Chapter Two

Sunlight was slanting into the nursery entrance. Skykit jolted awake feeling the warm glow on the face. Cloverkit stirred next to her. Cloverkit blinked her blue eyes open, then faced Skykit.

"Come on!" she whispered to her sister. "Let's go out!"

The kits jumped out of the nursery and watched the pale dawn sky light up. Other cats began to emerge. Skykit first saw Applefur poke her head out of the nursery, her face worried, then relaxing when she spotted Cloverkit and Skykit. She padded towards them.

"Uh oh!" Skykit whispered into her sister's ear. " We're in trouble, again!"

But, before the Skykit and Clover could jump off the rock they were perched upon and escape, Applefur padded up to them.

"Where have you been?" Applefur scolded Skykit and Cloverkit for sneaking out of the nursery. "I've been looking all over for you! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?"

" We're sorry, Applefur." Skykit and Cloverkit mewed. Applefur's pale green eyes flashed with anger and disappointment. But before she could say anymore to the kits, the dawn patrol appeared at the gorge's top. The Dawn patrol consisted of Reedfeather, Morningwing and her apprentice, Sootpaw, Pebblefur and her apprentice, Rainpaw and Nightclaw. The patrol carefully made their way down the jagged cliffs. Reedfeather went over to Echomist's den to report the borders. Pineheart, Pebblefur and their apprentices headed over to the fresh-kill pile and deposited they prey they caught. Nightclaw went over to Applefur and the kits.

"Good morning, Applefur. Good morning, kits." He said. Nightclaw dropped a sparrow in front of Applefur. Applefur purred gratefully, and began to eat it. Then he dropped a freshly killed mouse for Cloverkit and Skykit.

"Eat it. It's for you." He told the kits. Skykit carefully took a nibble and chewed it. It was delicious. In a matter of seconds, the kits had finished it. Skykit saw Echostar come out her den, followed by Reedfeather. Echostar made her way down the cliff. More cats were waking up with the early dawn sky. SKykit saw a sleepy-looking Squirrelpelt and her three kits tumble out of the nursery.

"Let all cats old enough to climb a tree gather around the Rockpile for a Clan meeting!" Echostar's voice rang out clearly.

Skykit's ears pricked. " A Clan meeting! What could it be?" She wondered. As she sat there, Applefur nosed her small kit towards the circle the Clan had formed. Appleufr guided her kits where she could sit by Squrrielpelt and her kits, Robinkit, Crowkit and Oakkit.

"Hi there." Robinkit mewed. "Is this your first Clan meeting?"

Skykit didn't respond. She was too busy watching what was going to happen.

Echostar stood on top of the Rockplile while Reedfeather, the deputy, sat below. She saw Rainpaw, Sootpaw and Sorrelpaw all emerge from the Apprentices Den, but she didn't see Heatherpaw or Lionpaw anywhere. She would be sleeping in the apprentices den in about one and a half-moon, if she and Cloverkit didn't get in trouble. Honeyleaf and her apprentice, Bramblepaw, came out of the medicine cats den and sat near the other three aprentices. Skykit new that Bramblepaw wouldn't get her full name like the other cats. She knew being a medicine cat was different from being a warrior. She shuddered at the thought of being a medicine cat. She was going to be a warrior.

The Clan had moved a few tail-lengths away from where the Rockpile was. Skykit now noticed Heatherpaw and Lionpaw sitting with their mentors, Nightclaw and Sandclaw. Both cats' fur were rumpled and Ashfire, Lionpaw's mother, was frantically trying to smooth down a piece of fur sticking up on his head. Pebblefur, a new warrior bounded up the cliff and sat on the SkyRock; she could still hear the meeting though. Echostar had told the cats of SKyClan that during every Clan meeting, there needed to have a guard, because once during a Clan meeting, LeafClan had attacked them while they were in a Clan meeting. Before she could ask Applefur what was going on, Echostar began to speak.

" Cats of SkyClan," She began, " Today we have all gathered for one of the most important ceremonies for the life of a Clan: The naming of new warriors. Heatherpaw, Lionpaw please come forward."

The pale gray apprentice came forward, her eyes shining. The broad-shouldered golden brown tom, Lionpaw, followed her. Nightclaw and Sandclaw stood up, but they remained in their places.

" Nightclaw." Echostar addressed Heatherpaw mentor. "Has Heatherpaw learned the skills needed to become a SkyClan warrior? Does she understand what it means to be warrior, and what the warrior code means to every cat?"

" Yes, Echostar. Heatherpaw has learned the skills to become a SkyClan warrior, and what it means to be a warrior." Nightclaw said, glancing at his apprentice proudly.

"Sandclaw, are you happy with your apprentice, Lionpaw, and has he learned the skills of a SKyClan warrior and the importance f the warrior code?" Echostar asked Sandclaw, Lionpaw's mentor.

"Yes, Echostar," Sandclaw meowed, "Lionpaw is ready to be a SkyClan warrior."

Echostar leaped down from the Rockpile and stood in front of the two apprentices. She raised her head and addressed StarClan. " I, Echostar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices They have trained very hard to learn the ways of the Warrior code, and I wish to commend them to you as warriors in their turn."

She paused a moment, as lost in the memories of when she became a new warrior, then she went on. " Heatherpaw and Lionpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend this Clan, even as the cost of your life?"

" I do." Heatherpaw's voice rang out clearly.

Lionpaw was a little more nervous than Heatherpaw was. He took a gulp of air, then replied, " I do."

"Then by the powers of StarClan I give your warrior names. Heatherpaw, from this moment you will be known as Heathercloud. StarClan honors your intelligence and your cheerfulness, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan."

Echostar rested her muzzle on top of Heathercloud's head, and the gray she-cat closed her eyes briefly, and then licked her shoulder.

"Lionpaw," Echostar addressed the other cat, " From this moment you will be known as Lionclaw. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full member of SkyClan."

The golden brown tom quivered as Echostar rested her muzzle on his head, and he licked her shoulder, then went to stand by Heathercloud.

The Clan began to chant, "Heathercloud! Lionclaw! Heathercloud! Lionclaw!" The two new warriors looked proud. Heathercloud's eyes were shining, and Lionclaw's chest was puffed out proudly.

Echostar was about to leap off the Rockpile when she heard a startled yowl from Pebblefur. She was starring up at the cliffs, while a grey coloured she-cat dangled from the cliff.

"Help me!" She yowled, before the rock she was holding on began to flake away.


Who do you think that is? Will the Clan save her? Find out next week! Congratulations to Mottleflower and Talonstrike for being the 5th and 8th reviewers! For those people, the can either PM me or review to claim their prize: Just leave the character's name, what they look like and their personality For those who are out there, the 15th person will receive a mystery prize!

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