Gingerkit crouched down low, her long fluffy tail slowly swishing over the dirt, her green eyes focused on the brown tabby prey. She padded slowly forward, reaching up to pounce on her catch...
"Gingerkit! Get back to your den immediately!" A stern voice meowed, making both kits obediently turn around.
"Yes, Birdsight." Gingerkit bowed her head to her mother. Casting a quick glance to her sister, who wouldn't look her in the eye, she stalked back to the small cave she called her den.
Why can't us siblings play together? Or any kit, for that matter? Gingerkit hated the leaders' rules. Curling back into her mossy nest, the she-kit cursed Glisteningstar's name under her breath. That stuck-up furrball only cares about herself.
She could never say that aloud, though. She would be demoted to a good-for-nothing slave. Why do we even keep the disabled and traitors around? If I was leader, the disabled would be sent into the wild to fend for themselves, and the traitors would be killed.
"Gingerkit?" A soft squeak of a voice made the tabby's head shoot up. She let out a sigh of relief as Tabbykit padded in through the back entrance of the den.
"Tabbykit!" Gingerkit meowed excitedly. She calmed herslef down, knowing if she was loud enough, the entire camp could hear her. "We're having our ceremony today." Her pelt bristled in excitment.
"I know..." Tabbykit's voice was barely a whisper. "I... I don't think we'll be training together...."
Gingerkit tilted her head. "You want to be a healer?" She meowed questionly. "That's awesome!"
Tabbykit shoke her head furiously. "No... Gingerkit... I'm half-blind..."
Gingerkit's green eyes widen. No. Tabbykit can't be a disabled. She's too sweet and innocent to be. It has to be a joke. But as Gingerkit stared intently into her sister's matching green eyes, the she-kit realized how clouded her right eye was getting. "Does... Does Birdsight know?"
Tabbykit nodded solemnly. "She's gone to tell the leaders right now." Sadness clouded her pine-colored eyes as she bent her head. "I guess this is goodbye."
Gingerkit nuzzled her sister lovingly. "No way, we're still best friends, Tabbykit. No disability is gonna change that!" Inside, Gingerkit was screaming at her ancestors. How could you do this to her?
"But, we're different ranks." The brown tabby's voice had become hoarse. "You have to boss me around, I have to do what you say."
Gingerkit placed her fluffy tail on her sister's back. "Then I order you to forget about ranks!" Gingerkit snarled. "That code can go to the Dark Forest and die for all I care."
Tabbykit's eyes widen in shock at her harsh words. Before she opened her mouth, a shadowy figure padded to the entrance of the cave. Tabbykit instantly hid in the secret entrance.
"Gingerkit, find Tabbykit and the slaves will get you ready for your ceremony." Birdsight's voice called down. Gingerkit dipped her head in understanding to her mother.
"C'mon, Tabbykit, let's get ready!" The two she-kits chased eachother out of the den, and they came to a halt when they spotted Twistedfoot, Leafwing, Missingtail, Cranecall, Nofoot and Deafear outside waiting for them.
Three other kits bounced around the slaves, pelts glistening in the morning sunlight. A gray tom-kit on the other paw, sat there looking at nothing. He was fully blind. A snowy-white tom raised his head.
"Oh, hey..." He paused, not knowing our names. "My name's Whitekit, I just found out these are Creamkit, Orangekit, and the new slave." He spat out the word 'slave', but none of the slaves, nor the gray tom or Tabbykit, flinched.
Gingerkit nodded. "Well, I'm Gingerkit, and this is Tabbykit. She's half-blind." Gingerkit instinctively moved herslef in front of her sister to protect her from the harsh words.
"Two slaves in one ceremony?" Creamkit tilted her head. "I don't think that's common, except when Leafwing and her kits became slaves."
Orangekit just rolled her dark green eyes. "Who cares how many slaves we have? As long as they do their jobs, we don't need to give them a second thought." She scoffed.
Tabbykit slinked over to Graykit's side, her pale green eyes downcast. Gingerkit bowed her head. I want to stand up for her, but then the other kits will think I'm weak.
"All hunters, fighters, slaves, and elders, join us under the Golden Oak for the ceremony of apprenticeship!" Leafwing instantly started washing Gingerkit's pelt, though it wasn't that dusty to begin with, minus her tail.
The six kits walked excitedly towards the towering oak, watching as the leaders and next leaders leapt onto their respective branches. The apprentices of next sat at the roots, furs sleek and clean as always.
Glancing around, Gingerkit felt everycat's gaze, be it yellow, amber, blue, or green, burning into her pelt. Shared murmers swept through the clan as the kits took their place in front of the tree, gazing up at the leaders.
Glisteningstar stepped forward, always the cat to begin the meetings, being the oldest of the leaders. She was older than both Velvetwing and Owltooth, but refused to step down from her position. Arrogant furrball. Gingerkit only kept her eyes on the sky.
"Cats of the great and mighty DawnClan, we are here for the ceremony of apprenticeship." The clan fell into complete silence, their gazes turning to the sky. "But first, our prayer to our ancestors."
Gingerkit let out a contented sigh. She knew the prayer by heart. Each cat had their muzzles to the sunlight, and chanted the familiar words.
"Oh mighty StarClan, ancestors of new and old, guide our paws so we may never stumble down the path of treachery, and may those who have suffer for many moons to come, serving our every need along those who are useless."
That last line stung Gingerkit in the heart. She used to be able to say that without remorse, but now her sister was considered one of the 'useless'.
Eighty-three heads turned their gazes back to the Golden Tree. Graykit tried, but his sightless eyes gazed just below Leopardchaser's branch. Tigerstar scowled at the kit before continuing. "First of all, I am sorry to announce, but Lionstar and Dreamstar are retiring."
The clan bowed their heads. Gingerkit gave the two old leaders respective nods, knowing they had served their clan long and hard. "We welcome Lionflight and Dreamweaver to the den of elders, and Cougarstar and Wishstar, we welcome you to the den of leaders."
The former leaders climbed down the tree as the others shifted onto their new branches. The clan broke into loud cheering. "LIONFLIGHT! DREAMWEAVER! COUGARSTAR! WISHSTAR!"
With one flick of her patchy white tail, Glisteningstar silenced the crowd of cats. "As such, Primrosepaw, Foxpaw." The apprentice's ears perked, though no excitment flashed in their eyes. The leaders of next shifted up a branch each to make room for the new members.
"Primrosepaw, you have shown yourself to be wise beyond your moons, and I believe you are ready to become a leader of next." Brightstar meowed. Primrosepaw nodded softly.
"Oh mighty StarClan, look down on this young apprentice of next. She has trained hard to learn the ways of a leader, and we agree her to be worthy enough of the title." Glisteningstar meowed, her aged voice loud and clear.
"Primrosepaw, until you join us in the den of leaders, you will be known as Primrosepetal. May your hard working mind and steady heart lead our clan for many moons to come."
Primrosepetal dipped her ginger head respectively as her cold analytical gaze looked at each cat with a burning determination. Foxpaw looked up at Glisteningstar, his green gaze calm and smooth.
"Foxpaw, you have shown yourself a formidable foe in your fighting training." Wishstar's burning green eyes held no cat's gaze, just looking at the sky.
"Oh mighty StarClan, look down on this young apprentice of next." Cougarstar's voice was layered with a hiss from the back of his throat, scaring the life out of Gingerkit. "He has trained hard to learn the ways of a leader, and we agree him to be worthy enough of the title."
Cougarstar's yellow eyes gliwed in the mid-day sunlight. "Foxpaw, until you join us in the den of leaders, you will be known as Foxpath. May your open heart and strength lead our clan for many moons to come."
"PRIMROSEPETAL! FOXPATH!" The clan burst into cheering, and Gingerkit shifted from paw to paw, knowing it was now her and the other's turns. The clan split into their respective groups, leaving the kits in the center of the camp.
"Now, we have four new apprentices to make, and two slaves." Tabbykit shifted closer to Graykit. "Slaves first."
Gingerkit watched as her sibling lead the blind kit forward, her murky green eye staring at the ground. Glisteningstar gestured for Graykit first. "You, born with these faults that make you useless to the clan, will be only a burden. Graykit, from now until you die, you will serve as our servent." Graykit kept his head bowed at the harsh words. "You will be known as Blindpaw."
No cheering. Just the eerie silence only broken by Tigerstar continuing. He gestured for Tabbykit to step forward, his harsh gaze burning into her sister. "You, born with these faults that make you useless to the clan, will only be a burden." Tabbykit didn't even look back at Gingerkit, which stung. "Tabbykit, until you die, you will serve as our servant. You will be known as Halfpaw."
The silence returned as Halfpaw led Blindpaw over to the slaves at the back of the crowd. Gingerkit wished she could call out to her sister, but that would end with her working as a slave beside her. You are not supposed to talk to slaves unless in need of something.
"Now that the slaves are assigned, we have more important things to do." Brightstar snarled. "Orangekit, do you promise to serve our clan as a hunter for the rest of your life?"
Gingerkit watched as the pale ginger kit nodded, her muzzle pointed straight up in the air like a snooty apprentice of next. "I do."
"Then until you become a full hunter, you will be known as Aloepaw. Jayspots, you will train Aloepaw in way of hunting." The newly named she-cat looked smug with her new name as she strutted to the hunters.
"Stuck-up furrball." Whitekit muttered in her ear. Gingerkit had to stiffle her laughter as Whitekit was called forward by Cougarstar.
"Whitekit, do you promise to serve our clan as a fighter for the rest of your life?" Cougarstar hissed. Doesn't like many cats, does he? Gingerkit mentally snorted.
Whitekit, on the other paw, didn't seem affected by the tom's harsh tone. "I do."
"Then until you become a full fighter, you will be known as Snakepaw. Flaneblossom, you will train Snakepaw to defend and protect." Snakepaw did not look prideful, he was calm and held his new denmates' gaze.
Creamkit was next. Unlike her siblings, she was more skittish, her green gaze darting between her clanmates in fear. Wishstar's eyes were warm and welcoming.
"Creamkit, do you promise to serve our clan as a healer for the rest of your life?" Creamkit's eyes widen happily.
"I-I-I-I do." She stuttered.
"Then until you become a full healer, you will be known as Chevrilpaw." Chevrilpaw let out a small sigh of relief as she rushed over to the other healers.
That just left Gingerkit alone to stare at her least favorite of the leaders. Glisteningstar shared a sharp glance with her. "Gingerkit, you are a unique case." That does not sound good. "Your strength lies in all aspects, your spirit, your heart, your insistence to help others." She knew that was directed at her care of her sister.
"As such, we have decided to make you the next head of leaders, as I will not live forever." Gingerkit's eyes widened as gasps and murmers rumble through the cats.
Gingerkit swore she heard the apprentices in front of her mutter how lucky she was, but this was not what she wanted. She didn't want to be special.
"Gingerkit, do you accept this most sacred of positions?" Gingerkit knew she didn't have a choice. She would be sent to the slaves for denying her leaders.
"I do." The bile rose in her throat at the thought of turning into a self-centered fox heart like the other apprentices of next and Glisteningstar.
"Then, until you recieve your leader of next name, you will be known as Bloomingpaw." Name that has to do with beauty? Check.
The clan burst into loud cheering, Bloomingpaw's name being cheered the loudest. "ALOEPAW! SNAKEPAW! CHEVRILPAW! BLOOMINGPAW!"
Bloomingpaw caught Halfpaw's gaze, and her sister had hate in her eyes. I didn't want this! She wanted to scream to StarClan. Halfpaw, please forgive me.