SandClan's Shame

Chapter 1

"Mam, we're fine!" Firekit called out, kicking and squeaking. "Quit it! We can groom ourselves."

"Quit squirming!" Hollyfoot snapped, holding the ginger mollykit down with a single strong paw and washing the female down harshly. "Today is your apprenticeship ceremony and you will behave yourselves. This is the first time StarClan will see you as full cats and not extensions of me. Now hold still so you don't look like rats when they turn their eyes to you!"

Firekit sighed and finally lay still. Her ears were flat and angry, but she let herself be groomed to smooth perfection. Once Hollyfoot was done, she stood up and trotted over to the entrance. "When will our ceremony happen?"

"When it happens," Hollyfoot growled, grabbing Gingerkit's tail in her teeth quite roughly and dragging him over. When he let out a squeal of pain, Yewheart's head shot up.

"Hollyfoot, why treat your children so roughly?" She asked, flicking her brown and black striped tail. "They are only kits. They're bound to squirm and shout as much as they can while you groom them."

"They've had six moons to be kits," Hollyfoot said vengefully as Firekit listened. "I taught them better than to act this way so close to their ceremony. If only these two listened like Redkit did."

Redkit smiled and puffed his chest out proudly. He hadn't moved a muscle since their Mam groomed him.

"Redkit's just a suckup," Gingerkit announced as Hollyfoot's sandpaper tongue nearly caught his eye. "He just listens because he wants to make us look bad!"

"That's enough about your brother!" Hollyfoot snarled, baring her teeth at Gingerkit. "He's a good kit, and if you would only behave yourself like he did-" She glared at Firekit and growled, "This goes for you too - you wouldn't be so bitter about it!"

Firekit shrunk a little, eyes wide. Yewheart stood up and padded over to the nervous kitten and gave her a careful nuzzle so not to upset her fur. "You know she doesn't mean to be so rough," Yewheart said gently. "She loves you so much, she just wants the best out of you."

Firekit took a deep breath and sighed. That was... comforting, at least. Her Mam loved her, she really did - Yewheart must know, since she was Hollyfoot's kithood friend. She stood a little straighter and struggled to let the fear drop off her heart, though it had a grip like a vice.

Finally Gingerkit was groomed and Hollyfoot lead her children out into the clearing. Firekit padded out alongside her, tail straight up in the air. She was already almost up to Hollyfoot's shoulder. Redkit bumped into her and growled, taking her place beside their mother with a proud pout on his face.

Firekit took her place as second, just like when they were born, and sighed. Hollyfoot glanced at them, and kept walking.

"Don't sit next to me," she growled when they tried. "You sit in the front of the crowd, you understand? The front. Sitting by me will make you look childish. Redkit, wait a moment. You two, go ahead."

Firekit hesitated for a moment while Gingerkit skittered ahead. She wanted to know what their mam was saying to Redkit, but she snarled and shooed her daughter off before Firekit could hear anything of interest. She took a hurried seat beside Gingerkit; just as Redkit came up and sat beside her, Spottedstar jumped atop the Speaking Stone, and let out a ringing yowl.

Cats from all dens poured out. Yewheart, with her distended belly, came padding out with a tired look in her eyes. Dunlinwhisker, who was thinner but definitely still pregnant, came out shortly after. All six of the Clan elders came out next, grumbling to themselves and chuckling at ancient inside jokes. The Warriors poured from the shade of their den and from the outer sides of the clearing where they were standing guard. Firekit recognized her father Foxtail among the guards, and warmed with pride.