Chapter 10
Willowpaw was in a beautiful place. I must be dreaming, she thought.
She started walking through that place, and suddenly saw two familiar faces; Brownpaw teaching fighting moves to Hollykit. She went towards them, but a cat came across.
"Hazelstripe!," she shouted.
"Good morning, Willowpaw," he said.
"I want to talk to Brownpaw!," she said, and tried to push past Hazelstripe.
"No," the white tom stopped her. "To fulfill your destiny, you must focus and forget your crushes."
"But if I can't have a mate and kits, I don't want to fulfill my destiny!," she said.
"Willowpaw, you could be a great cat, imagine yourself, leading your clan to fourtrees, as their leader, Willowstar. But for that to happen, you mustn't follow your heart, but listen to me," said Hazelstripe.
"But I don't want to listen to you! I just want to be a normal apprentice!," she replied, and started running away.
"Wait Willowpaw!," started Hazelstripe. "At least think about it!"
Willowpaw woke up. She suddenly remembered two great things that were happening today; one was her warrior ceremony and the other one was that it was full – moon, so there was going to be a gathering.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the highrock for a clan meeting!," said Tigerstar, and the cats went towards the highrock.
When all the clan gathered, Tigerstar started.
"I want to make three apprentices warriors today. Squirrelpaw, Willowpaw, Fernpaw come here!," he called.
The three apprentices went running towards the highrock. Willowpaw heard Roseflower's kits squealing, and Roseflower trying to control them.
"Mintkit stay still! Redkit, stop talking! Tigerstar is trying to speak!," muttered Roseflower, so the clan wouldn't hear her.
"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect it, even at the cost of your life?," asked Tigerstar.
"I do!," said the three apprentices.
"Squirrelpaw, from this day on you will be known as Squirreltail, in honor to your bushy tail. Fernpaw, from this day on you will be known as Fernfur, in honor of your lost mother. And Willowpaw, from this day on you will be known as Willowheart, in honor of your strong heart," said the leader.
"Squirreltail! Fernfur! Willowheart!," shouted the clan.
"Bluetail told me her kits are ready to become apprentices. Graykit, Berrykit come here!," said the leader.
The kits came running.
"Cloudpelt, you're a skilled warrior and I expect you to pass those skills on Graypaw," said Tigerstar, and the two cats touched noses.
"Willowheart, you're more than ready for your first apprentice, so you will mentor Berrypaw," he said.
Willowheart couldn't believe it. She was going to be a mentor!
She touched noses with her new apprentice.
"I hope you enjoy training," she whispered.
"The meeting is over!," said Tigerstar.
After the meeting, Willowheart saw Gingerfur padding towards her.
"I want you to go on water – prey hunting patrol with Fernfur, Creamyspots, Lionpaw and Berrypaw. It will be a great chance for you to explain the apprentice about fishing and swimming," said the ginger deputy.
Willowheart nodded, and went immediately to fetch her apprentice. Now, she would have extra duties.
They went towards the lake, and all the cats started fishing.
"Now, Berrypaw, put yourself in a position for you to be able to scoop the fish out. Like this," she said, and showed the apprentice the move.
Berrypaw imitated it but fell onto the water. Fear pulsed through her. Berrypaw didn't know how to swim! She went to were Fernfur, Creamyspots and Lionpaw were.
"Berrypaw is drowning! Someone help me please!," she said, and Fernfur immediately jumped to the lake.
The gray tabby swam until she got hold of Berrypaw's scruff, and then tried to swim back to the shore. But the problem was that the current was too strong. Fernfur was drowning.
"Willowheart!," she screamed. "Get Berrypaw!"
Willowheart obeyed and carried the white apprentice to the shore, and left Fernfur alone for a second. When she turned back to see where her sister was, she couldn't see her. Willowheart started panicking, and started swimming towards the place she had last seen Fernfur. She dived and got the tabby scruff with her teeth and carried her sister back to the shore.
"Willowheart, take Berrypaw! Me and Lionpaw will carry Fernfur back to the clan," said Creamyspots, as both cats got the she – cat in their jaws.
When they arrived to the camp, Tigerstar helped Creamyspots and Lionpaw carry Fernfur towards the medicine cat den, while Squirreltail helped Willowheart with Berrypaw.
When Softpelt saw what was going on, she immediately told all the cats to leave her alone with the drowned cats. Willowheart waited impatiently next to her father while Softpelt tried to get the cats back to life.
Suddenly, Softpelt came out of her den, and looked at the anxious cats.
"I could only save Berrypaw," she said, looking at Tigerstar. "Fernfur joined our warrior ancestors."