Post by LιθΠΗΣαRτεD on Aug 2, 2017 15:53:03 GMT
With Lightpaw living out his punishment and Shadowkit lonely in the nursery, the two quickly became friends. However, Shadowkit could see that Lightpaw was ostracized from the apprentices' circle; his denmates glanced away when the two approached, or somehow happened to be walking out of camp the moment Lightpaw returned. It was as if they were embarrassed, and Shadowkit couldn't see how Lightpaw was such a bad cat to be ashamed of. He was good company, made good jokes, and was an overall amiable cat.
And so once he was dismissed from the nursery by Darkshimmer, he ran as fast as his tiny legs would carry over to where he knew Lightpaw would be. But the creme-colored tom wasn't there, and Shadowkit frowned as he began to search the camp. He was nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps his punishment had ended, and he was back in training? Shadowkit felt heavy with disappointment as he tilted his head-- Lightpaw hadn't told him. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Once, the tom had actually managed to sneak out of camp one night, and only told Shadowkit the next day, swearing him to secrecy.
And since Lightpaw was Shadowkit's only friend, he gladly kept his mouth shut.
Was he out of camp now? As Shadowkit began walking in the direction of the apprentices' den, the bushes near him rustled lowly and a shrew darted out. Eyes wide, Shadowkit watched it run for a fraction of a second before instinct kicked in and he leapt forward, landing square on it. Lifting his paw, he shrieked as he felt it wriggle, and accidentally sank his claws into its body, effectively killing it. His heart pounding, he frowned and bent down, staring at the dead rodent.
"Where is it-- Shadowkit?" Lightpaw burst in, from the bushes where the shrew had been. Evidently, he'd gone out again, but Shadowkit was too focused on what he'd just done to wonder why Lightpaw didn't bother taking him along.
"Shadowkit!" Darkshimmer echoed, and he saw her black form racing to him, skidding to a stop in front of his prey. Eyebrows furrowed, she asked, "did you catch that, Shadowkit?"
"I-I guess," he finally managed to squeak out. "It ran into camp."
"What do we have here!" boomed a loud voice, and Shadowkit winced, still not very used to Fangspider's dramatic appearances. The tall tom strode to stand beside Darkshimmer, folding his legs to talk to Shadowkit at eye-level. "Well, there! A little hunter. Did you see that, Shadowboar? Shadowboar, come here! Your son caught a shrew!" he stood up, his loud holler thundering in Shadowkit's ear.
"Really?" His father finally made an appearance, and Thunderhound and Ravenfeather trailed him, and suddenly the entire family was crowded around, looking down at Shadowkit's measly shrew. Fangspider looked every bit proud as Darkshimmer and Shadowboar, and Shadowkit glanced between his uncle's legs to see Lightpaw giving him a wink from afar. It was all kind of scary and shocking at first-- he hadn't realized what he'd done-- but the excitement coming from his kin began to make him quite proud of himself. Yep, he caught a shrew! "Well done."
"Thank you," Shadowkit replied, puffing his chest. Fangspider was laughing, Shadowboar was looking pleased, Darkshimmer was ruffling Shadowkit's fur with her cheek, and Ravenfeather had already skittered off to tell everyone else who wasn't already watching.
And after a while, Thunderhound said quietly, "you'll go far, kit."
It was a passing remark, but Shadowkit's eyes widened. Thunderhound had praised him. Thunderhound had praised him! One of the most respected warriors of the Clan had said that he would go far. Exhilaration shot through Shadowkit, and his face stretched into a wide smile.
"Until you receive your warrior name," Kitestar was saying solemnly, looking down at Shadowkit from her perch on the Flailing Oak. "Thunderhound, you are a noble warrior, and I trust that you will pass down your skills unto Shadowpaw as his mentor."
Thunderhound! He'd gotten Thunderhound as his mentor!
"Shadowkit!" the Clan was chanting his name, but for some reason Lightpaw's voice sounded right by his ear, though he was standing at the front of the crowd, Thunderhound next to him. "Shadowkit! Wake up?"
Wake up?
"Agh!" Shadowkit plunged into consciousness as a paw jerked him awake, and he was rolled out of bed by a push. "Wake up, it's almost time for your ceremony!"
"Please don't push him, Lightpaw," Darkshimmer reprimanded gently.
"Sorry, Darkshimmer," Lightpaw was apologizing, as Shadowkit opened his eyes blearily. "Come on! Groom yourself and let's go!"
"Oh!" Disappointment and excitement coursed through Shadowkit. The ceremony he'd just attended was all a dream-- but hopefully, the real one would go just as well and he could receive Thunderhound as a mentor.
As soon as he'd stepped out of the den, Kitestar was yowling. "All cats who fight like thorns gather 'round the Flailing Oak!"
Warriors swarmed into the clearing-- just for him. Just for him! Adrenaline kicked into action and Shadowkit began to run, with Lightpaw following him eagerly, shouting for him to slow down. But Shadowkit stopped at the front, where Kitestar was glaring down upon him, like she had in his dream, only this was real and she was ten times more scary.
"Go on," Lightpaw breathed, "you're the star."
Gulping, Shadowkit glanced up at Kitestar, who only offered a small smile. Glancing back, some warriors were conversing amongst themselves, but others already had their attention on him and were waiting expectantly. One of these cats will be my mentor.
Once the congregation had died down, Kitestar began in her clear, powerful voice. "Cats of ThistleClan. Today we honor a new kit's journey on his way to warriorhood. Shadowkit, of Shadowboar and Darkshimmer, please step forward."
Nervously, Shadowkit placed one paw in front of the other until he was standing at the base of the Flailing Oak, tilting his head back to peer up at Kitestar, who returned the stare.
"Shadowkit, from today until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shadowpaw." She paused, looking into the crowd. Shadowpaw's heart pounded. Please, Thunderhound. Please, Thunderhound. "Runningwolf," Kitestar called, and Shadowpaw's heart sank a little. Who was this Runningwolf? "...you are a highly skilled, competent warrior. May you pass on your skills unto young Shadowpaw as his mentor."
A slim brown tabby she-cat stepped forward, her green eyes warm, and bent to touch noses with Shadowpaw. It was all so sudden, and now it was over. It hadn't even lasted ten minutes.
"Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw!" the Clan was chanting his name all the same, and their enthusiasm reinvigorated Shadowpaw, who found himself smiling beside his new mentor. Lightpaw and Fangspider were jumping up and down like the silly cats they were, and Shadowboar and Darkshimmer couldn't have looked prouder. He could hear Ravenfeather shouting through the noise near him, "that's my grandkit. My grandkit who's already caught a shrew!" And Thunderhound... well, Thunderhound was as stoic as usual, giving the tiniest of nods when Shadowpaw's eyes found his.
Well, you couldn't get everything in life.
And so once he was dismissed from the nursery by Darkshimmer, he ran as fast as his tiny legs would carry over to where he knew Lightpaw would be. But the creme-colored tom wasn't there, and Shadowkit frowned as he began to search the camp. He was nowhere to be seen.
Perhaps his punishment had ended, and he was back in training? Shadowkit felt heavy with disappointment as he tilted his head-- Lightpaw hadn't told him. Well, it wouldn't be the first time. Once, the tom had actually managed to sneak out of camp one night, and only told Shadowkit the next day, swearing him to secrecy.
And since Lightpaw was Shadowkit's only friend, he gladly kept his mouth shut.
Was he out of camp now? As Shadowkit began walking in the direction of the apprentices' den, the bushes near him rustled lowly and a shrew darted out. Eyes wide, Shadowkit watched it run for a fraction of a second before instinct kicked in and he leapt forward, landing square on it. Lifting his paw, he shrieked as he felt it wriggle, and accidentally sank his claws into its body, effectively killing it. His heart pounding, he frowned and bent down, staring at the dead rodent.
"Where is it-- Shadowkit?" Lightpaw burst in, from the bushes where the shrew had been. Evidently, he'd gone out again, but Shadowkit was too focused on what he'd just done to wonder why Lightpaw didn't bother taking him along.
"Shadowkit!" Darkshimmer echoed, and he saw her black form racing to him, skidding to a stop in front of his prey. Eyebrows furrowed, she asked, "did you catch that, Shadowkit?"
"I-I guess," he finally managed to squeak out. "It ran into camp."
"What do we have here!" boomed a loud voice, and Shadowkit winced, still not very used to Fangspider's dramatic appearances. The tall tom strode to stand beside Darkshimmer, folding his legs to talk to Shadowkit at eye-level. "Well, there! A little hunter. Did you see that, Shadowboar? Shadowboar, come here! Your son caught a shrew!" he stood up, his loud holler thundering in Shadowkit's ear.
"Really?" His father finally made an appearance, and Thunderhound and Ravenfeather trailed him, and suddenly the entire family was crowded around, looking down at Shadowkit's measly shrew. Fangspider looked every bit proud as Darkshimmer and Shadowboar, and Shadowkit glanced between his uncle's legs to see Lightpaw giving him a wink from afar. It was all kind of scary and shocking at first-- he hadn't realized what he'd done-- but the excitement coming from his kin began to make him quite proud of himself. Yep, he caught a shrew! "Well done."
"Thank you," Shadowkit replied, puffing his chest. Fangspider was laughing, Shadowboar was looking pleased, Darkshimmer was ruffling Shadowkit's fur with her cheek, and Ravenfeather had already skittered off to tell everyone else who wasn't already watching.
And after a while, Thunderhound said quietly, "you'll go far, kit."
It was a passing remark, but Shadowkit's eyes widened. Thunderhound had praised him. Thunderhound had praised him! One of the most respected warriors of the Clan had said that he would go far. Exhilaration shot through Shadowkit, and his face stretched into a wide smile.
"Until you receive your warrior name," Kitestar was saying solemnly, looking down at Shadowkit from her perch on the Flailing Oak. "Thunderhound, you are a noble warrior, and I trust that you will pass down your skills unto Shadowpaw as his mentor."
Thunderhound! He'd gotten Thunderhound as his mentor!
"Shadowkit!" the Clan was chanting his name, but for some reason Lightpaw's voice sounded right by his ear, though he was standing at the front of the crowd, Thunderhound next to him. "Shadowkit! Wake up?"
Wake up?
"Agh!" Shadowkit plunged into consciousness as a paw jerked him awake, and he was rolled out of bed by a push. "Wake up, it's almost time for your ceremony!"
"Please don't push him, Lightpaw," Darkshimmer reprimanded gently.
"Sorry, Darkshimmer," Lightpaw was apologizing, as Shadowkit opened his eyes blearily. "Come on! Groom yourself and let's go!"
"Oh!" Disappointment and excitement coursed through Shadowkit. The ceremony he'd just attended was all a dream-- but hopefully, the real one would go just as well and he could receive Thunderhound as a mentor.
As soon as he'd stepped out of the den, Kitestar was yowling. "All cats who fight like thorns gather 'round the Flailing Oak!"
Warriors swarmed into the clearing-- just for him. Just for him! Adrenaline kicked into action and Shadowkit began to run, with Lightpaw following him eagerly, shouting for him to slow down. But Shadowkit stopped at the front, where Kitestar was glaring down upon him, like she had in his dream, only this was real and she was ten times more scary.
"Go on," Lightpaw breathed, "you're the star."
Gulping, Shadowkit glanced up at Kitestar, who only offered a small smile. Glancing back, some warriors were conversing amongst themselves, but others already had their attention on him and were waiting expectantly. One of these cats will be my mentor.
Once the congregation had died down, Kitestar began in her clear, powerful voice. "Cats of ThistleClan. Today we honor a new kit's journey on his way to warriorhood. Shadowkit, of Shadowboar and Darkshimmer, please step forward."
Nervously, Shadowkit placed one paw in front of the other until he was standing at the base of the Flailing Oak, tilting his head back to peer up at Kitestar, who returned the stare.
"Shadowkit, from today until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Shadowpaw." She paused, looking into the crowd. Shadowpaw's heart pounded. Please, Thunderhound. Please, Thunderhound. "Runningwolf," Kitestar called, and Shadowpaw's heart sank a little. Who was this Runningwolf? "...you are a highly skilled, competent warrior. May you pass on your skills unto young Shadowpaw as his mentor."
A slim brown tabby she-cat stepped forward, her green eyes warm, and bent to touch noses with Shadowpaw. It was all so sudden, and now it was over. It hadn't even lasted ten minutes.
"Shadowpaw! Shadowpaw!" the Clan was chanting his name all the same, and their enthusiasm reinvigorated Shadowpaw, who found himself smiling beside his new mentor. Lightpaw and Fangspider were jumping up and down like the silly cats they were, and Shadowboar and Darkshimmer couldn't have looked prouder. He could hear Ravenfeather shouting through the noise near him, "that's my grandkit. My grandkit who's already caught a shrew!" And Thunderhound... well, Thunderhound was as stoic as usual, giving the tiniest of nods when Shadowpaw's eyes found his.
Well, you couldn't get everything in life.