Oakclan
Book 1: Gingerpaw's Trials
Warning: This is an OC story so I own all of the cats…. Yep that's about it.
A white tom with a gray stripe down his back perched on top of a rock in the middle of the clearing, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath High Rock for a Clan meeting."
He had barely shouted, but from all corners of the clearing came cats of different colors and sizes. A brown tabby pushed through the crowd followed by a light ginger kit, who both sat at the bottom of the High Rock.
"What's going on?" Runepaw, a gray cat with white markings, whispered, "Why did Hawkstar call a meeting?"
"Hush," Foxtail hissed at her apprentice, "The Ceremony is about to start!"
Runepaw snapped her mouth shut and sat next to the fox pelt warrior. Hawkstar bounded down the High Rock and sat next to the small ginger tabby, "Today, we welcome Gingerpaw, Rosetail's daughter, as an apprentice to Oakclan."
A murmur of approval drifted through the group of cats as Rosetail, the brown tabby lifted her head with pride, while Gingerpaw ducked her head shyly. Hawkstar gently prodded her forward.
"Stormpelt," He flicked his tail in the direction of the other gray and white tom, "A few moons ago, both you and Foxtail were made warriors. Now it is time for you to take Gingerpaw as your apprentice."
Another murmur ripped through the crowd, this one of excitement as Stormpelt stepped forward to accept his apprentice. The two touched noses and then the mentor led Gingerpaw away.
Foxtail nudged Runepaw, "You should go welcome your new roommate."
"Right!" She bounded away. Situated to the left of the High Rock and pushed under a bush was a thick, sturdy log that the apprentices used as their den. Standing at the entrance were two young toms, one with long golden fur and the other, white with ginger spots, "Hey Lionpaw, hey Sunpaw! Did you see the Ceremony?"
Sunpaw lashed his tail back and forth, "No, we were on a hunting trip with Adderbite," He sighed and added, "We didn't even catch anything!"
"So who's the new apprentice?" Lionpaw asked, curious.
At that time, Gingerpaw walked forward, "H-Hi,"
"Gingerpaw!" Runepaw chirped and touched noses with her, "Congratulations!"
"Hello Gingerpaw," Lionpaw greeted politely, "So you're the new apprentice huh?"
"Looks kinda scrawny to me," Sunpaw muttered.
Gingerpaw ducked her hair as Runepaw playfully hit her friend on the head, "Be nice!" She scolded, "It's not like you were any better," She turned to Gingerpaw, "Come on, I'll help you gather moss for your nest."
The two cats set off, heading for the entrance. Sunpaw licked the fur on his shoulder, "I was not that small when I was made an apprentice," He said finally.
"Sure you weren't," Lionpaw chuckled, amused.
/\_/\
A little while later, Gingerpaw and Runepaw trotted through the camp, carrying mouthfuls of moss towards the den. The older cat showed her new friend how to arrange the moss into a nest next to her own.
Finally, Gingerpaw sat down with a sigh," I like it in here, it's very quiet. In the nursery the kits can be so loud!"
Runepaw wrinkled her nose, "Don't get too comfortable; pretty soon Lionpaw will come in smelling like fox dung. Toms, I swear, they don't know proper hygiene."
"I heard that!" Came a yowl from outside.
The gray cat prodded Gingerpaw, "Let's go get something to eat; I heard that Brightpelt and Quickstep brought back a lot of food today!"
The two headed for the fresh kill pile in the clearing. Foxtail was waiting for them there, "Good afternoon," She greeted them, "Have you been helping Gingerpaw settle in, Runepaw?"
"Yep! Can we train together tomorrow?" She asked excitedly.
Her mentor laughed softly, "I think Stormpelt is going to show Gingerpaw the borderlines tomorrow."
Runepaw sighed and lowered her head, "Aw…"
"Maybe we can train the next day," Gingerpaw suggested.
Her friend nodded her head in agreement, "Okay!"
Runepaw picked up a vole for the two to share and they headed back to the den. Sunpaw was stretched out before the den, purring contently to himself. His nose twitched as they approached, "Bring any vole for me?"
"Get you own, you lazy bum," Runepaw teased, setting the meal down as Gingerpaw came up behind her.
Sunpaw groaned as they dug in and lazily rolled over, "But the fresh kill pile is so far away…. And I don't want to get up," He moaned.
Runepaw swallowed the last morsel and leapt on him, "May Starclan help us if you become a Warrior!" She yowled in his ear.
Sunpaw playfully kicked at her with his hind legs, "I'll have you know, I'm going to be the best warrior there ever was!"
"See what I have to put up with?" Lionpaw sighed, plopping down next to Gingerpaw.
She curled her tail around her paws and eyed the duo rolling around on the ground, "It must be… interesting."
"Yep," He agreed," But it's especially fun to join in!" The cat leapt in to the fray.
"Ouch! Lionpaw sheath your claws, that hurts!"
"Oh, quit being such a baby, act like a tom!"
"A tom!? I'll show you both tom!"
"Yeow!"
Gingerpaw purred in amusement as her new friends play fought. She wanted so badly to join in, but she knew that she wouldn't stand a chance against them, with their moons of training. But one day… her fur tingled with anticipation. One day, she would become a warrior and be just as strong as them!
From a distance Stormpelt watched the young tabby interact with her new roommates and smiled to himself.