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"Shouldn't he have opened his eyes by now?"
The kit squirmed in confusion, eyes tight shut and as small as a young rabbit.
"Hush, Luna. He's a day old! Let him take his time. No one can choose when he's ready except him," the kit's mother snapped at the arguing cat.
"I don't blame him, it's just that my kits opened their eyes as soon as they were born!" Luna replied.
Another cat's voice butted in. "Here we go again, Luna. Will you stop bragging about your own kits and give this one some time? Not every kit has to be as fast as yours."
The kit heard a snort from Luna. "The little one looks as weird as a cat could get, anyway."
The kit twitched his nose in interest. I'm weird? I wonder how. "Just look at him! He's a freak!" Luna hissed.
"You want to come here and say that to my face?! Call my kit a freak one more time. Go on, say it! I want to know if I heard it right. Wait, no, don't say it. I don't want to hear it, Luna! You have no right to say my kit's weird. He's special. I don't know if your kits are," the kit's mother retorted protectively.
"I'm sorry, Uraza. Truly. I won't argue with you."
The kit sniffed for his mother's scent, wriggling for comfort. He will open his eyes in his own time. Yes, in my own time. He let out a silent mew, then relaxed and went to sleep.
"Get up, No-Name!" A paw prodded the kit in the flank, and he squeaked in protest. He recognized who woke him by scent.
Rapier!
His brother nipped his ear playfully. "Come on, let's go and play! Uraza won't let me take a paw outside until you're ready," he said.
Rapier had already opened his eyes, and he was up and ready to explore.
The kit heard Georgia and Milk play-fighting outside. "You be the mouse, I'll be the Sleek Runner."
"No, I'm the Sleek Runner!"
"Look, you be the mouse this time, I'll be the mouse next time. Deal?"
"Fine. But I bet you won't catch me!"
"Don't act like a No-Name! I'm coming for you, little mouse!"
The kit pricked his ears in excitement. Sleek Runner! I'm going to be a Sleek Runner! With an excited shiver, he blinked open his eyes. As he adjusted to the dim daylight creaking in through the den entrance, he looked around to see Rapier gaping at him.
"You've opened your eyes--and they're weird!" he exclaimed.
The kit cocked his head in wonder. How, though? Why do they keep saying I'm . . . weird? Just exactly how weird am I?
He twisted around to look at his pelt. It was odd, a black pelt, a white streak running along his flank to the base of his tail, which was all white, white hind paws and soles, front paws white and black legs, white chest, black belly, tufts of white at his shoulders.
He turned back to his brother. "Wow! I am weird! And . . ." The not-yet-named kit examined Rapier. "Wow! You're weird, too!"
Rapier also had a black coat but no white streak at the top. He had a dark gray underbelly and his tail was a pattern of black and white. He had amber eyes and white dots below them. He had a white under-muzzle and a gray-black upper nose. He had white hind paws as well. The oddest thing about him was his front legs. They were all white, running down to the tips of his paws. On them were black dots, giving it a pattern.
Rapier smiled. "I guess I'm not the only weird one. You and I, we'll make a great team in the future."
Before the kit could reply, big paws stomped toward them. In three heartbeats, the kit and Rapier were face-to-face with their mother, Uraza.
"Just what are you kits up to?" she asked. Then she turned and looked at the not-yet-named kit. "Oh, Spirits! You've opened your eyes! And they're special! Your brother isn't the only one, after all."
She turned around and faced Luna. "See? He opened his eyes in his own time," she said, her head held high.
Luna grunted. "I knew he would, it's just that mine opened them sooner."
Uraza scoffed and turned back to look at the both of them. “Well, what are you waiting for? You can go outside now.”
Rapier and the kit bounced on their paws. “Really? Really?” Rapier squeaked.
“Of course. Just don’t forget to tell Sleek to have your naming ceremony, kit. Go on, now. Go explore. Or do you want me to come with you?” She sat down on her haunches with a sarcastic gleam in her eyes.
“No! We can do it ourselves, thanks,” the kit squealed. “Ok, then,” Uraza chuckled. “Just remember to stick together, don’t get under any cat’s paws, and don’t act like a poor mouse!” Their mother stalked away into the den.
“Come on, brother! Let’s go!” They raced out of the den and were greeted by the blinding light of the Sun-Cat. They both stopped for a moment and shielded their eyes as they watered in protest. 394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpgPDADGcm
Rapier shook out his pelt and nudged the kit. “Come on. The Sun-Cat can’t hurt us here.”
As they trodded the camp, the kit looked at every single leaf in awe. The Sleek was so big. As he sniffed at a branch, something caught the corner of his eye.
It was a pile of prey.
“The prey-stash!” He mewed, bounding toward it.
“Wait, kit! Don’t-”
It was too late.
He couldn’t stop his momentum, crashing head-in-tail in the middle of the pile. He thudded to the ground, in shock, and then felt something heavy land on him. He was being attacked by dead prey! He yelped and squirmed underneath the animals, but couldn’t shake them off.
He began to panic. Can’t breathe! Going to suffocate . . . I can’t die by prey! No! He was about to pass out of panic and shock, when something pushed the prey aside, grabbed his scruff, and hauled him out.
Two strange cats stood before him. Once they set him down, they broke into laughter. “A kit being attacked by squirrels and mice? Ha! That’s hilarious! Kit, how did you get yourself into that kind of mess?” one asked.
The no-name looked at the ground, his pelt burning with humiliation as he felt the stares of the cats in the Sleek looking at him, laughing at him.
“I- I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking, I got too excited. I crashed into the pile- and they fell on me. Forgive me.” Ears pinned back to his head, he braced himself for another outburst. And it came.
“Ha! Kit, in order to be a Sleek Runner, you need to be the one to catch the prey. Not the prey catch you. Anyway, I’ve never seen you two around here. What are your names?”
That was when Rapier butted in. “I’m Rapier, and this is my brother. He doesn’t have a name yet. He just opened his eyes. We’ve only been outside the Kit Den for a few moments. I’m sorry for his mistake. If you let us pass, we’ll be on our way. We also need to speak to Sleek for his name.” 394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyyhFSI4KYM
The kit cast a grateful-annoyed look. Rapier had spoken up for him, but he made it sound as if it was all his fault. It was he who begged the kit to open his eyes in the first place so they could go outside!
“You don’t have a name? Well, then. I’m Quir, and he’s Yadda. We can take you to Sleek if you’d like. She’s in her den.” 394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtv7sgCG3qt
The kit brightened, looking up at Quir. “Yes, please! I want my naming ceremony!” he yelped.
Quir smiled and flicked his tail for the kits to follow. They padded toward Sleek’s den, the kit losing its humiliation in place of excitement. Then they reached the entrance.
“Hello, Trew! This is our newest kit, and he doesn’t have a name. If you excuse us, could you let them pass so they can talk to Sleek? I’m just escorting them here,” Quir asked politely to Trew, one of the Sleek Guarders. He just dipped his head. “Enter,” he grunted. Quir pushed them forward with his tail, and the kits walked inside the den.
It was lined with flowers and offerings, obviously an important den. The kit was extra cautious not to step on any flowers. He didn’t dare want Sleek to be mad at him during their first meeting. It was a long den, a cave, probably in its past times, and it was a surprisingly tiring walk to just see Sleek. They both kept walking, though, admiring the delicate decorations and juicy prey offerings for just one cat. No, not just a cat. The leader of the Sleek! They needed to show as much respect as possible to this cat.
“This is beyond respect,” the kit murmured to his brother. Rapier nodded in nervous agreement. Then, he stopped in his tracks and whispered, “There she is!”
Sleek was in her nest of a soft, flower-lined moss den, sitting on her haunches like she was expecting them.
“Greetings, little ones. I have heard you want your Naming ceremony?” She spoke in a soft, calming voice that made every hair on the kit’s pelt flatten.
“How . . . how did you know?” he asked in surprise, though respectfully, bowing down.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL7NcUHevO
Sleek’s eyes filled with amusement. “Kit, I have ears, you know. I can hear everything that’s going on in the camp. Well, do you agree on the risk that you take? Your Sleekmates will be able to choose your name. Whatever name gets the most agreement on, you will be that name. Even if it’s a name you don’t want. I want you to fully understand what comes with this ceremony,” she said.
The kit nodded. “I understand, Sleek. I really do.” 394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2hglXhLazh
Sleek purred. “Come on, then.”
She padded toward him and picked him up by the scruff. The kit shrunk inside. I’m being carried by Sleek! Be careful, kit. He stood perfectly still, while Rapier trodded beside them, casting an amused glance at him.394Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGp3RiBidb0
“As a tradition, the not-yet-named kit gets to be carried by Sleek to the Sleekrock. Then you get to stay on the rock while Sleek heads down into the crowd. You will get to sit upon a brown rabbit skin and sit on the Sleekrock while the Sleekmates choose your name. It’s so fun!” he squeaked.
Finally, they reached the den entrance, and Trew immediately bowed. “Trew, fetch a brown rabbit, please,” Sleek meowed through the kit’s fur. Trew raced into the den and returned with a shady brown rabbit, dead, of course. Sleek nodded and walked up the Sleekrock. Then she set him down beside him.
“I summon the Sleek to the Sleekrock. Proceed to your places below. We have a ceremony to attend,” she said in a booming voice. The cats gathered and immediately sat down in their spots, listening. And then, as Trew put the rabbit down, Sleek placed a paw on it, and sank her teeth into its underbelly, ripping it clean. She tore the pelt off, and three cats came forward to discard the bones and meat to be buried.
“As tradition, we do not eat the brown rabbit. It is to be used for the ceremony only,” Sleek told the kit as she read his confusion.
He held his head high, sitting on the fur as Sleek finished her job and placed it at the peak of the rock. She hopped down, taking her place outside her den.
“You may now choose the kit’s name.”
The kit scanned the cats eagerly, waiting for them to choose.
They hesitated for quite some time, and then finally, Luna spoke up.
“Weird! His name should be Weird!"
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