Warriors: Skytail's Reckoning (COMPLETED)

Chapter 20

"Today's the day!" Featherkit's mew broke into Skytail's dream and she felt her daughter pounce on her face, her belly fur smothering her. "Wake up! Wake up!"

Beside her, Sparkheart groaned and shifted in the large nest. "Your daughter...awake." She mumbled, her voice sluggish with sleep.

Skytail grunted, her eyes still closed. "Before sunhigh, she's your daughter." She sighed loudly and cracked open an eye. "Featherkit, what are you so excited about?" She groaned.

"I'm being apprenticed today!" Her daughter declared, her chest fur puffing out with excitement. "Wake up!"

Skytail opened her eyes and yawned, stretching in the nest in the nursery. They often slept in the nursery to be with Featherkit, Darkfeather's kits, and Wispwren's kits. With so many tiny paws scampering around, it was normal to be woken up to play. "Is it really?" She meowed. Two moons since the Gathering, Skytail hadn't thought of the day coming for Featherkit to become an apprentice.

Featherkit nodded eagerly. "I can't wait to find out who my mentor will be!" She jumped up and down and Skytail had to plant her paw on her tail to stop her. "Who do you think will mentor me? I hope it isn't Greenscar or Morningshine!" She shuddered as if with a cold. "They're so mean and scary!"

Sparkheart sat up in the nest, her eyes bleary with sleep. "Is it that day already?" She yawned and sat up, leaning against Skytail as she looked drowsily at the kit. When Featherkit nodded, Sparkheart pulled her close with a paw. "Then you need to get cleaned up. You don't want to look like a ball of moss when you go outside."

Skytail purred as Featherkit started to protest before Sparkheart started lapping at her fur, smoothing it down. She got to her feet and headed for the nursery entrance. She poked her head out to see Redstar padding onto the Fallen Tree. "You'd better hurry," she warned Sparkheart over her shoulder. "Redstar's about to call the Clan together."

Sparkheart gave Featherkit's chest one final lick before raising her head to look down at the kit. "Don't mess up your fur, or I'll have to wash you again." She meowed sternly and padded over to Skytail, brushing her cheek along her chin lovingly.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Fallen Tree for a Clan meeting!" Called Redstar from outside the den.

"It's time!" Chirped Featherkit as she made a break for the entrance.

Skytail blocked her with a paw and gave her a stern yet amused look. "Wait a moment," she ordered and glanced out of the nursery for a heartbeat before standing at the kit's side. "Now we can go."

"We have many kits among us who has reached their sixth moon and are ready to join our ranks as apprentices." Redstar was meowing as they stepped out of the nursery and walked up the small incline and peered up at the tom. "Featherkit, Martenkit, Mistykit, Shellkit, Brindlekit, Weaselkit, Smokekit, Poppykit, and Graykit, please come forward." He purred. The kit scampered forward with an eager squeak and scrambled to a halt in front of the leader. "Featherkit, from this moment on until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Featherpaw. Briarfern, you are a strong and confident warrior. You are ready to take on your first apprentice. Train Featherpaw to be the greatest moor runner this Clan can be proud of."

Briarfern rose to his paws and picked his way through the gathered cats to reach his apprentice. They touched noses, exchanged a few excited words, and sat down in the crowd.

Redstar continued to name Darkfeather and Brackenmist's kits as apprentices. Martenpaw got Twigflower as his mentor, Mistypaw got Eagleheart, Shellpaw got Cloversong, Brindlepaw got Sparkheart, Weaselpaw got Myrtlestorm, Smokepaw got Wollyfire, Poppypaw got Slatefall, and Graypaw got Driftbird.