HOME | DD

Description
Leafkit awoke in the middle of the night. She gave a huge yawn and looked over her flank. Her eyes shot wide as she saw Crowkit sleeping beside her. "I can't be near him!"she hissed to herself. But then, she rested her head back down, not moving away from the black kitten. It was cold. Maybe sleeping beside him for one night wouldn't hurt...

                                                       ****
The light brown tabby awoke again in the morning to the sound of Nightpaw and Dreamkit talking inside the medicine cat's den. She wanted to watch so she opened one sleepy eye, but it wasn't long until she was discovered.

"Leafkit?"Dreamkit asked. Leafkit raised her head and padded over."Are you hungry?"

"Starved." The tiny kit purred.

"Nightpaw, can you get me and Leafkit somthing to eat, please? I don't think my father wants me to leave the den."Dreamkit mewed.

Nightpaw smiled and purred."Sure."

Leafkit kneaded the ground with her paws as she began."Oh, uhh, you might want to get Crowkit something, too. He hasn't eaten since sunhigh yesterday. And even a mousebrain like him deserve's to eat." she purred.

The apprentice nodded and bounded out of the den. In a couple of heartbeats, he was back, carrying two mice and a squirrel. He dropped the mice at the nest that Leafkit and Crowkit had shared and then placed the squirrel in front of Dreamkit.

"Thank you." The gray she-kit purred and commenced eating.

"Your welcome.Anyway, I wanted to know that maybe if you have time tomorrow you might want to..."Nightpaw was cut off by his mentor's voice.

"Nightpaw, come on! We have to get to battle training before the whole clearing is filled up!"

"Mousedung..." The black cat breathed."I'll come see you later, bye Dreamkit!" He turned and ran out of the den yelling."I'm coming, Bumblestripe!"Leafkit realized with a pang of jelousy how much Nightpaw cared for Dreamkit. Would she ever have a tom that cared about her the same way?Leafkit looked over at the sleeping Crowkit. No, he'd never give a mouse tail's worry for her, and neither would she for him. The little kit shook the thought away.

"Alright Leafkit, I can see your troubled. What's wrong?"Dreamkit asked.
Leafkit shuffled her paws, going back to real reason why she always wanted a fight with Crowkit."The truth?" She asked.

"The truth." Her friend agreed.

"Okay, I feel like an outcast in my own litter. But no one understands me! Even my father won't listen when I tell him this!" Leafkit's face showed nothing but sadness.She looked up to see the gray kit's eyes glazed with tears. Why I'm I complaining? Leafkit thought, Dreamkit is treated like an outcast by theClan!" The tabby she-kit saw this and she took a step back."Oh, Dreamkit, I'm sorry, so sorry! Please forgive me, I didn't realize, I mean remember, I mean...Oh, I'm sorry, so very, very sorry!"Dreamkit nodded her head and slumped back to her nest.

                                                     ****
"Jayfeather, is Leafkit ready to go back to the nursery?"Squirrelflight had entered the den with Ferncloud beside her.

"Yes, Squirrelflight. So is Crowkit, Ferncloud."The blind tom answered. "They should be in that nest over there."He pointed with his tail to the single nest the two kits had shared. Dipping their heads, the two queens padded over and each picking up their kit by the scruff.

"Is our punishment going to start now?"Crowkit whimpered in his mother's mouth.

"Yes."Ferncloud mewed. "You'll be staying in the nursery for a quarter moon, just like your father said."

"Me too?"Leafkit mumbled.

"You, too, Leafkit."Squirrelflight answered.

"But I want to watch Dreamkit's apprentice ceremony!"Leafkit protested. "She needs me there, Squirrelflight!"

Squirrelflight's eyes seemed to saddened as her daughter said this. "Alright. But your punishment will start right after the ceremony. Understood?"

"Yes."Leafkit nodded her head and stayed quiet the rest of the journey.

"Can I go too?"Crowkit asked.

Ferncloud seemed to be thinking. "Very well. Hopefully, you will be the next kits to become apprentices after Dreamkit and watching her ceremony might help you realize that if you want your own ceremony, you'll have to behave."

"But our ceremony is five moons away!"Crowkit squeled.

"Then you'll have to behave for five moons."The gray queen replied. All four cats had entered the nursery. Both kits were dropped on their nests and fed by their mothers, before they curled up besides their littermates and fell asleep.

                                                      ****
"Squirrelflight, can I go see Dreamkit before her ceremony?"Leafkit asked.

Squirrelflight's green eyes seemed questioning. "Ask Ferncloud if Crowkit may go with you and go together. But if I see you even flexing your claws, you will stay back!"

"But, I don't want to take Crowkit!"Leafkit protested. "He's such a mouse-brain!"

"I'm sorry, but either you go with him or you don't go at all."Squirrelflight answered. "You need to learn to get along with him."

Like that'll ever happen Leafkit wanted to mew, but thought better of it. "What about Falconkit, Lightkit, and Blazekit? Will they watch?"

"They're at the elders' den, hearing stories."Squirrelflight replied.

Leafkit flicked her tail and dragged her paws to Ferncloud's nest. "My mother asked me to ask you if Crowkit could come with me to see Dreamkit before her ceremony in the medicine cat's den."

"Of course. Tell me if he hurts you again, Leafkit."Ferncloud nodded."You heard me, Crowkit. Would you like to go see Dreamkit?"

"With her?!"Crowkit hissed. "I'd rather eat dirt!"

"That's like saying you'd rather eat dirt than watch the ceremony."The queen gave her paw a lick.

"Alright, I'll go."Crowkit muttered. "What about Mudkit and Speckledkit?"

"Let them sleep."The mother insisted.Crowkit pushed past Leafkit and the she-kit hunched her shoulders, following.

They didn't talk for the whole walk before entering the medicine cat's den. Sitting down, Crowkit and Leafkit watched as Dreamkit got ready. Their grouchy moods seemed to leave them as they saw their friend bustling with excitement. Both kits bounded after her as she exited the den and went to sit near Nightpaw and Bumblestripe.

                                                   ****
"Dreamkit, do you promise to learn and protect the ways of our noble code, until you have earned your warrior name?" Bramblestar purr rumbled through the clearing.

"I do!"Dreamkit smiled.

"Then, Until this apprentice has earned her warrior name, she shall be known as Dreampaw, and Wolfhowl..." As he said this, a beautiful brown and black she-cat with blue eyes stepped forward."You will mentor this apprentice. I know that since you were Sandstorm's last apprentice, she taught you everything there is to know, and I expect you pass on all this knowledge to Dreampaw."

"I will certaintly do my best."Wolfhowl purred and touched noses with her new apprentice.Dreampaw lept of the rock and was greeted by Leafkit tiny mew.

"Congratulations, Dreampaw!"

"Yes, congratulations. I can't wait till we do our first patrol together!" Nightpaw mewed cheerfully.

Leafkit didn't hear anymore of the congratulations because she had been taken to the nursery by her mother. Now, she was inthe curve of her belly, settling down to sleep.

Crowkit was also in his mother's nest, looking amazed. He turned his gaze to look at Leafkit and their eyes locked again. I've seen those before... They both thought, trying to hide their surprise by glaring.Crowkit turned away and sighed. One day,he would receive his apprentice name. And maybe, just maybe, him and Leafkit would train together...