CHAPTER THREE
APPRENTICE

"Let all the ShadowClan cats gather below the Tall Pine to hear my words!"

Blackkit poked his head out of the nursery. It was finally time! It had felt like sunhigh would never come. It seemed as if the sun had moved extra slow that day, or maybe Rowanstar was just putting off their apprentice ceremonies – to teach them patience, perhaps?

Combing his paw over each spray of whiskers once, Blackkit padded out of the nursery and to the front of the clearing, where he had waited behind Oakpaw and Pricklepaw when they were made apprentices. Excitement fizzed in his paws as he remembered that tonight, he'd be calling them denmates once more, as he and Redkit would be bunking in the apprentices' den. It didn't even bother him that he'd still have to put up with Redkit. She was padding to the center of the clearing and her mother was sitting nearby, her eyes gleaming with pride.

"Today we gather to make two kits apprentices," Rowanstar began. "Redkit, Blackkit, step forward, please."

Blackkit tried to quell the trembling of anticipation in his paws as he obeyed.

"Redkit, from this day forth, you shall be known as Redpaw. Ferretclaw will be your mentor," Rowanstar meowed. His eyes were narrowed almost grimly as he fixed the ginger she-cat with a stern look. But if Redpaw saw it, she ignored it as she trotted forward with the dignity of a leader and gravely touched noses with a gray-and-cream-tom that was only Ferretclaw.

"Blackkit, from this day forth, you shall be known as Blackpaw." Blackpaw shivered as he received his new name. Rowanstar met his eyes as he continued, "I will mentor you."

Blackpaw tried to ignore Redpaw's seething, jealous glare that burned into his pelt as he solemnly stepped forward. Rowanstar lightly leaped down from the tree, and the two touched noses before turning to the Clan.

"Redpaw! Blackpaw! Redpaw! Blackpaw!" the Clan chanted.

Blackpaw's fur tingled with pride under the attention of his Clanmates. When the congratulations had died down and the cats began to disperse, Blackpaw turned to Rowanstar, blazing with excitement. Only Ferretclaw and Redpaw lingered in the center of the clearing beside them; the rest of the Clan had resumed their work for the day.

"What are we doing first? Training? Hunting? I want to do it all!" Blackpaw meowed, his enthusiasm spilling over. He could tell that Redpaw was displeased at not getting a very impressive mentor, but even some kitlike anticipation was showing through over the edges.

"We can't do it all at once," Rowanstar laughed. He looked up at Ferretclaw; the gray-and-cream tom was looking a little nervous about mentoring apprentices with his leader. "What do you think we should do first, Ferretclaw?"

"Why don't we show them around ShadowClan?" Ferretclaw suggested. "That way they won't get lost when we are going to hunt and train."

Rowanstar dipped his head, acknowledging approval to the younger warrior. "Follow me," he mewed with a flick of his tail, and headed toward the yew tree that framed the exit to camp.

Excitedly, Blackpaw bounded after him. Ferretclaw and Redpaw followed closely behind.

When the forest expanded in front of him, Blackpaw took in the sights and sounds and scents with awe – for the second time. Last time he had been here with Rowanstar those long three moons ago, there had been a chill in the air that was odd for greenleaf. Now, the crispness in the air was much sharper, and the trees that weren't pines were beginning to turn scarlet and yellow.

About halfway to the lake, Rowanstar turned down a different path, sliding between the pines like he was born to do it. Instinctively, Blackpaw kept his weight on his paws and followed closely behind, keeping his tail close to the ground.

At one point, Rowanstar stopped near what looked like an old riverbed devoid of water. It sloped steeply downward for about three fox-lengths before coming abruptly to a halt. There was flat ground for two or three more.

"This is the Gully," Rowanstar explained. "This is where we'll practice fighting moves tomorrow, most likely."

"Looks dangerous," Redpaw remarked mildly.

"That's why kits aren't allowed out of camp," Rowanstar explained, not tearing his gaze from the Gully. Blackpaw got the feeling that Rowanstar didn't like Redpaw very much. I wonder why... "If you don't know how to climb down properly, you could fall and sprain a paw."

Blackpaw's eyes widened. "How do you climb down properly, then?"

"Like this," Rowanstar explained. He sidled down the slope with fluid, agile steps that were obviously well-practiced. Once he reached the bottom, he headed up the same way. "We also use this as a trench when the other Clans or rogues are attacking."

"But wouldn't that make it easier for them to attack?" Redpaw wondered.

Rowanstar gestured with his head for them to move on as he replied, "There's a ShadowClan warrior behind every tree during an attack. The warriors in the Gully are just backup."

The four cats padded on to the border they shared with ThunderClan, a stream next to a gnarled tree.

"What's that smell?" Blackpaw asked, wrinkling his nose against the overpowering musky scent that hung in the air.

"It's ThunderClan," Ferretclaw replied, amused. "And they say we stink."

"Yuck!" Blackpaw exclaimed.

Rowanstar led them to a shallow spot in the stream and slipped through the reeds lining the edge. "Follow me," he meowed, and crossed by climbing on stones that jutted out of the surface. Ferretclaw and Redpaw followed.

When it came Blackpaw's turn to cross, he tested the first stone with one black forepaw and leaped onto it. He honed his senses on the next one and sprang, but he overshot and his front end landed in the water, making a big splash. Blackpaw felt his head connect with Redpaw's flank ahead of him. She let out a startled yelp and whirled, her hindquarters sliding off her stepping stone.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Redpaw growled, green eyes blazing.

"Oh, just losing my balance, that's all," Blackpaw snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was tired of her hostility! "So nice of you to ask."

Redpaw curled her lip and sneered, "Too bad you didn't fall in." She turned to follow their mentors, but not before throwing a stinging jab over her shoulder, "Everyone knows kittypets can't swim."

"I'm not a kittypet!" Blackpaw snapped, rage boiling in his blood.

"How do you know that? Your Twolegs could have dumped you on Clan territory because they didn't want you anymore."

Blackpaw cringed. "You don't know that," he answered, hoping he sounded as confident as he felt.

"What are you two still doing back there?" Rowanstar called from the other side of the creek. "Come on, already!"

"Yeah, Redpaw!" Blackpaw jeered.

"Shut up," Redpaw retorted, flipping water in his direction.

Gritting his teeth, Blackpaw forced himself not to snap back a mocking reply, but Redpaw's mocking words always seemed to grate on his nerves like claws on stone.

"This is the Clearing," Rowanstar explained, beckoning around the grassy hollow. "This was long-fought over by ShadowClan and ThunderClan. When the Clans first settled at the lake, ThunderClan owned every stick and stone between the two streams. They weren't willing to give it up, but ShadowClan won it through a battle."

"All right ShadowClan!" Redpaw cheered.

Rowanstar's eyes darkened. "All good things come with a price," he meowed. "Blackstar was leader at the time." Blackpaw pricked up his ears. "His deputy was Russetfur. She was killed in battle by a traitorous golden warrior."

"Lionface, was it?" Ferretclaw asked uncertainly, his memory rusty.

"Lionblaze. But we don't speak his name around here," Rowanstar replied grimly.

"Russetfur, huh?" Blackpaw was surprised how unusually thoughtful Redpaw looked. "I've heard of her."

Rowanstar narrowed his eyes to slits as he looked at the apprentice. "I'm not surprised," he remarked. "She was a noble deputy and an outstanding warrior."

"I want to be deputy, just like her someday!" Redpaw exclaimed, whipping her tail.

Blackpaw couldn't help but let out a snort of mockery, and Redpaw fixed him with a stern glare before lashing her tail much more angrily than before. He couldn't possibly imagine Redpaw becoming deputy someday, ordering everyone around and being an example. Why, she was barely a scrap of fur with an attitude!

"Blackpaw," Rowanstar scolded, taking his smirk as one of mocking Russetfur instead of Redpaw like he had meant, "Show some respect. She served ShadowClan for many moons as their deputy, as long as Blackstar was leader. Now let's move on. This is a dark place."

"Yeah, Blackpaw," Redpaw hissed under her breath as their mentors began to cross the stream once more.

"Shut up," Blackpaw replied as he barged past her, nearly knocking her off the stone.

"Oh, look! There's the halfbridge!" Blackpaw called as the patrol neared the RiverClan border.

The four cats had been padding along the pebbly lakeshore. The waves had been lapping gently at their paws, but Blackpaw had pushed Redpaw in – when questioned by Rowanstar and Ferretclaw, he had replied that she had tripped over his tail by accident – so she of course had to retaliate and drag him under with her – she said that he had tripped her on purpose, which was only half-true– so both apprentices were soaked to the skin and shivering. Rowanstar said it was their punishment for bullying one another.

"You've been out here before?" Ferretclaw asked, shooting a questioning glance at Rowanstar.

"He was with me," Rowanstar rumbled in response.

"Yeah. I must be special." Blackpaw puffed out his chest and shot a glare at Redpaw from the corner of his eye – one which she met with glinting green eyes.

"Showoff," she spat. Her wariness around him from when they were kits had turned into full-blown hatred, and she didn't make any attempt to filter or redirect it when she was with him.

"Blackpaw, there's a time to be proud and a time to be humble," Rowanstar countered him. "Know the difference between them."

Redpaw smirked as she passed Blackpaw, who lashed his tail and followed them back to camp.

When they ducked under the yew bush, Rowanstar padded off to his den without a word, leaving Ferretclaw to deal with the apprentices.

"Get some prey and rest up tonight," the gray-and-cream tom told them. "We have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow. Make sure you're ready for it."

Then, without another word, he walked off, leaving the apprentices alone.