"May all cats old enough to catch their prey gather around the Dust Rock!"
Just as the morning sun peeked over the high expanse of rock that served as the Rainclan camp, a sturdy cat stood on top of a large, flat rock. His thick fur couldn't hide the muscle definition of his form, rippling with every move he made. Everything about him was powerful, from the way his ears were pricked forward to the gleam of his dark eyes to the way his tail was held out behind him. His pelt was a dark brown, almost black, with tints of a dark reddish color in it. He stood, still as the stone around him, waiting.
As soon as his voice finished echoing off the rocks, cats of all shapes and colors emerged from concealed caves, blinking the last traces of sleep from their eyes. Battle-scarred, hardened warriors padded briskly over, while smaller, fluffier apprentices stumbled out uncertainly, murmuring softly to their comrades.
The cats formed a loose semicircle around the rock, leaving plenty of room for the large cat standing on top. He watched the clan assembling with an air of superiority, his eyes calculating everything and missing nothing. He was a hawk, inspecting the clan for any sign of weakness or vulnerability. When, at last, the clearing was full of cats, he spoke again.
"Rainclan, we are gathered here today to celebrate the next step to becoming a warrior." He paused, eyes glittering as they searched the soul of every cat present. "It is time that two kits are given this honor." Again, his eyes searched the gathered cats. This time, they paused on a set of tiny ones. "Bluekit, please step forward."
Bluekit stood, fur fluffed up in excitement. She had a blue-gray pelt that was covered in darker blue patches with light blue marks that traveled up three of her legs, her back left paw, her belly and neck, and finally stretching across her face. She had bright blue eyes as well; shining like someone ripped a few stars from the sky and sprinkled them in her eyes.
The long-furred kit bounded up towards the larger tom, hardly able to contain her excitement. The tom only watched her, dark eyes following her every move.
"Bluekit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Her mentor will be Reedstripe. Reedstripe, please step forward."
A senior warrior stood, padding forward towards Dust Rock calmly. His pelt was a medium brown with a darker brown tabby running inside. His front right paw was a lighter brown color, a stark contrast to the rest of him. His eyes were a light amber-brown, portraying little emotion as he joined Bluekit and the tom on Dust Rock.
"Reedstripe, you have mentored several cats to great warriors before. You are a powerful warrior and are feared on the battlefield by the other clans." He paused, turning to Bluekit, dwarfed by the other toms.
"Bluekit, do you promise to do your best to learn and understand everything Reedstripe has to teach you?"
"I do," Bluekit squeaked.
"Reedstripe, do you promise to teach Bluekit to the best of your ability, the warrior code and the skills she will need to become a great warrior?"
"I do," Reedstripe said solemnly.
"Then by the power invested in my by Starclan, I, Darkstar of Rainclan, appoint Bluekit as an apprentice, now Bluepaw. Reedstripe, I hope you will pass down your strength and knowledge to Bluepaw."
Reedstripe turned to his new apprentice. Bluepaw flicked her tail, stretching herself up to reach Reedstripe. The powerful tom bent down, nose touching Bluepaw's. Darkstar nodded, dragging his tail in the white, powdery dust that covered Dust Rock. He flicked his tail in the new mentor and apprentice's direction, covering them in a fine layer of dust.
Darkstar turned back towards the clan, eyes searching the crowd once more. "Redkit, please step forward."
A bouncy kit bolted upright, bounding towards Dust Rock, unable to contain her excitement. Her pelt, a pretty red color with patches of darker and lighter red, was mussed up. The kit paid it no mind, her light red tips to her paws extending halfway up her back legs and stopping at the paws on the front. Her green eyes, full of mischief and fun, stood in stark contrast to her sister's gentle blue ones. Darkstar masked his look of disapproval at the kit's behavior as she clambered up the rock.
"Redkit has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Her mentor will be Smokewind. Smokewind, please step forward."
A young warrior quickly hid the look of surprise on his face as he stood to approach Darkstar and Redkit. He had smoke-gray fur, interrupted only by his light gray front paws and muzzle. His brown eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"Smokewind, you are a young warrior. Redkit will be your first apprentice. You are quick both with your paws and with your mind."
Turning to Redkit, he said, "Redkit, do you promise to do your best to learn and understand everything that Smokewind has to teach you?"
"I do!" Redkit cried.
"Smokewind, do you promise to teach Redkit, to the best of your ability, the warrior code and the skills she will need to become a great warrior?"
"I do," replied Smokewind nervously.
"Then by the power in me by Starclan, I, Darkstar of Rainclan, appoint Redkit as an apprentice, now Redpaw. Smokewind, I hope you will pass down you speed and intelligence to Redpaw."
Redpaw didn't miss a beat as she hopped up to meet Smokewind's nose. The warrior didn't have time to react as a shower of fine dust covered them both.
"Bluepaw!"
"Redpaw!"
"Bluepaw!"
"Redpaw!"
The clan cheered for the new apprentices, under the watchful eye of Darkstar. Bluepaw stood next to Reedstripe, awed and humbled by the clan's acceptance and the realization of how drastically her life was about to change.
Redpaw felt so such thing as she puffed her chest out with pride, basking in the glory of being the clan's focus at the moment. She hardly glanced at Smokewind as she met the eye of every cat below her. For a brief second, gone so fast it was hardly there, she felt like Redstar, the leader she knew she was destined to become. And then the moment passed, and Darkstar raised his tail for silence.
"May Starclan watch over these apprentices, and over all of Rainclan. This concludes this morning's ceremony." He turned and leapt down from Dust Rock, powerful haunches rippling with muscle.
Redpaw and Smokewind and Bluepaw and Reedstripe hesitated a moment longer, allowing the clan to shout their last congratulations before Reedstripe lead the charge in exiting. Bluepaw followed closely, eager to impress her mentor.
Smokewind followed, pausing to make sure his apprentice was following. She wasn't.
"Redpaw, it's time to leave."
"Just a minute. I wanna enjoy this," she said back, smiling at the clan as they padded away. She couldn't hear the whispers from her perch.
"That Redpaw, so much spunk! I love it!"
"Yes, but she has to learn to be disciplined. Warriors can't just go running about anywhere."
"She'll never learn to contain herself. Look at the way she's acting now!"
"Not true! Every new apprentice deserves her day!"
"She's taking it too far!"
"Her energy will make her a great warrior someday, when she's learned the way a warrior behaves."
"Either way, Smokewind has his work cut out for him."
"He can do it."
"Maybe."
Redpaw soaked up the final rays of attention from the clan before hopping down off the rock after Smokewind. She bounced alongside him, getting underpaw and asking questions about her new role as an apprentice.
"So… what are we planning to do now?"
"Are we gonna go tour the territory?"
"How 'bout battle training? Teach me some battle moves!"
Smokewind cast Redpaw a brown-eyed glance, his brow furrowed in concern.
"I was thinking that you and I could take a trip around the territory today, and then you can, uh, build your nest and stuff. How does that sound?"
"Great!" Redpaw said enthusiastically. She bounced ahead of him, tail flicking back and forth happily. "Can Bluepaw come along?"
"Uh, I was actually thinking that it would be just you and me, y'know, to get to know each other?"
Redpaw nodded, half-listening. She watched, fascinated, as Darkstar assigned the patrols with the deputy, Leafpelt. Groups of warriors trotted out of the camp, laughing and joking with each other. Apprentices tagged along behind their mentors, often in a group of their own.
"Redpaw, are you listening to me?" Smokewind cried, exasperated.
Wrenching her gaze away, Redpaw fixed her emerald orbs on Smokewind. The tom tried to give her a stern look, but even he knew that he didn't have it in him. He turned away from her, watching the last dawn patrol depart for their various activities, from hunting to border patrol to training. He hesitated a moment, then beckoned Redpaw with his tail, padding towards the exit tunnel.
The red patched apprentice bounded after him, fluffy pelt even more mussed up than before. Smokewind crouched down, slim frame squeezing through the tunnel with practiced ease. Redpaw bounced at his heels, following him through. She didn't have to duck like he did, her size serving her well as she pushed forward eagerly.
After what felt like eons, Redpaw emerged from the dark tunnel to the dappling light from the dappling forest around her. The sun shone gently through the leafy canopy above her head, the soft light warming her fur and giving everything a magical quality. She unsheathed her claws and ran them though the soft earth beneath her paws, so different from the gritty sand that made up the floor of the camp. Emerald eyes wide, she watched a bird flit through the trees. Its song sparked something within her, and she had a desire to chase the blue bird. Instead, she turned around to examine the tunnel behind her. Reinforced with brambles, the camp was hidden from sight.
Focusing back on the new world she found herself in, Redpaw, inhaled deeply. The air was cleaner outside than inside, sweeter somehow. The delicious scent of prey combined with all the different plants around to create a scent that was both familiar and brand new. Redpaw felt, deep in her bones, that she had smelled it before. The delectable smell accompanied any cat coming in from outside, but it was something more than that. I belong here.
She stood, basking in the overload on her senses, silent for once in her life. Gradually, everything faded away as she closed her eyes and breathed. The sweet air flooded her lungs, and her ears twitched with every little sound. The scuffle of prey in the bushes. The rustle of wind in the leaves. That same wind caught a bit of her fur, trying to take her fur with it on its long journey, tugging at her so gently that Redpaw hardly noticed. Even the wind was different outside. Inside, the wind whistled lifelessly throughout the camp, picking up the gritty sand and throwing it in the kit's eyes. Warriors didn't notice, because the wind hardly ever got strong enough to throw that much sand that high, but the kits did notice. The sand stung their eyes and noses, embedding itself in their pelts.
Out here, the wind was wild and free, gentle and stormy, calm and playful all at once. A shiver of happiness ran down Redpaw's spine, sending chills throughout her whole body. She turned around, looking into Smokewind's brown eyes. His eyebrows were arched, eyes twinkling with amusement. He grinned when he saw her looking at him.
"Breathtaking, huh?"
Redpaw nodded, only then realizing that she had been holding her breath as though she thought she could forever preserve the wonder of this moment within her earthly body.
Smokewind purred. "How does seeing the rest of the territory sound?"