The following moons, Blackheart spent as much time as possible with Aspenkit, but as time progressed, she found their relationship seemed to be just as strong, if not stronger when he spent time away from her, only joining her for one meal a day and always trying to bring her the largest piece of prey he could.

Aspenkit found herself spending nearly all her time with Icekit, and even curling closer to Hazelbreeze than she ever had to her own mother. Although she knew he would never take the place of her own siblings, and that she would never take the place of his own lost siblings, she found herself thinking of Icekit as a brother she had never had. The kind white and dark pointed kit with his gentle temperament began to instil a new sense of being cared for she'd never really felt with her own siblings. He never played as roughly with her as some of the other kits were wont to do but in a way that almost assured her that he would never ever want to hurt her.

She could understand completely where his kindness had come from. Hazelbreeze was a better foster mother than she could ever have hoped for. She was always watchful, but kept enough distance to let the kits be themselves and have fun together. Aspenkit wasn't entirely used to the feeling of being watched by a mother figure all the time but found a strange sense of comfort and security in it. When the kits ran to her, she greeted them with purrs and welcoming licks across their ears. At night, she would always prepare the nest while the kits were eating so that the freshest, springiest moss was waiting for them and when she could would pad it with feathers or sheep wool to make them even more cosy. Often, Ravencall would come to visit his mate and kit and when he did so, he would always include Aspenkit in his games, or when teaching how to do the hunters crouch. Before he left for the warriors den at night or for his duties, he would always touch noses tenderly with Hazelbreeze and nuzzle Icekit. After about half a moon of Aspenkit being with the family, he began to give her the same treatment as his own son. Somehow, Aspenkit had gone from having one parent to three.

With this newfound care from her clan mates, Aspenkit couldn't help but feel a little resentful towards her own mother. Silverstar had never had the time to watch them, or tried to make them more comfortable. In fact, in the last few moons, she hadn't come to visit her once, not even to thank Hazelbreeze for stepping in during the crisis.

The nursery was beginning to empty out. Mistkit and Dawnkit were now Mistpaw and Dawnpaw who had been apprenticed to Emberclaw and Featherflower respectively. Aspenkit couldn't help but wonder if it was their absence, or the changing weather that made the nursery seem colder.

When they could, Robinblaze and Creekshadow still tried to make a fuss of her. Robinblaze would often join in the games she and Icekit played. Creekshadow was far too sensible for kit games, Robinblaze often said, but she would often bring Aspenkit gifts from patrols, such as feathers and the first yellow leaf she found when the weather started to change. She one day approached the nursery, a green spiky ball clamped awkwardly in her jaws. She placed it down before Aspenkit, letting her snuffle at the green ball before stripping away the outer casing with her claws and presenting the shiny horse-chestnut inside.

As leaf-fall began, Aspenkit began to take notice of the way she was changing. Her legs were longer, her chest broader and her tail became more of a plume than the puff of fuzz it had been when she was younger. Her pelt was sleeker and thicker than the kitten fluff that had covered her before.

Maybe it was because Icekit reached the age of six moons and she had noticed similar changes on him. Aspenkit watched slightly enviously as Hazelbreeze groomed her kit fastidiously, making sure not a single strand of fur was out of place, which was difficult as Icekit's fur was so plush and fluffy that his pelt never lay flat. She couldn't help but wonder as the queen gazed at her son, pride shining in her eyes whether her own mother would look at her like that when she became an apprentice.

She felt her heart give a little squeeze. Of course she wouldn't. Silverstar didn't even want to look at her normally. Why would she look at her proudly?

Hazelbreeze sat back having spent the last few minutes trying to smooth down Icekit's tuft on the top of his head. It was finally lying flat. She puffed out her chest for a moment, pleased with her work. Aspenkit just flicked her ears towards her friend.

Under her breath, she muttered "Three, two, one." And the tuft flicked back up.

Hazelbreeze huffed crossly. "Why won't your pelt lie smooth? Just once, on your most important day could it just behave itself!"

Icekit drew a paw over his whiskers. "Surely the clan won't be too interested in my pelt, just how good a warrior I'll be. Why bother with my pelt?"

Aspenkit gave a little purr. Icekit was as black and white as his fur. It was one of the things she liked most about her denmate. Always optimistic and trying to reassure others, she just knew that he would be a fantastic apprentice. Her stomach gave a little twist. How much would being a moon behind change their friendship?

Hazelbreeze gave a little sigh. "I hope it thins out as you grow." She murmured. "You'll pick up so much debris in your coat."

Icekit stood up and went to shake his pelt out but stopped when his mother gave a little warning growl. He trotted up to her and pushed the top of his head against the underneath of her chin. "At least there's no danger of me freezing in leafbare." He mewed encouragingly and his mother gave a little snort of both frustration and reluctant laughter.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the high ledge."

Aspenkit leapt up as the summons rang out and gambolled around Icekit. "It's time! It's time!" she chirruped, almost as excited as if it were her own apprentice ceremony.

Icekit began towards the entrance, his eyes shining, then he hesitated, suddenly looking crestfallen. Aspenkit stopped, looking at her friend. He looked up at her. "What if my mentor doesn't like me?" he mewed. "What if I'm no good as an apprentice? Who will my mentor be?"

Aspenkit gently pressed her forehead against his. "You are going to be the best apprentice Thunderclan has ever seen." She mewed softly. "You're going to have the best time and get the best mentor."

Icekit's eye narrowed mutinously. "I hope I don't get Tigerfang." He muttered.

She drew back slightly. "What's wrong with Tigerfang?" murmured Aspenkit, immediately jumping to the defence of her uncle.

"Nothing, he's a great warrior." Mewed Icekit. "But I heard he was really hard on his previous apprentices. He worked Lionfall to exhaustion, and he's the reason Webeye is blind."

"He's only half blind." She mumbled thinking of the warrior's scarred eye.
"You're missing the point." Icekit lashed his tail. "What if I get a mentor like that who... who I can't be good enough for."

She tilted her head to one side, her heart going out to her foster brother. "Whatever mentor you get will only want the best for you." She said, trying to purr reassuringly. "If you and your mentor don't get on, I bet Silverstar would change them for you." In reality, she doubted that Silverstar would do such a thing, but she knew Icekit needed support and encouragement right now. "Besides." She touched her nose to his. "You'll always be good enough to me, even if no other cat sees it."

He blinked at her, his eyes warm. "I wish you were coming to the apprentice den with me." He mewed. "I feel like I'm going to need you."

"I'll be there soon." She promised. "Don't miss me too much ok?"

Hazelbreeze was stood at the entrance of the nursery. She looked back at the kits. "Come on, you don't want to be late to your own apprentice ceremony do you, Icekit?"

Icekit straightened up and bounded after his mother, Aspenkit close to his side. Outside, the rest of the clan had gathered, their eyes resting expectantly on the entrance of the nursery. Their gaze followed Icekit as he trotted forward, clearly trying to keep himself composed as he made his way to the front of the crowd and sat before Silverstar. Aspenkit stayed close to Hazelbreeze's side as Robinblaze and Creekshadow appeared on her other side.

"Hey Quietkit." Mewed Robinblaze, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at his little friend. "Be you soon, won't it?"

"About a moon." Whispered Aspenkit, glancing up at him. There was still no fur growing on the burnt patch on his back. She wondered whether it would ever grow there again, though she'd never say so to him.

"You're going to love it." He murmured. "It's the best time of your life! You'll never forget your first kill, or your first tree or the first time you get the hunters crouch just right without any prompting, or your first-"

"Shush!" hissed Creekshadow, cuffing her brother lightly over the ear. "You'll talk all through Icekit's ceremony."

Robinblaze winked at her, before straightening up and gazing towards Icekit, Aspenkit doing the same.

Silverstar was staring at Icekit, confusion shadowing her features. "Where is your denmate?" she asked curtly.

Aspenkit felt Hazelbreeze stiffen beside her. What was Silverstar doing? She was going to ruin the ceremony!

Icekit blinked at her. "I... my siblings..."

"No, no." snapped Silverstar, waving her tail dismissively and glaring around at the gathered cats. "Where is Aspenkit?"

A murmur ran around the cats as they turned to stare at where Aspenkit was sitting. For a moment, Aspenkit sat stunned. Was Silverstar taking time from Icekit's ceremony to scold her? How dare she.

Robinblaze gave her a gentle nudge with his paw, prompting her to her feet. "I'm here." She mewed in a tiny squeak.

Silverstar narrowed her eyes at her kit. "Well come forward." She mewed. "You're holding up the ceremony. Don't you want to be an apprentice?"

Her eyes widened in surprise and she heard Hazelbreeze beside her give a mixture of a gasp and a hiss. "But she's not six moons old." She murmured more to herself than to anyone else.

The surrounding cats parted to give her a clear path to the front of the crowd. They were all muttering again. As Aspenkit stepped forward, she felt their eyes burning her pelt, heard the muttering getting louder, their words ringing in her ears.
"She's not six moons old."
"Is this because she's Silverstar's daughter?"
"What is Silverstar doing?"

Ahead of her, Ravencall had approached Silverstar and was whispering something in her ear. She turned her gaze on him, her eyes blazing like fire. It was a look which chilled Aspenkit to her core. She felt a glow of admiration for Ravencall for not immediately flinching away from her.

She sat down beside Icekit, who looked at her questioningly. She shrugged at his unasked question. She didn't know why this was happening either.

Silverstar didn't seem to hear the clan's mutterings, raising her own voice above them. "Icekit." The black and white kit trembled slightly as she spoke. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Icepaw. Your mentor will be..." she paused for a moment, glancing around as though she had not thought this far ahead. "Plumblossom. I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you."

The black and ginger senior warrior looked startled. Aspenkit wondered whether she had been made aware of this before the ceremony was due to take place. Nevertheless, she stepped forward and stood beside the young tom.

"Plumblossom, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You received excellent training from Snowbush, and were an excellent mentor to Flowerfern. You have shown yourself to be innovative and brave You will be the mentor of Icepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."

Plumblossom faced her new apprentice and the two of them touched noses. The clan began to chant the new apprentice's name. "Icepaw, Icepaw."

Silverstar then turned her grey gaze onto her daughter, and Aspenkit was sure she saw a spark of disgust in her mother's eyes. "Aspenkit." Her voice was sharp and cold. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, your will be known as Aspenpaw."

Aspenpaw felt herself tense, as her mother scanned the crowd of cats. "Please someone nice." She felt herself whisper under her breath.

Finally, Silverstar's eyes settled on a cat. "Your mentor will be Tigerfang."

Aspenpaw felt her throat tighten in apprehension. There were several shocked mutterings around the gathered cats as Tigerfang stepped forward. A few glanced towards Lionfall and Webeye who were gazing between the huge tabby tom and the new apprentice in horror. For a moment, there was a flicker of surprise in Tigerfang's amber eye but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. As he stopped beside her, Aspenpaw suddenly realised what an intimidating warrior her uncle was. He was huge, a mountain of muscle, she barely came up to his shoulder. His strange, snarling jaw was set and his single eye flicked down at her before looking back up at his leader.

"Tigerfang." Silverstar resumed her speech, raising her voice so that the mutterings ceased. "You are ready to take on another apprentice. You have proven yourself brave and strong in the face of danger. I expect you to pass all you know on to Aspenpaw."

Tigerfang nodded slightly before lowering his huge head to meet Aspenpaw's. Up close, his face was far more disfigured than she had originally thought. The hollow socket where his eye had once been was hairless and scarred. His nose was crisscrossed with battle scars and one of his ears was shredded. She fought the urge to back away from him. His single eye was staring intently at her, as though daring her to say something about his appearance. She gave a tiny swallow before touching her nose to his. She paused, waiting for the clan to start calling her new name. Surely someone was happy that she was an apprentice. She glanced around the crowd of cats. Many of them were looking away awkwardly. Someone? Anyone?

"Aspenpaw!" cried the slightly squeaky voice near the front of the crowd. She glanced over at Icepaw, who had his head thrown back chanting her name. As though awoken from a stupor by the new apprentice, the other cats took up the call until the whole crowd of cats was calling her name. "Aspenpaw! Aspenpaw!"

As she looked around, she couldn't help but feel disheartened by the clear upset her apprentice ceremony seemed to have caused. Why had Silverstar done this?

She looked up at her mother, not sure what she was looking for in her face, some sort of explanation or some sort of malicious look... maybe even a flicker of pride in seeing her daughter become an apprentice.

But Silverstar wasn't even looking at her kit. Her cold, blank expression showed no answers as she gazed off into the distance. There was no shadow of interest in the ceremony anymore. Aspenpaw felt her heart sink. For the briefest of moments, she had dared to hope that maybe her mother still loved her. She could see now how foolish such a hope had been.

Tigerfang CTA Meadow Leon Flower (Super thank you)

A.N Creekshadow is owned by Hannah Rowe