Mistyfoot's den was very comfortable. Of course, Silverkitf knew from my starclan teachings, Mistyfoot shared her den witht all the warriors of Riverclan eventhough she was the deputy. For the moment being, however, Silverkit's "adopted clan mother" convinced them to leave us be and, well, let us say that Mistyfoot is very convincing at times.
"Silverkit! Are you ready for the ceremony?" Mistyfoot called as her scent filled the den.
"I really don't know...will they accept me? I know you and Mu...Leopardstar think they will but, what if they don't?" she answered.
"Silverkit," she sighed, "just because you are blind, you are not of no use to the clan. Willowpaw really needs an apprentice. And anyways, they'll let you live...tonight is the full moon! You will be blessed on your apprenticeship, for all of Starclan will be watching." Silverkit purred with pleasure. The full moon! Ever since Mudfur, my Starclan tutor, introduced me to clan life, she had been counting the days till her first Gathering. Leopardstar, Riverclan's leader, knew all about her midnight lessons, but kept it a secret for her own reasons. Not even Mistyfoot knew about her dreams where she could see everything. Silverkit was especially excited when she learnt of Jaypaw, Thunderclan's medicine cat apprentice, who was blind as well. Perhaps he and I can talk to each other after the Gathering! She thought, as Mistyfoot put the finnishing licks to her fur and lead her out of the den whispering non-coherent words to her preocupied mind.
"All cats old and young gather in the marshes for a clan meeting!" Leopardstar's great, female voice shook Silverkit's mind into focous to find what smelt like billions of cats staring at her. Determined to have a good name, she held her head high and forced the far fur on her back to stay flat. A kit somewhere to her left cried to his mother, "She smells like one of those terrible kittypets. Can I kill her? PLEASE?" Before his mother could reply, Leopardstar began the ceremony.
"Silverkit was indead a kittypet at one time, but broke her bond with human beings long before tonight, correct?" She directed her speach to everyone, but the question to her. Fearing for her life again, I nodded, saying nothing. "Then I ask you, my trusted deputy, do you believe that this kit has what it takes to follow under the lead of Willowpaw, our medicine cat and follow in the loving footsteps of Starclan in the sight of Starclan and learn to care for and love we who are not blood kin, but loving?"
Mistyfoot's scent flashed from pride to confusion then to pride again as she said, "Of course. She will make a fine medicine cat apprentice!"
"Then I give you, Willowpaw, our newest apprentice - SILVERPAW!" Leopardstar called to the heavens. The crowd of cats got the que and cried out, "Silverpaw! Silverpaw! Silverpaw!"
Silverkit climbed up between Leopardstar and Willowpaw to end the ceremony and walk to the medicine cat den. There, Leopardstar talked formaly for a while with Mistyfoot and Willowpaw and seemed to ignore her for the second time today when she included her in the conversation, "Silverpaw, will it...unnerve you if your mentor does not have a true medicine cat name?"
The question confused Silverpaw for a moment and she almost asked naively if Leopardstar couldn't name her herself, but suddenly remebered her Starclan teachings and asked, "It bothers me that she cannot have the pride that a name offers, but were that not a problem, it would have not affect on me one bit. I do have a proposition for you, Willowpaw. Can you wait until the half moon for the other three medicine cats to give you your name?" The den became full of the musk of surprise and understanding as her movement was accepted.
"I can do that! Thank you, Silverpaw." Willowpaw said, "but I would like to get a move on to the Gathering. The sooner we get there the better!"
"Yes! Let's get going! I'll call some warriors together. Come with me, Mistyfoot?"
"Coming Leopardstar."
With the two large cats gone, the medicine cat den smelt more and more of the now all too common herbs she had been taught to recognize by Mudfur. Willowpaw began chatting away immediatly and told her, "You know, there is another medicine cat apprentice who is blind. His name is,"
"Jaypaw. Yes. Leopardstar told me about him. What is he like? You were an apprentice until recently, right?" Silverpaw replied.
"Jaypaw...Well....don't mention his sight problem he gets a little bit, er, touchy on the subject." She warned, "But he is a very sweet cat. Very sweet..." An air of almost regret flew out of Willowpaw's fur like electricity, but was gone in a flash. "Come. Let us go to the island." Leading the way, she and Silverpaw said nothing, but instead began their bonding of mentor and apprentice. The only thing she mentioned after they left the den was, "We're here."
"What?" It did not feel like a far walk at all.
Willowpaw replied with sarcasim, "Not to worry. The travel to the Moonpool is much farther to make up for the short distance!" I laughed and Willowpaw nudged me onto a log. "Carefull, it's slippery, so walk slowly. I'll be right behind you." Mudfur had told Silverpaw about the entrance to the new Gathering place and had made a simulator for her to practice on. Once on dry land again, she walked a bit and waited for her mentor who was, true to her word, right behind her. "Leafpool! How good to see you!" She cried as she made a silent landing next to me. "Where'd Jaypaw go off to?"
The cat Leafpool chuckled and said, "Hi Willowpaw! Jaypaw is just over there. Why?"
"OH! Wellll...this is my apprentice, Silverpaw. She's er...got the same handicap if you get my meaning."
Willowpaw had hesitated with her reply, but Leafpool said replied immediatly to her friend, "I'm so sorry about Mothwing. She'll show up sooner or later. Graystripe did. JAYPAW! COME HERE!"
A new scent came into focous and a grumpy voice said, "Yes Leafpool, you called?"
"Jaypaw, this is Silverpaw, the new medicine cat for,"
"Riverclan. Yes. Spottedleaf told me." Jaypaw replied sharply, "What do you want?"
"Please take her on a tour of the island. I'll give you first pick of the freshkill pile later."
"Fine, but I am not going to try to find her if she gets lost." Jaypaw directed his scent to Silverpaw and said, "Follow me."
Silverpaw followed his scent the best she could, but every time she concentrated on it she lost her train of thought. He smelt of a million dreams and hopes, but also a cloud of misfortune. "Jaypaw, please slow down!"
"Why should I? You're just like a kittypet! I'm a,"
"Blind medicine cat. I KNOW!" She snapped, but feeling sorry continued, "So am I..."
"WHAT? I could not have heard you right. BLIND TOO? Not possible! I'm...I'm not alone then!"
"No. I've waited a long time to meet you. Will...will you forgive me?"
"Forgive you? Whatever for?!"
"That I don't know, but my late mother always told me, 'Jaypaw...thank Jaypaw...never forget to ask for forgiveness.' I was infact a kittypet, but all memory of that was erased in the cold. I can only remember my mother carrying me away to a new life..."
"Well...whatever happend you can rest easy, you are forgiven." They touched noses like closest friends and in the distance, four powerful mrows flew into the air to signal the beginning of the gathering. "Let's go!" her new, blind friend lead the way to her first meeting with both living and nonliving clans together and her new life.