Dawnstar's Glory

by Karma's Best Friend

Maia should be dead. Instead, she was reborn as a Clan cat, in a litter of five. This is her story, about life in the Clans and what it really means to come home.

5. Becoming Dawnpaw

A/N: I have stuff to do on weekdays, so this probably won't update as much. D: How does Dawnblaze sound for a warrior name for Maia? And if my reviewers would be so kind, I'm having trouble thinking up suffixes for my cats. S.O.S!

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"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here, beneath the Highrock."

Dawnkit watched the proceedings with a bright glint in here eyes. Sure, she was tired, but she had a good sense of what was about to happen. Her siblings and she were six moons, after all. Maybe the next place she might be sleeping in would be the apprentice's den.

"Dawnkit, please step forward. This is a proud day for the Clan, despite the loss and injury we have suffered. By naming new apprentices, we show that ThunderClan will remain strong. Dawnkit, from now until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Dawnpaw."

"Suntail, you are ready for your first apprentice. You will be mentor to Dawnpaw. I know you will pass on your wisdom and faith to Dawnpaw, and teach her the skills she will need to become a brave warrior of ThunderClan."

Suntail, a long furred golden yellow she-cat, leant down and touched noses with Dawnpaw. Almost bursting with excitement, she moved to the side and watched her siblings gain their apprentice names.

"Yellowkit, please step forward." continued Rainstar. Dawnpaw watched the pride evident on her brother's face as he touched noses with his new mentor, a brown tom named Oakgaze. They moved next to Dawnpaw and Suntail, and she gave her brother a lick on the ear.

"Snowkit, please step forward." Dawnpaw observed the look of slight nervousness on her sister's face, and the way her eyes flashed as she touched noses with Ivynose, a small creamy colored she-cat. As she sat on Dawnpaw's other side, Dawnpaw heard a small but distinct sigh of relief.

"Grasskit, please step forward." Dawnpaw, with a shudder, saw the same glint of anticipation for the bloody battles ahead as she had seen in his eyes while fighting the rouges. He sat down with his mentor, a burly dark gray tom named Duskfur, next to Yellowpaw.

"Sootkit, please step forward." Sootkit was bouncing with excitement as she became an apprentice, and nearly gave her mentor Dustwhisker a bloody nose with the enthusiasm she touched noses.

As Sootpaw sat down, the entire Clan began to chant their names. "Snowpaw! Yellowpaw! Dawnpaw! Grasspaw! Sootpaw!"