Chapter 2: Apprenticeship
Thunder could not believe that they had already forgotten about their father. Fire owed his life to Cloudstorm for saving him. Only three sunrises in the clan and they had already made new friends. Most of the apprentices made some rude remarks to them but they figured that it would stop eventually. Fire would always be by Thunder's side to snarl at the apprentices, and for that Thunder was grateful.
Wolfpaw, a newly made apprentice, would always tease Thunder about them not having a permanent place in Thunderclan. Fire was always hanging around in the medicine cat's den, sticking his nose in the leaf wraps and asking Amberheart, the medicine cat, about everything.
"Let every cat old enough to catch their own prey stand beneath the high rock for a clan meeting!" Lionstar's voice reverberated throughout the camp.
Before long, every cat had gathered around him and Thunder watched curiously from the nursery. "What's happening?" She asked Featherflame nervously. "Are we going to get kicked out? Can we stay? Will Lionstar-" She rambled on, panicking slightly. Featherflame chuckled cheerfully and nuzzled her ear fondly. "No, Thunder. Quick, make yourself presentable. Fire! Do the same!"
Thunder swallowed anxiously and stared at Featherflame in confusion. "Why?" Featherflame just smiled and cocked her head to one side, waiting. Thunder shrugged and started licking her chest fur. Fire followed suit. They barely had enough time to prepare themselves when Lionstar spoke.
"Bluefang, you are an intelligent and loyal warrior," Lionstar meowed. "I know that you will do your best to pass on these qualities to Thunder." Bluefang rose to her paws, her eyes shining. "I'll do my best, Lionstar," she promised, beaming with pride. Thunder was pushed forward to stand under the high rock. Lionstar leaped down and looked at her warmly. His tattoo glowed.
"Thunder," the clan leader meowed, "Do you accept the post of apprentice to Bluefang?" Thunder did not hesitate to breathe out a yes. "Then from this moment on you shall be known as Thunderpaw." A twinkle of light sparkled and spiraled over to settle on her shoulder, marking her as a 'paw. Thunderpaw scampered over to Bluefang with wide, excited eyes and touched noses with her. "Thank you!" She cried gratefully. Bluefang smiled, "For what?" Thunderpaw replied, "Most cats wouldn't want to be my mentor..."
"Oh, Thunderpaw! You have the potential to be a skillful warrior! I am honored to be your mentor; Trust me."
Thunderpaw gave a happy bounce on her paws as her clan mates called out, "Thunderpaw! Thunderpaw!" Then she settled down beside her mentor and looked over to her brother. Compared to how unwilling he was to settle in the clan, he looked a lot happier and more so excited that he could burst now.
"Eaglewing! You are a strong and dedicated warrior. I trust you to pass on these qualities to Fire," Lionstar meowed. Eaglewing's eyes shone with pride. "I will, Lionstar!" She promised. Fire scampered over to the high rock. Lionstar continued, "Fire, do you accept to be Eaglewing's apprentice?" Fire's chest puffed out and he meowed, "Yes!" Lionstar raised his head, "Then from now on you shall be known as Firepaw." A tattoo appeared on his shoulder, but it looked slightly faded.
As if it was not going to last long.
"Firepaw! Firepaw!" His clan mates cried as he touched noses with his mentor.
When the ceremony was over, the siblings bounded to Lionstar and chorused gratefully, "Thank you, Lionstar!" Lionstar smiled broadly, his eyes glowing. There was a questioning glint in his eyes that Thunderpaw did not miss. "For letting us stay in the clan, to be an apprentice. You are the best, Lionstar!" She explained.
Lionstar replied, "You have potential to be great warriors. Any cat would be a fool not to see that. Starclan must really be feeling generous when they sent you to us!" Thunderpaw frowned. "What's Starclan?" She mewed. Firepaw looked just as clueless. Lionstar waved his tail to his den behind the high rock. They entered and settled down comfortably.
"Starclan are basically our ancestors, from all clans. In Starclan, there are no battles, prey will never run out, and it will never be dark there. It's all rainbows and sunshine. That's how we know our clan mates will be happy there."
Thunderpaw breathed out an excited 'wow'. Firepaw looked surprised that such a place even existed. "I want to visit that place! Will I go there someday?" Thunderpaw squealed. Lionstar's eyes darkened slightly, but he covered it up with a laugh. "Of course, if you behave. Some cats that disobey the warrior code will end up in the Place of No Stars. If you go to the elders, they can tell you some stories."
Thunderpaw shuddered at the name. Place of No Stars? What a creepy name! Firepaw looked as if he was deep in thought. Then Thunderpaw thanked Lionstar and nudged Firepaw. "Come on! I wanna hear some stories! Bye, Lionstar!"
As the two lively apprentices bounded away to the elder's den, Lionstar wondered whether he had done a mistake by bringing them into the clan. Remembering the dream from the night before, he growled lowly. Spottedleaf had come to see him, her eyes wide and distraught as she muttered the words of the prophecy.
"Four will rise in a sea of red, the wolf will cry, a guardian will fall. Thunder will strike and fire will burn. Dread the darkness as the waters churn."
Lionstar had consulted in his medicine cat, Amberleaf, and she had had the same dream when she visited the moon rock a few sunrises ago.
"Yellowfang had told me to beware of the two cats who might lead to the destruction of Thunderclan, but she did not specify who. But I did get a glimpse of two kits growing bigger and fiercer until they were like lions! Then a wave of blood swept over them and I woke up. What is happening, Lionstar? Is Thunderclan in danger?" Amberleaf had said.
Lionstar could only shrug then. "I didn't get a vision, but Spottedleaf did tell me this…" He recited the words of the prophecy and Amberleaf's eyes grew darker at each phrase. Her tail was stiff as she stood up and mewed, "Don't you think this is getting weird? I mean, three sunrises ago two kits were captured into the camp. Do you think…?"
Her question trailed off. Lionstar shared a horrified glance with his medicine cat. She was too young to understand, he had thought earlier. But now he realized he was wrong, and there was another question to consider. The question was clear; the answer was not.
Could Thunderpaw and Firepaw lead to the destruction of Thunderclan?