Chapter Seven
Echokit flinched beneath her mothers paws as she vigorously licked her. "Stop squirming, Echokit, I want you to look neat for your apprentice ceremony," she scolded.
"You've been cleaning me for ages!" Echokit protested.
Mistyshine finally let her out of her grip, "Fine," she meowed, "now I want you to walk out there like sensible apprentices, not kits who have left the nursery for the first time."
"You two are so lucky!" Wishkit called from the edge of the den.
"Yeah, I can't wait to become a 'paw!" Brindlekit agreed.
Echokit let out a purr of amusement, she had grown to become quite good friends with the two younger kits and admired how they'd dealt with the loss of their brother, Thrushkit when they were only a moon old. "Do you think Stonestar will make Thrushkit an apprentice at our ceremony, so that he can be an apprentice in StarClan?" Wishkit asked.
"I'm sure we can request it," Dawnsky purred.
Brindlekit tilted her head, "who'll mentor him, silly?"
Echokit felt a pang of sadness as the two kits bantered with one another. Why couldn't Berrykit and I have a relationship like that?
"Are you two ready? Stonestar just called the clan together." Mudsplash poked his head into the nursery, he looked just as excited as Echokit was.
"Yes!" Echokit exclaimed, padding after him.
Walk like a sensible apprentice, not a kit who has left the nursery for the first time. Mistyshine's words rung in her head as she padded to the foot of the highledge and settled down. She looked over to Pricklepaw, who gazed at her, his amber eyes beaming with joy. "Berrykit, Echokit please step forward," Stonestar ordered.
Echokit stepped forward, her paws tingling with excitement, however at the same time she was nervous. "Berrykit, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Berrypaw, Fawnripple, I trust you will pass down all that Longwhisker ever taught you onto Berrypaw," Stonestar announced.
Echokit couldn't help but let out a purr of amusement as she saw the shocked look on Berrypaw's face. He thought he was gonna get Mudsplash! "And finally, Echokit, until you receive you warrior name, you shall be known as Echopaw, Dappleleaf I trust you will train her exceptionally well and help her find some ways to hunt and fight with her eye," Stonestar meowed.
Dappleleaf, that's Pricklepaw's mother and she's so nice! Echopaw felt her heart leaping with excitement as she touched noses with her new mentor. "Don't worry I won't be harsh," Dappleleaf whispered in her ear.
"Echopaw! Berrypaw!" The clan chanted over and over.
Once Stonestar had dismissed the clan, Echopaw turned to Dappleleaf. "What are we going to do today?" she asked eagerly.
Dappleleaf thought for a moment, "how'd you like a tour of the territory?"
"I'd love that!" she exclaimed.
"Then so be it, we'll do that," Dappleleaf purred.
Echopaw followed her mentor to the thorn barrier, she felt more and more excited as she took each pawstep through it, trying her best not to let her pelt catch onto the prickly thorns. "It's the most annoying thing when your pelt gets caught on the thors, and it hurts too," Dappleleaf meowed.
"I could imagine," Echopaw murmured, still trying to dodge the thorns.
Echopaw could feel her heart lift with excitement as she padded through the exit of the thorn tunnel to reveal a lush, green forest that was lit up by the bright rays of sun that came pouring down the sky like rain. "Wow!" she exclaimed.
"Welcome to ThunderClan's territory," Dappleleaf purred.
"It's so big!" Echopaw glared at her mentor, excitement flashing in her dark blue eyes.
"Wait until you see the lake." Dappleleaf started to pad off into the trees.
Echopaw bounded after her, amazed by the thick, green bushes and the large oaks that surrounded her. "Make sure you always stay aware of your surroundings whenever you're out of camp, you never know what could be lurking around you, a badger could be getting ready to punce on you and kill you at any moment," Dappleleaf instructed.
"How do I tell what a badger or fox smells like when i've never smelt one before?" Echopaw tilted her head in a confused matter.
"Oh trust me, it's instinctive, you'll know what it is when you smell it," her mentor replied.
Echopaw nodded slightly and continued to follow her mentor. "Can you see the lake?" Dappleleaf asked after a few moments.
Echopaw stopped and looked in front of her, through the dense trees she caught a glimpse of a large body of shining water. "Yes!" Echopaw exclaimed.
Out of excitement, she started to run towards the lake. "Echopaw watch out!" Dappleleaf called as Echopaw stumbled over a large tree log and rolled onto the pebbly shore of the lake.
Ouch, my head! She looked up dazingly, to see Dappleleaf standing over her, her eyes were shining with concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"Y-yeah it hurts though," Echopaw managed to lift her head.
"Thank StarClan you didn't land in the water, that could've ended tragically."
"Why didn't I see that log?" Echopaw mumbled, annoyance in her tone.
"We all make mistakes, don't worry," Dappleleaf reassured her.
Really? I think it was my eye, oh StarClan please don't let it affect my training. "I suppose," she responded.
"Come on lets get you back to camp," Dappleleaf meowed softly, lifting Echopaw to her paws.
Fianlly chapter 7! I was going to post it last night but I had graduation and I didn't get the time to finish it, but I hope you enjoyed! Please remember to review!
