A rasping tongue scraped its way across Dawnpaw's ear, waking him from his slumber. Still thick from sleep, Dawnpaw lifted his head and looked around. He couldn't see anything.
"Open your eyes." An amused voice told him quietly. Dawnpaw blinked a few times, embarrassed. It was still darker than he expected, but he could make out Fraypaw's shape in front of his nest.
"Is the sun up?" Dawnpaw asked as he rubbed his eyes with a forepaw. Fraypaw's broad shoulders were blocking the den entrance.
"Almost." He said. He turned and picked his way over the sleeping forms of their denmates. The dark gray tabby slipped out of the den without another word. The camp outside was bathed in the faint gray light of pre-dawn.
Dawnpaw yawned and stretched. He licked his cream colored chest fur and drew his paw over his ear and face a few times. He shook the last of the clinging moss and morning dew from his pelt and stepped gingerly around his sleeping clanmates. Hawkpaw and Crowpaw's nests were empty. They must have already left for the dawn patrol.
Dawnpaw pushed his way out of the den and out into the cold clearing. He fluffed out his pelt against the morning mist and shivered. Leaf-fall was advancing and each night grew colder than the last. Soon the fresh-kill pile would grow small as prey hid deep underground.
He picked his way across the root-strewn ground to where Fraypaw was waiting. The gray apprentice was standing at the fern tunnel. When Dawnpaw arrived at his side, Fraypaw squeezed through the tunnel without a word. Dawnpaw followed.
He nodded to Elkheart who was standing guard outside of camp. The dark brown tom gave the apprentices a small nod and went back to sweeping the forest with narrowed amber eyes.
Fraypaw led Dawnpaw down a small path that ran alongside the walls of the camp. After a few foxlengths they arrived at a small clearing ringed with small white wildflowers. A break in the canopy allowed a stream of fading starlight to fall to the forest floor. The ground around their paws was strewn with stones of all colors and sizes.
Fraypaw carefully avoided stepping on any of the blossoms as he made his way to a pair of stones at the edge of the clearing. The smooth river stones sat next to each other, touching. A single yellow flower grew from between them. Fraypaw sat. Dawnpaw settled down beside him.
They sat in silence for a long moment. The sun had peeked over the horizon by now, and the gray dawn was arriving.
"Do you think Sootcloud and Lilypool are proud of us?"
Dawnpaw looked at Fraypaw. The gray tom was staring up at the tiny patch of exposed sky above them. A lone pair of stars still hung there, refusing to go out even as the light of dawn chased away their companions.
Dawnpaw laid his tail on his friend's back.
"Of course." He said.
Fraypaw fell silent again. Dawnpaw looked down at the two stones. He remembered Lilypool's rasping tongue and Sootcloud's kind blue eyes. Dawnpaw squeezed his eyes shut, trying to remember more. Lilypool's white fur shining in the light of new-leaf. Sootcloud bringing them mouse tails to play with. Each memory was faint, but precious.
At one point in his memories Lilypool was replaced by Spottedfur, an elderly queen who stayed in the nursery to help young mothers and their kits. She had taken Dawnpaw and Fraypaw under her wing when Lilypool and Sootcloud had died. Dawnpaw loved Spottedfur and all that she had done for him, but his heart ached for Lilypool's sweet, clear mew and fierce love.
Fraypaw's parents had never treated Dawnpaw differently, even though he wasn't their son. A wave of bittersweet emotion passed over Dawnpaw. His chest tightened. He wished he could remember more.
Dawnpaw sighed and opened his eyes. He leaned down and touched his nose to each stone in turn. His touch lingered on the smaller of the two, a round white river cobble, before he straightened up. Fraypaw leaned into Dawnpaw's side.
"You were always theirs." He murmured. Dawnpaw closed his eyes. He knew.
They sat together for a while, quietly sharing memories. As the forest around them awoke, splashes of bird song carried through the trees. The light hum of insects came to life, along with sounds of Cedarclan waking. The muffled mews and rumbling purrs of Dawnpaw's clanmates drifted to his ears from beyond the undergrowth.
"We should go back." Dawnpaw said. Fraypaw nodded and stood. Together they made their way back to camp.
They arrived to a much different camp than they had left. The sun's light was flooding the clearing from behind the trees, burning away the low mist that hung over the ground. The once silent and still camp was bustling now.
Warriors milled around, talking and eating. The elders were lounging next to their sunning rock, waiting for the sun to peek over the trees and warm their tattered pelts. Among the gnarled roots of a cedar sat the queens. They shared tongues a few tail-lengths away from two fluffy kits who were squeaking in excitement as they played with a feather. Dawnpaw waved his tail at Spottedfur. She waved back excitedly.
"Dawnpaw! Fraypaw! There you are." A voice rang across the clearing. The apprentices turned to see the clan deputy, Whiteshade, padding towards them. Dawnpaw's mentor Blackmoth was following, her black tail twitching irritably.
"We went to visit Sootcloud and Lilypool." Dawnpaw said as the warriors drew closer. Blackmoth's annoyed expression faded.
"Of course." She meowed. She laid her tail over Dawnpaw's shoulders.
"Blizzardstar will call a clan meeting soon." Whiteshade said. He flexed his claws in the soil, impatient. "I don't see why we he couldn't have done it last moon, but here we are." He added in a low mutter.
"I wanted to wait for Dawnpaw." Fraypaw said, staring into his mentor's amber eyes. Whiteshade blinked and shrugged.
"I know. That doesn't mean I had to like it." He grumbled. "Go get something to eat." The warrior dismissed the apprentices with a flick of his striped tail.
Fraypaw moved away toward last night's leftover fresh-kill. Dawnpaw hurried after him.
"You said Whiteshade agreed!" he said. He hadn't known the clan deputy was so opposed to Fraypaw's delayed ceremony. Guilt itched beneath Dawnpaw's pelt. Fraypaw could have been a warrior already!
Fraypaw shrugged and chose a thrush from the tiny pile. Dawnpaw grabbed his own prey, a mouse, and followed Fraypaw to their usual eating spot. They settled down among the sprawling roots of an old cedar at the far end of the clearing. Dawnpaw dropped his mouse and stared pointedly at his denmate. Fraypaw began casually shredding feathers of his thrush. Dawnpaw cleared his throat. Fraypaw looked up and rolled his gray eyes.
"I wanted to wait. Whiteshade let me, he just didn't like it." He said. Dawnpaw opened his mouth to protest but then thought better. Fraypaw was stubborn and what was done was done. Dawnpaw let out a light purr despite his annoyance. Becoming a warrior with Fraypaw sounded much better than doing it alone. There was no sense in being angry that Fraypaw had given him that gift.
They ate in relative silence for bit. Dawnpaw watched his clanmates going about their morning. Brushfire had led an early hunting patrol and they had returned back with warm fresh-kill. Morningpaw and Specklepaw were distributing it to the elders, queens, and kits.
A familiar pelt caught Dawnpaw's eye and he watched as Heronpaw squeezed out of the apprentice's den. The younger cat padded over to his mentor, Kestrelfeather, who sent him with a flick of his tail to the fresh-kill pile. Dawnpaw was pleased to see a glow of pride in Heronpaw's yellow eyes. The black and gray tom wasn't very confident so a reward for his part in yesterday's battle was bound to lift his spirits.
Dawnpaw was about to call out to Heronpaw when a large dark tabby tom blocked the younger cat's way to the fresh-kill pile. The warrior, Falconstorm, leaned down close to Heronpaw's ear. Heronpaw's ears flattened and he gestured weakly in Kestrelfeather's direction. Falconstorm straightened up, lashed his tail, and stalked away. Heronpaw's tail drooped and he quickly grabbed a scrawny shrew from the pile. Dawnpaw's belly clenched for his friend. Having a father like Falconstorm had to be tough.
"Hey Heronpaw! Come eat with us." Dawnpaw called out, waving his tail. Heronpaw's head and tail lifted a little when he saw Dawnpaw waving to him. He padded over and sat.
"Congratulations." Heronpaw mumbled around his shrew. "You really fought like warriors yesterday." His yellow eyes fell to his paws.
"Thank you." Dawnpaw purred. "You fought well too." Heronpaw flattened his ears and didn't say anything.
Dawnpaw flicked his tail. Why did Falconstorm have to be so hard on the son who needed the most encouragement? Before Dawnpaw could think of something to say to cheer up his friend, Fraypaw spoke.
"Falconstorm was pretty tough on you just now. And yesterday." He mentioned casually.
Heronpaw looked up, his eyes widening in horror. Dawnpaw shot Fraypaw a withering look from narrowed eyes.
"I was trying to make him feel better, mousebrain!" he hissed.
"Sorry." Fraypaw said. He shrunk under Dawnpaw's icy glare and began hastily grooming his dark gray tabby fur.
Heronpaw just shook his head.
"Fraypaw's right. He's always hard on me."
Dawnpaw's ears drooped. Surely that wasn't true.
"I'm sure he just wants you to do your best. He is your father after all." He said.
Fraypaw snorted loudly into his mound of feathers. Dawnpaw ignored him. There was a pause.
After a moment, Dawnpaw gave Heronpaw a friendly nudge. "Hey, at least you have Kestrelfeather. You're luckier than most to have a mentor like him."
Fraypaw shook his head and rolled his eyes.
"It's hard to believe that he and Falconstorm are littermates." He said.
Heronpaw blinked gratefully at his denmates. Dawnpaw perked up. At least he could help Heronpaw feel a little better. He went back to his mouse.
The three denmates chatted idly about the battle for a while. Dawnpaw tried to keep his mind off of his impending warrior's ceremony, but it wasn't really working. His gaze kept drifting over to the fallen tree where Blizzardstar slept. He should be coming out soon.
"Hey, I'm talking to you." An angry hiss interrupted Dawnpaw's thoughts. He turned to find that Slatefoot, a large black and gray warrior, had joined the group. The young warrior had never liked Dawnpaw. When Dawnpaw had become an apprentice, Slatefoot had harassed him almost daily. He and his mentor Brushfire had always been outspoken against Dawnpaw's kittypet heritage. According to them, he didn't belong.
Dawnpaw's denmates stiffened. Fraypaw's neck fur began to bristle. Dawnpaw looked up into Slatefoot's face.
"Yes?" he mewed politely. Slatefoot narrowed his eyes. He curled his lip to reveal his long teeth.
"I need a word." He said.
Fraypaw jumped to his feet. Slatefoot shot him an angry glare.
"Alone." He hissed. Fraypaw didn't sit back down. Dawnpaw lifted a forepaw and cleaned it. Slatefoot couldn't want him for anything good, but letting Fraypaw come was certainly a mistake. The two toms had almost come to blows several times before. When he was done cleaning, Dawnpaw stood up and stretched.
"Okay, Slatefoot." He said cheerfully. Fraypaw opened his mouth to argue but Dawnpaw shot him a look.
Slatefoot is my clanmate. He'd never hurt me.
"I'll see you later." Dawnpaw waved his tail at Fraypaw and Heronpaw and turned to follow Slatefoot away. The tabby warrior led Dawnpaw out of camp and away from the entrance. After barging his way a few foxlengths into the undergrowth, Slatefoot stopped and whirled to face Dawnpaw.
"You know you don't belong, right?" he said with a growl. Dawnpaw blinked in surprise. Slatefoot's eyes were blazing with anger and his fur was spiked out along his spine.
"Blizzardstar thinks I do." Dawnpaw said, lifting his chin. He had undergone this treatment before. Warriors, apprentices, elders, even cats from other clans telling him he wasn't welcome. Slatefoot shoved his face close to Dawnpaw's.
"You're a kitty-pet." He spat the word like a curse. "Blizzardstar made a mistake."
Dawnpaw held his ground. "Are you saying you don't trust our leader?" he said. Slatefoot's amber eyes bulged.
"Of course I do!" he said. His voice had risen to a half-yowl.
"Then trust his judgement about me." Dawnpaw said. He fixed his clanmate with an earnest stare. "Let me prove to you-."
Slatefoot didn't let him finish. The warrior let out a yowl and knocked Dawnpaw off his feet with a swipe of a massive paw. Dawnpaw fell, stunned. Slatefoot loomed over him, pinning Dawnpaw's shoulders to the ground. Slatefoot leaned down and pressed his muzzle to Dawnpaw's ear. Dawnpaw felt hot breath ripple his neck fur.
"If you accept a warrior name, you will die." Slatefoot hissed. "I will make sure of it."
As quickly as the attack had come, it was over. Slatefoot released Dawnpaw and stalked away. Dawnpaw lay dazed for a moment, his mind racing. Had that really just happened? Did a clanmate just threaten to kill him?
He had known that there were cats who distrusted him for his origins. He knew that many cats outside of Cedarclan though Blizzardstar was mad for taking in a kitty-pet kit in right before leaf-bare. He had no idea, however, that any cat in his own clan hated him this much.
Dawnpaw rose shakily to his feet. His heart was pounding. Maybe he should have let Fraypaw come.
"Dawnpaw?" a soft voice called out. Dawnpaw spun around in time to see a short, spotted brown she-cat push her way out of the ferns. She looked around, confused.
"Who were you talking to?" She asked. Dawnpaw shook his head.
"Myself." He lied.
Spottedfur's green eyes softened.
"Nerves?" she guessed. Dawnpaw nodded quickly. His twitching tail and fear-scent could be explained away by nervousness.
Spottedfur brushed her cheek against Dawnpaw's jaw.
"You'll do wonderfully." She purred. Dawnpaw breathed in her familiar scent, letting it calm him. Slatefoot was just angry. He was a rash but loyal Cedarclan warrior. He would never harm a clanmate, no matter how much he resented them.
"Thanks, Spottedfur." Dawnpaw purred back. He nuzzled her shoulder, then padded over to push the foliage out of the way. "Let's go back to camp."
Together they made their way back. When they entered through the fern tunnel, Dawnpaw was greeted almost immediately by Fraypaw. He had been sitting right next to the entrance.
His gray fur relaxed on his shoulders when he saw who Dawnpaw was with. Fraypaw fell in beside Dawnpaw as they led the elder queen back to the nursery.
"I remember when you were just kits." Spottedfur said, her eyes glowing with nostalgia. "Dawnpaw, you would follow Fraypaw around and pretend to be his deputy."
Fraypaw flicked his tail at Dawnpaw, a playful gleam in his eye. Dawnpaw flattened his ears, embarrassed. Spottedfur just continued.
"When Sootcloud and Lilypool went to Starclan I knew that it would be hard for you two. I knew you'd face many challenges. But look at you now." She backed away from the apprentices and looked them up and down. Dawnpaw realized with a jolt that he was now at least a head taller than the old queen. Last time he had checked, he only had an ear's height on her.
"You're going to be warriors!" Spottedfur purred.
Dawnpaw touched Spottedfur's nose with his own.
"You raised us well." He said. Fraypaw stepped forward and rested his muzzle on the old she-cat's head. Spottedfur's purr loudened. They stood together, a family stitched together by circumstance and tragedy, but as strong as any blood bond.
"Dawnpaw! Fraypaw!" Dawnpaw looked up to see Blackmoth waving her tail at him from next to Blizzardstar's den. Her eyes were bright with excitement. Whiteshade was pacing beside her.
"It's time!" Spottedfur cried. She head butted Dawnpaw and Fraypaw, pushing them in the direction of their mentors.
"I'll be the first to call your names." Spottedfur promised as the apprentices padded away.
As they crossed the clearing Dawnpaw noticed that much of the clan had already gathered in anticipation of the meeting. He saw Heronpaw sitting with Kestrelfeather. The apprentice looked happier than he had this morning. His eyes were bright with excitement and his head was held high. Dawnpaw felt relieved. Heronpaw had reason to be proud this day. Falconstorm was not going to ruin that for his son.
Dawnpaw also noticed Slatefoot, Brushfire, and Cloudspots sitting together at the edge of the gathering clan. Slatefoot caught Dawnpaw's eye and drew his lips back in a snarl. Brushfire narrowed her eyes and Cloudspots shifted uncomfortably beside her. Dawnpaw looked away. They were just angry. Once they realized he could be a loyal warrior they would come to accept him.
Dawnpaw and Fraypaw reached their mentors and sat beside them. Blackmoth immediately started fussing over Dawnpaw's pelt.
"You're a mess!" she huffed. Dawnpaw ducked out from under her tongue.
"I'm fine Blackmoth." He purred. Blackmoth twitched her whiskers but didn't try to groom him again. Whiteshade sat, back straight and eyes forward facing the clan. Fraypaw sat beside him like a shadow. Dawnpaw marveled at how noble his denmate looked.
The dark gray tom looked like a seasoned warrior. He had poise and presence, skill and loyalty. Any clan would be happy to have a warrior like him. Dawnpaw puffed out his chest, trying to imitate Fraypaw's commanding stance.
They only had to wait a moment before Blizzardstar emerged. The huge tom nodded at the waiting cats before leaping up onto the low hanging branch that hung above his den. The chatter among the clan died down at their leader's arrival. Dawnpaw suddenly felt a thrill of excitement and nervousness.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Branch for a clan meeting!" Blizzardstar boomed. He curled his long white tail around his paws and looked down at his clan with dark blue eyes. The few stragglers that hadn't already gathered were hurrying over and taking their seats among their clanmates. Once everycat was seated and the murmurs had died down, Blizzardstar began.
"Yesterday, a group of rouges made an attempt to settle on our territory near the river. They refused to leave, demanding to fight for the land."
A chorus of angry hisses met his words. Dawnpaw wanted to show his teeth too, but he remained stiff and proper.
"At sunset a patrol of Cedarclan warriors met our enemies in battle. Our cats drove off the intruders with little effort."
There was a ripple of movement among the clan. Everycat wanted to look at one of the warriors who had fought. Dawnpaw felt a rush of pride and embarrassment as the eyes of his clanmates passed over him.
"Let those who dare underestimate our strength hear this now." Blizzardstar raised his voice to a deep thundering roar as he rose to his four massive paws. "Our claws are sharp. Our teeth are bared. We will defend this land with our blood and our bones. We are strong and wise. We are Cedarclan!"
A deafening wave of triumphant yowls met Blizzardstar's proclamation. The power of his words made Dawnpaw's anxious thoughts disappear. Adrenaline pumped through his veins and his claws itched to fight once more.
"Drive out the foxhearts!" Kestrelfeather yowled from the crowd. Blizzardstar let the noise continue for a moment, then lifted his tail for silence. Almost immediately the clan fell quiet.
"Four young apprentices stood shoulder to shoulder with their clanmates on that triumphant shore. They proved their skill in battle as well as their unwavering loyalty for this clan. Fraypaw, Dawnpaw, Morningpaw, and Heronpaw, we honor you." Another cheer went up among the clan. Blizzardstar continued, raising his voice so he could be heard above the noise.
"While we honor their bravery, Morningpaw and Heronpaw still have training to do. However, their mentors and I believe that is not the case for Dawnpaw and Fraypaw. For many moons I have watched their skills honed and their talents defined. Today I honor them their warrior names."
Blizzardstar leapt down from his perch to face the two apprentices. Fraypaw had his head held high and his muscles flexed. Dawnpaw stared straight ahead. A cold fire of determination burned in his belly.
"Come forward Fraypaw." Blizzardstar commanded. Fraypaw took a few steps forward until he was almost nose to nose with Blizzardstar's huge figure. Blizzardstar looked into Fraypaw's eyes for a moment. He then gave a tiny nod and lifted his head to the sky.
"I Blizzardstar, leader of Cedarclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn." A visible shiver ran down Fraypaw's back as these words were said. Blizzardstar looked back down into Fraypaw's face. Dawnpaw held his breath. Those ancient words would be spoken to him in just a few heartbeats.
"Fraypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do." Fraypaw's voice was firm and sure. Blizzardstar closed his eyes and nodded.
"Then by the powers of Starclan, I give you your warrior name. Fraypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Frayclaw. Starclan honors your loyalty and courage and we welcome you as a full warrior of Cedarclan." Blizzardstar rested his head on Frayclaw's head and the new warrior licked his leader's shoulder.
"Frayclaw!" Spottedfur's voice called. She had kept her promise. The rest of the clan soon joined in.
After only a moment, Blizzardstar signaled for silence once more.
"We have one more warrior ceremony to preform here today." He said. He motioned for Dawnpaw to step forward. Dawnpaw felt like he was going to be sick. He forced his paws to move. He caught Frayclaw's eye and instantly felt more confident.
Several hisses of anger rose among the clan. Dawnpaw kept his head held high. He would prove them wrong. Blizzardstar paid the interruption no heed. He looked down at Dawnpaw, pride shining in his eyes.
"I Blizzardstar, leader of Cedarclan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn."
Dawnpaw breathed in, catching a familiar, flowery scent. Another breath brought a crisp, woody smell.
Lilypool. Sootcloud. You're here with me?
"Dawnpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Dawnpaw couldn't help but glance quickly to the side. He saw Slatefoot's face. It was twisted in a snarl. Lilypool's scent wreathed around Dawnpaw once more. He straightened his back and looked into Blizzardstar's eyes.
"I do."
