Image by JamSparks
Snowkit thrust her way through the crowd. Large, sleek, and muscular cats blocked her path from Highstump. Ginger, black, and brown pelts squished her as she tried to duck underneath their legs. She accidentally then made one of the cats trip.
"Watch it, Snowkit!" the brown and white tom hissed. "Behave or you'll go back to the nursery with Thrushblaze's new litter!" he snarled, lashing his tail. Snowkit's ears flattened in annoyance and anger.
"Oh shut up, Otterclaw. You belong in the nursery," she muttered, just a bit too loud. He then battered her with his big paws. She flew back out of the crowd. A couple of apprentices snickered in front of her. Snowkit stood up and shook bits of reeds out of her gray-white fur. She bristled to make herself a little bigger. I'll show them one day.
She turned to watch the ceremony. Two apprentices, Volepaw and Shadepaw, were getting their warrior names. It had been the first ceremony she had ever seen. She had begged Thrushblaze to let her see it. And to not stay with Rookkit, Fernkit, and Smokekit. They would just jump on her pretending she was a scary ShadowClan cat or a big fox.
She wished she could toss them off, but of course, Thrushblaze would punish her and the whole Clan would know about it. They would give her strange looks for days until they stopped, but by then she would have done something else. And what she just did would do it. She sighed and then strained her ears to hear. Pikestar stood on Highstump. Her pale brown tabby pelt shined in the sunlight. Her brilliant green eyes were filled with pleasure and pride.
"I, Pikestar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn." Pikestar looked to Volepaw and Shadepaw. Snowkit watched in excitement. She couldn't wait until those words were for her, and her Clan would cheer her name.
"Volepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan even if it cost your life?" Pikestar asked. Her head was high. Volepaw looked nervous. Her blue eyes filled with excitement and fear. Her black pelt smoothed as she spoke.
"I do." She gulped.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Volepaw, from this moment on you, will be known as Voleshine. StarClan honors your dignity and bright personality and we welcome you as a full member of RiverClan. Voleshine beamed Pikestar jumped down from Highstump and rested her head on the former apprentice.
"Voleshine! Voleshine! Voleshine!" the Clan cheered. Snowkit joined in loudly. A few nasty glares came her way, but she didn't care. Pikestar repeated the same words for Shadepaw.
"Shadepetal! Shadepetal! Shadepetal!" They cheered again. Snowkit curled her tail in happiness. Her heart then pulled to have the same praise. She would finally be accepted by her clan. As a full member of RiverClan. The feeling sang in her head like a humming bee.
"Snowkit!" A voice yowled. She turned to see her foster mother, Thrushblaze standing at the entrance of the nursery. She looked angry. Snowkit glowered. Otterclaw must have told her what I did. That bile-eating snoop! Snowkit stomped over. Her ears were flat and her pelt bristling. Thrushblaze's amber eyes bore down into her. Her kits watched curiously from behind.
"I told you to come back straight after the ceremony," she growled. "Did I not?" Snowkit looked down at her paws.
"Yes," she grumbled. Her tail lashed. She was never cross with her kits. But with her foster mother, she always had to be in sight.
"And you still didn't come." Thrushblaze hissed. "And you insulted a senior warrior!" Snowkit looked up and stared at her. She was mostly mad at Otterclaw. He just had to tell everyone that a three-moon-old kit insulted him! And she was the one to betray RiverClan one day! It hadn't been the first time he had done this.
"So? I was just trying to get a closer look and no one would move. And oh no! I bump into Otterclaw's leg." Snowkit grumbled. "And I say one thing in my defense and I get sent flying out of the crowd." Thrushblaze narrowed her eyes.
"That's no excuse to insult him!" Thrushblaze growled, lashing her tail.
"Even if he struck me? I thought it was part of the warrior code to help kits. Not hit them when they are just trying to see over you!" Snowkit protested. Her teeth were bared now. Though she knew she would never hurt any of her Clanmates. Even those who are the rudest.
"Stop with these stupid excuses, Snowkit!" Thrushblaze hissed. "You will stay in the nursery for the next two days. as a punishment." Snowkit hissed.
"No fair! I just got out of my last punishment!" Snowkit wailed. Thrushblaze then picked her up by the scruff and put her in her nest. Not Thrushblaze's, but Snowkit's one-only nest. All alone.
"You will stay in there for the rest of the day unless I say otherwise." Thrushblaze hissed. Snowkit felt her stomach growl. Thrushblaze heard and Snowkit looked up at her hopefully. "No eating either. Save some for the cats who need it."
"I'm a cat who needs it," she whispered to herself, and this time not loud enough for any other cat to hear. But it was true, Snowkit hadn't eaten the day before because she had run into Troutfin, Thrushblaze's mate, while he had been bringing fresh kill to the nursery. When really, the apprentices were chasing her against Snowkit's will pretending she was a mouse.
Snowkit plopped down in her nest. Rookkit, Fernkit, and Smokekit came over. Their eyes were wide with excitement.
"Do wike gettin in twouble?" Rookkit asked. His black and silver pelt puffed up with excitement. Snowkit felt like she wanted to rake her claws across his muzzle. But that would probably get her exiled from RiverClan. Snowkit then pushed away the thought. Pikestar was nicer to her than most cats. Maybe because Snowkit's mother had been littermate to the all-powerful leader. Snowkit smiled. Pikestar was the only kin she had because both of her parents died on the day she was born. Her mother died from giving birth and her father was murdered by a fox. Snowkit wished they were still alive because then she could have someone to love her more than anything.
"I'm not getting in trouble," Snowkit growled to Rookkit. The kits glanced at each other.
"But mommy says you are a bery bad kit," Fernkit mentioned. Snowkit dug her claws into her moss nest. Their "mommy" is a fox heart!
"It's not true, though. Everything I do is an accident." Snowkit grumbled. "Now leave me in my misery." Smokekit looked at her with his round blue eyes. He seemed somewhat sorry for her.
"I want to be misery, too!" he giggled. He lifted himself into her nest and sat there, his head held high. Fernkit snorted.
"You are just as bad as her." Fernkit sniffed. "Mommy said not to talk to her." Smokekit merely stuck out his tongue.
"Well, Mommy is not here, is she?" he squeaked defensively. Snowkit felt her heart warm. For once in her short life, another cat wanted to be near her. Rookkit rolled his eyes.
"Whatever. You will get in twouble anyways." he huffed. Smokekit shrugged.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." Smokekit mewed. He began to knead her nest. his littermates padded away whispering to each other. Smokekit glanced at her.
"So, what do you wanna do?" Smokekit asked. His black kit fluff made him look like a piece of fur that some cat shedded. "We can play moss ball or watch the warriors or-"
"Watch the warrior? What's that?" Snowkit asked. Smokekit looked at her in shock.
"You've never played it?!" he gasped, maybe a little over-dramatically. Snowkit smiled and shook her head. It was fun having someone to talk to. Luckily, Thrushblaze is out of the den. Or she would have dragged Smokekit back to his nest. "So, we watch the warriors and make up funny things they are saying when they talk to each other. Minnowpaw taught us how to play it." Snowkit narrowed her eyes at the name. Minnowpaw was the cream tabby she-cat who had chased her yesterday.
"Ok," Snowkit replied stiffly. "Let's play." Smokekit squealed with excitement.
"I never thought you would actuawy play with me!" Smokekit mewed. He got up and made his way o the entrance of the nursery. Though his words confused her.
"What do you mean?" She asked. Snowkit stood up and followed. Smokekit looked back at her.
"Well, I always thought you acted more grown-up than you needed to be," Smokekit told her. He acted like everything was normal though like she knew this. "You act like an apprentice. They never want to play. It's just training, training, training. They only play with us when they have to. Like Minnowpaw. She taught us the warrior-watching game when she had to. And she did it so she could try to 'flirt' with Turtlepaw. Whatever that means." Snowkit held back a laugh.
"Well, I have no one to play with, so I am usually alone." Snowkit sighed. Smokekit looked at her sorrowfully.
"Now you have a fwiend to play with!" Smokekit told her. Just then, Thrushblaze's shadow loomed over Smokekit and Snowkit. She looked to Smokekit.
"And what are you doing with the red-eyed kit?"