Grr, stupid computer deleting Cinder's Ash . . . I'm in a bad mood now, I wish this was a Dew chapter . . . anyway, now you get to meet Blazepaw!
Disclaimer: Do I even have to say that I don't own Warriors?
"Blazekit, from this moment onward you will be known as Blazepaw." Swiftstar's blue eyes met the new apprentice's green eyes. "Yellowclaw, you have been a good mother to Blazepaw. I hope you will be a great mentor as well."
Blazepaw's heart leapt as his mother padded up to him and touched her nose to his. He was finally an apprentice! He didn't have to stay in camp anymore- no more listening to the elders' stories for fun.
After the ceremony, Blazepaw turned to his mother- and his mentor. "Since I'm an apprentice, I wanna learn everything!" Blazepaw mewed. "What do you want me to do?"
"Well," Yellowclaw purred, licking her son's ear, "I was going to say go get yourself a nest set up in the apprentices' hollow. Get to know the other apprentices a bit. Then you can learn to hunt this sundown."
"Got it!" Blazepaw dipped his head and scampered towards the small, slanted cave where the apprentices slept. He ducked his head and crawled on his stomach inside.
The eldest apprentices, Swiftpaw and Wildpaw, shot looks at the new apprentice. "Welcome," Wildpaw mewed, dipping his head. Blazepaw was shocked. Were these older apprentices . . . respecting him?
"Since you're the new apprentice, you have elders duty!" Swiftpaw crowed. She darted past Blazepaw, laughing, with Wildpaw right behind her.
Blazepaw looked at the three other apprentices- Thornpaw, Grasspaw, and Flamepaw. "What's elders duty?" he asked.
"You have to check the elders for ticks during Swiftpaw and Wildpaw's duties," mumbled Grasspaw. "You might want to try and find something to stuff your ears with. . ."
"Yeah, because Patchcloud rambles on about everything," mewed Flamepaw quietly. Blazepaw noticed the ginger tom, though he was moons older than Blazepaw, was about the same size. He remembered the epidemic that had affected WindClan before his birth, and how Flamepaw had been one of the sick.
"I hated elders duty," groaned Thornpaw, licking her shoulder.
Blazepaw let out a mrrow of amusement.
"You'll hate it too," Thornpaw promised, narrowing her eyes at him. "It won't be any different for you than it was for us."
Blazepaw stumbled over his words. "I didn't mean - anything like that- I just meant, that, er . . ."
The apprentices' eyes were all locked on his. "Um, I'm gonna, er- go," Blazepaw mumbled. He turned tail and practically flew out of the apprentices' hollow.
"Done already?" Yellowclaw asked as her son padded up to her.
"Yes," Blazepaw meowed, happiness reentering his spirit. His paws tingled with energy. "Let's go hunt!"
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Blazepaw, the wind whipping through his fur, shot across the moorland as fast as he could, streaking after the tan rabbit. The rabbit was quick, yes, but Blazepaw was determined to make a good meal for his Clan.
Claws unsheathed, he leaped. With a squeak, the rabbit went down under the dark golden tom. Blazepaw hit it sharply on the head and the rabbit stopped squirming.
"That was a great catch!" Yellowclaw complimented. "You must have your mother's catching ability." She licked her son's ear affectionately.
Blazepaw's pelt prickled with pride. Maybe, despite having elders duty for the next half-moon, being a WindClan apprentice would be great.
"Let's head back to camp," Yellowclaw meowed. "Carry your rabbit."
Blazepaw picked up his catch and padded after his mother towards WindClan camp.
Blazepaw.
A voice whispered the apprentice's name. The golden tom stopped and looked around. "Huh?"
"What?" Yellowclaw turned to look at him. "Something wrong?"
"Er, no," Blazepaw stuttered. "I just thought I heard something."
"Oh. Well, hurry up, it's past sundown." Yellowclaw motioned at the darkening sky with her tail and broke into a sprint.
Blazepaw hurried after her, the rabbit hanging from his jaws. As he ran, he cast a last glance at the border with ThunderClan, a stream.
He thought he saw a gray cat standing across at him with wide blue eyes.
Blazepaw blinked, and the figure was gone. "I must be seeing things," he murmured, and he raced after Yellowclaw as fast as he could.
Okay, that was Blazepaw! He's more of the quick learner while his brother is the sarcastic, snappy person . . . anyway, read onward peoples! I'm in a better mood now, despite my anger at the freakin' computer for deleting Cinder's Ash . . . crap, now I'm mad again. X(
