Chapter Two

"Snowpaw!" a cream and ginger tabby she-cat screamed. Candy whirled around. Snowpaw, a white she-cat with amber eyes, was wonderfully adventurous. Now, she dangled from a cliff over 100 fox lengths above the ground (A/N: A fox length is about 3 feet).

Creekfur, a brown and tan tabby and Snowpaw's father, leapt to save her. His teeth grabbed her scruff, but just as he was about to haul her up, the ledge beneath him broke.

Candy, a cream and ginger she-cat, instead of rushing to save the two cats, screamed two words: "The ledge!"

Creekfur and Snowpaw twisted violently, trying to make themselves land on a tiny ledge below. Candy could see that they weren't going to make it.

Weedpaw, a ginger and grey tom, came to the rescue. Candy ran along side the Clan cat. There was little time and only one thing to do. The two young cats leapt down onto the ledge.

Candy was barely able to fasten her teeth into her sister's scruff as she fell. Even so, the impact nearly pulled Candy off the ledge herself. Looking back, the apprentice saw that Weedpaw had caught Creekfur. The rest of the cats in the Tribe of Swirling Mist, as well as the new cats, gathered aroung the ledge where the four cats had disappeared and looked down. A she-cat Candy recognized as Scarletfeather carefully climbed down the ledge. "Here," she meowed, motioning to Snowpaw. Snowpaw shakily made her way over to Scarletfeather, who grabbed the young cat's scruff in her jaws and carried her up. Neither Creekfur or Weedpaw had needed help getting up, so Candy leapt back up herself.

"So close to Falling River," Smoke muttered. More loudly, he meowed, "We can make it."

OoOoO

Candy lay in the apprentices' den, next to the Clan apprentice Weedpaw. They had just reached Falling River. Since it was well past nightfall, the cats had been ushered into the cave under the river and now lay in dens sheltered by bushes.

The cream and ginger she-cat could hear Thunderstar and Smoke discussing whether or not to let the Clan cats stay. Candy hoped they'd get to. Other than Snowpaw, they'd stayed out of trouble and many seemed experienced.

"We should let them stay, Thunderstar," Smoke meowed. "Some of the she-cats are pregnant. And you know how short we are on young cats. Candy and Blue Jay are our only apprentices."

"Alright," Thunderstar gave in. "They can stay. But one of us has to train them all, so they can learn our ways."

"Wait," Smoke meowed, then he dropped his voice to a low whisper, so Candy couldn't hear what was being said.

Sleepily, Candy lay down and soon she drifted off in a sea of dreams.

OoOoO

"Candy! Candy, wake up!" hissed a voice. Candy awoke to find Blue Jay staring at her. "Thunderstar called a meeting. He's going to announce his decision!"

I already know his decision, Candy thought, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

"I have decided that the Clan cats can stay," Thunderstar meowed. "However, before we get down to business, two apprentices are ready to become warriors. Blue Jay, Candy, come forward."

Candy stepped forwards excitedly. This must have been what Smoke had talked about so quietly!

"Do you two apprentices promise, from this day forth, to uphold and defend the duties of being both a warrior and a full-fledged cat of the Tribe of Swirling Mist?" Thunderstar asked.

"I do," Candy purred, so excited that she barely heard Blue Jay repeat the words.

"Then I call upon StarClan to look down on these two cats before you. Are they worthy of the name "warrior"?" Thunderstar meowed.

A cloud that had covered the sun moved off. Candy knew that Thunderstar would take this as a sign that they were worthy enough to be warriors.

"Then I give you your first mission," Thunderstar meowed. "Blue Jay, you have told our medicine cat, Flower that Blooms at Dawn, that you wish to be a medicine cat. Is this still your wish?"

Blue Jay nodded her approval.

"From now on, you will be known not as a warrior but as a medicine cat. StarClan honors your bravery in choosing such a path," Thunderstar continued. Blue Jay bent down and licked the stone beneath her, as was customary, then she ran over to Flower.

"Candy," the leader purred. "Your first mission is to train the Clan cats in the ways of the Tribe of Swirling Mist."

Such an important mission! Candy bent down and licked the stone below her.

As Candy walked towards the warriors' den, Scarletfeather came up to her. "We were wondering when we will receive our first lesson," the she-cat meowed.

"Yes...um...well..." Candy meowed. "Sun high today will be good."

"Thank you, Candy," the Clan cat meowed, rushing off.

Candy sighed. Her mission was important, but sure to be difficult. How hard could it be, though, to teach something she'd known all her life?

A/N: Ok, I didn't get any reviews for my first chapter, since I just posted it, but here's the next chapter. I'm going to a camp for 3 days and I won't be able to use the computer, so I want at least 3 reviews by the time I get back, ok?

Also, the story is only from Candy's POV for a while, then I'll have a new main charrie for the main action. I have three options for the name, and you can decide which kind of name you think would be best. A "changing" name, a simple name, or a long name? Voice your opinion. R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!R&R!