Chapter Five- Part One

“Oh, my little acorn is becoming an apprentice!” Dovecry gushed as he lapped all over her son’s body. Acornkit just winced as his mother’s saliva seeped into his eye.

Blinking quickly to push the sickening liquid away, Acornkit glanced up at Dovecry and sighed heavily. “I think you washed me thoroughly enough,” he said, trying to push her away with a moist paw. About ten times over, Acornkit added to himself.

Dovecry stepped back and her eyes widened. “No, no, that’s not right. Now you’re too wet!” Scrunching up her face disgustedly, the gray she-cat started to rub herself all over Acornkit.

“And now I am brown, gray, and white,” he growled.

His mother opened her mouth to say something, but Acornkit didn’t want to hear any more. He shook out his pelt and padded into the clearing.

The Clan was already gathered underneath the Tallrock. They stared at him as he walked past. It kind of bothered Acornkit, though he tried his best to ignore it.

Acornkit gazed up and watched as the leader Hazelstar bounded up onto the enormous, towering boulder. It was the first time Acornkit had noticed the ginger tom’s ribs poking from under his white belly fur. Dark rings peeked out around Hazelstar’s eyes. No, Acornkit thought. He can’t be on his last life already!

The brown tom-kit felt the presence of Dovecry behind him. Quickly Acornkit sped up. She’s always around me!

“By naming apprentices, we show that WindClan will survive and remain strong,” Hazelstar began. Acornkit puffed out his chest proudly and sat under the Tallrock.

“Acornkit, from now on you shall be known as Acornpaw...” The leader paused as he pondered for a mentor. Acornpaw took this time to marvel over his new name. Acornpaw! Not kit, paw!

“Pebblefur, you are ready for an apprentice. You have been trained by my loyal deputy, Feathertickle, and I believe you have the strong qualities a cat needs to train an apprentice. You will be Acornpaw's mentor.”

As WindClan called Acornpaw’s new name, Acornpaw himself walked up and touched noses with Pebblefur. The gray tabby was smiling widely and flashing teasing looks to his sister, Cherryfeather.

Suddenly Acornpaw’s stomach dropped to his paws. He had been hoping to have Thornpad as a mentor. In fact, had the older warrior even mentored an apprentice yet? How come Pebblefur, who was named a warrior about a moon ago, had recieved an apprentice before Thornpad?

But Acornpaw had no time to think about it, because just then Pebblefur muttered in his ear, “First assessment tomorrow.” Then he trotted away to shove his face into Cherryfeather’s some more.

Acornpaw turned and scanned the area for his mother. Dovecry was sitting beside Hazelstar’s den, foot tapping impatiently. He wondered what she was doing there when Hazelstar came up to her and licked her cheek. Dovecry smiled in return and the two entered the den together, tails entwined.

Chapter Four- Part Four

She spun and stared at him, clearly shocked to see him.

Acornkit forced himself higher and higher until he reached Morningkit.

He winced. The thin limb groaned under his weight. “What are you doing up here?” Acornkit demanded, lashing his tail and glaring at her.

Morningkit ducked her head, obviously ashamed. “I-I’m sorry, Acornkit,” she feebly whispered. “I was tired of being good all the time and those.... those looks you gave me.” she hesitated, but not long enough for Acornkit to inquire about the looks.

“So I wanted to climb the tree just to show you what a daring cat I am. Did it work?”

“No, it didn’t,” replied Acornkit hotly. “Now we need to get down. You first.”

A few heartbeats passed, and Morningkit still hadn’t made a move. “Go!” Acornkit growled, annoyance sparking in his toes, begging him to go ahead without her.

“I can’t!” Morningkit cried. “And I won’t! Oakleaf can carry me down.” Acornkit turned, and sure enough, the dark gray she-kit was sitting with her back facing him, tail twitching and claws deep in the tree bark.

Annoyance was replaced with anger. “Fine! Suit yourself!” Acornkit spat, and he placed paw before paw. Soon, he was only a fox-length off the ground again.

“Helllllllllllllllllp!” a shriek rose from above him. Acornkit’s heart stopped. Instinct made him leap off the tree and hit the ground with a small thud. It just about killed him, but he didn’t care. Every heartbeat mattered before Morningkit fell to her death.

Acornkit didn’t bother to steal a glance at the warriors crowded around the bottom of the tree. How frustrating! They don’t even bother to make a move! Paws pounded as Thornpad’s patrol returned to the camp, but Acornkit ignored it all.

Morningkit’s body, which she had allowed to fall limp, was tearing to the ground faster and faster like an owl rearing down to clasp its prey in its talons.

Dark gray fur filled his mouth, nose, and eyes, as Acornkit skidded to a halt. Morningkit’s body slammed down onto his outstretched front legs. Biting his lip to hold back a yowl of pain, Acornkit shuffled backwards and gazed at the still body. It fluttered faintly, and then Morningkit’s eyelids ascended.

Oakleaf stumbled over, dazed, her mate Webbedpelt on her tail. “You saved our daughter, Acornkit!” Webbedpelt beamed broadly and wrapped his tail on Acornkit’s shoulders as Oakleaf staggered over to Morningkit and picked her up in her jaws.

“Acornkit’s a hero!” Webbedpelt continued, though this statement was an overjoyed caterwaul to the sky. Oakleaf smiled and set Morningkit down for just a moment to lick the brown kit’s head.

Thornpad trotted over, gasping and panting heavily. “Well done, lad,” he whispered in Acornkit’s ear. “I never did anything majestic like that before.”

Dovecry was the last cat to come up. “Oh, my little acorn,” she murmured, pride decorating her every word. “what a great act.”

Hazelstar bounded up, tail frizzled and eyes wide open in alarm. “Is someone hurt?” He shouldered his way through the crowd.

Webbedpelt happily told him what had happened. “I have no idea how either of them got up there,” the gray tom concluded, “but I think this a very grownup act to do. Like, an apprentice act.” Something flashed in the father’s gaze that Acornkit understood acutely. Apprenticeship was looming before him.

Chapter Four- Part Three

Hazelstar said his prayers, then Twigfall stepped up.

“Now is the time,” the medicine cat commenced, his voice level rising with each word, “that I reveal the reason for this tom’s tragic death.”

Twigfall bowed his head, as did the rest of the Clan. To be polite, Acornkit ducked down as well.

“I inspected the body- quite a sight I found. A hard- hard as rock in RiverClan territory- lump sitting like a lazy apprentice in his stomach.”

Acornkit shivered at the comparisons to the nasty bump.

“It appeared the clump was very bad- a death factor. This must have built up inside Moorfur until it killed him- just like a swipe at the neck of a cat.”

Dovecry sniffed loudly, but it wasn’t a disdainful sniff- an unhappy, depressed sniff. Sad.

“Very interesting,” Acornkit heard Hazelstar meow to himself while Twigfall took his turn to say bye to Moorfur.

Just then the elder Rabbitrace yelled for the crowd to hear, “My brother- Creektrickle, his name was- died from something just like it. He always complained of a pain in his belly before his death at such a young age. Refused to see the medicine cat for it, though.”

Twigfall pricked his ears and replied to the old tom, “Ah, my mentor? I doubt Drystream could have cured it if I couldn’t have for Moorfur.”

Rabbitrace shrugged and fixed his virtually blind gaze on the tabby. “I thought he was experienced, as are you.” The brown-spotted tom took a moment to stretch, then added, “Neither of you knew so, ah... what the point of this conversation ‘gain?”

Acornkit bit his lip. This meant his father could have been forcing back the hurting, nagging mass in his belly. Had he gone to Twigfall would things have turned out different?

***

A half-moon later, when by now Moorfur’s body, resting deep in the earth, was being eaten by maggots, Acornkit’s life changed forever.

On a day when he was bored, Thornpad was out patrolling, and Fastkit had a minor cold, tree-climbing seemed like the best idea.

Acornkit gazed up at the great tall tree. It looked like it reached the sky, it was so huge!

This tree was a loner among the moors. Any cat up there could be seen easily- unless they had a black or brown pelt to blend in, of course!

This Acornkit was glad for. Licking his dusty, acorn-colored fur smooth, the tom-kit started the climb by digging his little stubs of claws into the tree bark. One paw here, the other there.... soon, Acornkit was a fox-length off the ground. For an almost-apprentice, it didn’t seem like such a colossal fall if he were to slip anymore, so Acornkit had nothing to fear.  That’s what he thought, at least.

As he climbed up further and further, Acornkit thought he saw something dark gray up in the trees. Suspecting it was just a squirrel or bird of some sort, he continued on. But then Acornkit saw pointy ears perking up out of the head of the animal. Acornkit squinted and almost fell off the tree in surprise. Morningkit was stuck up in the tree’s grabbing branches, mewling nervously for help! But the four-moon-old she-kit wasn’t being loud enough. “I’m coming, Morningkit!” Acornkit called upwards, just to calm her. By now he was closer to her than the camp below that only she could hear him.

Chapter Four- Part Two

And he didn’t look back. Acornkit couldn’t bear to see Moorfur. It would be the last time he ever laid his eyes on his pale brown fur, and those.... those glazed amber eyes.

***

“It’s time. Acornkit, please wake up. It’s time!” Dovecry whispered in Acornkit’s ear.

Acornkit yawned and glared at his mother. Ever since Moorfur’s death a half-moon ago, he was grumpy and disappointed.

“Time for what?” he mumbled. As if I don’t already know, Acornkit thought to himself.

Dovecry sighed. “I know you’re disappointed, little acorn, but you know that family is the key thing in a vigil. Especially your father’s.”

Acornkit glowered at his paws and followed his mother outside. He didn’t even bother to return the tail wave from Thornpad or the sympathetic glance from Fastkit.

Not even the slight smirk from Morningkit. Now he was just a weakling. A stupid, embarrassed, fatherless WindClan weakling. He’d be no leader now.

Dovecry and Acornkit approached Moorfur’s still form with ease.

Moorfur had no siblings, littermates, older, or younger. His parents were long dead, so Acornkit and his mother were the only family.

Nonetheless, Acornkit was Moorfur’s only true kin. He felt proud to have this position, but pain pierced his heart when he remembered why he was thinking of that- he never realized before of this.

Acornkit watched as Dovecry locked gazes with Hazelstar and flicked her tail to show her respect for Twigfall.

Feathertickle sat just behind her leader, sympathy dotting her gaze.

Before Acornkit could mew a simple “hi”, the whole rest of the Clan was gathered around Moorfur.

Acornkit felt his mother’s breath on his ear fur. “Whisper your thanks to your father,” Dovecry ordered gently to him.

Acornkit’s stomach twisted, feeling sick that he hardly knew Moorfur. The pale brown tom had always been like just another warrior to him. But Thornpad, on the other paw...

Unhurriedly the brown kit bent his head and pressed his nose to his father’s cold flank. As Moorfur’s limp fur blew around in the breeze passing through, it practically made Acornkit sneeze. On his way down, Acornkit had thought up of some things he could say in remembrance of his father.  

“I am sad to find us here, you dead and me... me still alive,” Acornkit’s voice cracked, and he quickly closed his eyes to prevent them watering. “I- I wish I knew you more. You will always be in my heart, my father. Moorfur.”

Acornkit rose up and was warmed as Dovecry’s fluffy tail rested on his shoulders for a mere heartbeat. “You did well, my son,” she murmured. “You did well.”

Really? I thought it was kind of weak, Acornkit thought, holding back a clueless shrug.

His mind quieted when his mother began her wishes that were to go to StarClan with Moorfur. “Moorfur- mate, father, son, uncle, lover- I will miss him.” Dovecry stepped back. “That’s.... that’s all I have to say,” she muttered, blue eyes glistening.

Acornkit was surprised. He had suspected the gray-and-white she-cat to say much more.

Chapter Four- Part One

(MAKE-UP FOR 5/3/12)

Acornkit backed away from his father’s body, nervously flattening his ears.

No cat had noticed what he noticed yet. All attention was fixed on the newly-named Pebblefur and his sister Cherrypaw, who was just about to receive her warrior name.

“Cherryfeather! Cherryfeather, Cherryfeather!” revealed the she-cat’s new name.

“Pebblefur, Cherryfeather, whatever,” Acornkit muttered, by now trembling. Moorfur was suffering!

Dovecry bent down to lick her son’s head, but when she only lapped at dust, she flinched and spat it out; then she turned back to see Acornkit.

“What are you doing? Come here!” his mother mouthed to him, flicking her tail to his previous spot.

Acornkit shakily shook his head then nodded over to Moorfur’s crumpled body.

The gray-and-white queen gazed over and her eyes widened when she saw her mate’s condition. Acornkit watched as Dovecry’s pink nose paled. “Moorfur!” she yowled, and instantly the Clan spun around to see.

Weedstep and Oakleaf gasped, then quickly swept their tails over their kits’ eyes.

Thornpad frowned and pretended to bite at a tick on his leg.

Hazelstar stopped talking then lashed his tail to indicate the end of the meeting. Then he bounded down from the Tallrock and sprinted over to his warrior’s crippled form.

Feathertickle, Pebblefur, Cherryfeather, and Sheeptail crowded closely behind him.

Dovecry was already wailing. “There’s no heartbeat!” she sputtered as Twigfall padded up with herbs packed in his jaws. “No heartbeat!”

Twigfall shoved the all the cats gathered except Hazelstar and Dovecry away.

The tabby medicine cat then delicately sniffed the tom’s flank. He whispered something in Moorfur’s ear. When he got no response, Twigfall’s lips twisted into a curled-tail-shape.

Twigfall pressed his ear on Moorfur’s chest.

Acornkit shrunk back, afraid to look. He was afraid of the head-shaking from the medicine cat that confirmed that Moorfur was... dead.

“How did he die?” Acornkit heard his mother ask.

Twigfall replied, “I’ll have to investigate. In all of my seasons, I’ve never seen a cat just drop dead like this. I may need to examine the body a bit first before burial.”

Dovecry shook her head. “We may have had a second litter,” she whimpered while her son looked back. “and grown old together.”

Quailflight, Pebblefur and Cherryfeather’s mother, was sprinting around camp, encouraging cats to call the names of the new warriors. This distracted everyone else as Dovecry, Hazelstar, and Twigfall gently pushed Moorfur’s body to the medicine den.

The sour stench of death hung in the air around his father. Acornkit ducked his head and, tail dragging on the ground, hurried himself to the nursery.

Chapter Three- Part Three

“Can I join, can I join?” a kit’s voice inquired behind them. Thornpad spun around and Acornkit sighted Fastkit.

“Sure, Fastkit!” Acornkit replied.

Fastkit grinned and watched as Thornpad crouched down to allow the gray kit to hop onto his backside.

Once Fastkit arrived beside him, Acornkit flicked his tail at the apprentice’s den.

“First, we go bother the apprentices!” he mewed excitedly.

“Awesome!” Fastkit proclaimed, and he moved forward as the trio of toms approached the gorse bush that made the apprentices’ den.

But when Thornpad poked his head inside, he shook his head and he rose back up then glanced back at the two kits. “No one’s in there today,” he told them with fake sadness. Acornkit knew it was fake because of the amusement that flashed over the tabby’s gaze.

Four-moon-old Fastkit’s face fell. “Why? Is it because of me?”

“No! Not at all,” Thornpad responded. “It’s just that....”

“Let all cats old enough to run across the moor gather beneath the Tallrock to hear my words!” Hazelstar’s yowl rang across the clearing so loud that probably ShadowClan could hear.

Acornkit and Fastkit pounced off Thornpad and trotted over to sit next to him under the Tallrock.

“Sorry, kits sit in the back row with their parents,” apologized Thornpad. “But I’m just two lines ahead. No need to worry” -he nodded to Acornkit- “or pout.” he purred, looking at the frowning Fastkit.

Acornkit scrunched up his face and clumped over to where Dovecry and Moorfur were sitting. At least he had no annoying siblings to deal with like poor Fastkit did.

Perfect Morningkit sat proudly between Oakleaf and Webbedpelt, chest pushed out and thick muscles shining beneath her dark gray pelt. Now she was halfway to becoming an apprentice- three moons. Acornkit remembered how old he thought he was when he was that age- oh, but now!

Acornkit’s attention focused on the meeting, and he concentrated as the two of the four WindClan apprentices, Pebblepaw and Cherrypaw, stepped up to under the rock. Their mentors, Feathertickle and the warrior Runningfoot, were just behind them.

Their warrior ceremony! Acornkit thought in interest.

Hazelstar jumped right into the ceremony. “I, Hazelstar, leader of WindClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” he meowed, motioning to Pebblepaw, who stepped closer to the Tallrock. “He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn.

“Pebblepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Vigorously Pebblepaw nodded and returned, “I do.”

Hazelstar’s gaze flashed down to the gray tabby’s mentor, his deputy Feathertickle. “Feathertickle, do you truly believe that now is the time for your apprentice to earn his full name?” the ginger tom questioned.

“I do believe so.” Feathertickle repeated Pebblepaw’s answer.

“Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Pebblepaw, from this moment you will be known as Pebblefur. StarClan honors your bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of WindClan.”

Acornkit felt fur brush against his, and he looked to see his father slumped lifelessly on the ground.

Chapter Three- Part Two

Quailflight returned his scowl. “Fine, but I’ll make sure some wet fur gets rubbed on you!” she hissed.

Acornkit giggled quietly as Twigfall wrapped cobwebs on Thornpad’s bleeding shoulder.

The young tabby looked down at him and grinned slightly despite the pain from the stinging poultice Twigfall put on him. “What happened to you, lad?” Thornpad asked.

“I tried to defend my mother and Weedstep from a big ThunderClan warrior that was almost six times my size!” Acornkit exclaimed, happy to talk to someone.

Thornpad smiled down at him. “So you dislocated your shoulder or something like that?” he returned.

Acornkit nodded. “Yep!” he chirped.

Just then Twigfall cut in. “You’re good to go, Thorn,” he rumbled. “Rest a lot though, and it’ll heal quicker. You’ll be back to warrior duties before you know it.”

Thornpad’s head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. He winked at Acornkit before sprinting out of the medicine den with pure WindClan swiftness.

Acornkit started to feel tired. He slowly lay back down in his moss. His eyelids dropped down over his eyes like heavy stones, and the dark brown-tailed kit was asleep.

* * *

A paw was shoved deep into Acornkit’s cheek. He winced and opened his eyes.

Now five moons old and with a fully-healed shoulder, Acornkit was back to sleeping in the nursery with his mother, the queens, and the other kits.

Acornkit was always excited and happy as just one more moon of this nursery stuff- then he’d be an apprentice! With a real warrior as his mentor!

Acornkit couldn’t wait.

The brown kit rolled onto his side and examined the owner of the paw. Dovecry’s large gray paw was kneading his cheek gently.

“Are you up, my little acorn?”

Acornkit winced again and gazed up at his mom. “Yes, I am, Dovecry. Why do you do that every morning now?”

Innocence shone in Dovecry’s eyes. “Do what?” she purred as she licked his cheek.

Acornkit shivered as her slimy tongue left saliva remains on his face. “Push your paw into my cheek.” he frowned, then continued, “Come to think of it, you’re obsessed with my cheek.”

Before his mother could answer, another voice interrupted, “How’s my friend doing?”

A new cat had entered the nursery, and Acornkit glanced up. Thornpad! Ever since their encounter in the medicine den a moon earlier, the two toms were attached to each other.

Embarrassed to be seen cuddled next to his mother, Acornkit shuffled backwards then quickly stood up. “I’m ready for some fun, that’s how I’m doing!” Acornkit cried, then bounced over to the full-grown tabby. At times, although Thornpad was still young and Moorfur was his true father, Thornpad felt like his dad. Or an older brother or something.

“The hurt-shoulder brothers have returned to the WindClan clearing!” Thornpad announced as he stomped out to the main camp area, Acornkit gleefully riding on his back.

Playfully Acornkit bit into the tabby’s spine with thorn-sharp kit teeth. Thornpad flinched. “You’re getting stronger, youngster,” he croaked.