Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Thornclaw

     That night, the nursery was quiet and peaceful, for Spotkit had gone to sleep early because of her apprentice ceremony, so Pebblikit and Redkit could get to sleep.  Thornkit awoke in a beautiful forest.  He tried to speak, but couldn't.  Instead, he watched the scene before him.
      There was a small kit, smaller than Pebblekit, next to its mother.  The kit was sound asleep.  Thornkit watched as the mother gently pushed the kit away, and quietly slunk away, leaving three other kits along with the first behind.  A large tom beckoned her with its tail, and they ran away.  Thornkit watched with horror as the kits wriggled around, aware of their mother's disappearance.  Thornkit then noticed the snow on the trees, and realized it was leaf-bare.  The kits!  They're cold!  One kit wriggled around, and Thornkit could see the kit's desperate eyes as it pleaded with the world, begging to be spared. The kit slowly grew still.  Thornkit watched with horror as it was repeated another time.  But two kits was alive.  And then, the seasons changed before Thornkit's eyes.  The snow melted and the sun rose and flowers blossomed as the kit grew.  The kit got up, the size of an apprentice.  The kit looked up at Thornkkit.  The cat had a dark orange and brown pelt, and glowing yellow-orange eyes.  A tom.  The cat's eyes continued to glow, and the scene faded.
      Thornkit looked at the new scene, and realized it wasn't a scene at all.  It was the nursery!  Thank StarClan!  That cat makes me want to run away tail between legs, not that I'd do that, of course.  The nursery was dark.  Oh, it's still night.  Thornkit looked at his denmates, sleeping soundly.  Do Pebblekit or Spotkit ever dream of dying kits?  But one look on their smiling faces as they slept told Thornkit they didn't.  Can't I ever dream of something normal like butterflies?
"Of course you won't, Thornkit.  You're not a normal cat."
"Who said that?" Thornkit whispered.  Redkit blinked open her eyes, but closed them shortly after.  Thornkit glanced around.  Who was that?
"Come find me, young one."
"Show yourself!" Thornkit hissed softly.  Redkit looked at him again.  He frowned apologetically.  She shrugged and went back to sleep.
"Ha!  You're so pathetic!"
"Stop it!" Thornkit yowled.  Spotkit and Pebblekit also awoke and stared at him.  "Bad dream," Thornkit replied.  Spotkit glared at him and Pebblekit just looked at him.  Eventually they both went back to sleep again.
"Stupid Thornkit.  Stupid, stupid, stupid.  How do you live with yourself?"
"STOP IT!" Thornkit sprang to his paws.  The whole nursery seemed to stare at him.  Seemed because they were.
"What is wrong with you?!" Spotkit sneered.
"It's okay.  Time to get up anyway." Cloudear, Pebblekit and Redkit's mother, said.  The kits and queens slowly rose to their paws.
"Congratulations, Spotkit.  I'm so proud of you." Twigtail nuzzled her kit.  Thornkit felt a pang of sadness.  Yellowspike didn't give Thornkit as much love as Twigtail gave Spotkit.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath highrock for a clan meeting!" Flamestar yowled.  Spotkit's ceremony!  Spotkit raced out of the den.
Spotkit can be a pain in the tail sometimes, but she deserves this.  
"Today a new apprentice will join us!" Flamestar shouted.  The clan cheered.  Spotkit bounded up next to Flamestar.
"Spotkit, do you promise to follow the warrior code, listen to your mentor, and fight for your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Flametar asked.
"I do," Spotkit replies happily.  She purred and looked at her clan, and her eyes met Thornkit's.  She looked away.
"Than by the powers of StarClan, I give you your name until you become a warrior.  Spotkit, you shall be known as Spotpaw.  Your mentor will be Robinsong.  May StarClan light your path."  Robinsong jumped up and touched noses with the cream-colored cat.
"Spotpaw!  Spotpaw!" The clan shouted.
"Spotpaw!  Spotpaw!" Thornkit shouted.  He purred.  Spotpaw jumped down and greeted the cats congratulating her.
"You'll be a great apprentice!" Thornkit shouted to Spotpaw.  I need to tell her something nice.
"Oh, thanks Thornkit!  Soon we can train together!" Spotpaw mewed back.  Wether it was just Thornkit or not, there was no false tone in the new apprentice's voice.