Here's the next chapter, enjoy! I tried to develop some more of your all's characters in this one.
- Mossy
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jabaredjf- RedMistle is adorable and there's a good chance it will happen.
Heatherkit was being prodded in the side. She rolled over and grumbled, not wanting to get up. "Come on," Mintkit shoved on her harder, "Wake up, Heatherkit!"
"Fine…" Heatherkit grumbled, "Wait, why should I?"
"Because it's our apprentice ceremony today!" Mintkit huffed and she liked Heatherkit with her paw, "Stormbright told me to get you out of your nest."
"Heatherkit, you don't want to be late for your ceremony, do you?" Robinfeather mused, "I had to practically drag Goosefur to his."
"Of course you did, Robinfeather," Dovehop snapped, "That son of yours is a problem."
Robinfeather just looked down sadly at her paws. "Goosefur… He has his own problems to work through."
"You're his mother, why don't you help him get through them?" Dovehop snorted, "I mean, Mistflight's a perfectly respectful she-cat but Goosefur is a pain. I'm surprised Silverstar didn't punish him further after the incident with Leopardfang."
Robinfeather just hissed, "That's mine and Silverstar's son your talking about."
"So?" Dovehop muttered. Heatherkit just backed away from the nursery, not wanting to listen to the argument. She did hear Dovehop yell that Goosefur had murdered a queen. Goosefur was mean, but he wouldn't kill anyone, right? That was against the warrior code. But, she had heard Mistflight tell Eagletalon that Goosefur didn't care about the warrior code. Heatherkit looked at Goosefur and shuddered. The brown and red warrior turned and glared at her, causing Heatherkit to run away- straight into Hawkpaw.
"Woah, are you okay?" he asked before he got up. That was just like Hawkpaw, to be concerned about everyone but himself. It reminded Heatherkit of the conversation she overheard between him and Birdpaw a moon ago.
"Uh, Hawkpaw, are you really going to leave the clan?" Heatherkit asked.
"Not so loud!" Hawkpaw hissed, "I don't want my father or mothers to find out! But, yes. I feel a pull to go help cats outside the clan."
Heatherkit felt a little sad about this prospect, "But Hawkpaw? What about your family? What about Comfrykit?"
"Do you think I haven't thought about the toll me leaving would have on him?" Hawkpaw sighed, "He's really attached to me and looks up to me. I-I love him a lot. But he's young, he'll probably forget about me."
Heatherkit didn't think Comfrykit would, but she wasn't going to say that. "You really think that this is what you're meant to do?" she asked.
"I wouldn't be leaving if I didn't," Hawkpaw shook his head, "You're a lot more understanding then Birdpaw, they're pretty mad at me."
"I'm sure they are," Heatherkit sighed, "Hawkpaw, you should be happy."
"I think I'll be happy making others happy," Hawkpaw explained, "T-Thanks for listening, Heatherkit."
"Hey, no problem," Heatherkit chuckled, "You've always been there to listen to anyone when they need it."
"Everyone please gather around the Highledge!" Silverstar yelled, the large, silver leader was gleaming in the noon sun.
"Time for my ceremony!" Heatherkit said excitedly, "Bye Hawkpaw!"
"Bye!" Hawkpaw called with a friendly wave.
Heatherkit ran over to where Stormbright and her kits were waiting. "There you are!" Rosekit huffed, "Mintkit woke you up a while ago."
Mintkit glared at Heatherkit. "You sleep like a dead badger," she muttered. Heatherkit just laughed a little at that. Stormbright groomed her quickly.
"Heatherkit, we can't have you looking like a dead badger either," the queen chuckled.
"Stormbright," Heatherkit groaned. Icestrike looked at his family with amusement in his eyes.
"I'm finally going to become a medicine cat apprentice," Rootkit whispered with stars in his eyes, "After all this time…"
"Rootkit, were six moons old," Mintkit deadpanned.
Silverstar chuckled, "Rootkit, 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 Rootpaw. Your mentor will, unsurprisingly, be Grassflower. I hope Grassflower will pass down all she knows on to you."
Heatherkit noticed Coltskit was looking on with jealousy.
" with excitement as he went to touch noses to his new mentor. He went over to sit beside Grassflower and the medicine cat rolled her eyes in amusement when Rootpaw puffed out his chest in pride and cast a haughty glance at Coltskit.
The rest of the ceremony continued with Rosepaw being apprenticed to Mousenose and Mintkit being apprenticed to Pinefall. Then, it was Heatherkit's turn. Silverstar turned and looked at her with his deep, brown eyes.
"Heatherkit, you joined this clan a small and terrified kit but look at the wonderful she-cat you're growing up to be. Now, 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 Heatherpaw. Your mentor will be Leafcatcher. I hope Leafcatcher will pass down all she knows on to you."
Heatherpaw couldn't believe the leader had openly complimented her like that. She blushed with embarrassment. Silverstar turned to face her new mentor, "Leafcatcher, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Pondlight, and you have shown yourself to be hard-working and diligent. You will be the mentor of Heatherpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Heatherpaw."
"Rootpaw! Rosepaw! Mintpaw! Heatherpaw!" the clan cheered and Heatherpaw basked in the glow. Hawkpaw, Stormbright, and Robinfeather were the first cats to congratulate her, with Birdpaw not far behind. Leafcatcher took her on a tour of the territory, which was pretty uneventful. Until they ran into a Runningclan patrol. Heatherpaw noticed Leafcatcher was bristling. Pinefall and Mousenose didn't look to happy either. The patrol was lead by a gray and white tom with brown stripes. Heatherpaw tried to think of who her could be, but she didn't know a lot of Runningclan warriors. He was joined by a brown tom and a golden tabby, who had their own apprentices.
"That's Mudwhisker, Suntrail, and Rabbitfoot," Leafcatcher explained, spitting out the last name with venom. The name Rabbitfoot was vaguely familiar. He was the Runningclan deputy!
"Hello Leafcatcher, which one of these little scrawny kits is your apprentice? I'd never thought they'd let a sickly creature like you train anything," the deputy sneered, "And look, there's Thistleflight's side chick, or should I say tom?"
Heatherpaw stood flabbergasted. How could the deputy of another clan be so rude? Mousenose's fur was bristling and her lips were pulled back into a snarl. It frightened Heatherpaw to see the kind she-cat so upset. She exchanged a glance with Rosepaw and Mintpaw.
"Knock it off, Rabbitfoot," Mudwhisker hissed, "We don't want to start any fights." Suntrail nodded.
"Mudwhisker, I think the deputy knows best, he is leading the patrol," a brown tabby she-cat purred.
"Acornpaw, stay out of this," the warrior called Mudwhisker sighed.
Acornpaw looked at Rabbitfoot to see his reaction, but he didn't seem to notice her. Heatherpaw thought this older apprentice was weird.
"Can we just keep moving?" another apprentice sighed, he was a small, yellowish brown tom.
"We'll go when I say we go, Quickpaw," the deputy snarled and the small tom flinched.
"Maybe you should be a little nicer to your son," Pinefall hissed and Quickpaw looked at him with a panicked look.
"You're the reason he no longer has a mother!" Rabbitfoot snapped, "Runningclan, let's go away from these fox-hearts."
Heatherpaw sighed in relief as the patrol left. "I wonder what his deal was," Rosepaw whispered.
"He certainly has a burr in his pelt," Mintpaw responded. Heatherpaw just shrugged.
The territory was a giant field, and Heatherpaw even caught her first field mouse. Leafcatcher was very impressed.
"You're a natural," she purred. When she got back, she found that Smallpaw and Swiftpaw had made her a nest. Rootpaw was excitedly organizing herbs in the medicine den and going on about how he would definitely go to the next gathering. He did manage to great Heatherpaw and his sisters when they returned from they're tour. Heatherpaw was happy to flip down into her new nest and sleep, but she noticed Mintpaw was staring at her.
"Mintpaw, are you alright?" Heatherpaw asked.
"Yeah," Mintpaw nodded, "Just go to sleep, Heatherpaw." Heatherpaw happily obliged.
If anyone wants their OC to be a love interest for a main character, let me know. I love teasing ships!