Warriors #4: Darkness Awakens

Chapter 23

Goldenshine's POV

I quickly scooted out of the way as I saw a mossball fly in my direction. The moss flew into the nursery near where I was sitting. Swiftkit was right behind it, who dove into the nursery to retrieve it. Not even a heartbeat later, he padded out of the nursery with the moss in his mouth and his tail straight up in the air. I gave him a quick lick on the head before he then tossed the mossball forward, and Cherrykit, Molekit, and Snowkit all dove for it at once.

I purred with amusement as I watched them, but I couldn't hold back waves of sadness as well.

It had been a little over a moon since Swiftkit's fox attack and Thornclaw finally getting out of the medicine den from his mysterious injuries. Now, to my disbelief, Swiftkit and Snowkit were becoming apprentices tomorrow. I almost wanted to whimper out loud at the thought. It had truly felt like just yesterday that Snowkit and I were leaving the nursery to become apprentices, but now, my son was leaving me to become one.

It feels like he was just born! How do queens handle this so often? I wondered.

I also couldn't believe that Snowkit, or Snowflight rather, was becoming an apprentice all over again along with Swiftkit. I watched her as she lightly dove onto Molekit as he was about to leap at the mossball, and she gave him a soft, claws-sheathed blow to the muzzle. I could already see that she had the makings of a great and strong warrior.

But... Snowflight had wanted to become a medicine cat, I realized. Will Snowkit want to do the same thing? I wonder how Jayfeather would feel about that...?

As much as these thoughts could overtake me, I realized that I shouldn't let them. It wasn't my choice at all, it was Snowkit's. She had the right to choose any path that she wanted. It is completely up to her. If she is anything like Snowflight, she'll make it clear as to what she wants to do.

As for Swiftkit, I had no doubt of the direction he wanted to take. He was meant to be a warrior. He, first off, had made it pretty clear that that was what he wanted to do, and I could already see from the way he played from the other kits that he was meant to hunt and fight for his Clan. He was incredibly clever and agile, and I suppose... swift in his movements. It would be hard for prey or another cat to keep up with him!

You'd almost think that he's already been somewhat trained already... I realized. Whoever gets him as a mentor will be lucky. The only downside to training Swiftkit would be his impatience!

Although, even thought I knew Swiftkit would be an impatient little furball as long as he lived, I had already noticed a drastic change in his behavior over the past moon. He was a little snappy sometimes, yes, but he had seemed much more lively and kind to others when he could. He also had been playing with the other kits significantly more, and they had completely welcomed him as one of their friends now. With Molekit, of course the two of them being the only tom kits in the nursery, they connected pretty well. Cherrykit, impressively, seemed to take an incredible liking to Swiftkit despite how snappy he was with her sometimes. But, she managed to bring out Swiftkit's softer and kinder side every once in a while. He always seemed to feel incredibly guilty after getting mad at her for something.

Snowkit and Swiftkit had seemed to connect from the first day they met. Snowkit had been so shy, and Swiftkit had been the first cat she had opened up to. And now, they were going to train alongside each other, which I'm sure would make them even closer.

I wonder if it's because they're sort of... kin that they have a special connection? I wondered. Whatever the reason, I can tell that they are going to become amazing friends.

I was still enjoying watching the other kits play when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Pippy and Dusty trot into camp with Hazeltail and Mousewhisker right behind them. Hazeltail and Mousewhisker went over to grab a quick meal from the fresh-kill pile, but when Pippy and Dusty noticed me over by the nursery, their eyes lit up and they both padded quickly over to me.