Fallingstars fall

CHAPTER TWO

"MAY ALL CATS OLD enough to catch their own prey; gather for a Clan meeting beneath the highrock!" Fallingkit jumped as Blizzardstar's yowl erupted across the clearing.
Rowankit began to bounce up and down in excitement. "Oh! Oh! Can we go, Silkweb? Pleaseee?"

Silkweb groaned. "No. You are 15 sunrises old. You can't go to the meeting; I believe that Blizzardstar said, 'All cats old enough to catch their own prey,' as in apprentices and warriors."

"Please Silkweb?! We'll be good, I promise!" Dunekit wailed.

"I won't get under any cat's paws!" Tinykit added.

"I'll be quiet!" Spiderkit mewed.

"I'll... sit... still?" Fallingkit, not knowing what to say, shrugged.

Silkweb sighed, her eyes glittering in defeat. "Fine." She muttered, slowly getting to her paws.

As her siblings bolted out of the den in excitement, Fallingkit hesitated. She looked behind her shoulder at Silkweb, who was grumbling under her breath. Fallingkit couldn't hear what she was saying, though.

Fallingkit followed Silkweb, her tail raised. As she sat next to her chatting siblings, Blizzardstar raised his tail for silence. "Two apprentices have completed their final assessments, and now they shall be named as warriors." He announced. Fallingkit could hear excited meowing behind her as Blizzardstar continued his speech. "Lionpaw, Hoppaw, please step up."

Hoppaw scrambled to the middle of the clearing, where a couple of warriors had made a circle. Lionpaw followed closely after, staring at Hoppaw in amusement. Blizzardstar leapt off the rock, landing right in front of Lionpaw. "Longtail's apprentice, eh?" He breathed. "You will be a strong warrior."

Lionpaw purred loudly in reply.

Blizzardstar cleared his throat, silencing Lionpaw. "I, Blizzardstar, leader of BirdClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn. Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Lionpaw puffed out his chest. "I do."

Blizzardstar looked up to the sky, where clouds were departing to reveal stars. Fallingkit stared in awe at the sky. Was MoonClan watching Lionpaw's ceremony? Her gaze flickered back to the apprentices when Silkweb nudged her. "Pay attention," she hissed.

Fallingkit held her breath. Why was Silkweb so rude? She was her kit! She still felt the need to impress her, though, so Fallingkit sat as still as she could.

Blizzardstar continued the ceremony. "Then, by the powers of MoonClan, I give you your warrior name: Lionpaw; from this moment on, you will be known as Lionnose. MoonClan honors your outstanding sense of smell and your speed, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BirdClan." Blizzardstar placed his muzzle on Lionnose's head. Lionnose licked Blizzardstar's shoulder. The two BirdClan cats stood there in silence for exactly three heartbeats before Blizzardstar pulled away and turned to face the black and white apprentice next to Lionnose.

"Hoppaw," Blizzardstar started, "Snowpools apprentice, hm?"

Hoppaw nodded, her tail twitching in excitement.

Blizzardstar let out a mrrow of laughter. "You're energetic today."

Hoppaw licked her chest, clearly embarrassed. "I'm excited."

Blizzardstar purred, beginning the ceremony again. "I, Blizzardstar, leader of BirdClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Hopppaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Hoppaw began to squeal quietly. "I do! Oh, I do, I do!" There were a few snorts of laughter and even a chuckle from the crowd of cats.

Blizzardstar's whiskers twitched in amusement. "Then, by the powers of MoonClan, I give you your warrior name: Hoppaw; from this moment on, you will be known as Hopstep. MoobClan honors your entergetic personality and your battle skills, and we welcome you as a full warrior of BirdClan."

The Clan began to chant the new warriors names. "Hopstep! Lionnose! Hopstep! Lionnose!"

Blizzardstar raised his tail for silence. One warrior continued to chant. "Lionnose!"

Blizzardstar purred. "That's enough; thank you. I know you're excited about our new warriors, but please, let me conclude the ceremonies." He cleared his throat and paused. "In the tradition of our ancestors, Lionnose and Hopstep will sit vigil until dawn and guard the camp while we sleep." Blizzardstar dipped his head, and the other cats began to melt away into their dens, two apprentices slipping away into the bush that Fallingkit and Spiderkit had met Lionnose and Hopstep in the day prior.

"Woah!" Dunekit squealed. "I want to be a warrior!"

Silkweb grumbled something under her breath. She was so quiet that Fallingkit had to strain her ears to understand what she was saying. "Yeah. If you don't shut your mouth, you'll be a warrior in the Forest."

Fallingkit gasped. "The Forest? Isn't that where the evil cats go?"

Silkweb ignored her. "It's time for your naps."

"But I'm not tired!" Spiderkit screeched.

"Can't we play for a bit?" Tinykit begged.

"Please?!" Rowankit and Dunekit both squealed in unison.

"Uhm.." Fallingkit had to admit that she was tired. She just wanted to sleep, but she didn't want her siblings to hate her. Oh dear MoonClan.. what if they judge everything I do?! She worried.

Dunekit glared at Fallingkit. "Don't tell me you actually want to go to sleep."

"No, no, no!" Fallingkit fretted. "I just-"

"No. You better be grateful that I even let you sleep in my nest, let alone feed you. Don't forget, there are other nests in the nursery I could make you sleep in. I don't have to share my nest, or my milk." Silkweb threatened. Fallingkit flinched.

Dunekit groaned and muttered under her breath, padding away with her beige tail beginning to lash. Tinykit followed closely after, with Rowankit and Spiderkit trailing behind. Fallingkit stayed behind, waiting for Silkweb.

"What are you looking at?" Silkweb grumbled.

Falllingkit winced. "I, uh, I wanted to...wait...for you."

Silkweb scoffed. "Just go."

Fallingkit obeyed, her mind racing. I'm Silkweb's kit. Her own daughter, her own blood! But I don't even know who my father is, and Silkweb hates me! I don't even know if Dunekit likes me. What am I doing wrong?