Author's Note
My first Warriors fic, I really don't care if I get flamed or not. Also for the ceremonies, I took them straight from the wiki. Honestly though, I'm not quite sure when in the timeline this takes place, I know it takes place sometime in OotS. Uh, so read, enjoy, and review!
Chapter 1:
The rain, it just wouldn't ease up. Hazeltail sat in the nursery with the other queens as the sky continued to pour rain. She sat there miserably listening to the rain hitting the den. There was a leak somewhere and every now and then she could feel a drop of water hit her.
She was extremely close to her kitting, she could feel it. Jayfeather had come by that morning and checked on the kits' condition. He had said that she would probably be due today. That was at dawn, now it is just past sunhigh.
She sighed wishing for the moment that she could get out of this den and return to her warrior duties. Of course she wanted kits, but she was so bored. There just wasn't anything to do in the nursery. The only interesting things to do were to talk to the other queens or to converse with her mate who she hadn't seen since Jayfeather had checked her over. Where was Thornclaw anyway? He said he had to go on dawn patrol and then he would come right back to her.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. But before she could even call for Jayfeather he was there with his herbs. It was almost as if he could sense that her kitting was occurring before she did.
"There we go, now swallow this," Jayfeather said, getting her to eat the herbs he had brought her, Starclan knows he didn't want a she-cat to lose her kits while he was there. He had heard somewhere that Cinderpelt had felt distraught when she wasn't able to save a she-cat when she had kitted. It didn't sound like a very pleasant thing to think about so he focused on getting the kits out safely.
After what seemed like moons, Hazeltail had four kits nursing at her belly. Jayfeather gave a sigh of relief that he didn't have to go through a lot of trouble. He noticed there was proud gaze on his back. It was coming from Leafpool. "I don't need her affection!" he thought. Though he hadn't completely forgiven her for lying to him and his siblings, he wasn't outright hostile anymore.
Thornclaw had come in almost exactly when Hazeltail had finished kitting. Jayfeather looked at him suspiciously but didn't say anything. Hazeltail was describing her kits to Jayfeather but stopped when Thornclaw came in. Apparently, the litter was composed of two she-cats and two toms. The first tom was a golden tabby, like his father. The second was a gray tabby. One of the she-cats looked exactly like her mother, but the other struck Jayfeather as curious. She was a dark, gray tabby with a white left paw.
"What should we name them, Thornclaw?" she asked.
"Well, the first tom should be Goldenkit," he said, unable to think of a unique name. "The other tom can be Stonekit." He looked at the first she cat, the look-alike of her mother, "I like the name Dawnkit for her."
"I think we should name the last one Rainkit," Hazeltail said finally.
"Well, I think Hazeltail needs her rest, Thornclaw." Jayfeather said trying to get the warrior out so that the queens could go back to their napping. "Call me if you need anything, Hazeltail," Jayfeather called as the two toms padded out of the nursery.
As Jayfeather padded into his den, he dropped down on his nest, having grown tired from all of the excitement that the day had brought. Just today he had had two warriors with injuries, checking up on Briarlight, gathering herbs, and Hazeltail's kitting. He secretly wished that he had an apprentice. Briarlight and Brightheart were able to help out, but they weren't medicine cats. It were times like these that he wished Leafpool was back. He had more or less given up hope on her returning to her position as medicine cat. He had decided that he would take an apprentice, should a kit want to. But he had a long time to wait, so he decided that he would think these things over later as he dozed off.
When he awoke it was dark. "Oh wait, I'm blind," he thought to himself. He scented the air to find that it actually was night. Dustpelt was guarding the entrance. "I think I'll go for a stroll, I'm tired of being trapped in this hollow!" he yowled inwardly. He had gotten annoyed with being stuck here during the day.
He nodded to Dustpelt as he walked out, thankfully Dustpelt hadn't questioned where he was going. He trekked onward until he reached the lake. He shuddered as he thought of him almost drowning in the past. The water's pushing and pulling sounds lulled him into a sense of peace, though. "This is always the best place to just come and think," he thought to himself.
'Hunger' He stopped and thought for a minute. "That was weird, I got the sense of being hungry, but I'm not," he thought contemplatively. He sighed and started the long walk back to his den. When he got back to the entrance of the hollow he saw that Cloudtail had swapped positions with Dustpelt.
"What were you doing outside of camp?" Cloudtail asked.
"Walking, got a problem with it?" Jayfeather snapped at the senior warrior. Cloudtail fluffed up a bit but said nothing else. Jayfeather walked in and dropped into his nest. He sighed and went straight to sleep.
It had been about three or four moons since Hazeltail had kitted. Three of her kits were always bouncing around the nursery, but Rainkit didn't seem to be quite as energetic. She would actually sneak out and watch Jayfeather in the medicine cat den. He always noticed her but never said anything until she spoke.
"Hi, Jayfeather!" she said as she bounded into the medicine den. Her mother didn't know that she had left due to her taking a nap.
"Hello there, Rainkit, how are you doing today?" he queried, his whiskers twitching in amusement. He didn't like to be around kits most of the time, but Rainkit seemed different. She seemed much more mature and level headed.
"I'm good, but mother doesn't know I'm in here." she said as she ran up to him. She helped him sort herbs for most of the time that she was there. They would sit and talk about different things each day. Most of their conversations would start with simple questions about how they were doing, or about the weather. It would then turn into a deeper conversation where they would discuss stuff like being a medicine cat and the warrior code. Strangely enough, Jayfeather would never raise his voice much when Rainkit was around. Briarlight noticed it but when she asked him one day, her response was, "Get back to your exercises."
"So you sneak out every time you come here, what would your mother say? Leaving the nursery without permission could get you in trouble," Jayfeather said.
It's worth it to come in here and work with you." she said while sorting some juniper. Jayfeather silently thought over what she had said in his mind. She liked working in here, with him. "She just might be the apprentice I have been waiting for," he thought.
"Rainkit, how would you like to be a medicine cat, and work here with me?" he asked her.
"I think it would be fun!" was her only reply.
"You do know that medicine cats cannot take mates, and they must dedicate their lives to their work and to Starclan?" he asked, making sure she knew what she was getting herself into.
"I know, Jayfeather, I know." she said.
"Okay, I'll tell Firestar that you have chosen to be my apprentice. But, you should also tell your mother that you have been coming here."
"Why? She doesn't need to know?" Rainkit asked, wondering why she should get herself in trouble.
"Oh, but she does know. She knows that you've been sneaking out, she just doesn't know where. My advice to you is to tell her, you just might get into less trouble."
"oh okay, Jayfeather, if you say that I should," she said, shuffling her paws.
"Okay, now run along while I go and speak to Firestar."
"You are sure that she wants to be a medicine cat apprentice?" Firestar asked, eyeing Jayfeather.
"Yes, and I am sure that she will make an excellent medicine cat," Jayfeather staring blankly at Firestar.
"I trust your decision, I will let you have her as an apprentice."
"Thank you, Firestar, thank you," Jayfeather mewed as he dipped his head to his leader before leaving the den. He padded down and as he passed the nursery he heard Hazeltail call out for him. He padded inside to feel a slight amount of anger emanating from her.
"Yes, Hazeltail?" Jayfeather asked tentatively, hoping to not anger the queen.
"Rainkit says that she has been visiting the medicine den, is this true?"
"Uh, yeah she has been helping me sort herbs, she also asked if she could be my apprentice."
"Rainkit, are you sure that you want to be a medicine cat?" Hazeltail asked, concerned that her daughter wanted to follow the path of a medicine cat.
"Yes mother, Jayfeather said it was alright, and I really like helping him with herbs!" she mewed, trying to defend herself.
"Fine, fine," Hazeltail finally complied. "Kits these days."
"Okay, call me if you need anything." Jayfeather mewed, leaving the nursery and heading out of the hollow. The fresh grass felt great to his sore paws. Greenleaf scents were all over. He followed the scent of some horsetail until he reached the area where it grew. Picking a few stems, he padded off in the direction of the lake. Upon reaching the shore, he sat down his herbs and listened to the waves lazily lapping against the shore.
"It's nice outside today," he mewed to no one in particular. He felt the sun beating down on him and decided to head back to the hollow. He passed a patrol as he made his way through the forest. He could scent Lionblaze and Dovepaw with them. He waved his tail as he went by hoping they noticed him waving. He could feel Lionblaze's shock that Jayfeather was so cheerful today. He just purred to himself and passed through the barrier into the hollow. He dropped the herbs just inside of his den and fetched a piece of prey from the fresh kill pile. Prey was running well this Greenleaf.
He returned to his den, sorted his herbs and started on the vole that he had grabbed. It wouldn't be long until Rainkit and her siblings were apprenticed. As he sat there thinking about it, he suddenly realized, "I don't even know the medicine cat apprentice ceremony!" he mewed aloud. He quickly sensed around and gave a sigh of relief that no one had heard him. Briarlight was thankfully doing her exercises out in the hollow. He made a mental note to ask Leafpool how the ceremony went tomorrow before falling asleep.
It was the day of Rainkit and her siblings' apprentice ceremonies. Thankfully, Jayfeather had talked to Leafpool before and now knew how to perform the ceremony. "It would've been very embarrassing to go up there and not know what to say," he thought to himself quietly.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting."
Jayfeather climbed up behind Firestar so that he would be ready for when Rainkit was to be apprenticed. The four kits came out of the nursery and lined up in front of the Highledge. Firestar stepped forward and began the ceremony.
"Goldenkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw. I ask Starclan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."
"Thornclaw, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Mousefur, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Goldenpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Goldenpaw."
"Goldenpaw, Goldenpaw!" Goldenpaw touched noses with his father and they moved into the crowd.
"Stonekit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stonepaw. I ask Starclan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."
"Brackenfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Graystripe and I, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Stonepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Stonepaw."
"Stonepaw, Stonepaw!" Stonepaw and Brackenfur touched noses and also moved into the crowd.
"Dawnkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw. I ask Starclan to watch over you and guide you until you find in your paws the strength and courage of a warrior."
"Sandstorm, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Whitestorm, and you have shown yourself to be fierce and brave. You will be the mentor of Dawnpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Dawnpaw."
"Dawnpaw, Dawnpaw!" Sandstorm and Dawnpaw touched noses and moved to the front of the crowd.
"Now, I believe Jayfeather has something he wants to announce," Firestar mewed as he let Jayfeather step up.
"Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown a vast amount of knowledge for her young age. Your next medicine cat will be Rainpaw." Jayfeather mewed steadily.
"Rainpaw, do you accept to post of medicine cat?" Firestar asked.
"I-I do!" Rainpaw mewed.
"Then at the half-moon you must travel to the moonpool to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats," Jayfeather finished as he leapt down to his new apprentice.
"The good wishes of all Thunderclan go with you," Firestar said, wrapping up the ceremony.
As Jayfeather and Rainpaw touched noses, they could hear the chanting for the new medicine cat apprentice.
Later that evening, Jayfeather and Rainpaw padded into the medicine den. "You're going to want to fix yourself a nest." Jayfeather said, lying down in his. "The moss is over there."
Rainpaw gathered a couple of pawfuls of moss and situated her nest next to Jayfeather's. He didn't seem to mind as she slowly drifted off to sleep.
The trip to the moonpool took ages! Her paws were sore by the time they had met up with the other medicine cats.
"So Jayfeather, finally taking on an apprentice eh?" Willowshine mewed to him.
"Yeah, I like having the extra paws," he replied before they had arrived at the moonpool. "Now I have to do another ceremony," he thought grumpily.
"As you all know, I have decided to take an apprentice and must finish the ceremony, whatever," Jayfeather said hearing a few purrs of amusement from the other medicine cats.
"Rainpaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of Starclan as a medicine cat?"
"It is," Rainpaw mewed confidently.
"Then come forward."
"Warriors of Starclan, I present you with this apprentice. She has chosen the path of a medicine cat. Grant her your wisdom and insight so that she may understand your ways and heal her Clan in accordance with your will."
"You may now drink from the moonpool and speak to Starclan," Jayfeather said after finishing the ceremony.
Rainpaw nodded as she settled down on the stone and lapped up a few drops of the starry water. As she lie there, she realized that the real world was slipping away. After a few moments she saw something, but it was not what she had expected.
"What in Starclan?" she asked frightened by what she saw before her.
Did you see that coming? I did, because I am frigging tired... I stayed up till 3:00 am just typing this stuff up off the top of my head...
Welp, hope you read, enjoyed, and reviewed! *Rainstar*