The new BlazeClan leader (OPEN)

[Lightning]

The golden kit bounded out of the small opening of the nursery, a long line of dried grass intertwined with brambles. She gave her shoulder a subconscious lick, remembering her mother’s story about how the golden kit had received a bad scar from those innocent-looking thorns.

A small gust of wind buffeted the small she-kit with a familiar scent.
Rainpaw? The name slipped her mind momentarily until a sleek tabby she-cat rounded the corner, bigger than any apprentice could ever be.
“Rainpelt!”

A tiny voice called out from behind Lightningkit, Brackenkit had his head up, looking much livelier than he did a few minutes before.
“Hiya Rainpelt!”
The fluffy she-cat padded a few feet forward, stopping as she reached the gray warrior.

”You’re big…” She mewed in awe, trotting around the warrior with her large ears pricked forward.
“You could take down a badger!”

Brackenkit scoffed at his sister’s comment.
“Rainpelt could take a monster down with one paw tied behind her back!”
Lightningkit narrowed her eyes and pointedly stuck her tongue out at her tabby brother but Goldenspirit intervened before the duo could pounce on each other.

“You don’t even know what a monster or a badger is.” The golden she-cat purred as the two kits began to protest.
“We do know!”
“Yeah, you told us about them!”

Goldenspirit shook her head. “Yes, I told you about them. Until you see one with your own eyes, don’t say anything just yet.”

Lightningkit glanced at her paws before gazing up at the warrior once more.
“You could take Dragonclaw with one paw!”
Brackenkit nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah! You could shove a hedgehog up his nose!”

Lightningkit let out a small mrrow of laughter which then turned into a squeal as her older brother leapt atop his littermate and batted her ears playfully.
“Stupid furball!”

The golden she-kit used her hindlegs to kick the tom back off, before turning to the gray she-cat with wide eyes.
“Can you show us some battle moves?” She flexed her small claws, narrowing her eyes.
“I want to be able to stop any Stormclan cat who tries to stray over our territory!”

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[Rainpelt]

When the kits recognised her, Rainpelt was overjoyed. They were so energetic and so keen. It reminded her of her own kithood. All those tiny adventures which had been so exciting, but seemed slightly insignificant looking back, considering everything that she now knew. The world was so big when you were new to it. It seemed that the limits of the camp were the ends of the earth. Then it became the boundary of the territory- then of all the territorys. It got bigger and bigger the further you walked. One day these kits would realise this.

She purred with amusement as they were amazed with her size and all the things they beleived she could do single-pawed. Maybe she might be able to take a badger herself, but it's better with others to keep the badger distracted. And to take Dragonclaw- perhaps they hadn't seen that warrior lately.

They begged her to teach them battle moves and she was pleased with thier enthusiasm. She kindly obliged. "Okay heres an easy one." She crouched to the ground then dashed forward, diving under an invisible enemy and slashing her paws out to leave clawmarks on thier legs. She twisted in a flash and straightened up to smile at the kits. "Good for a large or long-legged enemy," She receited, "Now you try."

[Lightning]

Lightningkit breathed in deeply, puffing out her small golden chest and crouching down steeply, her tail raised as her lower body rose awkwardly. Leaping foward, Lightningkit found her balance by flattening her ears out to the sides and shifted her weight back to her hind legs, lowering her rump and striking out with her brown fore paw.
"Awsome!" She exclaimed, flipping around quickly and sitting up straight.
"Lemme try!"

Brackenkit continued to pad foward slowly, his rear high in the air, just like his sister's but unfortunatly the tabby tom didn't regain his balance and ended up falling over his front paws as he dashed foward, tumbling over in the dust.
"Fox-dung!"

Goldenspirit purred once before yawning.
"I'm going to have a quick nap, If you're okay with my kits Rainpelt?"

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[Rainpelt]

Purring in amusement, Rainpelt replied to Goldenspirit, "Oh yeah! That's no problem at all." She was pleased that she could spend some time with the kits, getting to know them better. They were so happy and contented kits. Nothing would faze Lightningkit and nothing could be a problem from Brackenkit. They would both make excellent apprentices. Maybe she should put them through their paces to see what they are made. "Have you seen the whole camp yet?" She asked them, a hint of a sparkle in her eye.

[Falcon]

Falconkit and Adderkit bounded out of the nursery together (because apparently they were frozen in time ) and approached the others. "We'll help show them around!" Adderkit squeaked, eager to try and become an idol for the younger cats. The two toms were approaching their second moon now, so by now they knew the camp quite well. Falconkit wasn't leaving without his own say in the matter. "Yeah, please let us help you Rainpelt!" The ginger kit pleaded, his round green eyes gazing up at her, waiting for approval.

[Rainpelt]

Rainpelt paused to purposefully pretend to think long and hard, "Hmmmm," She pondered, "It's a matter between yes and no. . . well okay then, why not?" She fondly nudged Falconkit and Adderkit's flanks' with the tiniest of pushes. "And I have an idea how we can do this! Our guides, Falconkit and Adderkit shall show us the way to the apprentices's den!"

They all padded over to the Apprentices's den with five paw sets of rhythm- 4 light and soundless, 1 somewhat louder. "Here is your next step up in the camp, where you sleep every night after taking the name, "paw", and having a warrior teach you all they know." She presumed they already knew most of this but she was enjoying the commentary she provided. "Your mentor will train you in the ways of a Warrior: how to hunt and find food for your Clan; how to fight to defend yourself and the Clan; how to use your senses to be accompilshed in these things, and finally; how to respect and earn the respect of your fellow Warriors. They will be your guide and support through your "paw" moons, but also be a friend. You never forget what they teach you." For a moment she was lost in the memory of her own mentor, Rivermoss, who even didn't mind the water. Rainpelt had learned how to swim and even enjoyed it sometimes, on hot Leaf-green days.

[Lightning]

Lightningkit paused by the entrance and sniffed it warily.
"Will we fit?" She queired, poking her head through the entrance and letting outa sigh of relief as the den opened out to the sides.

Brackenkit nudged his sister aside and peered in also, ignoring the hiss of annoyance from the golden she-cat.
"I wan't to stay in the nursery..."
He murmured, shuffling back to sit awkwardly beside Rainpelt.

Lightningkit lt out a squeal of disbelief.
"What? How could you not want to be an apprentice?"
Brackenkit shrugged. "I do want to be an apprentice, I just want to stay in the nursery!"[/color]

The blue-eyed kit rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"You'll get too fat for the nursery mouse-brain!"
Brackenkit pouted and fluffed his fur in defence.

"Will not!"
"Will too!"

[Rainpelt]

Rainpelt quickly stepped forward as the kits started bickering. She put a paw in between them and murmured, "Woah! Steady on you guys. Let's take you to the Warriors den." Without giving them a chance to reply she turned and bounded over to the Warriors den in a few strides and halted a few tail-lengths from the entrance.

She waited patiently there and once the kits had caught up she crouched next to them and spoke softly, "Try not to make any noise, there may still be some cats in there from night guard or early patrol." She took a deep breath in and all the scents of the Warriors wafted over her scent glands, stale and fresh. She indicated to the kits to copy her then went on, "After you have completed your apprenticeship you shall be giving a Warrior name. The night of your ceremony you will have to guard the camp in a silent vigil- you cannot talk until the sun is above the trees. Then you will sleep here. You can go on patrols without an older cat to watch you and might even get to lead one yourself. Also, you could get your own apprentice! And don't worry, you still have the support of the Clan if you are in need of it." She turned and pointed with her tail to the elders den, "That is where we are heading next. Adderkit? Falconkit?"

[Lightning]

Lightningkit narrowed her blue eyes and stuck her tail up stubbornly in Brackenkit's face before trotting alongside Rainpelt.
The tabby tom huffed before following, letting his shoulders relax and his fluffed out fur settle along his spine.

The golden she-kit flattened her ears back against her small had at Rainpelt's words.
"Dragonclaw in other words..." She whispered to her brother who, unwillingly, began to purr in amusement.
"Nah, He's just grumpy all the time!"
Lightningkit Mrrrowed in reply before leaping over a fallen stem of a dead plant as they all padded along the sandy path towards the elder's den.

Sniffing the air, Lightningkit wrinkled her nose in digust.
"What's that smell?"

[Rainpelt]

The scent of the medicine cats mouse bile drifted from the Elders den, strong and bitter. It made the air chokey but Rainpelt could only chuckle. Grumbling apprentices voices could be heard above the gossiping of the oldest cats in the Clan. They sounded like they were muttering complaints about not being out hunting.

"That," began Rainpelt, "is the mouse-bile that we use to easily rid the elders of their ticks. The stuff is foul, yes, but it is a very quick way of removing ticks. When you use it you must be careful not to lick your dirtied paws as you would taste it for many sun-rises." She poked her head inside and nodded politely to the cats who resided inside and to the two apprentices who returned the gesture then continued with their work. She allowed the kits to look inside and, as Lightningkit and Brackenkit had never met them before, meet those who had long served their Clan and were now resting under deep respect from their Clan.