To the apprenticeship! Haha, enjoy!
Sixth moon after the birth of the litter
Sunlight washed into the nursery, and then Lightkit thought something. That would be the last time he would've slept in the nursery, the last time sunlight would appear through the shafts and wake him. Today was the day he would be made an apprentice.
Lightkit stumbled out of the den excitedly, only to bump into Wolfkit being washed thoroughly by their mother, Cinderheart. Howlkit was next to him, her fur already clean, and so was Streakkit.
"There you are, Lightkit." She mewed to him. "We were wondering when you would wake up! You don't have much time; here, come let me fix your fur, you're a mess! We don't any cat thinking I don't take well enough care of you four!" And with that, she let Wolfkit go and started vigorously licking Lightkit. He winced at her rough tongue.
"Mother…" He started to complain, then stopped himself. Of course it was normal for any kit to complain for washing, but he didn't want to hurt his mother's feelings. It may be the last time she even got to wash him for a ceremony; by his warrior ceremony he may be able to do it himself.
But Cinderheart didn't get very far when they saw Bramblestar come out from his den, head held high. Lightkit scrambled away before Cinderheart could finish, but came back to lick her face one last time. The four kits scrambled over to the Highledge, where Lionblaze and Jayfeather were already. Hollyleaf came behind them, and Cinderheart followed, settling down next to her mate.
Bramblestar started to speak "It is a great day when ThunderClan appoints new apprentices. It shows that we are strong still, no matter the past hardships we have overcome. It proves we are growing again." Bramblestar was obviously speaking of the Great Battle that occurred several moons ago; Lightkit wasn't born for it, but he had heard stories of it from the elders.
With his tail, the broad, dark tabby tom ushered the four kits forward. Lightkit stepped forward nervously along with Howlkit, but Streakkit practically bolted forward, his small frame shaking from excitement.
"Lightkit, from this moment on, you will be known as Lightpaw until the day you receive your warrior name." Lightpaw's paws tingled; he was an apprentice! Now named Lightpaw, until he gets his warrior name. But, he calmed his thoughts, focusing on Bramblestar, who was about to announce his mentor.
"Brackenfur, you are ready for an apprentice. I hope you pass on your knowledge of what is right and your great skill so this young cat." Brackenfur! Lightpaw was ecstatic. Exactly who he wanted for a mentor.
The two touched noses, and Lightpaw backed up for his siblings ceremonies as well.
"Streakkit, from this moment on, until the day you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Streakpaw." Streakpaw nodded vigorously, happy as could be. Bramblestar shifted his eyes to a well-groomed, white cat in the crowd. "Cloudtail, you are too ready for an apprentice. Streakpaw will be your apprentice. I hope you will pass on your courage and bravery to make Streakpaw a loyal ThunderClan warrior." Cloudtail nodded, and Streakpaw practically bounced up to touch noses with his new mentor. Next was Howlkit.
His sister's eyes looked very nervous, they sparkled in the newborn sunlight. "Howlkit, until the day you receive your warrior name, you shall now be known as Howlpaw." She nodded, and Bramblestar continued. "Hollyleaf, your time for an apprentice is long overdue. You will be mentor to Howlpaw. I hope you will pass on your strength in the warrior code, and skills to help Howlpaw become a great warrior." Hollyleaf nodded, and then touched noses with her niece, only to sit down next to Lightpaw.
"I was so nervous." She breathed into his ear, so he could almost not hear it.
Lightpaw felt amused. "Really?" He teased quietly, a sparkle in his eye. "I couldn't notice with all your stumbles!" His mew broke into a purr, and he licked his sister. Before she had time to make a sharp retort, Bramblestar called out Wolfkit's name. Then she was as still as a sturdy tree with no breeze.
"Until you receive your warrior name, Wolfkit, you will now be known as Wolfpaw." Wolfpaw nodded, and followed Bramblestar's gaze to rest upon a cat in the crowd. "Ivypool, you will be mentor to Wolfpaw. I entrust you to pass on your excellent fighting skills and knowing of right and wrong to your apprentice." Bramblestar looked at Ivypool with a warm look in his eyes, and she nodded.
Lightpaw looked at his father, who had narrowed his eyes. Hollyleaf had stiffened, and Jayfeather had dug his claws into the ground. Whatever the leader had said, it wasn't welcomed by his father and his littermates.
The clan erupted into cheers as soon as Wolfpaw and Ivypool touched noses. "Lightpaw! Streakpaw! Howlpaw! Wolfpaw!" They cheered.
Lightpaw turned around to his mentor immediately once the meeting had ceased. "Can we go look around the territory? Oh please can we?" He begged.
Brackenfur looked amused. "Well," he began, "ThunderClan territory is much to big for a little apprentice like you to explore in one whole day. So, we'll divide it up."
Lightpaw stopped paying attention for a moment. He heard Howlpaw, about two fox-lengths away from his, seemingly begging Hollyleaf to go with Wolfpaw. Hollyleaf nodded, and Lightpaw able to focus back to his mentor.
"Can we go down to the lake first, and then finish up the day with battle training! I really want to do fighting!" Lightpaw's voice was enthusiastic; his mew matching his mood. He didn't care if he explored the territory with his siblings or not, he just wanted to have free reign.
Brackenfur chuckled, the nodded. "You seem to have mapped out our whole day already! Very well, after we go to the lakeshore, if you're not to exhausted, we can do fighting."
Lightpaw took one last look at the hollow, and then disappeared with Brackenfur into the forest for the first time.
ab
Wolfpaw looked at his mentor and Howlpaw's. Hollyleaf and Ivypool. Howlpaw's mentor suited her well; a good warrior, knowing what was right, yet a good hunter and fighter. Wolfpaw couldn't see what was so great about Ivypool; she was just a normal cat, only the sibling of Dovewing, one of the three who saved the clans.
Hollyleaf was the one who explained everything, Ivypool just went along. It was obvious that this was her first apprentice. "I'm afraid we're not doing anything very exciting right now. We need to clean out the bedding in the nursery and elder's den, actually. But, maybe once we're done, we can do some fighting." Ivypool's tail lashed at the thought of fighting, and Wolfpaw noticed it too. Wolfpaw hoped to StarClan she was a good fighter-fighting was Wolfpaw's favorite.
"First, we need to remove the bedding in the elder's den. Come with us, we'll show you show to do it." Hollyleaf said dismissively, and the apprentices followed her.
Graystripe was sleeping; Dustpelt and Sandstorm were sharing tongues. Fireheart was eating a vole. "Hello?" Hollyleaf called quietly, careful not to disturb Graystripe.
Fireheart picked his head up, and smiled at the four cats. "Well, if it isn't Hollyleaf and Ivypool, and their new apprentices! I assume you've come to clean out the bedding, right?" He asked her.
Hollyleaf nodded. "Yep. We need to teach these guys how to do it properly, while the other apprentices are out hunting." She left her attention from Fireheart to the apprentices, and showed them what to do. Wolfpaw and Howlpaw caught along quickly, so Hollyleaf and Ivypool decided to let them do it by themselves, and wait outside.
As Wolfpaw and Howlpaw eventually started working on the bedding, Fireheart started talking to the youngsters. Wolfpaw didn't mind him at all; in fact, he sort of liked Fireheart. He was a well respected cat, and had earned it many times over. His name would live on forever.
"So, do you two want to hear some stories?" Fireheart asked them optimistically, trying to pry their attention from their chores and entertain them.
Howlpaw pricked her ears. "Sure." She mewed to the elder. "Which one?" Her mind was whirling with all sorts of stories her mother told her; like the Great Journey, all about the Tribe, the three Ancient clans with the big cats, Tigerstar, the Great Battle (but only vaguely), and even the beginning of the Clans.
Just as Fireheart was about to pick, Graystripe woke from his nap. "About time!" Sandstorm teased him. "I was about to go get Jayfeather; you've been so tired lately, it's as if you ate the whole store of poppy seeds!" Her words were hard, but her mew was light and playful.
But Graystripe only yawned an answer. Dustpelt snorted and said, "ever since you became an elder, all you've done is sleep, Graystripe!"
Fireheart was slightly nicer to the waken warrior. "Graystripe, you slept through these apprentices' ceremonies. Would you help me pick out a story to tell them?" He asked his gray friend.
Graystripe nodded slowly, his eyes half closed. "Why don't you tell them about Tigerstar, Fireheart? I'm sure only you could tell it the best." He told his friend. Fireheart nodded his appreciation.
"Alright, Tigerstar it is." And so Fireheart launched into the story of the bloodthirsty, now defeated, Tigerstar.
What seemed like moons later, Fireheart was finished with his quick story, and so were the apprentices with their bedding. Ivypool and Hollyleaf had brought in new bedding; they would show their apprentices how to change it later, when there was more time. Even their mentors were looking forward to fighting session.
Howlpaw and Wolfpaw had to also clean out the nursery, but that was much faster. Their newest queen; Cherrynose, had moved in with Bumblestripe's's kits. Cherrynose was Poppyfrost and Berrynose's kit, Bumblestripe was Graystripe and Millie's kit. Cherrynose made cleaning out the nursery easier; she would always talk, and it was difficult to get a word in edgewise.
Once they were done, the sun was way past its high point, getting ready to set. Hollyleaf and Ivypool were eating outside. "Come and have something to eat," invited Ivypool. Eagerly, the apprentices split a chaffinch.
After their meal was done, Ivypool and Hollyleaf took them to the training hollow. Lightpaw and Brackenfur, along with Streakpaw and Cloudtail, were already there, each training with their mentor.
After what was an aching session, the eight cats returned back to the camp. The sun sunk over the mountains a while ago, and only slight remnants were left behind in the fresh-kill pile. They ate, then retired to their dens, exhausted.
Wolfpaw crawled into his den, his whole body aching. Ivypool was an amazing fighter. She used moves he thought weren't even possible, and Wolfpaw was even more excited to work with her tomorrow, even though he ached all over. Howlpaw crawled into the nest with him, and curled her body up next to her brother. The last thing Wolfpaw remembered before slipping into the sleepy blackness, was the soft feel of his sister's fur, and remembering Ivypool's fighting moves in his mind.
Then he woke up to blackness. It was very dark forest, one that normally wouldn't be among StarClan. Wolfpaw started to pad along, until he heard more pawsteps behind him. When he stopped, so did the pawsteps. When he continued, so did they. Wolfpaw pelted further along the dark woods, sheer terror making his heart race.
Then, he landed in an open meadow, bright and vibrant, unlike the dark wood he was just in. His paws immediately felt better from running, his heart slowed down. Where was he?
As if to answer his thoughts, a cat came out of the trees surrounding the meadow. It was a pretty cat, tortoiseshell and white. With the cat's agile and tenuous frame, it must've been a she-cat.
Wolfpaw carefully went towards her. She smiled at him, but he just stared. But why? This cat was very pretty; but he had never seen her before. Was she a StarClan cat?
"Who are you?" Wolfpaw cautiously called to her, since she was still on the other side of the meadow.
She opened her mouth to answer, but suddenly there was a screech in the meadow. Wolfpaw turned to see what made the deafening sound, but nothing was there. He turned back to see the mysterious she-cat again, but, neither was she. Then there were more screeches, and Wolfpaw woke up.
"Wolfpaw, wake up! We have to go on patrol with Ivypool and Leafpool!" A sharp jab poked Wolfpaw in his side. He rolled over, eyes still lazily shut, and groaned. It prodded again. "Wolfpaw!" The voice belonged to Howlpaw.
Wolfpaw blinked his eyes open slowly, only to be blinded by the newly morning sunlight. Looking out of the apprentices den, the sun was just now rising above the trees on the mountains. The sun was a giant blob of orange, making the sky look like it was on fire.
He looked to his side. Howlpaw was looking at him with her big, brown eyes, and beyond her was one of the older apprentices, one of the late kits of Blossomfall and Toadstep. Blossomfall was one of the cats who had died in the Great Battle. Wolfpaw had never met her, the Great Battle was about two to three moons before his birth. Very close.
The tom was Hailpaw, Hazeltail's apprentice. He was black and white, with brown eyes. Hailpaw had a slight temper, unlike his sister who looked exactly like him; Swiftpaw. There were four of them; Swiftpaw, Hailpaw, and Ravenpaw and Tawnypaw. Ravenpaw had black fur with a white chest and belly, along with paws and tail. Tawnypaw was just like her mother; tortoiseshell and white with hazel eyes. Ravenpaw had Sorreltail for a mentor, Tawnypaw had Icecloud. Swiftpaw, had Brightheart for a mentor, by recommendation of Fireheart and agreement of Bramblestar. They said it was because Brightheart had suggested Swift- for her name, and then she got to train her as her apprentice. She also taught Swiftpaw some herbs as well, but Swiftpaw wanted to be a warrior.
Wolfpaw nodded at Hailpaw, and padded outside with Howlpaw, only to run into Ivypool and Leafpool, who were waiting outside. Right before they left, Wolfpaw heard Hailpaw go back to sleep, muttering about them being too loud.
Ivypool and Leafpool were eating, and Ivypool instructed the two apprentices to eat before they headed out. Almost no cats were stirring except for a few cats in the clearing, some keeping guard.
Leafpool had been very quiet in the clan lately, ever since the Great Battle. She only spoke to Squirrelflight or sometimes Jayfeather, and rarely even did that. Wolfpaw wondered why the she-cat was so quiet; he had once heard she was the medicine cat.
The siblings each picked out a small piece, left over from last night, and began to eat. Howlpaw ate slower than Wolfpaw; but Wolfpaw did quickly devour his. Then the four cats headed off onto patrol.
The forest was silent. Nothing was stirring, except for prey. The hunting patrols would be lucky today. The forest was lush green and beautiful. It smelled of morning dew and was foggy, as it had rained earlier that night. Droplets from the trees would always come crashing down onto the four cats.
Clan life was fine. The four clans began to sink into the feeling of peace, security, and safety. It was as if the battle versus the Dark Forest had never happened, yet there was still the empty places where cats they had lost would've filled.
That last sentence was just a closer; but I still miss those cats! I wonder what Erin hunter will have happen to Leafpool in the end…oh well. And Swiftpaw, Tawnypaw, Ravenpaw, and Hailpaw are all named after cats in real life. In honor of them, and their mother, too. But I really wanted to weave them in now, so I couldn't add the mother in. But even though we don't see their father much (as these kits live in my backyard), he looks exactly like Toadfoot, and the mother cat looks exactly like Blossomfall. Yay! I'm happy I got to put them in! Anyways, please R&R!