Decisions

Robinpaw woke up the next day to the sun filtering through the den walls. She blinked. Had she fallen asleep in her garden again? No, that couldn't be it. Then what- Oh. She saw Splashpaw, Patchy and Choco, and her friends that had been missing for almost a moon beside her. Stretching, she headed out of the den and set her paws down on the rocky floor of the camp.

"Hi, Robinpaw. Please prod the rest of the apprentices awake, it's time for patrols to go out."

She padded inside. "Terribly sorry to wake you all, but Firestar was wondering if you could go on a dawn patrol…?"

Blazepaw opened one eye blearily. "Is it dawn already?"

Barkpaw yawned. "Whassat?"

Patchy and Choco took some time to open their eyes, until they saw the den and realised what had happened.

"We have to decide today, don't we?"

"You do."

They yawned and walked out of the den.

"Good to see you all! After the dawn patrol and hunting patrol go out, you'll have to decide. Now for the patrols, Blazepaw, Robinpaw and Choco, you'll be on hunting with your mentors, while Barkpaw, Splashpaw and Patchy, you'll be with the dawn patrol. Sniff around the SkyClan border, the rogues are mostly there and in RiverClan."

The cats split up, Firestar talking with Sorreltail. "It's good to be back, isn't it?"

"Yeah. It brings back so many memories."

The cats went into a mentor-apprentice pair, Choco partnering with Splashpaw and Firestar. "Scent for prey, it's here somewhere." Sorreltail instructed.

"OH! A mouse!" Choco yelled.

The mouse ran out from the bush it had been sheltering in.

He gave an annoyed lash of his tail. "Why did I have to yell?"

Sorreltail gave a purr. "I did the same thing, actually."

Choco looked slightly mollified by this.

"Hunt on your own, Robinpaw. Choco, you just need to stay quiet. Try hunting on your own. And remember, do not eat your prey."

The two darted off, while Sorreltail hunted in the general area of the place she'd sent them off.

Firestar did the same with his apprentice, watching her run off just like he did as an apprentice with Graystripe and Ravenpaw, who he'd seen in StarClan, visiting.

He caught a mouse and a vole. Ashpelt and the kits will be pleased, he thought. It's their favourite meal, or at least Ashpelt always picks it!

Meanwhile, each apprentice had caught something.

At the dawn patrol, the mentors were teaching their apprentices about borders, and how to defend them.

"You need to issue a strong challenge to the intruder, but strong challenges do not necessarily mean claws and teeth."

"So, something like 'What do you want'?"

"Excellent, Splashpaw!"

At sunhigh, the cats came to the hollow. Ashpelt bounded up to the pile and chose a water vole, and then the hungry apprentices descended upon the pile, and so did the StarClan cats, who still got hungry, but found infinite prey in StarClan.

"Have you decided?" Blazepaw asked, mouth full of mouse.

"I think so." Patchy replied, trembling a little bit.

"I have!" Choco replied.

When the cats had finished their meal, Firestar leaped up to the Highledge.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Everyone ran towards the ledge and sat down.

"Patchy, Choco, have you decided yet?"

"We have." Choco answered.

"What have you decided?" Asked Firestar, gently.

"We have decided to remain warriors." Patchy spoke the words quietly.

"Then we have an apprentice ceremony to conduct!"

"Patchy, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Patchpaw. Your mentor will be Squirrelflight."

A ginger she-cat with one white paw bounded forward, recognition of Blazepaw sparking in her eyes.

"I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you."

"Squirrelflight, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Dustpelt, and you have shown yourself to be determined and loyal. You will be the mentor of Patchpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Patchpaw."

The two touched noses, and Patchpaw ran to rip his collar off.

"Choco, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Runningpaw. Your mentor will be Lionblaze."

A golden tom padded forward, strength evident in the muscles beneath his pelt.

"I hope he will pass down all he knows on to you."

"Lionblaze, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Ashfur,"

Lionblaze seemed to stiffen.

"…and you have shown yourself to be determined and loyal. You will be the mentor of Runningpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

The two touched noses, and Patchpaw ran to rip his collar off.

"Patchpaw! Runningpaw!"

In the commotion, they did not notice a lithe brown tom creep in and steal Wolfkit.

"MOM! HELP!"

Ashpelt swung her head round, and chased the intruder, the rest of the apprentices swiftly following, while the StarClan cats defended the other two kits.