Snowkit picked up a mouse and started sneaking over to the mini clearing where Smokepaw and she meet. The morning's light started to have less effect in keeping them warm. Leaf-bare was on its way. It's been two moons since Jayfeather was hurt, and one moon since they were allowed to go out of the nursery again. Jayfeather seemed to be much better, but Snowkit noticed how he stopped often to rest and would grunt every time he got up.
The biggest thing that had happened since that day was the end of Jayfeather and her father talking. She didn't know what happened, she planned on asking Jayfeather sometime. He had told her himself that he was not on speaking terms, so he must be okay with talking about it.
"I guess we're a team now," he had said.
"What do you mean?"
"Lionblaze and I..." He had trailed off, not knowing what to say. But the way the two ever looked at each other, from Lionblaze's part of course, it was made pretty clear that they wanted nothing to do with each other.
Snowkit hurried on, reminding herself to go to Jayfeather later. When she got to the mini clearing, she sat down at the other end and began eating. A few minutes later, Smokepaw appeared, holding his own small shrew. He bounded over to her and sat down to eat.
They ate in silence, and Snowkit was thankful for that. She wanted some time to think, and even though she was a kit and had nothing to do, she never got the time to just think. Snowkit thought about what might be going on between Lionblaze and Jayfeather, but when she couldn't, her attention turned to Firekit. He had not left the nursery once these past two moons. Of course, one moon none of them left, but when Firestar sad they were free, he just stayed. She and Hollykit had both tried to get him out, but he kept saying that it was his fault so he should not be allowed out of the nursery. Hopefully they could get him out 2 moons later. Still, she doubted it.
Smokepaw grunted while he licked his mouth after he finished his shrew and what was remaining of Snowkit's mouse while she was distracted. She flicked his ear with her tail playfully.
"Snowkit," he started, "how old are you now?"
"Six moons, why?"
"How old is a kit when they get their apprentice name?"
"Six mo-" Suddenly Snowkit realized that she's going to be apprenticed today. "Yay!" I have to go tell Hollykit and Firekit!" Snowkit got on her paws immediately.
"Firekit?" Smokepaw asked unsurely.
"Why not? Can't I?"
Snowkit waited for Smokepaw's hesitant response impatiently. "Well, he won't be too happy about it, will he? Please tell me he'll actually come out of the nursery. Or is he going to refuse his apprentice ceremony?"
Snowkit froze as she soaked in Smokepaw's words. What he was saying sounded excatly like what Firekit would do. Firekit was a carefree cat, one that would try to do everything, but if he ever realized he's done something wrong, he goes into a state where no cat can help him, no matter how hard they try.
"Come with me," she begged Smokepaw. "Maybe you, me, and Hollykit can get him to come."
"Of course," Smokepaw mewed gently, pushing his nose into her thick, soft fur. "I'll help your brother, don't worry." Snowkit couldn't tell whether he meant he was helping her or Firekit. Though his words were for Firekit, his tone seemed to be for Snowkit.
"Thank you," she squeaked anyway, and the two crept out.
Back in the normal clearing, Snowkit looked for Hollykit. When she couldn't find her, she went to the nursery. Hollykit was there, curled up beside Firekit, but not sleeping. "Snowkit?" she asked as her sister entered.
"Yes," she said, nervously.
"And me," grunted Smokepaw as the young strong apprentice pushed his way beside her.
"Oh, okay. Why are you here?"
"Can't a cat go somewhere in the camp every now and then?" Smokepaw retorted. Snowkit silenced him with her tail.
"Oh, I didn't mean that," she spoke, startled.
"Hollykit, we're six moons old. We're going to be apprentices!" Snowkit said excitedly.
Hollykit jumped to her paws, her green eyes gleaming happily. "I know," she breathed. "Finally." Then she looked at the small orange lump next to her. "But..."
"I know. What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," she said, looking crestfallen.
"Kits!" Smokepaw exclaimed. Snowkit looked at him and he explained. "I mean being so worried for no reason. You can't expect Firekit to refuse being and apprentice." Snowkit shot him a look that told him to be quiet. She was hurt at the fact that Smokepaw always acted different when he wasn't alone with her.
Snowkit turned back to Hollykit. "Let's wake him up. Maybe we can convince him before the ceremony."
"The ceremony's not till evening," Smokepaw snorted.
Snowkit turned her ice blue eyes back at Smokepaw. "Leave," she said sternly, "or keep quiet." Snowkit thought of another idea. "If you don't I'll stuff your mouth with mouse bile. I'm not joking." Smokepaw looked startled, probably by the intensity of her eyes. Snowkit had been told that her eyes carried sweetness but change dramatically when something happens.
"Firekit," Hollykit said while prodding Firekit's stomach.
He woke with a start. "Wha?" Firekit looked around at the cats in the nursery. Then he closed his eyes. "I'm not leaving here, you know," he mumbled.
"Firekit, our apprentice ceremony is today." Snowkit saw light beginning to shine in his eyes, but then they died as he put his head down.
Snowkit looked at Hollykit in dismay. Then they both looked down at his weak body. It had been weak ever since he stopped coming out for fresh kill. The cats had kept bringing him food but he had barely eaten it.
"Firekit, please? Stop doing this. I've never seen you like this, and it does everyone harm when they look at you. No one blames you for anything. We all made the mistake." Snowkit hoped her pleading words would help her brother.
Firekit shook his head sadly. "It is my fault. So I should be punished. I'm the one who came up with the idea!" He started to get mad at himself and rose to his paws shakily. "I almost got us killed! If Dustpelt and Brackenfur hadn't been there, we would've been crowfood! Think of the state the camp back here would've been in!It was me, you can stop trying to get me to forget that! I did it. I did it. I did it." His voice died down a bit every time he said the last phrase. He stood there whimpering, then collapsed to the ground, losing his strength, and crouched there, trembling.
Snowkit didn't know how to react. She had imagined herself helping Firekit, but now she just stood there, watching him. After what seemed like 9 lives, Hollykit crouched down next to Firekit and began murmuring something in his ear. She was too quiet for Snowkit to hear what she said.
When she finished speaking, Firekit looked up, with cold fear shining through his eyes. "Firekit?" Snowkit asked unsurely.
"You wouldn't," he whispered, then waited for Hollykit's reply.
"If you don't listen to us," she nodded.
Firekit didn't think even for a moment. "Then of course I'll be an apprentice," he whispered, horror still showing from every part of his body.
"Er, Firekit?" Snowkit asked uncertainly. "What did Hollykit say?" Snowkit watched as Firekit just shook his head and went back to sleep. Then she nudged Hollykit out of the nursery. Smokepaw followed.
"I told him we would go badger-hunting ourselves," Hollykit explained once they were out into the bright clearing.
"We wouldn't really do that, would we?" Snowkit asked doubtfully.
"I don't think so, but we got him to listen, right?"
"I guess," Snowkit replied, but still didn't like the idea of scaring her brother into listening. Hollykit went back into the nursery to sleep.
"I guess we made him listen," Smokepaw said.
Snowkit turned to him angrily, her fur bristling, but before she could say anything, Brackenfur called. "Smokepaw! Let's work on advanced battle training today!"
"Okay!" Smokepaw hurriedly said bye to her and then bounded after his mentor.
For a few moments, Snowkit didn't know what to do. She scanned the clearing outside, and wen her eyes rested upon Jayfeather eating fresh kill alone, she knew what it was time for her to do. Taking a deep breath, she slowly padded over to her father's brother.
He turned is feather blue eyes on her. "Snowkit?" he asked after he sniffed the air.
"Yeah, can we talk in your den for a moment?" Jayfeather nodded, but Snowkit could see his fur beginning to bristle as if he knew what they were going to talk about.
After settling down near the back, Jayfeather asked, "So what did you want to talk about?" Snowkit looked down at her paws, not knowing how to say it. "Lionblaze? Me"? Lionblaze and me? Do you want to know?" Snowkit looked up at him in amazement. How did he know? Jayfeather apparently knew what she was thinking because he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm blind. I can sense more than other cats."
"So... can I know? Is it okay with you to talk about it?" Snowkit dared to ask.
Jayfeather let out a long sigh. "I suppose I should tell you." Snowkit waited. "Lionblaze was really angry at me. I didn't know why. All I knew was that he said that I try to act greater than I really am. That I'm only a weak blind medicine cat."
Snowkit shook her head. "That's not true!" she cried.
"But it is. All my life I've tried to prove I don't need any cat's help. That I can get along just fine without them." Jayfeather drew in a breath. "Lionblaze has always known I did that. But I had thought that when something happened, he started seeing beyond my being blind. But I was wrong." Jayfeather closed his eyes.
Snowkit rested her tail on his pelt. "Then?" she asked quietly.
"I was shocked by his words. I said something I hadn't meant to say. I was shocked and in pain. I wasn't thinking clearly." He turned his head down to face the ground. "I told him that in witness of Starclan, I don't consider him my brother anymore. I told him to stay away from me and my life. He left."
Snowkit widened her eyes. She knew something was going on, but she hadn't expected it to be that bad.
"I didn't mean it. I miss having him to talk to. But I'm not going to go look weak and start begging for his forgiveness."
Snowkit thought for a moment. "Well that might be the best way. Don't beg, but tell him whatever you told me just now."
"Maybe... sometime." He got up and stretched. Then he looked at Snowkit and a forced mew came out of his mouth. "Have fun being an apprentice!"
The biggest thing that had happened since that day was the end of Jayfeather and her father talking. She didn't know what happened, she planned on asking Jayfeather sometime. He had told her himself that he was not on speaking terms, so he must be okay with talking about it.
"I guess we're a team now," he had said.
"What do you mean?"
"Lionblaze and I..." He had trailed off, not knowing what to say. But the way the two ever looked at each other, from Lionblaze's part of course, it was made pretty clear that they wanted nothing to do with each other.
Snowkit hurried on, reminding herself to go to Jayfeather later. When she got to the mini clearing, she sat down at the other end and began eating. A few minutes later, Smokepaw appeared, holding his own small shrew. He bounded over to her and sat down to eat.
They ate in silence, and Snowkit was thankful for that. She wanted some time to think, and even though she was a kit and had nothing to do, she never got the time to just think. Snowkit thought about what might be going on between Lionblaze and Jayfeather, but when she couldn't, her attention turned to Firekit. He had not left the nursery once these past two moons. Of course, one moon none of them left, but when Firestar sad they were free, he just stayed. She and Hollykit had both tried to get him out, but he kept saying that it was his fault so he should not be allowed out of the nursery. Hopefully they could get him out 2 moons later. Still, she doubted it.
Smokepaw grunted while he licked his mouth after he finished his shrew and what was remaining of Snowkit's mouse while she was distracted. She flicked his ear with her tail playfully.
"Snowkit," he started, "how old are you now?"
"Six moons, why?"
"How old is a kit when they get their apprentice name?"
"Six mo-" Suddenly Snowkit realized that she's going to be apprenticed today. "Yay!" I have to go tell Hollykit and Firekit!" Snowkit got on her paws immediately.
"Firekit?" Smokepaw asked unsurely.
"Why not? Can't I?"
Snowkit waited for Smokepaw's hesitant response impatiently. "Well, he won't be too happy about it, will he? Please tell me he'll actually come out of the nursery. Or is he going to refuse his apprentice ceremony?"
Snowkit froze as she soaked in Smokepaw's words. What he was saying sounded excatly like what Firekit would do. Firekit was a carefree cat, one that would try to do everything, but if he ever realized he's done something wrong, he goes into a state where no cat can help him, no matter how hard they try.
"Come with me," she begged Smokepaw. "Maybe you, me, and Hollykit can get him to come."
"Of course," Smokepaw mewed gently, pushing his nose into her thick, soft fur. "I'll help your brother, don't worry." Snowkit couldn't tell whether he meant he was helping her or Firekit. Though his words were for Firekit, his tone seemed to be for Snowkit.
"Thank you," she squeaked anyway, and the two crept out.
Back in the normal clearing, Snowkit looked for Hollykit. When she couldn't find her, she went to the nursery. Hollykit was there, curled up beside Firekit, but not sleeping. "Snowkit?" she asked as her sister entered.
"Yes," she said, nervously.
"And me," grunted Smokepaw as the young strong apprentice pushed his way beside her.
"Oh, okay. Why are you here?"
"Can't a cat go somewhere in the camp every now and then?" Smokepaw retorted. Snowkit silenced him with her tail.
"Oh, I didn't mean that," she spoke, startled.
"Hollykit, we're six moons old. We're going to be apprentices!" Snowkit said excitedly.
Hollykit jumped to her paws, her green eyes gleaming happily. "I know," she breathed. "Finally." Then she looked at the small orange lump next to her. "But..."
"I know. What are we going to do?"
"I don't know," she said, looking crestfallen.
"Kits!" Smokepaw exclaimed. Snowkit looked at him and he explained. "I mean being so worried for no reason. You can't expect Firekit to refuse being and apprentice." Snowkit shot him a look that told him to be quiet. She was hurt at the fact that Smokepaw always acted different when he wasn't alone with her.
Snowkit turned back to Hollykit. "Let's wake him up. Maybe we can convince him before the ceremony."
"The ceremony's not till evening," Smokepaw snorted.
Snowkit turned her ice blue eyes back at Smokepaw. "Leave," she said sternly, "or keep quiet." Snowkit thought of another idea. "If you don't I'll stuff your mouth with mouse bile. I'm not joking." Smokepaw looked startled, probably by the intensity of her eyes. Snowkit had been told that her eyes carried sweetness but change dramatically when something happens.
"Firekit," Hollykit said while prodding Firekit's stomach.
He woke with a start. "Wha?" Firekit looked around at the cats in the nursery. Then he closed his eyes. "I'm not leaving here, you know," he mumbled.
"Firekit, our apprentice ceremony is today." Snowkit saw light beginning to shine in his eyes, but then they died as he put his head down.
Snowkit looked at Hollykit in dismay. Then they both looked down at his weak body. It had been weak ever since he stopped coming out for fresh kill. The cats had kept bringing him food but he had barely eaten it.
"Firekit, please? Stop doing this. I've never seen you like this, and it does everyone harm when they look at you. No one blames you for anything. We all made the mistake." Snowkit hoped her pleading words would help her brother.
Firekit shook his head sadly. "It is my fault. So I should be punished. I'm the one who came up with the idea!" He started to get mad at himself and rose to his paws shakily. "I almost got us killed! If Dustpelt and Brackenfur hadn't been there, we would've been crowfood! Think of the state the camp back here would've been in!It was me, you can stop trying to get me to forget that! I did it. I did it. I did it." His voice died down a bit every time he said the last phrase. He stood there whimpering, then collapsed to the ground, losing his strength, and crouched there, trembling.
Snowkit didn't know how to react. She had imagined herself helping Firekit, but now she just stood there, watching him. After what seemed like 9 lives, Hollykit crouched down next to Firekit and began murmuring something in his ear. She was too quiet for Snowkit to hear what she said.
When she finished speaking, Firekit looked up, with cold fear shining through his eyes. "Firekit?" Snowkit asked unsurely.
"You wouldn't," he whispered, then waited for Hollykit's reply.
"If you don't listen to us," she nodded.
Firekit didn't think even for a moment. "Then of course I'll be an apprentice," he whispered, horror still showing from every part of his body.
"Er, Firekit?" Snowkit asked uncertainly. "What did Hollykit say?" Snowkit watched as Firekit just shook his head and went back to sleep. Then she nudged Hollykit out of the nursery. Smokepaw followed.
"I told him we would go badger-hunting ourselves," Hollykit explained once they were out into the bright clearing.
"We wouldn't really do that, would we?" Snowkit asked doubtfully.
"I don't think so, but we got him to listen, right?"
"I guess," Snowkit replied, but still didn't like the idea of scaring her brother into listening. Hollykit went back into the nursery to sleep.
"I guess we made him listen," Smokepaw said.
Snowkit turned to him angrily, her fur bristling, but before she could say anything, Brackenfur called. "Smokepaw! Let's work on advanced battle training today!"
"Okay!" Smokepaw hurriedly said bye to her and then bounded after his mentor.
For a few moments, Snowkit didn't know what to do. She scanned the clearing outside, and wen her eyes rested upon Jayfeather eating fresh kill alone, she knew what it was time for her to do. Taking a deep breath, she slowly padded over to her father's brother.
He turned is feather blue eyes on her. "Snowkit?" he asked after he sniffed the air.
"Yeah, can we talk in your den for a moment?" Jayfeather nodded, but Snowkit could see his fur beginning to bristle as if he knew what they were going to talk about.
After settling down near the back, Jayfeather asked, "So what did you want to talk about?" Snowkit looked down at her paws, not knowing how to say it. "Lionblaze? Me"? Lionblaze and me? Do you want to know?" Snowkit looked up at him in amazement. How did he know? Jayfeather apparently knew what she was thinking because he shrugged his shoulders and said, "I'm blind. I can sense more than other cats."
"So... can I know? Is it okay with you to talk about it?" Snowkit dared to ask.
Jayfeather let out a long sigh. "I suppose I should tell you." Snowkit waited. "Lionblaze was really angry at me. I didn't know why. All I knew was that he said that I try to act greater than I really am. That I'm only a weak blind medicine cat."
Snowkit shook her head. "That's not true!" she cried.
"But it is. All my life I've tried to prove I don't need any cat's help. That I can get along just fine without them." Jayfeather drew in a breath. "Lionblaze has always known I did that. But I had thought that when something happened, he started seeing beyond my being blind. But I was wrong." Jayfeather closed his eyes.
Snowkit rested her tail on his pelt. "Then?" she asked quietly.
"I was shocked by his words. I said something I hadn't meant to say. I was shocked and in pain. I wasn't thinking clearly." He turned his head down to face the ground. "I told him that in witness of Starclan, I don't consider him my brother anymore. I told him to stay away from me and my life. He left."
Snowkit widened her eyes. She knew something was going on, but she hadn't expected it to be that bad.
"I didn't mean it. I miss having him to talk to. But I'm not going to go look weak and start begging for his forgiveness."
Snowkit thought for a moment. "Well that might be the best way. Don't beg, but tell him whatever you told me just now."
"Maybe... sometime." He got up and stretched. Then he looked at Snowkit and a forced mew came out of his mouth. "Have fun being an apprentice!"
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