Chapter Two

The ceremony was held at sunhigh the next day. Breezekit and Oakkit sat at the base of the Tallrock, neatly groomed, their heads held high. Morningstar was atop the rock, where she always stood to address the Clan at Clan meetings. The whole Clan was gathered around the rock, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Behind her, Breezekit could feel the presence of her mother, watching with pride, and of Sunkit and Moonkit, eyeing their friends with awe and envy.

With a quieting meow, Morningstar began, "Cats of CallistoClan, I have gathered you here today for the naming of two new apprentices. Breezekit, from this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Breezepaw. Featherflight, you are ready for your first apprentice. You shall be Breezepaw's mentor. You were trained by my own sister Oceanwave, and I expect you to pass on all that you learned from her to your new apprentice."

Featherflight, a young and pretty gray tabby she-cat with tortoiseshell spots that appeared layered over her other coloring, and startlingly green eyes, stepped forward and touched noses with Breezepaw, who barely suppressed a tremor of joy. Breezepaw! She was an apprentice now! She followed her new mentor to sit with the rest of the Clan, as Morningstar went on, "Oakkit, you shall now be known as Oakpaw. Frostclaw, you are also ready for your first apprentice. I expect you to pass on all the knowledge your mentor gave you to this young cat." Breezepaw watched from her seat as Frostclaw, a dusky brown, golden-yellow eyed tom, rose from his place and touched noses with Oakpaw, whose tail twitched in joy. He too followed his mentor to sit among the Clan, and a cheer went up around the camp, calling out Breezepaw and Oakpaw's new names, congratulating them on becoming apprentices. Breezepaw sat proudly as her Clanmates congratulated her, thrilled.

"Hey Star!" A dark tabby tail ruffled Breezepaw's ears, and she turned to see Shadowpaw, her old friend from the nursery. The tom had been training for three moons now- three moons in which they had seen little of one another. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks!" Breezepaw purred.

"I'm sorry, about Galekit, though."

"Me too…"

"But you'll get to sleep in the apprentices' den tonight, and soon we can go on patrols together and stuff! I bet you'll be a better hunter than me."

Breezepaw laughed. "Probably," she mewed jokingly.

When the Clan had grown quiet again, Breezepaw turned her attention back to Tallrock, where Morningstar still stood.

The Clan leader cast a glance towards Shellspots's den, "Today also would have been the day Galekit was to be apprenticed, but because of her accident yesterday, Shellspots and I have both agreed that it would be most beneficial to her health if we waited for her to fully recover before she is apprenticed."

With a dismissing wave of her tail, Morningstar leapt down from the rock and strolled over to where Breezepaw and Featherflight sat, motioning for Oakpaw and Frostclaw to follow her. As the Clan cats dispersed to go about their business, some still congratulating Breezepaw and Oakpaw as they passed, Breezepaw felt a fresh surge of pride. How long she had waited for this day to come! Now that she was finally an apprentice, she couldn't wait to begin her training.

Morningstar sat down in front of Breezepaw and Featherflight, and Oakpaw and Frostclaw. After congratulating the two new apprentices, she gave them some instructions. "Breezepaw, Oakpaw, the whole apprentice's den hasn't been used for a few moons now, so it probably needs to be cleared out and fresh pine needles need to be brought in for you to sleep on tonight. For at least a moon, you two and Shadowpaw and Shimmerpaw will be the only ones in that den, and it can get drafty at night, so make sure you get enough pine needles to make it comfortable.

"Featherflight, Frostclaw, for the first day of training, you should just take them on a tour of the territory. Show them where the borders are and then take them to the pine grove to collect their bedding. You can start their fighting and hunting training tomorrow at your own paces. If you need any help, you know where to find me." With a friendly wave of her tail, Morningstar walked over to speak with Robintail, who was waiting for her by her den entrance. Breezepaw looked around for Shadowpaw, but the older apprentice was nowhere in sight; he had probably gone out with the sunhigh patrol.

Frostclaw and Oakpaw headed for the tunnel, leaving Breezepaw alone with her mentor. Eyes shining, she looked up at Featherflight, asking, "So, what first? I want to see everything! And learn everything! I promise, I'll be the best apprentice ever."

Featherflight's whiskers twitched in amusement as she looked down at Breezepaw. "Well, I guess I'll start by giving you a tour of the territory. I'll show you the borders and teach you the other Clan's scents. And I'll introduce the warrior code. I think that'll be plenty for today, don't you?"

The two cats made their way to the entrance tunnel and exited the camp. As they walked through the forest, Breezepaw taking in all the sights and new smells in awe, Featherflight continued on with her training plans, which sounded good to excited and eager Breezepaw. "Then tomorrow, I'll show you how to hunt mice and other ground animals. Once you have the basics of the hunter's crouch down, I'll start teaching you how to catch birds."

They had reached a small grassy clearing north of the camp, and Featherflight waved her tail, signaling to Breezepaw to stop. "This is the training hollow. I'll teach you fighting moves here. We can mix fight training in with hunting to make it all more interesting."

Breezepaw nodded, still tying to take it all in, and the two continued north through the clearing and past a small stream to a grove of pine trees. A brown haze of sorts seemed to fill the air between the trees, giving the place a secretive, quiet feel. "This is PineGrove, where you can get your bedding for your nest. The northern edge of the grove is the northern border of our territory. Beyond that is FernClan territory. Here, I'll show you."

"What are FernClan cats like?" Breezepaw asked as they made their way among the tall pine trees, their pawsteps barely making a sound on the soft needles that coated the ground.

"Well, they're no different from CallistoClan cats, except most of them are a little smaller. And they have a different scent. Sniff the air. Can you smell anything different?"

"Well…" Breezepaw opened her mouth slightly and inhaled deeply. At first, all she smelled was forest, but then a different smell hit her scent glands, and she exclaimed, "I smell it!"

"Good. That's FernClan scent. See how the trees past here thin out? FernClan have their camp in a little valley. Most of their territory is grassland, except on their western border, where there are some trees growing by the Great River. I'll show you that next. We can trace the border around the whole territory and end back here so you can collect the pine needles."

The two set out again, heading west for some time, pausing for Featherflight to point out some plant or prey scent that Breezepaw was to remember. Meanwhile, the sound of rushing water was growing louder and louder, and soon a wide river came into view.

"This is the Great River. On the other bank and to the south a little, it's marshy and there are lots of small streams. That's where FoamClan have their camp. Smell another cat scent?"

"I think I can smell it. It smells sorta fishy and also like rain, but still has a cat-scent to it." Breezepaw was surprised by her own ability to distinguish the scents from one another, and felt a surge of pride when Featherflight nodded.

"Yes, that's what FoamClan smells like. Right across from where we're standing is a bit of land that belongs to all and none of the Clans, called the Moon Hollow. It's where all four Clans meet every full moon to discuss Clan news in peace. There's a big stone that creates a sort of makeshift bridge over the river to it, which is how we get there for the Gatherings."

"You've been to a Gathering, right Featherflight?" Breezepaw asked, fascinated by all she was seeing and learning. "When will I get to go to one?"

"I've been to many Gatherings, and as for you, you'll get to go to one soon. Probably not tonight, but maybe to the next one. Now come on, I'll show you the southern border."

The southern and eastern borders of CallistoClan, Breezepaw soon found, were much the same- places where the forest ended beyond which were flat and rocky fields with hills in the distance, and, beyond those, mountains rising up to the sky.

As the sun was nearing the horizon, Breezepaw and Featherflight returned to PineGrove, where they gathered up bundles of pine needles.

"Since it's getting late and it took so long to see the borders and territory, I'll help you bring back the bedding." Featherflight offered. "How about you lead us back to camp, Breezepaw? Think of this as a sort of pre test of your tracking skills. Our scent trail is nearby, so see if you can find it and follow it back."

Breezepaw nodded, smelling the air, and picking up the faint traces of she and Featherflight's scents. The trip back to camp was quick, and Breezepaw found she had no trouble following the scent trail. Once they were in the camp and had deposited the pine needles beside the hollowed tree trunk that served as the apprentice's den, Featherflight invited Breezepaw to join her for some fresh kill at the nettle patch where the warriors usually ate.

Breezepaw accepted her invitation, and, choosing a mouse from the pile, sat down beside her mentor to eat.

"You know, you did really well tracking today. Like I said, we'll do hunting tomorrow, and I'll tell you some of the warrior code. It's important that you listen to it and follow it. The warrior code is the rules laid out by StarClan for all the other Clans to follow, and breaking it is going against StarClan and is punishable. All warriors, well," she thought again, "at least all good ones, follow and take heed to it."

Breezepaw swallowed a bite of mouse, asking, "Speaking of Clans, I thought there were four?"

"There are: CallistoClan, FoamClan, FernClan, and FlameClan."

"But you only showed me where the territories to two others are. Where's FlameClan territory?"

Eating the last bit of her thrush, Featherflight replied, "FlameClan territory shares borders with FoamClan and FernClan. Their territory is across the gathering place from ours. You wouldn't have been able to smell their scent from our territory, but you'll smell it when you go to a Gathering. Where they live, it's mostly pine trees, not leafy ones like in most of our territory. Their northern border, and FernClan's too, is a sheer rock cliff. A huge waterfall falls from the cliff between their territories. It's what feeds the Great River. The waterfall is called the MoonFalls. There's a cave behind it where leaders and medicine cats can go to speak with StarClan. You'll go there at least once in your life, before you're made a warrior. FernClan and FlameClan have to allow cats from FoamClan and CallistoClan to walk through their territories to get there. The rule is, you have to stay within two foxlengths of the river, though."

"Oh, okay." Breezepaw was starting to realize how big everything really was, and it was a little intimidating. "Featherflight?" she began, "I need to go take fresh kill to Galekit. Do you want me for anything else tonight?"

Featherflight shook her head. "No, just take your sister some food and work on making your den comfortable. Frostclaw and Oakpaw should be back soon, and Morningstar will be getting cats together for tonight's Gathering. If you need anything, you can find me. We'll start training tomorrow when the dawn patrol gets back, so eat something before we leave."

Breezepaw nodded, getting up to fetch a piece of prey for her sister.

"Oh, and Breezepaw," she turned back to her mentor, whose eyes were twinkling. "Good job today."

Breezepaw dipped her head respectfully, then picked up a vole from the pile and headed for Shellspots's den.

Galekit was awake this time, and happy to see Breezepaw. "So how was your first day as an apprentice?" she mewed, taking a bite of the vole.

"Not bad. It was exciting, seeing everything… So how are you?" Breezepaw, though eager to tell her sister all about her day, held back, not wanting to upset her. Galekit must be feeling pretty bad about not being able to be apprenticed, and Breezepaw didn't want to make it worse.

"Well, my shoulder still hurts, and I can't do much but lay here, but Shellspots says it's not infected, so I guess that's good." She finished her vole in a few famished gulps. "So, give me the details on your day. I want to hear all about it, and don't hold anything back."

Hearing the excitement in her sister's voice, Breezepaw decided to give a narrative of her day. Eyes shining and tail twitching with the thrill she had felt today, Breezepaw opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Shellspots returning with a mouthful of newly picked herbs.

She sat down her bundle. "Okay, Galekit, you need your rest, so the two of you need to stop for tonight."

"But Shellspots," Galekit whined, "Breezepaw was gonna tell me all about her first day as an apprentice! Please, can't she stay and finish?"

Shellspots shook her head. "Tomorrow. I'm sorry, Galekit, but you really need to rest some more. Your shoulder won't heal if you go tiring yourself out." Galekit looked crestfallen, and Shellspots added sympathetically but firmly, "I know you want to hear, but I promise she can tell you all about it tomorrow. I'm sorry, Galekit, but I'm only doing what's best for you."

"Alright, Shellspots. Breezepaw, you'll come back tomorrow, right?" Galekit looked hopefully at her sister, who nodded.

"Of course I will! Well, 'night, Galekit." She turned and left the den, heading for her own. She got to sleep in the apprentice's den now! Her tail and head held high, she trotted through the clearing, where small groups of CallistoClan cats sat, eating and sharing news.

Breezepaw excitedly pushed her way into the apprentices' den to find it empty. She had only ever been in it once before, exploring as a kit, but it already felt homey. Though the tree was long since dead, the smell of pine hung heavily on the air, and it was pleasantly warm, though not too stuffy. In one corner of the trunk, Breezepaw could see Shadowpaw and Shimmerpaw's nests; their scents clung to the depressed piles of moss and pine needles. The rest of the den was disused, cluttered with piles of dead pine used as insulating against drafts. Careful not to disturb the two existing nests, Breezepaw began to clear out space for she and Oakpaw's nests.

After hauling out all the old pine needles and dragging them out of camp, Breezepaw brought in the fresh ones she and Featherflight had gathered, spreading them out in the den to make a soft carpet beneath her paws. It was well after dusk by now, so with a yawn, Breezepaw pushed together some of the needles near the other nests, kneading them until they were suitably arranged, then curled up within her nest. She was nearly asleep when there was the crunch of paws on pine, and Shadowpaw entered the den.

"Hey Star," he purred, padding over to her and licking her ears.

"Hey," she murmured sleepily back.

"You sound tired."

"Mmhmm…" In the dark, Breezepaw heard Shadowpaw laugh quietly, his mew soft and warm.

"Then I'll let you sleep. Good night, Star."

"'Night, Sky," Breezepaw responded. She felt him beside her, adjusting his nest. After a moment, he curled up in it, his pelt brushing hers.

With a content sigh, she snuggled down deeper into the moss, and was asleep within moments.