#starlessyowls

“Owlkit, you have reached the age where it is time for you to be apprenticed.”

The cats in the circle whispered to each other and Owlkit knew why. Kits were supposed to be apprenticed at 6 moons, when they were ready. Owlkit was being apprenticed at 5 moons. He didn’t feel ready. But Briarstar wanted to return to her duties, he knew. She’d been yelling at Hawknose, trying to get him to okay her to get out of the nursery. Owlkit felt hurt that Hawknose had reluctantly agreed to let her apprentice Owlkit early. He was hungry, he was tired, he was wet from the mud on his paws. He wanted to cry.

“From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Owlpaw.” Owlpaw watched as Briarstar nodded to the side. He wondered who she would choose for him. He hoped it wasn’t Blackpelt or Pebblewing. They were mean to him and the other kits. He was surprised when the cat she chose walked forward.

“Thriftpetal, you are ready to take on an apprentice.” Owlpaw stared at the slender ginger she-cat, who looked down at him and winked. “You have received excellent training from Leafleap, and you have shown yourself to be calm and fierce. You will be the mentor of Owlpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him.” Owlpaw reached up to touch Thriftpetal’s nose. The crowd mumbled, some yelling out his name. They clearly thought it was wrong. Thriftpetal’s eyes were as neutral as they normally were. Owlpaw was briefly distracted by a few toms staring rather fiercely at her. They were funny. Swooning over a she-cat like that. Thriftpetal looked beautiful alright but she was poised, calm and fierce. Owlpaw swelled with pride knowing she’d be his mentor. “Dismissed.”

“UGH! I can’t believe we’re gonna have to share our nest with that stinky kittypet!” Owlpaw winced, ears flicking back as Applepaw started laughing at Puddlepaw’s loud declaration. The she-cat was being dramatic, waving her paws in the air and moaning. “I thought we’d have at least one more moon stink-free sleep!” Owlpaw licked his chest fur out of embarrassment. Thriftpetal’s fur prickled. Owlpaw gasped as she stomped up to the gaggling group of she-paws, a growl low on her throat.

“You little shits shut the hell up,” she snarled, “When you were kits that was one thing but Owlpaw is your clanmate and will be a fellow warrior.”

“But he’s stupid and he smells!” Puddlepaw whined. Thriftpetal looked up and Owlpaw followed suit to see Briarstar just standing on Clanrock, staring at the commotion. Like she was waiting for it to sort itself out. Thriftpetal growled, ears flicking back.

“Pinepatch! Ferntail! Blackpelt!” Owlpaw watched in shock as the three cats jumped towards her. Pinepatch’s eyes were wide and Owlpaw knew it was from excitement, attention from his sister was so rare.

“Yes, sister?” He asked excitedly.

“Tell your shitty little apprentices to stop picking on Owlpaw,” Thriftpetal snarled, “You three know better than anyone he shouldn’t have been apprenticed this early. He doesn’t need any more problems on top of that.” She flicked her tail behind her. “And if I hear about any of you dumb kits picking on him again there’s gonna be hell to pay, you hear me?” The mentors and apprentices nodded and stepped back, going about their business. Thriftpetal finally turned to Owlpaw.

“I’m gonna make you and Mom proud,” Owlpaw blurted out, not sure what to say. Thriftpetal sniffed, rasping her tongue over Owlpaw’s crown.

“You don’t need to make that old flea pelt proud.” Thriftpetal didn’t seem to care when Briarstar started listening in on their conversation, ears flicked forward. “You make yourself proud.”

“I don’t know...how to do that.”

“Well, let’s start by knowing this territory like the back of your tail!” Thriftpetal winked at him and the pair padded off into the pine trees. “You do know the back of your tail don’tcha kid?”

“Yeah! It’s all brown!”

“There’s a patch of white there at the end, did you know that?”

“WHAT!?” Owlpaw looked at his tail. “Oh, it was a joke!” Thriftpetal giggle.

“You’re a bright one, ain’tcha?” Briarstar stared after the pair. She snorted and turned around, stalking into her cave.

“Not quite,” Yellowfang meowed. “A squirrel might think that you’re a tree and try to climb up you.” Brokenkit let out a squeal.

“I’m a tree! I’m a tree!” He jumped up and down until the bark fell off his head.

Owlwhisker approached his mate from behind, pressing his face to her soft ginger fur. He'd smelled her irritation, seen her tail tip twitch back and forth. She seemed surprised when he'd approached. "What's the matter?" He asked, softly.

"Nothin', baby, I just...don't like Brokenkit hanging out in the medicine den." Owlwhisker licked the she-cat's ear slowly. He knew she still carried the pain from Yellowfang's rejection all those moons ago, when the old ShadowClan medicine cat had turned her down to be an apprentice. Was she worried that Brokenkit would get rejected too?

"He's okay," Owlwhisker said, "He was getting teased by the other kits. He just went somewhere safe."

"Is it safe there?" Blossomfeather growled. Owlwhisker pressed against her further but Blossomfeather padded away, walking up to Yellowfang who was teaching Brokenkit how to carry moss. The dark brown tabby vibrated with excitement when Blossomfeather approached and flew to her legs, winding around her and purring loudly.

"Mommy, mommy! Yellowfang is my friend! She's teaching me stuff about medicine cat-ing!"

"I see that," Blossomfeather said with a smile. Yellowfang was disgusted when the other she-cat's hypnotic eyes snapped to hers. "Are you having fun?"

"Yeah but I'm sleepy," Brokenkit yawned, "Can I take a nap?"

"Why don't you go lie down with your father?" Brokenkit's eyes widened.

"Are you not going to come lie down with us?"

"I will. My paw hurts, I just want to have Yellowfang take a look at it." Sedgewhisker walked up behind Yellowfang as Brokenkit bounded towards Owlwhisker. Blossomfeather lifted her paw. "Look at it just in case he looks over."

"I told you not to spend time with him," Sedgewhisker growled, "I told you."

"I can't save my son from getting teased?" Yellowfang protested, pawing at Blossomfeather's small paw.

"That is MY job," Blossomfeather growled, "I am his mother. ME."

"Oh you're jealous?" Yellowfang laughed, "That's why you're mad he's spending time with me." Sedgewhisker shook at the evil glint in the ginger and white she-cat's eyes.

"I don't need to be jealous," Blossomfeather said, ripping her paw back from Yellowfang's paw, "I have what you don't have."

"And I'll always have what you don't have," Yellowfang sneered, "I know how much you wanted to be a medicine cat. You didn't deserve it."

"Yellowfang, stop it," Sedgewhisker growled. Blossomfeather smiled and looked at her paw.

"Being a medicine cat is a job," she shrugged, "I have what you'll never have. Family. A mate who loves me. And your kit." Yellowfang's ears pinned back, snarling as she lept towards the she-cat.

"MOMMY!" Brokenkit's voice knocked her out of her trance, her muscles bunched ready to slash Blossomfeather's face. She looked up as the camp stared at her. Brokenkit dashed back to Blossomfeather and placed his little paws on her face. "Mommy are you ok? Did she hurt you?!"

"Naw, sweetheart, Yellowfang just lost her temper, that's all."

"Medicine cats shouldn't lose their tempers," Owlwhisker snarled.

"You're absolutely right, they shouldn't," Sedgewhisker snorted, "Yellowfang apologize."

"I will not!" Yellowfang snapped, "She baited me!"

"You sound like a kit," Sedgewhisker growled, "Yellowfang apologize NOW. You're embarrassing us all." Yellowfang stared down at the ginger and white she-cat who was smiling smugly at her.

"I apologize," Yellowfang croaked out, "I lost my temper."

"We all do from time to time, sugar," Blossomfeather purred, "No harm done." Yellowfang ground her teeth behind her lips.

"Yeah you'd better be sorry! Hurting my mother!" Brokenkit snapped, "You're not my friend anymore!" Yellowfang's face stayed stoic but she was stung by the kit's words. Blossomfeather looked up at her before pressing her face to Owlwhisker's cheek. Brokenkit stopped sneering at Yellowfang and joined his mother, rubbing against her. "I love you Mommy."

"I love you too, kitten," she purred.

"More than Dad?" Brokenkit gasped.

"Hey!" Owlwhisker chuckled softly. Brokenkit growled playfully.