Snowleap's Fortitude

|| Chapter 2 ||

Waving his tail in a silent greeting, Snowkit watched as Rainkit bounded towards him. He and the molly- younger yet still larger than him -had been continuing their secret nighttime meetings for over a half moon. During this time, the pair had become quite close. "Has the most recent news reached your ears yet?" Rainkit gazed at Snowkit with curiosity, sitting in front of him.

"Recent news?" Snowkit's gaze narrowed.

"I figured you wouldn't know, it was only created today," the blue-grey molly replied. "Plus, it's private. It's something I overheard my parents talking about, but I have no problem telling you. It's not like you'd tell anyone." Rainkit cleared her throat, her tail lightly flicking around her paws. "So, you wanna hear this or not? It's got something to do with you."

"O-Of course I'd like to hear it! If it's something to do with me then it's probably important for me to know, right?" Snowkit awkwardly chuckled, his yellow stare fixated on the ground. This can't be too bad, right?

"You know our medicine cat, Dappledleaf? She's quite old. For example, she's older than Seedstep, and he's the oldest elder in the Clan. My mother says that she's going to die before you're of age. She's thinking about making you a medicine cat apprentice early, during Stonekit and Fernkit's apprentice ceremony a few days from now." She paused to take a breath. 

"Not only that," she continued, "but she'll also make Nightkit, Kestrelkit, and Bramblekit apprentices as well, despite them being underaged, too. She somehow managed to get Father on board with this plan." Rainkit pawed at the ground. "Although, I suppose a month too early can't be that bad, right? It could certainly be worse." 

Snowkit stared at her with shock. "That's a lot to take in," he remarked. I'll be an apprentice early? Of course, a medicine cat apprentice. Poor Stonekit. The white tomcat flicked his ear, remembering the discourse when it came to his future. 

I still had hopes to be able to fight and hunt, but... maybe this isn't an entirely bad thing. "The only good thing I can see out of this," he chaffed, "is that I won't share a den with Kestrelkit anymore. I'll have nobody to worry about then." 

Rainkit playfully tapped Snowkit with her paw. "Not true! Once I become an apprentice, I won't spend it in the apprentice den. I'll stay in the medicine den with you, and I'll steal away all your herbs!" 

"Oh, really?" Snowkit purred in amusement. "What if one of our Clanmates gets sick or hurt? They could die without those herbs."

"Shh, I didn't plan that far ahead!" Rainkit laughed. "All I know is that I'm gonna steal them."

The two kits, when done conversing and playing, eventually split up an hour past midnight. Weary, and slightly apprehensive, Snowkit curled up in his empty nest. I'll be a medicine cat apprentice early, then, he reflected. The white tomcat yawned, closing his eyes. If there's one thing I've learned, he thought, it's that nothing good will come out of dreading the future. I just have to accept that fact. 

. . . . .

The white tomcat's awakening was not a pleasant one. He was abruptly brought back to consciousness by a paw consistently jabbing his side. "Mmm?" Snowkit squinted, seeing Stonekit's silhouette in front of him. "We're not apprentices yet, we don't have to wake up this early," he muttered. 

"I know, but it's best to start getting used to waking up early, and I made plans," Stonekit declared, gliding a paw over his ear. "It's time to wake up, Snowkit." 

After a few moments, Snowkit stood and stretched. He pricked his ears, hearing the other kits' groans. The white tomcat gazed around the nursery, observing the scene. He only woke up the kits, not the parents. Why's that? "You only woke up the kits?"