Introduction
The hatching, Time of the egg, Phoenix down. We have different names for it. It means the same thing. A phoenix has been born.
Oakheart stood at the edge of the clearing, his paws digging steadily into the ground. He was a large bracken tom. There was a bit missing of his left ear, where he had got into a fight.
"Oakheart," The voice belonged to Mistypaw, an apprentice. The ginger she-cat was at his side with Blackpelt and Windtail, two more warriors. Blackpelt sniffed the air and remarked " The egg is over there," The black tom swung his head to the left.
Thistleclaw walked up to them, followed by another patrol of three cats. "We're the first clan here he said, "There's a faint smell of Stormclan, but it's a few days old,"
Oakheart nodded. Windtail walked up to him." What if another clan gets here?" She asked.
Before Oakheart could reply, their leader, Brackenstar, came up to them. "You shouldn't worry, young one," he said.
At that time Lakefur came, leading a group of apprentices and the medicine cat, Tuftear.
Lakefur walked up to him. " Oakheart" she began. " Tigerpaw is having trouble again. I thought since you're the clan deputy, you..." her voice trailed of as another apprentice, Nativepaw, came up to them and started to ask questions. " Will we really get to see the egg? What about the other clans? Can I go play with summerpaw? When can I become a warrior? Huh? Huh?"
Lakefur went to talk with him, and Oakheart was left all alone.
Oakheart looked at them all. Brackenstar, Blackpelt, Windtail, Thistleclaw, Lakefur, Leafstripe, Spottedheart, Darkear, Mistypaw, Nativepaw, Tigerpaw, Ashpaw, Summerpaw, Crowpaw, Silverpaw and Tuftear. His clan. His home. Fireclan.
" Oakheart?" It was Silverpaw. Even though he didn't like to admit it, Silverpaw had to be his favourite apprentice. There was something he didn't tell anyone else. He had found Silverpaw stranded by the river. His scent was of a rogue cat then, so he had taken Silverpaw home with him.
" Yes, Silverpaw. What is it?"
" ummm... Did you know that Ashpaw will be a warrior soon? Leafstripe told me,"
" I'm sure he deserves it. Why?"
" Well, he's my friend and I want to be with him,"
Oakheart knew what Silverpaw was trying to say. ' I'm sorry Silverpaw. No,"
Silverpaw nodded miserably. Oakheart knew how sad he was, so he changed the subject.
" How did you do on your hunt?" he asked.
" Only a few voles," Came the reply.
Oakheart looked around. His gaze fell on Lakefur. Her silver-blue fur shone in the night and her sleek body moved casually as she talked to Nativepaw. He turned his gaze from her and on to Silverpaw. He thought about Ashpaw. Ashpaw...
" Oakheart,"
" What is it Silverpaw?"
" Who is my mother? You never told me,"
" Spottedheart,"
" But she's still a young warrior,"
Oakheart sighed. He hated lying to Silverpaw. But if he said that it was some rogue cat, a loner. Silverpaw wouldn't believe him.
" Silverpaw...Let me tell you a story. During the days of Lionclan, There was a deputy named Halftail. One day, he found an abandoned cat, a son of a loner. He decided to take him in and name him Cloudkit. He became Cloudpaw, then Cloudheart, the bravest warrior ever. But he refused to mate. When he was of age, he left the clan, never to return again. It is said that he had kits, and his kits had kits and so on and so on, so that every loner might have a trace of Cloudheart's blood,"
He looked at Silverpaw, then realized with a jolt what he had said. Would Silverpaw put the pieces together? And then...No. It can't be. Silverpaw is an ordinary abandoned kit. He shook his head. A voice inside him said " You're just denying that because you don't want him to leave,"
" Oakheart!" This time it was Brackenstar. " we're ready!"
" Come on Silverpaw!" said Oakheart.
" By the hatching of the phoenix , I will name a new warrior. Step forward Ashpaw,"
There was a loud crack from the egg.
' Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and always keep your loyalty and not dream of breaking it,"
" I do,"
There was another crack.
" Do you promise to do Starclan's bidding and always protect Fireclan?"
" I do,"
Another crack.
" Then by the power invested in me, I name you Ashfoot!"
" Ashfoot! Ashfoot! Ashfoot! Ashfoot!" The cats shouted his new name.
It could be heard far off in the distance.
" ASHFOOT! ASHFOOT! ASHFOOT!ASHFOOT!"
Oakheart noticed Silverpaw curled up in a corner. He wasn't cheering. Oakheart was about to go over to him, when he noticed Mistypaw squeeze her way over to Silverpaw.
Silverpaw acknowledged her with a brief nod, and she lay down beside him. He was surprised at the sight. Cloudheart kits, he thought. New ones.
Lakefur nudged him and he turned around to face her. She purred at the sight of him. He smiled and rubbed the head against the bottom of her jaw. She licked his ear gently. It was a common enough thing, but the way she did it was more affectionate. He purred delightedly.
" Oakheart," Her voice was barely more then a whisper. " Oakheart, I'm going to have our kits!"
He was surprised. Very surprised. "Our kits...,"
She rubbed her head on his and purred affectionately . He had to smile.
Oakheart glanced at Silverpaw. He was looking at Mistypaw with an unreadable expression.
" Mistypaw!" Ashfoot was calling her.
" Ashfoot! You finally became a warrior! I'm so proud of you!" She replied and got up to join him.
Silverpaw got up and went to join Nativepaw and Summerpaw, who were deep in conversation.
" How many more warriors do we have to go through before it's Silverpaw's turn?" Oakheart mumbled.
" Did you tell him yet?" Lakefur asked.
Oakheart shook his head. " No," He replied.
" You should,"
Oakheart remained silent.
" LOOK!" The cry rang through the night. A large black bird blotted out the sky and then flew away. The phoenix had left.
Summerpaw was whispering to Nativepaw and Silverpaw, no doubt about Crowpaw, Their worst enemy or the most hated apprentice in Fireclan.
Fireclan, Stormclan, Nightclan, Waterclan. Hundreds of cats fighting for no good reason. Borderland skirmishes were okay, but two clans invading the other clan's camp, He usually did not like that. Sometimes, though he resented it, he liked the taste of fresh blood from another cat. He shuddered. It was not the time to think about those things.
" Oakheart?" Oakheart hadn't noticed Silverpaw come up behind him.
" Yes, Silverpaw?"
" What is so special about becoming a warrior on the birth of a phoenix?"
" They say that if you become a warrior on the birth of a phoenix, you get more powers and strength and are braver in battle. They call those people phoenix-warriors,"
" Why Ashfoot, then?"
" Because he was going to become a warrior soon,"
" But...," Silverpaw fell silent.
Oakheart decided to change the subject.
" How's Mistypaw?" He asked.
" She's off with Ashfoot," He grumbled.
Oakheart thought about what Silverpaw had said. That Ashfoot was his friend. Now that Ashfoot was a warrior, he began to think that Silverpaw would change his mind.
" I thought you were friends with Ashfoot," He remarked.
" Not anymore," Came the reply.
" Who's your best friend now?" Oakheart asked.
" Tigerpaw,"
At the mention of his name, Tigerpaw bounded over. " Somebody call me?" He asked.
" No, Tigerpaw," Said Silverpaw.
Tigerpaw left.
" Crowpaw,"
" What!" Yelled Oakheart. " Isn't he your worst enemy?"
" He used to be, but now he's my friend,"
" Do Nativepaw and Summerpaw know this?"
" Not yet,"
" Will you tell them?"
" No,"
" Why not?"
" Because..,"
" It's okay. You don't have to talk about it,' Lakefur interrupted.
Oakheart glared at her. He wanted to know why.
" Lakefur!" Darkear was calling her. " Oakheart! Silverpaw! We're leaving now,"
Silverpaw trotted over to his mentor. " Coming Darkear!"
Oakheart felt a twinge of jealousy. He had found Silverpaw and raised him, but Darkear got to teach him.
As if she knew what he was thinking, Lakefur said " Brackenstar has his reasons,"
At that moment, His apprentice, Summerpaw, came over to him. " Oakheart.., can we go hunting on the way home?"
" Sure Summerpaw,"