the sunlight shines a little brighter | thriftfeather

[Asterpaw]

It was not so long ago that Asterkit could fit between her father's legs, his paws providing ample entertainment for a kitten in their first moon of life. Asterkit is four moons old now and no longer can she comfortably fit between his paws, not that it stopped her from still doing it on occasion. In fact, she does so today, rolling playfully over his front paws whilst he valiantly tried to groom her pelt at the risk of getting a paw to the face. Thriftfeather was probably wishing he'd chosen a moment where she was less alert, fresh from sleep, or ready to have a lengthy nap. Instead, he had caught her when she was full of energy, unable to sit still.

Eventually, Asterkit did settle a little bit and sat calmly whilst her father rasped his tongue over her head. Whether it was because she had tired herself out, or felt bad for kicking him around as though he were a glorified, immobile, moss ball, not even Asterkit could say. She might not have been moving around as much but Asterkit was still chattering away, regaling Thriftfeather with a rumour she had supposedly heard from one of the other kittens, who heard it from another kitten, who heard it from one of the queens. "Rosekit said that before you become an apprentice, you have to do a special assignment and that if you fail you have to stay in the nursery for another moon until you pass! That's not true is it?" Asterkit asked, looking up at Thriftfeather. "I don't want to stay in nursery another moon..."

@Thriftfeather ​

 

[Thriftfeather]

It is in these quiet moments that Thriftfeather remembers that he wouldn't trade this for anything. Asterkit has grown so much in the short moons that make up her life, and yet she is still that squirming thing that Thriftfeather had previously known, still so small and still so helpless in his mind. Eventually, she settles as much as a kit can be expected to settle, and her young voice washes over Thriftfeather as noise rather than information.

It isn't that Thriftfeather means to tune her out — he doesn't realize that he has until she's looking at him, expectant, and he is forced to trace his mind over the moments that had just passed.

"There isn't any assessment for kits, no," Spoken after a pause — there hadn't been an assessment when Thriftfeather had gone from kit to apprentice, but what if that was yet another thing that had changed in his absence? "When you are old enough — when that happens, Scorchstar will call everyone to a meeting. She'll give you a new name, and she'll give you a mentor to teach you everything, and everyone in WindClan will cheer your new name."

It won't be long — does Asterkit realize just how quickly these moons will pass them by? There is a spike of trepidation in Thriftfeather's gut; he is going to lose the comfort of knowing just where she is, where all of the litter is. He's been finished grooming Asterkit for some time, but she can stay as she is here, for at least a little longer.

"All you need to do is behave yourself, and show up for that meeting."​

WINDCLAN QUEEN ✦ GOLDEN TABBY TOM ✦ ✦ TAGS​

 

[Asterpaw]

For a moment, Asterkit thinks her father must not have heard her question, and prepares to tell him again when he answered her. It's good to know there was no assessment for the kits before they became apprentices. Ever since Rosekit had told her, she had been worried about one day failing them, of being forced to stay in the nursery whilst her littermates went on to become apprentices and explore the moors. "I'll be Asterpaw then..." She mews, somewhat mystified by this rapidly approaching moment. It both excites her and terrifies her; she is ready to explore the world, but not o keen to leave the comforts of the life she had known.

"What if I don't behave myself?" Asterkit asks, a playful twinge to her tone. "Will I still have to be Asterkit for another moon?" Despite her question, she very much doubts Bluefrost would allow her kits to miss out on their apprentice ceremony. If her mother had her way, which she definitely would, they would all be groomed and sat before the Tallrock before Scorchstar had even ascended it. "Papa, were you nervous when you became an apprentice?" She asks in a softer voice. Asterkit shuffled her front paws around, suddenly feeling shy. "Did you want to leave the nursery when you were our age?" It suddenly comes to her then that she doesn't;t really know much about her father's kithood and is suddenly intrigued to know what his answer might be, so that she could potentially dig for more information.​

 

[Thriftfeather]

It is the little wonders that soothe Thriftfeather. There wasn't enough space inbetween him being named Thriftkit and Thriftpaw for any kind of anticipation to grow. It had been nothing more than yet another change in a series of them, faced with apprehension and confusion. And yet Asterkit can murmur the name Asterpaw with all of the emotions one would expect of a kit. Warmth blossoms from the place in Thriftfeather's chest that has already been made its home.

"If you don't behave yourself," Thriftfeather matches Asterkit's tone — if any of his kits were to miss their first moon as an apprentice, Thriftfeather doubted it would be her, "It'll be an extra moon as Asterkit, and you'll spend that moon picking ticks off the elders."

Asterkit's voice eases as she asks about what is only natural for a kit to wonder about; Thriftfeather doesn't stiffen. It's such a small thing that Asterkit asks for, and yet Thriftfeather needs to swallow down the immediate instinct to snatch himself away, to redirect her to something other than back then.

"And I suppose you won't believe me if I told you I was born already a warrior?" Thriftfeather knows she won't. He speaks to fill the space, to allow himself a final reprieve before offering the only scraps he is willing to give.

"I was younger than — kits used to be made into apprentices on their third moon. I was younger than you are now," How strange it feels to admit. Thriftfeather rests his chin on Asterkit's shoulder, if only to tighten her to him, "And I was nervous but that's — I didn't have any siblings to be there with me. And once I got to know Gravelsnap, I wasn't so nervous anymore."

More reassurance than truth: Asterkit will get to be among her siblings, she'll get to know her mentor just as Thriftfeather had — the nerves will pass.​

WINDCLAN QUEEN ✦ GOLDEN TABBY TOM ✦ 22 MOONS ✦ TAGS​

 

[Asterpaw]

Much like Thriftfeather thought, Asterkit also found it unlikely she would be the one out of her siblings to potentially get held back another moon, if any. Still, it made for an interesting concept in her mind.

When he asks if she would believe him if he said he was born already a warrior, she lets out a shrill laugh but shakes her head all the same. "That's impossible!" A moment passes before he reveals more- not much on his behalf but enough to have Asterkit listening with interest. "You were only three moons when you became an apprentice?" She echoed in surprise. Had he not told her that all kits were apprenticed at that age, she might have been inclined to change her mind on him having been born a warrior. Her father alleviates her concerns about nerves with his words, explaining that whilst he had no siblings to grow and train alongside him, he didn't feel so nervous after he got to know his mentor more.

"I couldn't imagine being an apprentice at three moons," She tells him honestly. Asterkit had never known anything different, and StarClan willing she never would, but it was a strange concept to get her head around. She thinks of herself and her littermates at three moons and tries to picture them taking on warriors or older apprentices in battle. "You must have been very small." Not now though, she thinks. Despite his efforts to hide it, Thriftfeather was larger than most of the other warriors she knew. "Who do you think might be my mentor? Could you be my mentor?" Asterkit asks, trying to gauge his opinion on such a matter.​