Chapter 4
Naming of New Apprentices
LeafClan Camp
Redstar stood upon the stump of an old tree that overlooked his gather Clanmates. The Queens stood or sat just outside the Nursery just in case their Kits needed them. The Warriors and Apprentices sat scattered all around the clearing talking quietly among themselves. Some of them had their eyes upon the three cats standing in front of their Leader, while others looked at their Leader only. The only Elder sat just outside her den because she didn't dare to go too far into the crowd of the younger cats. Sunflower and Sorrelclaw sat side by side watching the three Kits that are standing just below Redstar's perch. "As it stands, we are short on Warriors to train new Apprentices. Therefore two Warriors will have two Apprentices to train and they will be my most senior Warriors," the LeafClan Leader declared. The gathered cats looked at each other completely baffled. "First, however, I need to ask Turtlepaw a question." Turtlepaw looked up at Redstar completely startled by the mere mention of his name.
"W-what is it, Redstar?" he stuttered still trying to regain his composure.
"Didn't you want to train as a Medicine Cat?" the Leader asked.
"To be honest, it was always my dream to train as a Warrior…" the small brown tom answered.
"Then so be it. From this day forward, you will be training with Breezeclaw and Thristlepaw." The Clan sheered loudly for Turtlepaw's new placement within the Clan. A smirk crosses the young brown tom's face as he looks at the young she-cat that's from outside his Clan. I hope she enjoys being confined to the camp most of the day. He thought to himself.
"Who will take my place now when I am ready to retire?" Sorrelclaw asked.
"I haven't gotten that far yet," her Leader said gently. Redstar looked at Tiplet who is sitting on Snag's left. Her twisted hind leg not fully underneath her. "Tiplet, you're new to Clanlife, yet you seem to understand it and to accept it. Do you promise to do everything in your power to learn what you can from Sorrelclaw and later take her place as the Medicine Cat?"
"I-I do!" Tiplet stuttered slightly.
"Then I call upon my Warrior Ancestors to look down upon this young Kit as she takes her place among us. Tiplet from this day forward you shall be known as Shallowpaw until the day you earn your Warrior name," Redstar declared. The Clan chanted Shallowpaw's new name. Shallowpaw padded unsteadily over to Sorrelclaw and they briefly touched noses.
"Welcome to the Clan my young Apprentice," Sorrelclaw said gently.
"How come Redstar changed my name?" Shallowpaw asked curiously.
"We will explain that after the Naming Ceremony has finished," her Mentor said still in the same gentle tone.
"Oh okay then…" Shallowpaw said sullenly as she sat beside her Mentor. Redstar looked at Snag next once all of the mewing had died down again. He is wondering who to place the new tom with so that he will learn the most. He had three young Warriors that have yet to receive their first Apprentice, but he wondered if that would be a good idea. Redstar moved his gaze over each face of the gathered cats while he was thinking. After a while longer he finally spoke again.
"Snag, you're as new to the Clan as your littermate. You are strong and independent. Do you promise to do everything in your power to protect your Clanmates?"
"I do!" Snag said in a loud yet confident voice.
"I call upon my Warrior Ancestors to look down upon this young Kit as he takes his place among us. Snag from this day forward you shall be known as Stormpaw until you have earned your Warrior name. You will also be training with Sunflower and Devilpaw," Redstar said in a loud voice. The Clan called Stormpaw's new name and welcomed him to the Clan as an Apprentice. Stormpaw padded over to Sunflower and briefly touched noses with her before he sat down on her right. Redstar looked at the sickly white she-kit in front of him. "Finally we have a new Kit joining our Nursery. However, it is not my place to name her, since Sunflower is the one that rescued her. Sunflower, if you would be so kind." Redstar jumped down from the stump and sat beside it not too far from the young malnourished Kit. Sunflower padded forward and took her place upon the stump. She looked at her Clanmates a little shyly.
"While I was patrolling this morning I heard a tiny splash in the nearby river. I went to see what it was. I saw the Kit floating downstream unable to fight the fast flowing current. Knowing that, I, myself cannot swim that great; I jumped into the cold river water and willed myself to swim towards the hapless Kit. Grabbing her in my jaws, I brought her back to shore. I forced the water from her lungs until she started breathing normally again. Then I brought her here where she would be safe," Sunflower explained while her tail swayed from side to side slowly.
"One would think that Sunflower is part WaterfallClan," Turtlepaw sneered. Breezeclaw hits Turtlepaw in the head with his tail.
"Watch your words, Turtlepaw, she is still your Deputy," the dark gray tom hissed at the Apprentice.
"Interesting tale, Sunflower, now do please continue," Redstar said as he waved off Turtlepaw's words with a flick of his tail.
"Redstar had given me permission to name this young Kit and find her a willing Queen to nurse her back to health until she is ready to be apprenticed," Sunflower continued.
"What will you name her?" Pineneedle asked curiously.
"Who have you chosen to nurse her back to health," a pure gray tom asked as he looked up at his Deputy. Sunflower looked at Mousefur for a long moment before she spoke answering Pineneedle's question first.
"From this day forward this young Kit shall be known as Snowykit until the day she is apprenticed," Sunflower said. The Clan called Snowykit's new name happily. "And I have chosen Coppertail to nurse her back to health, Mousefur."
"It would be my honor to nurse this young one," the golden brown Queen said gently as she padded forward from the Nursery. "I will look after her as if she were my own." Coppertail gently lifted Snowykit up off the ground by her scruff. She then went into the Nursery to settle the young malnourished Kit in with her own.
"I sense trouble in the near future and I'm not liking it," Applecore said in a low harsh tone to no one in particular. How could any cat be so stupid as to want to train as a Medicine Cat? Turtlepaw thought to himself as he watched Sorrelclaw and Shallowpaw pad over to the Medicine den.
