(EDIT: This is actually chapter 2)
A few minutes later, Rustykit stopped breathing.
"Rustykit! No!"
Starkit shoved her muzzle into Rustykit's fur. She sniffed twice and then licked him. The orange kit started to breathe again. Starkit and Luckykit, on either side of him, snuggled closer to him.
*********A few moons later**********
"Can we go to the Gathering, please?" Rustykit anad Rainkit were pestering Whitestar.
"If I told you once, I told you a million times! Yes!" Whitestar groomed the four kits' fur. "It's time for your apprentice ceremony. Follow me." Whitestar led the kits to a patch or grass and leaves beneath the Icecliff.
"Let all cats gather here beneath the Icecliff!"
Lots of cats padded out of small caves hidden behind bare trees and brambles. A few scrambled up a slope. Tigerfur, a big tabby tom, stepped down the rockfall from a cave that was long and skinny, following Firestripe, while Spottedtail, a pretty calico, padded behind her kit. She kept trying to groom the kit's fur, but every time she pulled away. At the bottom, Tigerfur picked up the kit by her scruff so Spottedtail could groom her.
"Stop fussing," said Firestripe. "This is your apprentice ceremony, remember?" The kit stopped squirming. Tigerfur put it down so Spottedtail could finish grooming her.
"Robinkit," said the calico queen, "go sit with Luckykit, Starkit, Rustykit and Rainkit. They're going to train with you."
Robinkit's tawny eye and green eye were huge. "Really?" She looked up at her mother, showing her orange chest fur. "I get to train with Rainkit?"
"Yes." Spottedtail quietly laughed. She knew that Robinkit admired Rainkit; he was brave, he had hard muscles under his glossy gray-blue coat. "Go now," she added, nudging Robinkit in the right direction.
All the cats had gathered below the Icecliff.
"Before
"I, Whitestar, leader of Fire and Ice, call upon my noble ancestors to look upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend them to you as nobles in their turn. Ravenpaw, Featherpaw, to you promise to uphold the noble code, and protect and defend this Alliance, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do."
"I do."
"Then by the powers of Sun and Star, I give you your noble names. Featherpaw, you will be known as Featherstorm. The Alliance honors you for your patience and skills.
"Ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be called Ravenwing. We honor you for your strength and swiftness, and we welcome both of you as full nobles of Fire and Ice."
"Ravenwing! Featherstorm! Ravenwing! Featherstorm!"
"Stealthfire, you are free to take on an apprentice. You will mentor Luckypaw. Tigerfur was your mentor, I expect you to pass on your knowledge and stealthy abilities."
"Robinkit, you are now Robinpaw. You will be Firestripe's apprentice. Firestripe, I was your mentor. Please pass on everything I taught you to this young apprentice."
"Rustykit, you are very strong to have pulled through Icegrip as a newborn kit. Tigerfur also had these qualaties; he will be your mentor. Tigerfur, you were Cedarheart's apprentice, and I hope you pass on the strength and skill to Rustypaw that is needed to become a noble."
"Spottedtail, you will be mentor to Rainpaw. You are my best friend. Your all-around abilities are very useful to Fire and Ice; please pass these qualities onto my son."
"Starpaw and Willowpaw, don't think I've forgotten you. There can only be one Healer apprentice. Until Sun and Star have made their choice, I will mentor you-- both of you. Iceleaf, you may go to the Suntree now to consult our noble ancestors. We will meet you there for the-- Iceleaf?" The Healer was nowhere to be seen.
Iceleaf scrambled up the slope into the main clearing. "Sun and Star have decided," she panted. "My apprentice will be Starpaw."
A few minutes later, Rustykit stopped breathing.
"Rustykit! No!"
Starkit shoved her muzzle into Rustykit's fur. She sniffed twice and then licked him. The orange kit started to breathe again. Starkit and Luckykit, on either side of him, snuggled closer to him.
*********A few moons later**********
"Can we go to the Gathering, please?" Rustykit anad Rainkit were pestering Whitestar.
"If I told you once, I told you a million times! Yes!" Whitestar groomed the four kits' fur. "It's time for your apprentice ceremony. Follow me." Whitestar led the kits to a patch or grass and leaves beneath the Icecliff.
"Let all cats gather here beneath the Icecliff!"
Lots of cats padded out of small caves hidden behind bare trees and brambles. A few scrambled up a slope. Tigerfur, a big tabby tom, stepped down the rockfall from a cave that was long and skinny, following Firestripe, while Spottedtail, a pretty calico, padded behind her kit. She kept trying to groom the kit's fur, but every time she pulled away. At the bottom, Tigerfur picked up the kit by her scruff so Spottedtail could groom her.
"Stop fussing," said Firestripe. "This is your apprentice ceremony, remember?" The kit stopped squirming. Tigerfur put it down so Spottedtail could finish grooming her.
"Robinkit," said the calico queen, "go sit with Luckykit, Starkit, Rustykit and Rainkit. They're going to train with you."
Robinkit's tawny eye and green eye were huge. "Really?" She looked up at her mother, showing her orange chest fur. "I get to train with Rainkit?"
"Yes." Spottedtail quietly laughed. She knew that Robinkit admired Rainkit; he was brave, he had hard muscles under his glossy gray-blue coat. "Go now," she added, nudging Robinkit in the right direction.
All the cats had gathered below the Icecliff.
"Before
"I, Whitestar, leader of Fire and Ice, call upon my noble ancestors to look upon these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your code, and I commend them to you as nobles in their turn. Ravenpaw, Featherpaw, to you promise to uphold the noble code, and protect and defend this Alliance, even at the cost of your lives?"
"I do."
"I do."
"Then by the powers of Sun and Star, I give you your noble names. Featherpaw, you will be known as Featherstorm. The Alliance honors you for your patience and skills.
"Ravenpaw, from this moment on you will be called Ravenwing. We honor you for your strength and swiftness, and we welcome both of you as full nobles of Fire and Ice."
"Ravenwing! Featherstorm! Ravenwing! Featherstorm!"
"Stealthfire, you are free to take on an apprentice. You will mentor Luckypaw. Tigerfur was your mentor, I expect you to pass on your knowledge and stealthy abilities."
"Robinkit, you are now Robinpaw. You will be Firestripe's apprentice. Firestripe, I was your mentor. Please pass on everything I taught you to this young apprentice."
"Rustykit, you are very strong to have pulled through Icegrip as a newborn kit. Tigerfur also had these qualaties; he will be your mentor. Tigerfur, you were Cedarheart's apprentice, and I hope you pass on the strength and skill to Rustypaw that is needed to become a noble."
"Spottedtail, you will be mentor to Rainpaw. You are my best friend. Your all-around abilities are very useful to Fire and Ice; please pass these qualities onto my son."
"Starpaw and Willowpaw, don't think I've forgotten you. There can only be one Healer apprentice. Until Sun and Star have made their choice, I will mentor you-- both of you. Iceleaf, you may go to the Suntree now to consult our noble ancestors. We will meet you there for the-- Iceleaf?" The Healer was nowhere to be seen.
Iceleaf scrambled up the slope into the main clearing. "Sun and Star have decided," she panted. "My apprentice will be Starpaw."
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