Notes:
Sorry if this chapter is kind of boring. But if they were all action packed or filled with suspense it wouldn't be a very good story, would it? Would it? ...okay, it probably would.
Ch. 5
It has been a moon since Leafkit and I became members of ThunderClan. And during that moon, Sunkit taught us everything there is to know about Clan life, with Poppypetal helping him explain when we didn't understand. Though StarClan was interesting, what I enjoyed learning about most was the Warrior Code. As long as you followed the Warrior Code, you could be a brave and loyal warrior of your Clan. Over and over, day and night, I would ask Sunkit to recite the Warrior Code for me. One day he sighed. "Silentkit, you should know the code by heart by now. Do you really need me to say it again?" I furrowed my brows in thought and found that I did know it. So, every night when everyone was in their nests, I would lie awake and silently recite it in my mind. Doing so always calmed me into sleep.
Then the day of our apprentice ceremony had dawned. Sunkit, Leafkit and I had finally turned six moons. Poppypetal had gotten hold of Leafkit first and was grooming her nose to tail tip. "Poppypetal!" she groaned, squirming away. "I'm clean, okay?" Sunkit and I smirked at each other. Suddenly Sunkit's eyes widened and he quickly scurried to the farther side of the nursery. I stared at him, confused, when Poppypetal got a hold of me. I frowned, but remained silent as she groomed me. When I was finally free, I ran out of the den and sat beside Leafkit, watching the rest of the Clan bustle about. When I heard growling behind me, I knew that Poppypetal had caught Sunkit. Leafkit and I looked at each other and giggled. As we did so, Lightkit and Longkit padded past us, casting envious glances our way. The siblings were only a moon younger than us, but they were growing impatient now that our day had come.
Sunkit appeared by my side, licking his chest fur. "I wonder who our mentors will be." Leafkit said. I nodded and kneaded the ground anxiously. Really, I was fine with any warrior being my mentor as long as it wasn't Branchtail. He was Snakepaw's father, and they acted very much alike. And, unfortunately, not in a good way. Snakepaw would glare at Leafkit and I and shove us to the side whenever she passed. Branchtail would glare at us as well, but tried to stay far away from us. When we were near, he would regard us coldly if at all. Her mother, Rushfoot, didn't seem to mind us that much, so she had to get it from her father.
Sunkit was shaking slightly. "I hope I get Swiftfur! Or Applefeather!" His whiskers quivered with excitement. It was then that Willowstar stood atop the High Ledge and spoke, her voice full of authority. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting." Our clan mates quickly huddled beneath the High Ledge. Poppypetal led the three of us to the front of the group, and I got a case of déjà vu. The cats around us chittered in excitement. Willowstar lifted her tail, silencing them, and began. "It is time for an Apprentice Ceremony. Today, three kits will become apprentices of ThunderClan." She looked down at us. "I ask that Sunkit, Silentkit, and Leafkit step forward." Sunkit walked quickly while Leafkit and I walked with patience. Unlike the last time we had to stand in front of the whole Clan, I felt confident as I stopped beside my sister.
Willowstar turned her gaze directly onto Sunkit. "Sunkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Sunpaw. Your mentor will be Rushfoot." A light grey tabby she-cat stood in the crowd. "Rushfoot, you taught Snowfall well. She has become a strong and patient warrior of ThunderClan, and I hope that you can do the same for Sunpaw." Rushfoot nodded and walked to Sunpaw's side. They touched noses and sat off to the side. "Silentkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Silentpaw. Your mentor will be Applefeather." I turned my head to see a young, golden warrior stand. "Applefeather, your mentor, Stoneclaw, taught you to be brave and clever. I hope you can pass these traits on to Silentpaw." Applefeather nodded. His long legs strode toward me, and when he was by my side I realized how tall he was. He smiled down at me and we touched noses. We then walked over to where Sunpaw and Rushfoot sat. "Leafkit, until you earn your warrior name, you shall be called Leafpaw. Your mentor will be Mapleleaf." A dark red she-cat stood rigidly, and I noticed my mentor sit a little straighter. "Branchtail taught you to be swift and to observe your surroundings carefully. I hope that you will pass these traits onto Leafpaw." Mapleleaf nodded and took graceful steps to my sister and touched noses with her.
The rest of the Clan began shouting our new names and crowding around us. Even Longkit and Lightkit congratulated us, though Lightkit seemed to be doing it a bit grudgingly. Branchtail and Snakepaw only shouted Sunpaw's name. Branchtail congratulated Mapleleaf, pride clear on his face. And he wasn't the only one. I turned to look at my mentor, but he was gone from my side. I spun around and I saw him sitting by Mapleleaf. He catches my gaze and beckons me over with his tail before turning his attention back to Mapleleaf. I don't think he even noticed when I sat in front of him beside Leafpaw. Then Mapleleaf turns to me. "Would you like to come with Leafpaw and I to see ThunderClan's borders?" I nod excitedly as Leafpaw nudges me with her shoulder.
Our smiling mentors lead the way out of camp, chatting along the way. Leafpaw and I follow with quick steps but are careful not to walk in front of the older cats. Leafpaw came close to my side and whispered, "I hope we get to be mentors someday." I nod and whisper back, "And when we are, we could have our apprentices train together." We smiled at each other when Applefeather spoke to us over his shoulder. "Your first day as apprentices and you're already thinking about becoming mentors? Kits these days", he says with a smile. Mapleleaf flicks him playfully with her tail. "We were like that just three moons ago!" Leafpaw, head held high and chest puffed out, adds "And we're not kits!"
We suddenly stop and Applefeather turns to me. "What do you smell?" I squinted my eyes and opened my mouth, letting the scents of the area flood my senses. It takes me a moment to identify the scents that stands out most to me. "Vole, mouse…rabbit?" Applefeather nods. "What else?" There was a strange smell that I couldn't place, and it wasn't pleasant. It was slightly similar to crow-food, but I didn't mention that. Instead I said, "I… I don't know what it is. I've never smelled it before." Applefeather nodded again, saying, "I wouldn't expect you to. We are near ShadowClan's border. You must be able to recognize each Clan's scent, so remember it." I nodded. When I looked over my shoulder, I noticed that Mapleleaf and Leafpaw were going a different way. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't spend the rest of the day with Leafpaw, but I understood that our mentors might want to teach us on their own.
Applefeather and I continued on to the edge of the lake, where we stopped for a drink. "Applefeather, can I sit on the half-bridge?" He gazed at the half-bridge and said, "Alright, but be careful. And don't sit too close to the edge." I nodded and ran to the half-bridge, but the moment my paws were on the wood I slowed to a walk, remembering Applefeather's caution. I couldn't believe how big the lake was. I was mesmerized by the water's surface as it sparkled in the sunlight.
I sat down and curled my tail over my paws, looking out over the lake. It was so calm. So peaceful. It was then that I caught a strange scent. At first I didn't recognize it, but I soon realized that I had just learned about it. Swiveling my head toward the ShadowClan border, I see two forms moving toward the thunder-path that separated our territories, one white and one black. I stay where I am. I doubted that they would cross the border, but I couldn't help tensing at their presence. Unless the black one was just a really small cat, it looked like a mentor and apprentice.
I watched the black cat sniff the thunder-path curiously, and I flinched when her gaze met mine. She had blue eyes that looked as deep as the lake, and I noticed there was white on the tip of her bushy tail. As we stared each other down, her fur began to fluff up. I hadn't noticed that mine was doing the same until Applefeather suddenly appeared at my side. "What's the matter?" I jumped back in surprise, my hind paws at the edge of the half-bridge. Instead of waiting for my answer, he looked for himself and immediately said, "Come on. I still have to show you the rest of our borders." And with that he trotted away. I looked back at the ShadowClan cats. The mentor was shooting me a glare that chilled my bones. I quickly stood and ran after Applefeather to catch up. I heard laughing behind us as we padded away.
By the time we got back, the sun just beginning its descent in the west. I spotted Sunpaw and Leafpaw eating some fresh-kill by the Apprentices den. Picking up a robin from the fresh-kill pile, I joined them, sitting down beside Leafpaw. I told them about the ShadowClan apprentice and mentor I had seen, and they began talking about what they would have done if it were them who had seen them. "I would've ran right over to the border and told them to stay away from ThunderClan territory!" Sunpaw said, puffing out his chest. Leafpaw rolled her eyes. "I would've stayed there and watched until they left to make sure they didn't sneak over." I lowered my head and sighed. "Well, sorry. I thought it was best to listen to Applefeather." I felt Leafpaw flick my side with her tail. "We didn't mean you should've done anything different", she said gently. I lifted my gaze. "I know. It's just the way you two talk about it makes me feel like a coward."
Sunpaw stood quickly, saying, "You're not a coward! If that had happened to me and Rushfoot said we should go, I would've followed her. Same as you." Leafpaw nodded. I grinned at them and said, "But when we're warriors, they'd better watch out!"