Hello again! Here is the next chapter...
Reviews :
"Carrotlover25" - Thank you so much for your OC! Don't worry, she won't be an evil character in the story ;)
"xXLilystarXx" - Thank you so much! I really love their names ;) Sorry, but I can't place them in ThunderClan since I already have the full allegiances. I'll maybe keep one of them as a ThunderClan kit later on but not all three of them.
Now on with the chapter!
Chapter 6 :
"Jaykit, come forward."
Sorrelstar's mew rang clearly in the ThunderClan camp, and Jaykit padded determinately towards Highrock, where her leader was addressing the Clan. She stood proudly beneath the grey rock, tail curled neatly around her paws.
"Jaykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed." Sorrelstar continued with a flick of his tail. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Jaypaw. Your mentor will be Redwing. She has trained Lionclaw into a fine warrior, and I trust her to pass down all she knows on to you."
Redwing? Thought the newly made Jaypaw, astonished. I never thought the Clan leader would appoint the deputy as my mentor!
Sorrelstar then turned to Redwing, who was sitting in the front of the crowd. "Redwing, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You are an excellent deputy, and I expect you to pass all you know to Jaypaw."
Jaypaw turned towards Redwing and touched noses with her. "I'll make you into the best warrior possible, Jaypaw." She heard her mentor murmur. Jaykit twitched her ears to show she had heard, but did not answer.
"Jaypaw! Jaypaw!"
As the Clan chanted her name, Jaypaw couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for her sister. They hadn't talked to each other since the day after the accident, and Jaypaw felt lonelier than ever. Maybe it would be easier to have friends now that she was an apprentice.
Sorrelstar did not leap off Highrock as the yowls of congratulations died down. Instead, he beckoned Ferntail forward.
"Ferntail, you had something to tell me," Sorrelstar meowed.
"Yes, and I wanted to tell it to all the Clan," the brown tabby answered. "I am happy to announce that Breezekit's leg is healing, and I think she will have no problem coping with warrior apprentice's duties."
The Clan murmured happily at the news. Breezekit had been taken care of by all the Clan, and everyone thought it would be unfair not to give her a chance to be a warrior.
"Nevertheless," Ferntail continued, "Her left eye is lost. Rainpaw and I can do nothing about it. BUT," he meowed as shocked mews filled the clearing. "We think that in a moon's time, she will be ready to become an apprentice."
Sorrelstar pondered this for a few heartbeats, and then dipped his head to Ferntail. He then turned his head towards the medicine cat's den, where Breezekit was sitting beside Nightstorm, looking at her sister with one blazing green eye. She seemed more jealous than ever.
"Breezekit, do you think you will be able to train with only one eye?"
Breezekit straightened herself and fixed Sorrelstar with a determined gaze. "Yes, I am ready to do all I can to become a warrior. Even with only one eye."
"Very well then. When Ferntail tells me that it is time, you will become an apprentice."
…
Jaypaw padded to the apprentice's den, careful not to catch her sister's eye. Since the accident, they had not seen each other often. When Jaypaw had gone to Ferntail's den once to check out a minor injury, Breezekit had purposefully slipped out of the den to 'go to the dirtplace'. To add more solitude to her life, Nightstorm and Thornfang had spent their nights beside their injured daughter, and Jaypaw had been forced to sleep alone in the nursery. Squirrelwhisker had been nice with her, and let her sleep beside her when Jaypaw felt lonely.
Shaking these thoughts away, she peeped inside the den. There were five nests in total, and one of them looked newly made.
"I made it for you."
Jaypaw spun around. Larchpaw was sitting at the entrance of the den, head tilted to one side. "Thanks," Jaypaw muttered.
"Aren't you happy to be an apprentice?" he continued. "I mean, it's sad not to have Breezekit around but anyways."
Oh, she thought, disappointed. So he wants to talk about Breezekit.
"Yes, I guess it's exciting," she snapped. "But could you please leave me alone for a moment? I'm tired."
Larchpaw looked crestfallen. "Fine, I'll go," he meowed sadly, while Jaypaw turned her back on him.
Jaypaw curled herself miserably in her nest, not noticing Larchpaw's look of longing as he padded out of the apprentice's den. She had thought her apprentice ceremony would be great! She had hoped that Breezekit would be there too, and that her parents would be here to congratulate her. They didn't even come to tell her they were proud of her. And she had thought Nightstorm loved her! Were all her words lies?
Jaypaw pondered this. Nightstorm had told her she loved her, and deep down, Jaypaw knew she did. But why did her parents not come to see her after the ceremony? Why? Jaypaw sighed. So much for being an apprentice. Well, she would just have to prove them she could be the best warrior possible. She would prove them that she could be as brave as Breezekit let them thought she was. Injury or not, she would be the best, and surpass even the greatest warrior.
Jaypaw's eyes gazed in wonder as the light dimmed outside. Her apprentice ceremony had started late because Sorrelstar's patrol had had a border skirmish with RiverClan. Redwing had told her to sleep now in order to wake up early in the morning.
Jaypaw knew that Breezekit was jealous of her, and blamed her for the loss of her eye. Jaypaw secretly thought the same thing, but she knew that she couldn't go into the past and change it. Breezekit would have to cope with her injury alone. If she doesn't want my help, then it's her problem. I won't be here for her when she finally realizes that we are sisters, no matter what.
A spark of hope lit in Jaypaw's deep blue-green eyes when she thought about the days to come. She had the deputy as her mentor. She had luck on her side. She would succeed. She would be the best warrior ThunderClan had ever seen, and she knew it.
I just love writing ceremonies... It's so great!
QOTD (yes, I'm starting that now XD) : What do you think about Jaypaw and Breezekit's relationship?
Please don't forget to post a review, it really helps!
-Lightning
PS : I really need more OCs, so please post a review or PM me if you have some!
