Shadepaw lay outside the apprentices den, sunning her black and white fur in the new-leaf warmth. She recalled the events of last night, when her littermate Silkkit had been made the medicine cat apprentice, Silkpaw. Shadepaw had felt the pride rise up in her chest as if it had been her and Rustpaw's naming ceremony, which had occurred about a moon before. Her brother lay beside her now, taking advantage of the midday sun before afternoon training began.
The bushes rustled behind her and she sprang to her paws to see Fempaw pushing herself through the folds of bracken that enclosed the apprentice's den. She stretched, saw Shadepaw watching her and padded over to the younger apprentice.
"It's my last training session today," she mewed. "Fallenstar is going to make me and Ratpaw warriors at sundown."
"That's great," Shadepaw purred, pressing herself against her friend.
Fempaw flicked her tail onto Shadepaw's shoulder, meowing, "Of course, Ratpaw's all serious about it." She did an impression of her brother, strutting stiffly around. "But I know he's just as excited as I am."
Shadepaw let out a mrrow of laughter and turned around to see her mentor Shrewfur looking at her quizzically. She said a hasty goodbye to Fempaw and trotted over to the tomcat.
"You should not make impressions of your elders, Shadepaw," he mewed warningly.
"Oh come on Shrewfur, don't be angry with me. Me and Fempaw were just having a bit of fun and it's not as if Ratpaw is an elder. He isn't even a warrior."
"He soon will be," said Shrewfur. "And if you ever want to be in the same position as him, you're going to have to up your game!"
Shadepaw stood up straight, suddenly serious. The thought of being an apprentice forever did not appeal to her. "I'm sorry Shrewfur. What will we be doing in training today?"
Her mentor flicked his tail over her shoulder. "Now that's the attitude we need. We're going to go with Flamefur and Daisypelt to practice your fighting moves against Shadowpaw and Rustpaw. I expect only the best standards from such an agile cat like you."
"You don't have to worry, Shrewfur. I'll make you the proudest mentor in the whole wide world. I promise."
"Good," mewed Shrewfur and he started to pad toward the hollowed out tree trunk that led out of the camp. With an excited jump, Shadepaw followed him.
Shadepaw crouched on the sandy ground of the training hollow, watching her brother's lean shape weave before her eyes. The fighting session had gone well for her, the upmost high being when she had sent Shadowpaw flying into some gorse bushes at the side of the hollow. The black she-cat was standing at the side of the hollow now, watching the action carefully.
As she watched Rustpaw's paws, she felt the heat of Shrewfur's amber gaze bearing down on her back. She knew that he would be so happy with her if she could win this fight. She was distracted from her thoughts by Rustpaw leaping at her. The attack had come out of nowhere but still Shadepaw was ready. She flipped over onto her back and pushed her paws up on her brother's belly, throwing him to the ground. She quickly was on her feet and dashed across to him, pinning him down.
"And so the great warrior has fallen," she whispered in her brother's ear.
"Yeah I suppose I have," mewed Rustpaw. "That was a good move. You so have to teach me it!"
"Well I could, but at what price? A mouse, a sparro..."
She was cut short by a cat crashing into her back. She twisted to see Shadowpaw, clinging to her fur. Letting go of Rustpaw, she rolled onto her back, crushing the black apprentice under her weight. Shadepaw struggled free, only to be barrelled over by Rustpaw. Brother and sister rolled about on the floor, battering each other with sheathed claws. Then Shadowpaw leaped into the fray and all three apprentices collapsed in a panting heap, yowling in laughter.
Shadepaw jumped lightly to her paws and turned around to see Rustpaw and Shadowpaw struggling to untangle themselves.
"Oops sorry." That was Shadowpaw.
"It's ok. If I can just slip out here..."
They wriggled against each other and then, briefly, their noses touched. Shadowpaw gasped in surprise and Rustpaw looked acutely embarrassed. He opened his mouth as if to say something but then shut it again and stared at Shadowpaw, as if in a trance. Shadowpaw blinked back and then stood shakily up, helping Rustpaw to his paws in the process.
Shadepaw stifled a mrrow of laughter and padded over to the mentors, the other two apprentices following behind. As they approached, Daisypelt mewed, "That was great. We'll make warriors out of you yet!"
"Yes, that was really good," meowed Shrewfur, looking especially at Shadepaw. "We ought to go back to camp and get some fresh kill. You three really deserve it. I'll talk about you to Fallenstar."
Shadepaw dipped her head to him, looking excitedly around at her brother and friend. Then Flamefur lead the way out of the hollow and toward the camp, the other five cats trailing behind.
Shadepaw entered the camp alongside Rustpaw. They headed straight over to the fresh kill pile and grabbed a rabbit and a sparrow from the prey, pacing across to the fern patch by the apprentices den to eat. As she tucked into her sparrow, Shadepaw was vaguely aware of her brother's amber eyes straying across to Shadowpaw, who was talking to her mentor Daisypelt. She stifled a snigger.
"You shaping up Shadowpaw, then," Shadepaw mewed. "I saw you today; you could hardly keep your eyes off her once you two bumped noses. I can't say I blame you actually, she's a very attractive cat."
Rustpaw gave his sister a friendly shove. "I know," he meowed. "I've tried to ignore my feelings, but it's all happening too fast. I just don't know what to do."
He sighed quietly and Shadepaw gave him a sympathetic glance. "I think you should go and talk to her. Try and find out how she feels about you and take it from there." She gave Rustpaw a nudge in Shadowpaw's direction. "Go on," she mewed encouragingly. Rustpaw blinked his thanks, took a deep breath and padded across to the black she-cat.
Shadepaw heard a growl behind her and turned to see Fallenstar, standing there. "Damn," he said. "I was hoping to catch you and Rustpaw together so that I could congratulate you both on your fighting skills. Shrewfur told me you did a great job."
Shadepaw was quite surprised to get such praise from the leader and dipped her head, "Thank you Fallenstar."
Her leader nodded approvingly and stalked off to sit beside Flamefur at the fallen birch tree were the warriors ate.
Still reeling from the praise, Shadepaw heard a sneer from across the clearing. She saw Swiftclaw crouching beside Rootheart near the camp entrance. "So," the black and white tom snarled. "You and your rouge filth of a brother have finally got some praise from our great leader. But, then again, if the source of the praise was from Shrewfur, well, he gives praise too easily."
Shadepaw bristled. Most of the clan had gotten over the fact that she and Rustpaw were not clan born. She hated the way that a small group, including Swiftclaw, Rootheart and the elder, Thistlesoul, despised their origins. She and Rustpaw had been in the clan since kithood and had done as much as any other apprentice had ever done for their clan.
"You shouldn't have that praise. Only warriors with clan blood should get it," Rootheart spat. "Rouge filth does not deserve it!"
"Leave her alone, Rootheart." A new voice broke into the argument and Shadepaw turned to see Foxpaw, the third oldest apprentice, standing beside her. "She and Rustpaw are good cats."
"Oooh, look Rootheart," Swiftclaw sneered. "Your own son is standing up to you."
"I know Swiftclaw. What happened to respect for your elders? Then again, he is the worst son any cat could wish for and the worst apprentice."
Shadepaw felt a swish of movement beside her and saw Foxpaw stalk past her to face his father, fur bristling.
Rootheart dropped into a crouch mewing, "Want a fight?" and lashing his tail from side to side.
Shadepaw expected Foxpaw to slash his claws across his father's face but instead he straightened up, answering simply, "No, I don't want to fight you."
Then he whipped around, ignoring the sniggers that erupted from Swiftclaw and his father, and ran towards the apprentices den. With a last glance at the two sly warriors, Shadepaw followed him but by the time she stuck her head through the bracken at the entrance of the den, Foxpaw was gone.
