Firestar leaped nimbly down the Rockpile with Lissy, Sandstorm, and Lionblaze. He sat below calmly a cats had already began to gather without his call. Lissy's mother's necklace bounced on her chest fur, but no one seemed to notice it.
"ThunderClan; Sandstorm's patrol have found a rouge on our territory," yowls of anger cut him off and he raised his tail. It gradually became silent once more.
Firestar continued in a bold voice, "She claims to be my niece, Cloudtail's half-sister. If this is true, I will accept her into ThunderClan." More yowls of protest reached Lissy's ears and she sat, looking over the camp. Cloudtail approached her, a look of curiosity in his blue eyes. He sniffed her, and purred.
"She has Princess's scent on her, Firestar." He meowed and Firestar dipped his head.
"If so, then," he cleared his throat, "ThunderClan, Lissy has come in search of ThunderClan to join Cloudtail in the wild, whilst refusing the soft life of a kittypet. In return for her hard journey to the lake," Lissy stifled a sigh. She hadn't traveled here without help. "I will kindly accept her into ThunderClan. Lissy, come forward." Lissy nodded, and took a step towards Firestar, staring into his green eyes. No, no. Kick me out while you still have the chance! I'm a danger to all the clans! She pleaded, blinking steadily, but Firestar went on.
"Lissy, until you earn your warrior name, in exchange for your former kittypet name, you will be Dewpaw; for the way your eyes sparkle like dew in the sunlight." Dewpaw dipped her head in acknowledgement, but she had expected something like Icepaw. "Cinderheart, you are ready for an apprentice. You will mentor Dewpaw. I hope that you could pass on your strength and quick-thinking to her."
Cinderheart approached Dewpaw, and the two she-cats touched noses. The clan half-heartedly chanted her new name, "Dewpaw! Dewpaw!" she stifled another sigh, twitching her ears.
The clan departed, and two she-cats she recognized as Dovepaw and Ivypaw bounded to her. "Hello." She said, blinking as if looking curious.
"Hi! I'm Dovepaw, and this is my sister, Ivypaw! Welcome to ThunderClan!" Dovepaw purred, "Ivypaw and I were made apprentices not long before you. Jayfeather's my mentor. Lionblaze mentors Ivypaw."
Dewpaw nodded, twitching her tail. Cinderheart approached her steadily, her eyes sparkling as she stared at her new apprentice. "Well, let's get to it. I'll show you the territory," Cinderheart said, and with a flick of her tail, bounded out of the camp entrance with Dewpaw following. Dewpaw couldn't help but curl her tail in anticipation. I'm going to train like a real warrior! This is so exciting! OMSC I can't believe it!
Cinderheart showed her around ThunderClan territory, but she only remembered half of it. She already knew where everything was, of course. Then, she and Cinderheart headed over to the Ancient Oak to practice hunting techniques.
"Scent the air. What do you detect?" Cinderheart instructed, and Dewpaw followed her orders.
Dewpaw gently opened her mouth a little bit, and drew a breath of cool autumn; she should call it leaf-fall now, air. "I smell… squirrel," she meowed, and stared up at Cinderheart.
"Very good. Now, show me your hunter's crouch," Cinderheart meowed. Dewpaw dropped into a crouch, her belly fur barely brushing the leaves and her tail parallel with the leaf-strewn earth. Cinderheart looked her over, fixing problems in her stance, before backing away.
"Good. You should lower your haunches though," Cinderheart said, "but other than that, your stance is excellent." Cinderheart got to her paws, and padded away. "The sun is setting. We should get back to camp."
"Already? But, can't I hunt?" Dewpaw pleaded, blinking up at her mentor with sad eyes.
"Not today. Maybe tomorrow," Cinderheart meowed sternly, and beckoned Dewpaw with a flick of her fluffy gray tail. Disappointed, Dewpaw dragged herself after Cinderheart.
Near the camp, the two caught up with Brambleclaw's border patrol and walked into camp together. Dewpaw lingered, as a breeze that ruffled her fur carried the scent of… rabbit. Rabbits usually stuck to the moors. Fluffing up her fur with excitement, Dewpaw dropped into a crouch and immediately spotted the rabbit. The rabbit was odd, with snowy white fur and beady red eyes. She stared at it, frozen with fear, but then she remembered. It's probably albino. Or a pet rabbit, she told herself, nothing special about it.
Dewpaw resumed stalking the rabbit, and as she drew closer she realized how large it was. The rabbit turned suddenly, and darted off into the brush. Tail quivering in excitement, she pelted after it.
The rabbit was very fast for its size, and as she raced after it she found herself falling behind. The white pelt got smaller and smaller, and scrunching her face in determination, she pelted after it. Her muscles started to scream with exhaustion and she closed her eyes. Once she opened them again, she realized something amazing.
The rabbit was now frozen mid-air, it's forepaws stretched in a bound. Skidding to a halt, Dewpaw approached the rabbit. She prodded the soft white fur with one paw, but it didn't budge. Dewpaw, whiskers twitching, leaped onto the rabbit and time sped back into place. The rabbit struggled with surprise under her grip, but she finished it off with a blow to the head.
"Dewpaw?" she heard Cinderheart's worried voice, and saw her mentor running into the undergrowth. "Dewpaw! Why did you run off like that? Why didn't you say-" but she stopped, gazing at the white rabbit. "Did you catch that?" Cinderheart whispered. Dewpaw nodded. Cinderheart gaped at her, and didn't budge as Brackenfur and Mousewhisker came out of the undergrowth.
Brackenfur stared at the rabbit, but just nodded. "Collect it, you can give it to the queens," he meowed, and with great difficulty, Dewpaw hauled her kill into her mouth and carried it, careful not to drag it. As the three warriors led Dewpaw into the camp, she couldn't stop her whiskers from twitching. Spottedleaf hadn't mentioned this. I stopped time!