Secrets of the Clan

Songkit sat next to Tinystar on the Highbranch. "Songkit, you have reached the age of six moons," Tinystar said, "and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Songpaw. Your mentor will be Dappledwing. I hope Dappledwing will pass down all she knows to you. Dappledwing, you have received excellent training from Deathwhisper, and you have shown yourself to be considerate and brave, and I expect you to pass on everything you know to Songpaw." Songpaw touched noses with Dappledwing. "Songpaw! Songpaw!," they all yowled, and Songpaw felt a small feeling of pride. "Meeting dismissed," Tinystar mewed.

Songpaw walked over to Dappledwing. "Can we go now?" she asked. Dappledwing nodded, and they left camp. Spottedwing stopped at Skyoak. "This," Dappledwing said, "is the Skyoak." Dappledwing leapt onto a low branch, and said, "Come on, Songpaw. Climb it."

Songpaw hopped from branch to branch, and ended up on the tenth branch from the top. She didn't dare look down, until Blazepaw approached the Skyoak. She looked at him, careful not to let her eyes wander passed her new friend. Blazepaw hopped onto the branch below her. "You're a natural at climbing!" he exclaimed. "If those foxes ever raided us, you could climb up a tree before they bite your tail off!" She said amused, "You really think so?" "Yep," Blazepaw said. "I was afraid to go this high when I was your age, but I'm not anymore!"

Songpaw leaped to the highest branch, which ended up being the thinnest. "Are you afraid to do this?" she asked, eyes gleaming with amusement. Blazepaw followed her, and the branch wobbled. They both fell to the ground, getting scratched and beaten by branches as they fell. "Blazepaw, Songpaw!" Dappledwing yowled. Songpaw grunted to show that she was alive. Dappledwing ran back to camp and got Deathwhisper, and they carried their apprentices back to camp when they got to the Skyoak.

Dappledwing carried Songpaw to the Apprentice's den and put her in a nest. Deathwisper started lecturing Blazepaw. "Blazepaw, you should have known you couldn't balance on that branch! You're getting too big to balance on thin branches!" Blazepaw looked at the ground. "I know," he mumbled. "I just thought I could possibly have her and I balance." Turtlepaw came up to Blazepaw and asked, "Are you okay? I heard you almost fell from Skyoak!" Blazepaw nodded silently.

The next day, Songpaw went out to hunt. She came back with two squirrels. "Nice," Turtlepaw said, "But too bad you couldn't catch five squirrels and a sparrow!" Songpaw glared at her and shouted, "I'll show you, stupid furball!" and ran back out into the forest.

Blazepaw walked by her while coming back to camp after hunting, and froze for a second. He then continued to walk into camp.

Songpaw sniffed at a badger set she found. The scent is fresh, she thought. She turned toward camp to return her findings, but then...

she realized that a badger was staring right at her!