The Lost Heir [Book 1]

★★★ Chapter Four ★★★

Song setting: Polaroid | Imagine Dragons

Character of the Week: Snowpaw

~Six moons~

"Are you nervous?"

Frostkit twitched, all too aware of the tense silence. She didn't have many words on her mind, so she nodded; though her excitement had dulled somewhat over the last moon. Hailstorm had been demoted since the incident and the tom had hardly taken kindly to his newfound status, and Frostkit suddenly discovered many complication emotions she could not quite understand. 

"But, it's like, nervous and excited. Right?" Snowkit chirped, sauntering around the nursery with a definitive little tail waggle. 

"Exactly," Frostkit agreed, though she had not listened to a word he'd been saying.

"I'm going to be a Hunter," Icekit stated, as though it were a fact more than an ambition.

Redspring sighed in amusement, still trying to get Snowkit to hold still long enough to groom his fur. "Whatever you three become, it'll be the right for you. Larkstar will make sure of that. Snowkit, please stop squirming."

Icekit sneered. "He secretly wants you to do it for him. At least, Frostkit and I can clean ourselves properly." 

"Icekit, you're horrible," Frostkit groaned, just as Smokecloud padded into the nursery for the fourth time that morning.

"Are you being difficult again?" He asked lightheartedly, giving the stubborn Icekit a friendly nudge.

Redspring rolled her eyes, and Snowkit tripped in an attempt to escape once again, which ended with a muffled "Oof". 

"Please sort out your kits," Redspring said with a glance at her mate, who replied with a comically serious nod.

"Frostkit, don't call your sister horrible. Icekit, stop being horrible. Snowkit, this is your last day as a kit, if your mother wants to groom you before your ceremony, you let her," Smokecloud meowed, "Did I cover everything?"

The three kits nodded, Snowkit managed to stop dashing about, and Frostkit appeared to have won back her spirit.

"All cats old enough to catch their own prey, meet below the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Larkstar's voice announced from outside the den, and Icekit's ears pricked in excitement.

"That's your cue," Smokecloud informed them, and with a quick glance at Redspring, Frostkit took off towards the center of camp, Icekit doing the same at an albeit slower pace.

"Thanks, mom!" Snowkit said quickly, licking the she-cat's reddish muzzle and stumbling off after them, a few tufts of fur still sticking out in odd directions. 

It was early leaf-fall, and the wind blowing in from the moors was cool and smelled of heather. The ceremony was being held at dusk, and Frostkit could see Snowkit was already scanning the sky for the very first night star. She smiled to herself, as did most any cat who they passed on the way to the Highledge. Snowkit's optimism was infectious, even Larkstar seemed in a good mood as he seated himself at the edge of the rock.

"Today, only a moon after our last ceremony, SwiftClan is proud to apprentice three more kits. StarClan has blessed us with so many young cats, with more yet to come," At the last part, Larkstar glanced down at Heatherspell, who according to Hollyheart was due to kit any day now. Frostkit curled her tail over her paws as she sat down at the front of the crowd, along with Snowkit and Icekit, who both stared at their leader with equal wonder. "It is with pride that I name each of these today, and give them their new ranks and titles.