Sorry about any grammer or spelling mistakes, I kind of rushed. Reviews are awesome! so keep that in mind. :P
Airpaw bounded up to her new mentor, Iceclaw. "So what are we going to do first?"
"Well, I decided that since no one is cleaning the elders' den and it hasn't been cleaned for a quarter moon, that you will clean it." Airpaw's heart fell to her paws. "Can't we do something fun? Like tour the forest with Drippaw and Blossommoon?"
"No. Go clean the den. You can get moss from the medicine den. When you're done, you can check the elders for fleas and ticks, so ask Whitewillow for some mouse bile."
Airpaw reluctantly shuffled away, muttering to herself. She entered the elders den, and only Mintheart was in there, her tortoishelled flank rising and falling with sleep. I'll do her nest later. No use in waking her up. She cleaned out all of the soiled bedding into a pile near the den. When she was done with that, she took it and dropped it in the forest. On her way back into the camp, she stopped at Whitewillow's den for the moss.
"Hi Airpaw! How is you first day as an apprentice?" Meowed a very excited Shadepaw. "Mine is going so well! I already have my nest set up next to Whitewillow's and she showed me the best place to get catmint, since leaf-bare is coming. When we took some back, I almost chewed on a leaf because it smells so good, but I didn't because every leaf is precious." Shadepaw finished, panting a little bit.
"Wow. Sounds like your first day is going well. I'm cleaning out the elders den, then I get to search them for fleas and ticks. But anyway, I need some moss."
"Okay. It's right through there." Shadepaw replied, flicking her smoky tail.
Airpaw entered the den to find a little pool in one of the corners, surrounded by a large stock of moss. Whitewillow's scent mixed with herbs drifted from a tunnel, next to her and Shadepaw's nest. She gathered a large moss ball and carried it back to the elders den. By the time Airpaw got back, the other two elders, Sparrowtail and Dustclaw, returned.
"Thank goodness your back! I came and wanted to take a nap but my nest wasn't there!" complained Sparrowtail, the oldest of all the elders. Mintheart was also awake now, so when Airpaw finished setting up the new nests, she cleaned Mintheart's and brought in some more new moss. "Okay, now I have to check you for fleas and ticks."
"Wow first day, and you already have to groom us! That Iceclaw sure is a strict mentor. Well, go and get some mouse bile from Whitewillow, I don't want any tick heads stuck on me."
"Whitewillow!" Called Airpaw "I need some mouse bile!"
"Oh perfect! Shadepaw come here! This is something that you will need to know." Whitewillow called. "It is a very common skill. Airpaw, can you get a mouse from the fresh-kill pile?"
"Sure" When she came back, Whitewillow had finished extracting it from another mouse and gave it to Airpaw. "Okay, that's how you do it! Now you can try on this mouse, Shadepaw" Meowed Whitewillow, Gesturing to the small mouse Airpaw brought. Airpaw left her sister and took the foul bile-soaked moss.
Back at the elders den, she started going through Dustclaw's fur. As she crunched a flea with her teeth, Sparrowtail somehow got on the topic of Firestar, one of the old and legendary leaders. "Can you tell me the story of Firestar?" Asked Airpaw. "I've never heard it before."
"Okay, if you want. Firestar, he was a great cat. His coat was like a flame in the sun, and he is legendary, of course. He was a kittypet until he was six moons old, but was invited into the clan by Bluestar. Which of his stories would you like to hear about the most?"
" Oh, er, the one about the cats from the Dark Forest."
"Well, me, being this old, remember the story quite well. My mothers mother actually fought in it. She was also a spy for the living cats. Her name was Ivypool. But her story is for another day. Anyway, Firestar's old enemy, Tigerstar, was leading the cats of the Dark Forest against the clan cats and Starclan. They had recruited some cats from around the lake, but most of the living cats were still loyal to their clans. Firestar got a prophecy that said "There will be three, kin of your kin, who hold the power of the starts in their paws." He thought that the three were his daughter's, Leafpool, three kits, but he was wrong. Leafpool's three kits were Hollyleaf, Jayfeather, and Lionblaze, But only two, Lionblaze and Jayfeather were in the prophecy. The third cat was Dovewing, his nephew's daughter's daughter. Dovewing's sister was Ivypool, but I never met her. She died giving birth to her only litter of kits."
" Anyway, Dovewing, Lionblaze, and Jayfeather were the Three. But Firestar got another prophecy. I don't remember the exact words, but it was about three becoming four. Ivypool was the Four. She was being trained in the Dark Forest, and became a spy for the clans. During the actual battle, she had to face cats she was training with. Firestar, being the main enemy of the leader of the Dark Forest, was in the last battle. It was Hawkfrost fighting Ivypool. Tigerstar came in to finish her, but Firestar sacrificed himself, losing his last life. Then Brambleclaw, the deputy and also the son of Tigerstar, became the new leader. Thunderclan lost many good cats that day. There was Firestar, Hollyleaf, Ferncloud, and Mousefur, who all willingly died to protect their clan. I don't know all the cats in the other clans that died that day, but it was one of the only times the clans remember fighting together, besides the battle with Scourge, in which the clans were also united by Firestar. He was a great leader and left many stories, but that was Firestar's last battle."
"Wow. That was a great story"
"Get yourself some fresh-kill, you worked hard today. But don't lick your paws, wash them in a puddle or stream." With that, Airpaw turned and headed out of the den.
Once she washed her paws, she spotted Shadepaw and Creekpaw eating by the apprentices den. She grabbed a thrush and joined them. "So how was your fist day as an apprentice?" Creekpaw asked. "Iceclaw had her cleaning and grooming the elders all day." Replied Shadepaw. "Tough luck. His apprentice usually gets that task the most often. But don't worry" he leaned in and whispered to Airpaw "They get a lot more training. Ravencry was his apprentice to. She was drilled all day and night, and is now the best hunter in the clan, and one of the best fighters."
"Oh boy. So my mentor is one of those."
"Yeah. I guess so. Hey, when do you think Twig and Lilac will become official warriors? Acornnose and Nutpelt just became warriors. If their kits are warriors, they should be to." "Yeah. What do you think a good name will be for them? I think Twigpelt. But I can't think of a good one for Lilac. Maybe Lilacheart or Lilacstorm." Airpaw mewed.
"I think maybe Twig could be Twigclaw. Sounds dangerous." Shadepaw put in.
"I think that it will be Twigpelt. The name just flows nicer then Twigclaw." Creekpaw said.
"Here comes Drippaw!" Airpaw said, motioning for him to join them.
"Hey. You'll never believe what I got to do today! Blossommoon is the best mentor. She me to the lake, then to the Windclan border, since we already saw the Shadowclan border. Then, she showed me the training hollow, and she showed me a basic move. I have more training then you! But what did you do?" He asked Airpaw.
"Iceclaw had her taking care of the elders." Whispered Creekpaw.
"Wow, you guys really don't like me answering do you?" Meowed Airpaw, a little annoyed. If everyone was just going to laugh at her, then she would just go to sleep! She got up and stalked into the den. Leafpaw motioned her to two new nests. She circled one of them, sat down and closed her eyes. At least I'm an apprentice now, she thought. And with that, she fell into a dark, dreamless sleep.
Airpaw awoke to Iceclaw calling her. She stretched and got out of her nest. Once outside, the cold dawn air of late leaf-fall stung her nose as she met him by the entrance.
"Today," he said, turning around, "I am going to teach you how to climb. Before you list reasons you can't, you can. So lets go." He turned and whisked away, leaving Airpaw to chase his icy tail.