Fallkit pounced on Tulipkit, his hind paws pushing on her back. The orange and white she-kit let out a loud mewl that got the attention of their mother. Willowsong raised her gaze from where she was grooming Scruffykit.
"Fallkit!" The brown tabby grumbled, picking him up by the scruff and dropping him. "Stop fighting like kits or I'll tell Soloswoop you don't get to become apprentices," their mother scolded as she dropped him beside Scruffykit. Her tongue roughly smoothed down his fur before nudging him aside so she could continue on Scruffykit. Fallkit sighed and padded away, plopping down beside Smallkit, who was already groomed and patiently waiting beside the Great Ledge where Soloswoop held meetings of their group. Ashpaw padded over to them, the bigger gray tom letting out a playful purr.
"The other apprentices and I have been making room for you in our den," his brother said as she sat down in front of them.
"Why do the apprentices sleep in their own den?" Smallkit asked, tilting her small silver head. "Most cats share dens with their family." Soloswoop, their father, had slept in the same den as they had with Willowsong since they were born. Cats without families made dens with other cats.
"Arrowpaw," Smallkit rolled her eyes at the name Ashpaw said. "Didn't have any family to share with. So, other apprentices offered to start living in a den with him. All of us share the nest now, besides Lionpaw and Greenpaw, they live with the other medicine cats. Whitepaw, Flashpaw, Spikedpaw, Marvelpaw, Silverpaw, Breezepaw. There's sixteen of us now!" The gray apprentice said proudly. Scruffykit left their mother and joined them in front of Ashpaw as Tulipkit started to get groomed, she sighed and wrapped her bushy tail around her paws.
"What are we talking about?"
"Ashpaw made room for us in the apprentice's den," Smallkit informed her.
"That's nice," Scruffykit looked up at him. "Why did you become an apprentice before us?"
"I was born before you," Ashpaw said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I'll be a warrior in a couple of moons, I suspect," he bragged as Tulipkit joined them. Pigeonfur and Skystep joined Willowsong, their kits coming to join the others. As Honeykit, Lightkit, and Jaykit sat down, Ashpaw pushed onto his paws.
"I'll see you after the ceremony," the tom purred before padding away to join the other apprentices across the clearing. Soloswoop padded up to the Great Ledge, letting out a yowl that echoed through the cave and silenced the cats gathered beneath him.
"Even though we are not a Clan, we are a family of cats who follow the ways of the warrior code, and we have the ceremonies of a Clan. Today, seven kits become apprentices. Lightkit, Jaykit, Scruffykit, Fallkit, Tulipkit, Smalkit, and Honeykit, step forward." The kits looked at each other nervously before padding forward, pulling themselves onto the large flat stone below the Great Ledge.
"You all have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Lightkit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lightpaw. Nighttail, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have trained several cats well, and have shown yourself to be intelligent and brave. You will be Lightpaw's mentor, and I expect you to pass your knowledge on." The charcoal gray tom padded forward to touch noses with Lightpaw before leading him to sit down at the front of the semi-circle of cats.
"Jaykit, from this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Jaypaw. Heatherstorm, you are ready to take on your first apprentice. You received excellent training from Badgerface, and you have shown yourself to be a clever and fierce warrior. You will be the mentor of Jaypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." The brown she-cat touched her nose to the blue-gray apprentice's nose before joining Nighttail and Lightpaw.
Fallpaw shifted, glancing at his littermates nervously. All three she-kits had their eyes focused on their father. Are they not worried about who will be their mentor?
"Scruffykit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Scruffypaw. Graywhisker, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have shown yourself to be loyal and patient. You will mentor Scruffypaw. I hope you pass on these qualities to her." The small tabby turned, leaning up to touch her nose with the broad-shouldered tom before joining him and the other newly-named apprentices.
"Fallkit," Fallkit looked up at his father, feeling himself tremble slightly. "From this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Fallpaw. Badgerface, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You trained Heatherstorm and Starlingheart well, and you have shown yourself to be independent and wise. You will mentor Fallpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him." Fallpaw's heart fell as he looked up at the gray and white tom. They briefly touched noses and he quickly sat beside Scruffypaw. I can't believe I got Badgerface. He's the worst of the senior warriors!
"Tulipkit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tulippaw. Columbineheart, you haven't been with us long but I know you are ready to train an apprentice. You have proven yourself to be quick-thinking and determined, I expect you to train Tulippaw well." The orange and white she-cat greeted her mentor warmly and joined the others, with ease.
Dumb Tulippaw. Why does she get a good mentor? Fallpaw looked up at Badgerface beside him. I get a mentor who should be in the elder's den.
"Smallkit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Smallpaw. Waterpelt, you are ready to take on an apprentice. Littlesplash trained you well and you have known yourself to be compassionate and brave. You will mentor Smallpaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." The small silver and brown tabby stretched up, touching noses with the blue-gray warrior.
And Smallpaw gets Waterpelt? Waterpelt tells the best stories and is nice! When Waterpelt's mate, Nettleclaw, had been in the nursery, Waterpelt always played with all the kits, not just his own daughter. He had given Fallpaw and his littermate's the best badger rides around the cave.
"Honeykit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Honeypaw. Pricklepelt, you have yet to mentor an apprentice. You have proven yourself as an honest and spirited warrior. I expect you to train Honeypaw well." Fallpaw watched as Honeypaw barely touched noses with her mentor before rushing to join the other apprentices.
At least I won't be alone with a bad mentor! Pricklepelt is a mouse-brain.
"StarClan, I ask you to look down upon these warrior apprentices and guide their pawsteps as they begin to train in your ways," Soloswoop mewed to finish the naming ceremony, signaling to the cats to greet the new apprentices.
"Lightpaw! Jaypaw! Scruffypaw! Fallpaw! Tulippaw! Smallpaw! Honeypaw!" The cats cheered as the seven apprentices got onto their paws again. Ashpaw pushed his way through the group with a few other apprentices following. Fallpaw watched as his brother and his friends greeted each apprentice with their new name fondly.
"I can't wait to train with you!" Marvelpaw mewed as she padded up to him. Fallpaw let out a shy purr, ducking his head slightly awkwardly from the pretty apprentice. "Goosepaw and I hope you decide to join the rest of the apprentices in our den. It's under this cozy bush on the lakeside."
"Of course," he responded eagerly. "I can't wait to build a nest in there." He touched his nose briefly to Goosepaw's head in an expression of gratitude to the mute cat. The yellow tabby let out a rough and faint purr, the only noise he could make. The littermates padded aside to let other cats come closer to the apprentices.
After what seemed like several moons, the apprentices had been greeted by everyone, doted on by their mothers, and were alone in the cave with their mentors.
"Since all of you will be living with the other apprentices, we will be moving into surrounding dens while we are training you. Tomorrow at sunrise we will be expecting you outside your den and ready to go. We'll be showing you around the territory. You have never left the cave before, so a few apprentices have hung back to show you to your den and help you find moss," Badgerface mewed from the flat rock where he stood. "Understood?"
The collective apprentices nodded or mewed that they understood.
"Get plenty of sleep!" Columbineheart called after them as the apprentices rushed for the tunnel that took them out of the cave. Fallpaw paused for a moment, looking over his shoulder. Some cats were still in the cave, queens and their mates with their kits. The other apprentices ran on past him as he watched the kits playing. His best friend, Crowkit, was playfighting with Waterkit, Squirrelkit, and Moosekit. He shouldn't be sad, within a moon Crowkit would be joining him as an apprentice but he would still miss his friend until then.
Realizing he was alone at the bushes hiding the entrance, Fallpaw pushed through them and took off at a run into the tunnel. It was dark, the only thing guiding him was fresh-air and the mews of other apprentices waiting for him. He burst out, skidding to a stop as he gasped. The territory was huge. He could see mountains looming all around him, bigger than he could ever have imagined. Down the hill, and in the distance, a lake was turned pink and orange as the sun began to set. There was a dark looking pine-forest beside the lake with bare and open hills beside it, covered in a light dusting of snow.
The apprentice turned, taking in the other direction. An aspen-forest and an open meadow were awaiting him. He could see flowers growing in the meadow and hills. There was so much territory to explore, so many places to see. He forgot that he was angry about his mentor. He purred as he flicked his tail over his sisters' ears, the three she-cats looking at him curiously.
"Race you to the lake!" Scruffypaw let out a yowl and broke into a run towards the water, Tulippaw and Smallpaw pelting after her. The older apprentices let out a few yowls of joy and took off after them. Fallpaw looked down the tunnel entrance once more, knowing that Soloswoop and Willowsong would be settling into their nests for the night.
Realizing he had been left behind, Fallpaw let out a yowl and broke into a run to catch up with his denmates. The grass was dry and flattened down by moons of paws padding over them. The air was crisp and cool, unlike the cave. It had always been warm, even with the hole in the roof of it. A rabbit burst out from its burrow, crossing his path. The apprentice didn't give it a second thought, he didn't care to chase it.
As Fallpaw neared the lakeshore, the grass became sparser and the ground was sandier. He was the last to reach the lakeshore, but he didn't really care. He was watching the moon slowly rise from behind the mountains in the distance. The other newly named apprentices were already padding off, following Ashpaw and Breezepaw towards a large juniper bush near the lakeshore.
"It's pretty here, huh?" Marvelpaw mewed as she padded past him, stepping into the shallow water and letting it wash over her paws. The pretty yellow tabby turned her heads towards him. "Well? Isn't it?" She murmured when Fallpaw didn't respond.
"Uh... Yes!" The multi-colored tabby said, shaking his head and fluffing out his pelt in embarrassment. "Very pretty," he murmured purring shyly at his fellow apprentice.
"We better catch up with the others. They already have moss for you all but you'll wanna get a good spot in the den," she offered softly before padding after the others, flicking her tail to Fallpaw. The tabby fell into step beside her, padding towards the juniper bush. They arrived in time to find Silverpaw dividing the moss and letting each apprentice pick up a chunk.
Fallpaw took his share of moss and squeezed under the low-hanging branches to enter the apprentices' den for the first time. It was cozy and surprisingly warm within the branches and sixteen nests were pushed into it, with clear spots for a few more.
Arrowpaw was crouched in the shadows of the corner of the den, his green eyes only giving him away. Fallpaw could see Flashpaw's orange pelt as he curled into his nest beside Arrowpaw's. Goosepaw and Whitepaw were guiding Tulippaw and Scruffypaw to an area to build their nests. His sisters started building their nests beside one another along the outer wall of the den.
Goosepaw flicked his golden tail to Fallpaw before pointing towards an empty spot between two nests. With a dip of his head, the multi-colored tabby padded up to the spot and dropped his moss, beginning to knead out a nest. Ashpaw and Smallpaw slipped into the den followed by Silverpaw and Marvelpaw. Silverpaw padded into his nest beside Scruffypaw's. Ashpaw padded to the back of the den, settling between Flashpaw and Whitepaw.
Marvelpaw purred at Fallpaw before settling into the nest beside his. Fallpaw flicked his tail in a greeting before curling up. He looked around the bush, taking in his new denmates. His gaze finally landed on Marvelpaw, and he couldn't help but purr. This was the beginning of a good life.
