Chapter 4

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here under high ledge for a Clan meeting!"

Bramblestar's voice rang throughout the clearing, and the heads of many groggy cats peeked out of the several dens that dotted the ThunderClan camp. It had been quite a few days since Jayfeather's last outburst, and since then, he had kept to his den. Leafpool and Cherrypaw would bring him his food as he sat there, constantly staring into a small puddle.

Even then, when Bramblestar called a clan meeting at Sunrise, Jayfeather simply stuck his tail out of the entrance to acknowledge he was listening. Outside of the den, Lilykit was already bouncing up and down next to her mother, who was attempting to straighten her kit's fur to no avail.

"Cats of ThunderClan," The burly leader called over the cats. He scanned over the crowed and his eyes picked out Lilykit's dark tabby frame. Flicking his ears and leaping from his perch to the base of High Ledge, he beckoned Lilykit over to him.

Bramblestar smiled and began to speak once more when Lilykit made her way over to him.

"Lilykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed."

For a moment, there was a murmur of approval through the Clan. It was easy for all the cats of ThunderClan to say that Lilykit already showed full potential to be a warrior.

"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lilypaw. Your mentor will be-"

The ancient and ceremonial words of the leader were cut off by a loud yowl come from the medicine den. Briarlight's fur was on end, as she had no idea what was going on. She had dragged herself out of the den to watch the ceremony. She just began to peek into the den when a very disturbed looking Jayfeather pummeled her to the side to run to high ledge, tripping most of the way.

"Bramblestar, stop." He puffed, his chest heaving.

Lilykit's ears folded back with anger. Didn't he want her to be an apprentice? Why in StarClan was he stopping the ceremony? She didn't let her fur lay flat, wanting the dubious medicine cat to see how upset she was.

"Jayfeather, there must be a reason that you're stopping this apprentice ceremony?" Bramblestar prompted. He was obviously upset as well, but no more than Lilykit or her mother. They had waited six long moons for this event, and the crazed medicine cat just had to intervene.

"I want her as my apprentice."

There was an audible gasp from the clan in front of them. It generally never happened like this. In usual circumstances, the medicine cat determines a moon prior to the apprentice ceremony that they want to take that kit as an apprentice. Once the ceremony in camp is preformed, the medicine cat takes his or her apprentice to the Moonpool during the next half-moon to introduce them to StarClan.

But this? Interruption at a ceremony? This was most unusual.

"I.. Are you sure, Jayfeather?" What else could the Clan leader say to the Medicine Cat? As long as Lilypaw agreed to it, there really wasn't much the tom could do.

Jayfeather nodded, and shoved his way in front of Bramblestar. It was his turn to speak.

"ThunderClan, I will not live forever. I have chosen a cat who has shown potential and true wit, along with the eagerness to learn. Your next medicine cat will be Lilypaw."

Not a sound was heard from the rest of the Clan. Seeing as Lilykit, who was now officially Lilypaw, had not objected to becoming the next medicine cat, Bramblestar cleared his throat to continue the ceremony.

"Lilypaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Jayfeather?"

With a shaky voice, Lilypaw replied, "I do."

Jayfeather smiled for the first time in days, and looked to the she-cat beside him

"At the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats.

Lilykit didn't looked him, but stared blankly in front of her and nodded curtly.

"The good wishes of ThunderClan go with you."

Jayfeather strained to touch his nose to Lilypaw, continuing to stare in front of her as the Clan called her name. The tom frowned again, and without another word, he stalked back to his den.

Briarlight glanced over at Lilypaw, who was still as stone. She cringed at the sight of the apprentice sitting alone, not being greeted by any other cats. The elders were probably thinking it was a bad omen. Briarlight remembered the story of Firestar when he was just a warrior.

Bluestar had just found out about Tigerstar's betrayal, and didn't name Fireheart the new deputy at moonhigh, as tradition states. The elders took it as bad juju, and thought that he would destroy the Clan.

Now this poor apprentice, whose ceremony was cut short by the Medicine cat, was probably going to be ignored until she proved herself. It would all be too much. Briarlight wanted no more than to greet her, and congratulate her. But she needed to do her exercises where Jayfeather would see her.

Speaking of the tom, his hollow voice rang through the honeysuckle. "Briarlight, come in here."

She obeyed. Inside, the den was a mess. Herbs were scattered everywhere, and Seedkit was covered in petals. Jayfeather's fur was on end as he stared with mad eyes at Briarlight.

"Exercise. Now."

He barked the order as he sat in the corner of his den, seemingly getting more upset by the second. Jayfeather didn't even bother to begin cleaning up as Briarlight stretched her forelegs.

"Jayfeather!"

What could only be the voice of a very angry Lilypaw sounded from outside the den, just before she stormed in, not phased by the scattered medicine around the den. She came nose to nose with the still-frozen Jayfeather, hissing and spitting.

"How dare you not tell me what in StarClan's name was going on in your head?" She yowled. Briarlight had reached out to swipe Lilypaw away from her mentor, but Jayfeather gave her a quick shake of his head. He was prepared for any backlash from his actions.

"You made me look like a complete idiot in front of my friends, and my family, and the whole StarClan forsaken Clan!" Tears began to well in the apprentices eyes. "What is wrong with you?"

Jayfeather's fur began to flatten, and the usually short tempered tom sat calmly and quietly in front of Lilypaw. Briarlight caught a glimpse of a smile on the toms muzzle, but she may have been imagining things.

"You will understand one day, Lilypaw." He mewed quietly. He attempted to lick her forehead, but Lilypaw backed away.

Jayfeather just dipped his head and began to sniff around the den, scooping up a few leaves and putting them neatly into little piles, then shoving some in their appropriate crevices.

Briarlight watched on as Lilypaw hesitantly approached the medicine cat and began to help him. Fast Learner… Briarlight thought to herself. Lilypaw quickly took up the scent, look, and feel of herbs around her, not knowing them by name yet but piled the correct ones together. Jayfeather, while he could not see, could tell what she was doing, and was obviously pleased that she was doing it right.

Seedkit made a mewling sound in her slumber, causing all three of the cats to jump. She hadn't made a sound all day, besides getting up to vomit, make dirt, and eat. That seemed to be her daily routine now. She would sleep all day if she could, but Jayfeather had began making her get up to clean out her system, and put food back in it. Seedkit was beginning to wither away. None of ThunderClan wanted to admit it, but she was going to die. Lilypaw, while she remained at her sisters side most of the times, didn't want to believe it. She still held in her heart that the mighty Jayfeather would somehow find a cure for her illness.

"Lilypaw?"

Another ThunderClan apprentice, Cherrypaw, peeked her head inside of the Medicine cat den, her mouth full of moss, with another bundle under her chin.

Lilypaw greeted her with a smile and a lick on the ear, and asked what the moss was for.

"I thought you would want to make a nest here, since you'll be sleeping here from now on." She purred as she sat the moss down in front of her friend.

"Thanks!" Lilypaw dipped her head and picked up the moss between her teeth, the dropped it over in the empty corner of the den. "You know, Cherrypaw, it's about time Bramblestar made you and Mole paw a warrior!" She said, looking back over at the she-cat.

Cherrypaw shrugged. Briarlight couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for the apprentice. She had proven her loyalty to the clan a thousand times over, and had been a wonderful messenger, along with her brother, in the Battle of the Ages. But Briarlight knew that the leader of ThunderClan probably wouldn't make her a warrior until Dewkit, Snowkit, and Amberkit were made into apprentices, which wasn't for another three and a half moons.

Jayfeather snapped at his apprentice, ordering her to continue helping him with the herbs, telling her that she is allowed to gossip when she's not training. She bid farewell to Cherrypaw and slunk back over to where her mentor was, picking up stray leaves on the way.

Outside, Cherrypaw greeted her brother.

"Hey, Molepaw." She said, flicking her tail on his shoulder. He nodded in acknowledgement. His face was stuffed in a rabbit.

Cherrypaw grabbed a thrush from the fresh-kill pile, which, she thought, would need to be restocked soon.

"Do you want to go on patrol with Rosepetal and I?" The tomcat meowed in between bites. Cherrypaw just shrugged; in truth, she wasn't up for anything. Lilypaw's comment had got her thinking. Wasn't she fit to be a warrior already? She was apprenticed a little later than she should have been, of course, but she had completed all of her warrior training, and then some. Shouldn't the two littermates be warriors? Wasn't it only fair?

But then, Cherrypaw began to think about the Clan. She and Molepaw would have to continue apprentice duties until Seedkit gets better, or until Brightheart's kits became apprentices, even if they were made into warriors.

"Cherrypaw?" Molepaw's voice rang through her thoughts. She nodded in response to his question, following him and his mentor out of the camp, into the confines of the wooded area.