It was a bit of a shock when, at Loriinikit, Grebekit, and Storkkits' apprentice ceremony, Rosellaflutter's name was called out.
He looked up, confused, glancing from side to side. Featherstar looked down at him expectantly.
"Well, Rosellaflutter? Will you mentor Storkpaw?" Featherstar asked.
"I... What? Oh," he nodded quickly, "uh, yeah. Yeah."
The white apprentice padded over to him. He hadn't been expecting this at all. He'd never even thought about having an apprentice, ever. Did he want one? He couldn't tell; this was all happening so fast.
He touched noses with Storkpaw as per the tradition, and Storkpaw sat down next to him. Storkpaw didn't look as nervous as Loriinipaw and Grebepaw did, she just calmly looked up at the leader, pawing the ground.
"Then the meeting is concluded." Featherstar announced, then gracefully leapt off the rock. The leader seemed cheerful today, probably because he'd slept last night, for once.
Rosellaflutter then stood, deciding to go take a walk, padding towards the exit. He heard pawsteps behind him, then glanced behind his shoulder: Storkpaw was following him.
He blinked, confused, then remembered he was her mentor now and said, "oh- do you want to go hunting?"
"I don't know how to hunt." Storkpaw replied.
"Ah, yeah. I suppose I'd- have to teach you. Yeah." He answered awkwardly. "Uh- hold on one second."
He glanced around the clearing, then spotting Beespeckle, hurried over to her. Storkpaw stood waiting at the entrance, watching him.
"Beespeckle. Beespeckle!" He whispered, prodding her.
Beespeckle turned. "What's wrong?" She asked, glancing at Storkpaw standing alone at the entrance then to his panicked expression.
"Lots of things," he answered honestly, then continued, "but anyway. How do you teach someone to hunt?"
Beespeckle's muzzle curved into an amused smile and she stifled laughter as she replied, "I don't know. Just wing it."
"You're no help at all." He said, unable to help laughing as well.
"Go on, Storkpaw's waiting. You can do it." Beespeckle said, pushing him towards Storkpaw.
Rosellaflutter sighed, then reluctantly headed towards the entrance and Storkpaw. Storkpaw was also struggling not to laugh.
"You had to ask your mom how to train an apprentice?" Storkpaw giggled.
"She's not my mom." Rosellaflutter answered instantly.
There was a pause.
"Oh- I thought she was." Storkpaw replied.
Another pause.
Then Rosellaflutter spoke. "Come on, let's go."
He padded out of camp, Storkpaw close behind, his mind a whir of thoughts now, like bees in a beehive- except none of the bees have any antennae, so instead of acting like a hivemind, they were all just thinking different, wild things that couldn't be kept up with.
But one thing was clear in the beehive. Confusion. Did cats really think Beespeckle was his mother? Or at least, young cats who didn't know much yet about anyone's history? Magpiefreckle is his mother. Beespeckle is- well, she is a lot like a mother to him, but... Magpiefreckle is his mother, and she always will be.
But why did he feel so protective over Magpiefreckle and maintaining her status as his mother? She didn't like him, she was irritable, she was angry. She hadn't been anything like a mother to him in moons and moons. When he was sad or hurting, he went to Beespeckle for comfort- too much of a risk to go to Magpiefreckle. When he was happy or excited, he went to Beespeckle to share it, because he knew Magpiefreckle would make fun of him.
Maybe... Maybe it was better to say Beespeckle was his mother. To just forget about Magpiefreckle. To erase her. So many things Rosellaflutter wants to erase... His mother, his scar, his traumatic memories. Sometimes he wished he could erase everything.
Then he hit his head against something. His ears rang as he backed away from his attacker, bristling. then looked up- he'd walked right into a tree.
He glanced to the side. Storkpaw stared at him, tipping her head. She didn't say anything though.
"Sorry," he muttered, "where are we?"
They were in the clearing near camp. "Okay. Let's- let's train. I'll teach you to hunt." He said, turning to Storkpaw.
Storkpaw nodded. She had a calming sort of aura about her. Even if he messed up, he felt like she wouldn't care. That made him determined. Who cares if he wasn't exactly 'ready' for an apprentice? He could do this.
He scented a shrew nearby. "Alright," he said, "I'll teach you to sneak."
YOU ARE READING
. Veiled Dawn .
Fanfiction. Rosellaflutter's mother, Magpiefreckle, has always been irritable, angry and disappointed in him ever since she unwillingly became medicine cat- not that it was his fault, or anything. She just hates everyone. All he wants is to get away from her...
