Chapter Two
The silver tabby tom-kit arched his back in a stretch, and he flinched away when a tongue rasped across his ruffled, unkempt fur. "I can clean myself, thank you," he muttered, licking his fur hurriedly. His paws itched to get out of the nursery for once, and he almost leaped out of the queens' den with ecstasy. Today was the day when he would be joining the apprentices' den!
Hollowkit rushed out of the apprentices' den, but a firm jaw bit down on his tail. He yelped in pain, tearing his tail away from the feline. He turned to Wolfspirit, hissing slightly. "You could have just told me to slow down, you know," he spat at his father, his tail lashing with irritation.
Wolfspirit practically rolled his amber eyes, snorting in disgust. "Yeah, right," he rebuked, "I'm pretty sure every feline here knows that newly-made apprentices won't do what they are told." Hollowkit's father padded away, brushing his tail across the kit's face while doing so.
The silver tabby padded to the front of the camp, his ears burning hot with embarrassment. Not to mention, he was seething with animosity towards his father. Why did Wolfspirit always have to be so pompous and aggressive? Hollowkit seated himself beside his sister, Swankit, and he noticed how unkempt she looked. The silver tabby tom-kit swallowed uncomfortably, for it seemed strange that his sister's fur was a mess. Usually her fur appeared sleak and well cared for.
Hollowkit bent over to smooth his sister's fur down, his pink tongue rasping across the white she-kit's once-sleak fur. "You would never hear the end of it if Wolfspirit and Silvermist saw you like this," he whispered into her ear, half-jesting. Of course, their parents would be furious.
Swankit did not pull away from her brother; in fact, she seemed to enjoy the feeling of Hollowkit's small tongue rasping across her pelt. She gazed out into the distance, watching cats from her Clan gather around the Sheer Edge. She flicked her tail at Hollowkit. "Our clanmates will be watching," she muttered, indicating for him to stop smoothing her fur down.
Hollowkit backed away from his sister as she shrugged him off, and he could not help but notice how solemn and distant she looked. Hollowkit felt a pang of sympathy for her, since he wanted her to become a medicine cat apprentice as well. However, their parents would never allow that. Sometimes he hated being the favored child, for he knew that Swankit was always envious of him.
Featherstar passed them, not even saying a word to them. She padded as close as she could to the cliff's edge, making sure to keep her claws dug into the cold stone beneath her paws. She gazed down at the gathered felines, and a proud light seemed to shine in her eyes. "Cats of HorizonClan, I have called you here for an important meeting. This day marks the cycle of each cat's life. Today, two kits shall become apprentices. Swankit and Hollowkit, born to Wolfspirit and Silvermist, do you swear by the oath of AuroraClan that you will follow the code set before you?"
Hollowkit dipped his head in reply, noticing Swankit doing the same. Perhaps she was accepting her fate now. Still, he wished he could see her become a medicine cat apprentice one day. "I do," he replied, making sure he was loud and clear so the other felines could hear him agree to the oath.
Featherstar stepped closer to them, twitching her tail and gazing down at them. "Goatfrost, I am aware that your brother, Lynxjaw, has already received an apprentice. I would like you to pass on everything you have learned to this young apprentice, now named Hollowpaw."
The voices rang out across the mountain, shouting the newly-made apprentice's name. Wolfspirit and Silvermist were among the first felines to call out Hollowpaw's new name, and the apprentices soon picked up the chant. The chant seemed to course through the gathered felines like a rippling wave, echoing throughout the mountain.
Featherstar turned to Swankit, her eyes becoming sullen and remorseful. "Wolfspirit, I notice that you have requested to teach this new apprentice, Swanpaw, yourself. Very well, you can mentor her. You told me that you wanted to watch her progress, and I agreed to your request. You shall be her mentor."
Swanpaw froze in place, glaring up at Wolfspirit as he padded close to her. Their gazes seemed to lock, and they exchanged fierce, defiant expressions. Of course, Wolfspirit was the senior feline in the quarrel. Swanpaw would not have a chance if she began to argue with Wolfspirit. She touched noses with him reluctantly, casting a helpless gaze over at Hollowpaw.
Hollowpaw dipped his head, glaring down at his paws. He could not stand to see his sister like this. What was the point in arguing, though? Featherstar had made up her mind. Swanpaw would become a warrior apprentice, no matter what. Hollowpaw knew his dream of being a warrior apprentice had been fulfilled, but he wanted to see his sister's dream fulfilled. Would that ever become possible?
Goatfrost padded over to Hollowpaw, jolting the silver tabby out of his thoughts. The massive, silver tom-cat with white paws and tufted ears smiled down at the young apprentice. "I'm glad to have an apprentice now," he purred, touching noses with Hollowpaw. "Lynxjaw already has an apprentice. He's had Palepaw for a few moons now. It's hard for me to ignore the jealousy."
Hollowpaw cringed, remembering how Swanpaw had ignored him when they had been kits of only a few moons. Had she been seething with the envy Goatfrost felt? Hollowpaw glanced into his mentor's warm, blue eyes, his pelt prickling. The warrior's eyes seem to hold kindness within them, but there was something else deep inside those sapphire depths. Hollowpaw could not place it, though.
Goatfrost signaled with his tail for Hollowpaw to follow him. The massive tom-cat padded over to the apprentices' den, which was a small cave den with a few ice crystals clinging to it. "This is the apprentices' den, Hollowpaw. You'll be sleeping here with Cranepaw, Palepaw, Scorchpaw, and Swanpaw. I'll warn you now that it can get quite cold in the apprentices' den," the warrior explained, twitching his tufted ears in amusement.
Hollowpaw bounded after Goatfrost as the warrior padded over to a silver tabby with tufted ears and the same blue eyes. Sitting beside the silver tabby warrior was a fawn-colored Siamese she-cat. Hollowpaw stayed behind Goatfrost as they padded up to the two felines. He recognized them as Lynxjaw and Palepaw.
Goatfrost purred as he touched noses with Lynxjaw. "I'm glad we can teach our apprentices together now," he meowed, a purr rumbling in his throat. "Would you like to come with Hollowpaw and me? I'm showing this new apprentice the territory of HorizonClan. I need you with me, since you are an excellent climber."
Lynxjaw heaved himself up, not appearing nearly as excited as his apprentice, Palepaw, who had leaped from her sitting position. "I was planning to go out on a border patrol with Palepaw anyway," he responded, a flicker of respect in his eyes. Apparently the two brothers were practically inseperable.
Hollowpaw followed the two warriors out of the camp, sticking close to Palepaw. He realized how elegantly she moved through the snow dappling the mountains, as if it was not a problem for her. Perhaps it wasn't, for all apprentices were taught how to glide through the snow of the mountains. Gazing at Palepaw, Hollowpaw did not realize how close he was to the edge. He felt his paws slip out from under him, and he crashed into the smooth stone beneath his paws. His hind legs dangled off of the cliff's edge, but his forepaws were placed firmly on the jagged surface of the stone.
Palepaw glanced back, fear glistening in her blue eyes as she realized Hollowpaw's predicament. "Lynxjaw, Goatfrost!" she yowled, beckoning them back with her tail. She crouched beside Hollowpaw, her warm breath billowing his neck fur. "Stay still, Hollowpaw. I'll get you to safety." Her jaws clamped around his scruff, and she began heaving him up.
Another jaw clamped itself around his scruff, and Hollowpaw realized that Goatfrost was hovering above him as well. As he was dragged to the mountain's rocky surface, he felt his paws hit the cold ground of the mountain. Hollowpaw stifled a relieved sigh, shaking pure-white snow from his pelt. "Thank you, Palepaw and Goatfrost," he meowed, knowing that he would have fallen if they had not been there. Then again, he probably wouldn't have gotten himself into that mess if he had not been staring at Palepaw.
Palepaw brushed her flank up against his, an amused purr rumbling in her throat. "Why weren't you named Fallpaw? You seem to be falling a lot," she jested, flicking her tail across his nose as she trotted over to stand beside her mentor, Lynxjaw. She cast another glance at Hollowpaw, amusement flickering in her blue eyes.
Hollowpaw felt hot under his silver tabby fur, and he followed the group more slowly after that. His paws felt sore from walking so far. He had never been out of the camp, and the rough rock against his pawpads felt odd and uncomfortable. He crashed into Palepaw, not noticing that the felines had stopped.
Goatfrost hissed under his breath, sniffing at a scrap of fur that was clinging to a thistle bush. "BarrenClan have been hunting in our territory again," he spat, his eyes blazing with fury. "When will those trespassers learn to stop? They've been causing trouble with all of the Clans!"
Lynxjaw bounded over to stand beside his brother, his tufted ears flat against his skull. His blue eyes were narrowed into cold slits, examining the tuft of fur. "Next time I see them, they won't have any fur to leave behind!" he snapped, his hackles rising. "Prey is scarce in leafbare already. We don't need BarrenClan stealing all of our prey!"
Goatfrost turned to Hollowpaw, his tail lashing. "Come over here and sniff this fur," he demanded, fury glistening in his eyes. "I want you to remember this scent, for you shall one day be spilling their blood. You will certainly be smelling a lot of them, and their stench is the most awful I've ever smelled. Even wolverine smells better than those disgraces!"
Hollowpaw pushed his way through the cats, tasting the air around the fur. He recoiled in disgust, his fur rippling at the acrid stench that filled his jaws and his nostrils. What was that repugnant scent on the fur? "They smell awful!" he hissed, licking his jaws a few times to make sure the scent was gone from his jaws.
Palepaw's lithe form took a few steps to stand beside Hollowpaw, and her ears twitched as she looked down at the dark fur. "Lynxjaw, do you think there will be another border fight between HorizonClan and BarrenClan?" she meowed, her voice suddenly becoming distraught.
Lynxjaw's gaze softened as he noticed Palepaw standing beside Hollowpaw. "I don't know, Palepaw." He dipped his head, his eyes growing as cold as ice. "I do know, however, that this is the beginning of the worst in this war. We'll have to watch our backs for those scheming vermin."
Goatfrost pushed his way through the three felines, his eyes showing no expression now. He glanced back at them, twitching his tail to signal for them to follow. "Come on, you three. We should be heading back for the camp now; it's almost sunset now. If we wait any longer, we'll miss the last scraps freshkill on the pile."
