The Lost Heir [Book 1]

★★★ Chapter Three ★★★

Song Setting: Lilith | Varien (More accurate near end of chapter)

Character of the Week: Raggedkit

The two moons that followed proved to be extremely uneventful.

It was well into leafbare, and everyone was busy completing the agonizingly tedious tasks that made up the day. The weather was frigid, and it rained often, but it wasn't the coldest it had ever been and it had yet to snow or even hail.

Warriors spent most of that time fortifying the camp, while Hunters struggled to bring in enough food to feed the Clan. The Scouts left every morning and evening to patrol the AmberClan border, with instructions not to advance without means. But it seemed that AmberClan cats had some sense after all - after the DriftClan cat was found dead on their borders, they found it in their best interest to keep to themselves until the fiasco was resolved.

Oh, and Raggedkit and her siblings were becoming apprentices, of course.

"So, d'you think I'll be a Hunter or a Warrior?" 

"Hunter," Frostkit concluded easily.

Raggedkit cast her a smile. "You better believe it," she purred, holding her head a bit higher as she sauntered forth to keep up with the long-legged bengal. During the last couple moons Frostkit had grown tremendously - already taller than her companion, who she could now easily keep stride with. "And I'm betting Jaykit's got his mind set on becoming a Hunter, if he manages to best Windkit. You know how Larkstar likes to evenly divide litters. Also, Jaypaw's practically the only sibling I can stand."

"You should be worrying about your own competition, not his. Everyone knows he's Larkstar's favorite. They're practically father and son," Frostkit stated, nearly missing the slight falter in Raggedkit's pace. "I mean, given the circumstances. Y'know."

Raggedkit sighed uneasily. "It's fine. Not like I ever knew my him anyway. But you can't really blame Larkstar for acting fatherly, he was my - Jayshadow's - brother." She explained, trying to sound confident though it was a touchy subject. In all the time that Frostkit had know her, she'd never heard her friend say the words "father" and "dead" in the same sentence. Come to think of it, Frostkit didn't think she'd ever even heard Raggedkit say "father".

"Sorry. That was insensitive," Frostkit apologized. Raggedkit nodded in a sort of acceptance, then the brief sadness vanished from her features, and Frostkit looked over to see her brother approaching them.

"What're you two gossiping about?" Snowkit asked jovially, his little nub of a tail twitching, an ever-joyful grin plastered onto his face. 

Frostkit had opened her mouth to scold him, but Raggedkit was already forming a sentence. "Nothing interesting,"

Snowkit tilted his head, and Frostkit nearly rolled her eyes on how embarrassingly adorable he looked while doing it. "Well, that's good, because I was hoping to borrow my sister for a moment," 

"I don't know if-" Frostkit tried to object, but was quickly cut off again.

"Yeah, sure thing. I need to go and get ready for the ceremony," Raggedkit said, turning as a slightly breathless Jaykit ran up to greet her. "Speaking of which."

"I've done it," Jaykit said, exhaling in relief.

Raggedkit blinked, then in a slightly mocking tone, "What have you done, Jaykit?"

Jaykit gave her a friend cuff over the ear, and Frostkit could see that it took all of Raggedkit's will not retaliate, verbally or otherwise. "Convinced Windkit not to be a Hunter, of course." He said proudly.