!" the Clan cheered, their new names echoing into the brisk leafbare air.

Everything after that was a whirlwind of joy. Cat after cat after cat came up to congratulate Violetpaw and Sweetpaw, and Swanfrost and Frostsky stood by their kits proudly the entire time. To Violetpaw's surprise, even Eaglepaw and Dapplepaw came over, Ravenpaw padding a little behind them.

When he approached, the white she-cat tensed, expecting him to make fun of her like he always did. But instead, all Ravenpaw meowed was a brief, "Congratulations." 

Violetpaw blinked, surprised at the simplicity and genuineness of it. "Thanks."

Ravenpaw shrugged. "I was rooting for you to accidentally tumble off the Highledge, but you didn't. So good job." 

Of course he could never give her a real compliment.

Violetpaw scowled, but she quickly wiped it away when Eaglepaw stepped towards her, a kind smile fluttering on his face. "Congratulations on becoming an apprentice. I hope you like cleaning dens and dealing with ticks, because that's pretty much all we do around here." 

His blue eyes glittered jokingly as he spoke, mirroring the wide sky on a beautiful day, so much so that the white she-cat found herself stumbling stupidly over her words.

"Oh, yes. I love- I love cleaning dens. And the ticks." Great StarClan, she wanted to smack herself.

Ravenpaw gave her an odd look, which only added to the mortifying situation. "What's wrong with you?"

"Shut up," Violetpaw hissed at him, her pelt heating with embarrassment, but it hardly mattered. Eaglepaw had already moved to offer his welcome to Sweetpaw, and thankfully didn't see that exchange.

Before long, Sunbounce and Stormbird called for their apprentices, and Violetpaw and Sweetpaw detangled themselves from their friends and family in favor of their mentors, eager to begin their training.

"Well, first things first, I think a territory tour is in order," Stormbird meowed. He glanced at Sunbounce, as if expecting him to add on; however, the ginger tom was staring firmly into nowhere. The black tom then huffed and faced the apprentices again. "Fine. I'll take Sweetpaw on a tour-"

"No," Sunbounce mewed sharply, suddenly snapping into attention. "You can't be trusted. What if something happens?" 

Though he didn't say it, the word killer hung thickly in the air.

Stormbird, however, didn't blunder around it, and simply rolled his eyes. "Then you'd finally be able to frame me for murder, wouldn't you? I expect you'd be rather happy about that."

"I've known Swanfrost my whole life," Sunbounce meowed as if Stormbird hadn't spoken. "She was Violetdust's best friend, and I promised I'd keep an eye on her kits."

"Good thing I'm planning to watch out for my apprentice's safety as well, then," the black tom mewed dryly, clearly tired with the whole debacle. "Assuring your apprentice's survival is a basic requirement as a mentor, I think."

Sunbounce ignored him again. "We'll all take the tour together," he decided, starting out the camp. "Come on, let's go."

As he marched firmly out of camp, Stormbird gestured to the entrance for them to follow. "You two best hurry along, before he thinks I clawed off your legs or something."

His words were so painfully sarcastic that neither sister could take it seriously, so they simply exchanged laughing looks and purrs before padding out after Sunbounce into ThunderClan's territory for the first time.