Chapter Four
Ayyy we find out a bit more about Brambleflower now!
- -Brownfur
Echokit dreamed of herself running, from what she didn't know, but running through a red-skied woods. Her lungs couldn't keep up with her speed, and her head began to spin, until she came across a brook. She waded through, and the skies brightened into day. She calmed down and lay by the stream.
"Come darling, the sun's up." A husky voice whispered to Echokit.
The she-cat opened her eyes and saw her father, still an unfamiliar figure, leaning over her.
"You might want to groom your fur before you become an apprentice," he smiled. Spirestrike's love for his newly found kit shone in his eyes.
"Okay!" Echokit stood from Fawnflight's side and padded out of the nursery.
"I have to go get Greenpaw ready for her ceremony. I'll see you in a moment," Spirestrike waved his tail.
Fawnflight smoothed Echokit's flyaway furs down gently. "I'm so happy for you!" She murmured. "Spirestrike must be so overwhelmed but so happy."
"Really?" Echokit didn't understand exactly.
"Well, his apprentice is graduating to a warrior, and his newly recovered lost kitten is becoming an apprentice of his clan. And I'm pretty sure Driftstar's going to be expecting kits." She mrowed, smiling.
Echokit finished grooming her plumy tail. "His kits?"
"I'm pretty certain."
The two cat's finished smoothing Echokit's pelt just in time for Driftstar's announcement.
"All cats old enough to vanish in the shadow's, father under the Highrock!" She yowled.
Rubblerace stood behind her on the boulder, and Greenpaw and Spirestrike stood off the the side.
"Run over there!" Fawnflight hissed in Echokit's ear.
Echokit ran the long way, not wanting to stick out. Spirestrike had a grin on his face, and curled his tail around Echokit's tail. Beside him, Greenpaw winked at Echokit.
"Today, we are making both an apprentice and a warrior." Driftstar meowed to her clan. "Greenpaw, Spirestrike, come here."Echokit watched as her father and his apprentice stood beneath the Highrock, and felt a pang of some emotion she couldn't name.
"Spirestrike, is Greenpaw ready to become a true warrior of Shadowclan?" Driftstar smiles warmly upon Spirestrike.
"Yes. Greenpaw's strength and skill are those of a warrior."
Greenpaw leapt upon the Highrock, all eyes pointed at her.
The feeling grew stronger, and Echokit knew its name. Jealousy.
Of course.
"Greenpaw, do you promise to uphold Shadowclan's laws, and to protect your clan mates with your life?"
"I do, Driftstar." Greenpaw meowed, her emerald eyes gleaming in the sunlight.
"Then by the light of Starclan, I, Driftstar, give you your warrior name. May your shadow cast long, Greenleap."
Greenleap sat at the edge of the Highrock, her shadow falling across the rest of the clan in the sunlight. Shadowclan cheered her name, yowling wildly. Greenleap jumped from the Highrock and was swarmed with cats.
"Now, Shadowclan, we will appoint a new apprentice. Echokit, stand under the Highrock." Driftstar yowled.
Echokit walked under the Highrock, but cats were still cheering for Greenleap.
"Ashenspots, come here." The spotted grey tom cat walked through the crowd and stopped beside Echokit.
"Looks like we'll be working together," he whispered, grinning.
"Echokit, do you promise to train your skill as a Shadowclan cat and obey your mentor?" Driftstar called.
"Yes." Echokit meowed, and felt a strange presence prick her fur.
Driftstar motioned with her paw, and Ashenspots lowered his head and touched his nose against Echokit's. "Then until you become a warrior, you will be known as Echopaw."
Echopaw smiled at Ashenspots as the clan called her new name.
"You'll be my first apprentice," He meowed.
"You'll be my first mentor." Echopaw smirked.
"Echopaw, come on! We can show you the apprentice's den!" The dark-striped yellow tom, Birchpaw, waved his tail excitedly. Echopaw had just came from a tour of the brook border, which she didn't feel she exactly needed.
"Okay." She purred, and followed Birchpaw through camp, waving goodbye to Ashenspots.
The apprentice's den was in a small hollow under a huge thorn bush.
Rapidpaw and Thawpaw were waiting, obviously excited as Echopaw padded in.
Rapidpaw rushed right up to Echopaw, tail high like a banner. "It's so nice that we got another apprentice as soon as one left!" She purred. "I love your tail," She mewed, looking at Echopaw's smooth, plumy tail compared to her wild, fluffy one.
"Oh. Thanks?" Echopaw wasn't sure what to say.
Birchpaw crouched onto a much better looking version of the one Echopaw had practiced with Fawnflight last night. "Do you know how to do the hunting crouch? Well, you probably worked on it a little." He meowed.
"Yes," Echopaw felt her cheeks burn as she dropped into her clumsy hunting crouch.
"It's ok..." Rapidpaw mused. "We can help you work on it, and then tomorrow Ashenspots will be like 'wow! You're amazing!"
Suddenly, the siblings began meowing over each other, hyper.
"Shut up, guys!" Thawpaw yelled. "Sorry about that," he folded his ears back in embarrassment. "Sometimes their energy bounces off each other."
"It's no problem." Birchpaw laughed. "If we're getting annoying just tell us."
Echopaw sat awkwardly, feeling slightly out of loop with the cat's easygoing personalities. Where were the hissing, the screaming matches, and fighting?
"You okay, Echopaw?" Thawpaw lay a paw on her tail.
"Oh yes. It's actually very nice, but I expected more fighting." The three apprentices' glanced warily at each other.
"Brambleflower hit you?" Rapidpaw asked gently.
"Only sometimes."
"And she didn't... Kill any of your littermates?" Birchpaw pried.
"What do you mean kill?" Echopaw blinked. "She only drowned Moonkit because she argued with Mama."
The apprentices stared in horror at Echopaw's vacant expression.
Thawpaw folded his ears back and whispered, "And you were okay with that?"
"Well... she was always.. the bad... one..." Echopaw finally realized the look in their faces was fear. "It was fine!" She snapped. "Let's just go to bed," She meowed.
The three apprentices curled in their nests, eyes wide. Echopaw had already closed her eyes before she could see the other's pitying looks.
"Hello, darling." The pale calico she-cat stood over Echopaw, faintly glowing.
Echopaw looked around herself, and found she was in a vast forest clearing, with gorgeous skies, though starless, and lush growth. "Mama!" She cried at Brackenflower's shape.
"Echopaw." Brackenflower nodded curtly. "I see you've made it into Shadowclan."
"Yes! Just like you told me!" Echopaw yelled, eager for some emotion in her mother's dead eyes.
"Only after I made you." She hissed. "Well, that was all for tonight," Brackenflower lashed out her claws over Echopaw, and as Echopaw flinched, her dream spiraled into light.
- - Brownfur