Froststar's Destiny

Chapter Four

Frostkit slowly padded back into camp. It was nightfall by then, and every cat was asleep. She settled into her little nest just outside the nursery, hoping with all of her heart that that night, StarClan would send clear skies and no rain. If it rained, she'd either get drenched or be forced to enter the nursery, and that would be a dreadful disaster. None of the kits would be accepting, since the only two were her totally not-brothers. They didn't bat an eye when she came back, poked her head into the nursery and found them wide awake. There was no welcoming greeting, only a cold, emotionless stare saved just for her, and Frostkit sighed disappointedly, wondering what on earth she had been hoping for from her stupid siblings, and went outside again to sleep. No warrior had objected to her sleeping outside, so she supposed that was awfully normal for rebellious kits like her. She just wished two moons would pass quicker. Once she was an apprentice, she would finally be with Stormpaw again after two long moons. Then she'd have her sister back and they could train together! Well, obviously Stormpaw would be miles ahead. Frostkit gave a slight purr of amusement, then remembered she'd promised Stormpaw she'd join her on the territory tour, and she'd never made it in the end. She wondered if her sworn sister had been constantly glancing over her shoulder, expecting a little ball of white fluff to pop out and say hello. 

The next two moons were awfully uneventful for Frostkit and her not-brothers, as kits were generally ignored in the Clan, plus they didn't have parents, so no one was attracting anybody to come to the nursery. They didn't starve, obviously, because the apprentices brought them prey. Frostkit always savored that moment when Stormpaw came, bringing a juicy mouse in her jaws. They'd share prey if Stormpaw was freer, and Frostkit could see how Stormpaw actually cherished their friendship. Ever since Dewfrost, Squirreltail, Mousewhisker and Shininglight had become warriors, Stormpaw's sister Brightpaw had been mooning over Dewfrost and Ashpaw was mooning over Shininglight. 

"We're too young for love!" Stormpaw meowed in annoyance as she saw Brightpaw padding behind Dewfrost as he trotted to the fresh-kill pile. "And what does  Brightpaw see in that arrogant furball? Do you know how long she boasts about him, and he boasts about himself?" Stormpaw flicked her tail in irritation, expecting Frostkit to understand the woes of being an apprentice and having moony siblings. 

"Dewfrost certainly has an ego," Frostkit agreed. That was all she deemed safe to say. Anything nice about Dewfrost would probably lead to Stormpaw being angry at her for a while. Stormpaw was kind, but she wasn't the most levelheaded cat around. She lost her temper easily, and could be angry for long periods of time, though not against Frostkit. Stormpaw could never stay angry against her sworn sister, but she also pored out her worries and anger against other cats to Frostkit a lot of the time, leaving Frostkit's head buzzing with all the stuff for grown cats.

"Isn't today your apprentice ceremony?" Stormpaw asked suddenly, her annoyed expression replaced by pure happiness and excitement.

"Oh, right, it is!" Frostkit jumped to her paws and ran down to the High Rock, feeling Stormpaw running behind her, the breeze ruffling through their fur. They stopped right below the High Rock and saw Sunstar leaping onto it. The yellow-furred leader purred in amusement when she saw Frostkit all posh and ready for her apprentice ceremony.

"You're so eager, aren't you! Where are your brothers?" Sunstar asked. She was always asking things like that, where's your brothers, where's your siblings, as if she expected that to make Frostkit suddenly reconcile with Windkit and Cloudkit.

Frostkit looked innocently back. "I don't have any brothers," she meowed breezily, and Stormpaw tapped her lightly with her tail. Stormpaw had warned Frostkit not to mention that too much around grown cats, but she couldn't help it. It seemed nice to keep on saying she didn't have any brothers.