Frondflower's Trust

Chapter 1

"Hold still!" Thrushleaf instructed sternly as she held Brackenkit down with a paw as she lapped at his pelt. "You can't go out there with your pelt looking like you were dragged through thorns backward!"

Brackenkit groaned and kept trying to wriggle free. "Frondkit isn't being washed!" He complained, glaring at his sister as she licked her paws and wiped her face.

Thrushleaf let out a soft growl and held him in place, licking his soft fur roughly. "Your sister knows how to properly groom herself," she scolded. "But it seems like you can't."

Frondkit perked her ears and padded over, purring as Brackenkit tried to get free. "Don't worry, Mom." She mewed mockingly as she looked at her brother. "I'll take over for you when we're out of the nursery!"

Brackenkit's pale-gray tabby pelt bristled up and he glared daggers at Frondkit, who snickered and waved her paw at him. "You won't be grooming me, that's for sure." He retorted and once Thrushleaf was finished, bounded over to join his littermate. "Do you think we'll get cool or strict mentors?" He asked, excitement lining his mew.

Frondkit shrugged. "Who knows?" She answered. "Skystar gets to choose, but I think she'll pick just the right cats." Despite her formal response, Frondkit was inwardly anxious about getting a mentor. Would they like her? How would they train her? Would she be a moor-runner like Skystar? Or a tunneler like her mother and father? Turning to her mother, she mewed. "Are we going to be tunnelers or moor-runners?" She asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Thrushleaf flicked her tail, a displeased expression growing on her face. "I don't know," she responded as she padded toward her kits. "If it were up to me, you both would be tunnelers like your father and I." Her soft green eyes clouded at the mention of her mate and Frondkit flinched. "But Skystar will choose your mentors."

Frondkit flicked her ears as Skystar's voice yowling the Clan summons echoed in the nursery. Spinning around, she bounded to the nursery entrance and peered outside. "Look, Brackenkit! Look at all the cats!"

Brackenkit hurried to her side and gaped as the large Clan started to gather around the Fallen Tree. "Look at that!" He breathed and flattened his ears. "What if we don't look good for the Clan?" He fretted and Frondkit pressed against him.

"We'll be fine," she promised and gave his ear a comforting lick. "And if something happens, we have Thrushleaf with us." She added in a whisper, and Brackenkit nodded, looking less anxious.

Thrushleaf's ears pricked and her tail waved from side to side and she purred. "Parsleyfrost is here," she mewed and- sure enough- the pale-gray tom was pushing his way into the den. Trotting toward him, Thrushleaf touched noses with the moor-runner and looked at the two kits.

"Are you two ready to become apprentices?" The dark-patched moor-runner asked, looking fondly down at the two kits.

Brackenkit sprang up and swiped at his whiskers, letting out an excited mrrow. "Yes!" He cheered, circling the moor-runner while Frondkit laughed.

Parsleyfrost laughed and flicked Brackenkit's ears with his tail playfully. "Then let's go! The Clan is waiting for you two." Whisking the two forward with his tail, Frondkit and Brackenkit staggered into the camp clearing.

The sun gleamed brightly in the clear blue sky as Frondkit screwed up her eyes as the glare blinded her. Once her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw Skystar sitting on the Fallen Tree with the Clan deputy Flintheart sitting on the ground. Skystar's pale fur was split by several scars that seemed rather recent and it intimidated Frondkit. She's seen a lot of fights, she thought and blinked as her leader met her curious stare.