Dreampaw followed closely behind Lightstar and Nighthawk. Goldenpaw padded next to her, his golden brown fur enflaming every time he stepped under a ray of sun peeking through the trees. Lightstar disappeared under some brambles, Nighthawk doing the same. With a glance, the apprentices followed. Their mentors were sitting on the side of the training hollow. In the clearing, Brokenpaw and Lilypaw wrestled in the dust. Brokenpaw pinned Lilypaw down, and Ambereyes, a black tom, yowled for them to stop. Brokenpaw stepped back and Lilypaw got up.
"Lets let some other apprentices train. Brokenpaw. We will go do some swimming." He instructed. Brokenpaw nodded and her mentor led the way out of the hollow.
"How about some hunting?" Silverfeather meowed. Lilypaw nodded. With a flick of her tail, she and her mentor disappeared into the undergrowth on the other side of the clearing.
"Great. To start off, lets see how far behind you two are. Dreampaw, I want you n offense. Goldenpaw, defense." Lightstar instructed. Goldenpaw and Dreampaw crouched in the clearing. Dreampaw waited a moment before attacking to give her the element of surprise. Goldenpaw managed to move out of the way, and she ended up skidding in the dirt. She leaped again, and Goldenpaw jumped up. Dreampaw saw the chance and skirted under him, using her muzzle to knock him down. As he flipped over her she kicked with her back legs and sent him flying. He landed with a huff and managed to stand up, blinking. Lightstar meowed for them to stop.
"Alright. That was pretty good, both of you. Dreampaw, you need to inflict more wounds. Right now, your moves can knock the breath out, but any cat who knows how to recover quickly could easily attack you back." Lightstar instructed.
"Goldenpaw, your dodges are nice, but there are other ways to defend yourself." Nighthawk commented.
"Now, I want you two to switch jobs. Dreampaw, you are now on defense. Goldenpaw, offense." Lightstar commanded. Both apprentices crouched again. Dreampaw watched Goldenpaw carefully. He shifted, and she did as well. Finally, he leaped up and charged at her. She twisted so that he missed. She then sliced her paw across his flank. Goldenpaw landed on his feet and jumped up, flying towards Dreampaw. She ducked and lifted her nose to unbalance him. He fell and rolled, but this time he recovered quicker and charged again. She moved out of the way, but he twisted as well and bit her leg. She tried to shake him free, but he held tight, raking his sheathed paw across her flank. He yanked at her leg suddenly and sent her into the dust. He pinned her down.
"That's enough. Now we know your weak and strong points. Dreampaw, your defense is great. You use speed as well as unbalancing. Goldenpaw, you are strong in offense. I liked how you grabbed Dreampaw's leg and pulled her to knock her down. It would be difficult for an enemy to recover right away. I think we are ready to check your hunting." Nighthawk meowed. Goldenpaw nodded and they both slipped into the undergrowth. Dreampaw turned back to Lightstar.
"We will continue working on your fighting." She meowed.
Dreampaw searched the fresh-kill pile for something to eat. Her eyes caught on a medium sized fish. Beside her, Goldenpaw also looked for something to eat.
"Want to share this fish?" She asked, pulling it out. He nodded and she carried it over to the log where the apprentices ate. There was a spot underneath where it leaned on a stump, the perfect spot to eat. Dreampaw set it down and prepared to sit and eat, but she was suddenly attacked by a ball of fluff.
"I got you!" Smallkit mewed playfully. Dreampaw laughed after she realized who it was.
"Apparently I am not allowed dinner tonight." She purred. Smallkit purred triumphantly.
"I'm glad I have my other sister." She mewed, holding onto Dreampaw's back and rubbing her face on her sister. Dreampaw purred. Smallkit jumped off and sat next to Goldenpaw. Dreampaw rolled her eyes and sat next to her. She was about to take a bite of the fish when Featherpaw and Wildpaw appeared in front of them.
"Have you guys heard?" Wildpaw asked, sitting down. All three cats hook their heads.
"I heard from Shallowpool that Lightstar is going to call a meeting. She said it was a surprise for all of us." Featherpaw mewed. Dreampaw tilted her head.
"A surprise?" She asked. Before the others could reply, Lightstar's body blocked the sun.
"Let all cats old enough to hunt for themselves gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!" She called. Dreampaw sighed and they padded to sit underneath the Highrock. When all the cats had gathered, Lightstar flicked her tail.
"Featherpaw, Blackkit, Snowkit and Smallkit, come forward please." she meowed. Featherpaw blinked, looking at her sisters.
"What?" She whispered. Dreampaw pushed her forward.
"I ask upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Featherpaw, do you agree to uphold the warrior code, and protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Lightstar meowed. With a quick glance at Dreampaw, who nodded, she looked up at Lightstar.
"I do." Her voice was mixed with excitement and disappointment.
"Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name. Featherpaw, from this moment forward you will be known as Featherstream. StarClan honors your patience and your will, and we accept you as a full warrior of WaterClan. Now I ask upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these kits. They wish to become warriors, but must first become apprentices. Blackkit, from this moment forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Blackpaw. Shallowpool, you will mentor Blackpaw. Snowkit, from this moment forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Snowpaw. Shadepatch, you will mentor Snowpaw. Smallkit, from this moment forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Smallpaw. Dewfrost, you will mentor Smallpaw." Lightstar mewed. Blackpaw, Snowpaw and Smallpaw touched noses with their new mentors. Featherstream looked proud. Lightstar meowed something to Featherstream as the Clan began to chant their names. Featherstream nodded and padded to the entrance, where she sat down. Dreampaw's mouth felt dry. Featherstream had become a warrior without her.
"Are you alright?" Wildpaw asked. Dreampaw thought for a second, then she shook her head. She wasn't okay. Her sister had just gotten her name, even after they promised they would get theirs together. Dreampaw stalked back to the apprentices den. Wildpaw followed and they squeezed in together.
"Leave me alone." Dreampaw growled. Wildpaw growled back and hit Dreampaw's head hard with her paw.
"No. You listen. Featherstream tried to wait for you. She deserves this a lot. When you disappeared, she told me that if she was to get her name before you returned, she would kill herself. She was supposed to get her name a few moons ago, but when she was told she was going to get it, she purposely injured herself for a few moons to wait for you. Now that she is completely healed up, Lightstar said that we need warriors too badly for her to wait for you. You can't blame her." Wildpaw hissed. It helped only a little.
"Featherstream hurt herself to wait for me?" She asked finally. Wildpaw nodded.
"She almost broke her shoulder, and then she would never have been a warrior." Wildpaw mewed. She seemed relieved to have gotten something to Dreampaw.
"I'm sorry I got so upset. I have been under so much stress lately." Dreampaw sighed, flopping her head down on her paws. Wildpaw placed her tail n her sister's shoulder.
"You know, if something is bothering you, you can tell me." She purred comfortingly. Dreampaw wanted to pour her heart out to her sister. She wanted to tell her of the horror called BloodClan, and that the three young she-kits were hers. She wanted to say how she burst in front of Quick Run and was punished with the kits. More then anything, she wanted the mess to be over, for her life to be back to normal. She didn't want to secretly be a queen. She was an apprentice. Apprentices weren't supposed to have kits, but she did. She was alone now. Her kits would never know they were hers, and the Clan would never know the pride of their mother. Her sister was a warrior without her. Her world was falling apart. And it was all because of BloodClan.