Chapter Five
Duskkit sighed, feeling her pelt fluff up as her mother covered it with strong licks. "Mom, I think I'm clean enough! What's the point of making me all pretty when everyone knows that I have to be the medicine cat?" Snowblossom stopped licking her kit, and clicked her tongue with disapproval.
"I'm making you pretty because you'll be in the center, where everyone will be looking at you. Now, sit still and let me groom you," Snowblossom replied. Without waiting for a response, Snowblossom licked her daughter's pelt. Now six moons old, Duskkit's pelt was no longer fluffy, but sleek and she had developed some muscles in her legs. Featherkit and Lionkit had already been groomed to perfection, and were now sitting patiently beside the nursery, waiting for their sister to finish.
"I'm clean enough! I feel like I just walked through the river!" Duskkit snapped, feeling annoyed. Sighing, Snowblossom let go of her kit, and Duskkit dashed over towards her littermates. "Did Snowblossom really groom you that much too?"
"Of course she did! I wonder who our mentors will be… I hear that Dovepaw and Shadowpaw passed their assessments and are going to become warriors while we are apprenticed," Featherkit replied, waving her fluffy tail.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath highrock for a clan meeting!" Thornstar yowled. Duskkit jumped up, and she felt a soft tail swish her forward, towards highrock.
"Go ahead, Duskkit. You'll be fine," Snowblossom whispered. Duskkit padded forward, flanked by her littermates. She raised her chin, and allowed some more confidence to flood onto her. Suddenly, she felt a shoulder push her aside, and she yelped, almost toppling over.
"Wait your turn, Blindkit. You would've seen Thornstar lookin- Oh, wait! You're blind! Nevermind then," Dovepaw sneered, before following her brother towards highrock. Duskkit felt her ears burn with embarrassment and anger, and opened her mouth for a snarky comeback, before feeling a fluffy tail cover her mouth.
"It's not worth is, Duskkit. You'll show her when you become the greatest medicine cat who ever lived," Featherkit whispered, her eyes blazing with fury. I'll show her! Duskkit dipped her head, and looked up at the highrock, her whiskers twitching in anticipation. "Dovepaw's going up first, that rotten she-cat."
"I, Thornstar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Thornstar mewed. Dovepaw raised her chin higher, puffing out her chest.
"I do," Dovepaw replied, her voice steady and calm.
"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Dovepaw, from this moment you will be known as Dovebreeze. StarClan honors your intelligence and speed, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Thornstar purred. Thornstar leaped off highrock, and rested his golden muzzle on Dovebreeze, and she licked his shoulder. Dovebreeze, newly named, stepped back into the crowd, watching her brother.
"Shadowpaw, you have completed your warrior training, and you have worked hard to understand the ways of the warrior code. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Thornstar asked, now sitting back at the top of highrock.
"I do," Shadowpaw mewed, his voice quivering slightly.
"By the powers of StarClan, I give you a warrior name. From this moment on, you will be known as Shadowpelt. StarClan honors your patience and enthusiasm, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Thornstar mewed, leaping down once more.
"Dovebreeze! Shadowpelt! Dovebreeze! Shadowpelt!" the clan cheered, raising their muzzles. Duskkit cheered loudly for Shadowpelt, but muttered Dovebreeze's name out, remembering the she-cat's sharp tongue. The cats began to slink back into their dens, and Duskkit tensed up. What about my apprentice ceremony?
"Wait! Cats of ThunderClan! We still have to gather for some very special apprentice ceremonies!" Thornstar yowled. Duskkit twitched her ears, and heard some of the warriors purr in remembrance, and she gasped a huge sigh of relief. The cats were now gathered back around, glancing at Duskkit and her littermates. "Duskkit, Featherkit, and Lionkit. Come forward." Duskkit brushed her tail against Featherkit, and she padded slowly forward, Featherkit guiding her every step. "Lionkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw. Your mentor will be Frostsong. I hope Frostsong will pass down all she knows on to you." Lionpaw skipped forward, and touched his nose to the pale gray she-cat.
"I will make sure you become as strong as your father," Frostsong whispered, guiding the excited apprentice towards the warriors.
"Featherkit, step forward. You are now six moons old, and it is time for you to be apprentices. Until you earn your warrior name, you shall be known as Featherpaw. Flamespirit is ready for another apprentice, and I hope he will pass down all that he knows on to you," Thornstar purred. Featherpaw padded over to her new mentor, and touched her nose to his, her pale gray eyes lighting up with excitement.
"Duskkit, you have walked a tough path, but you have handled it well. You have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to become apprenticed. From this day on, until you earn your medicine cat name, you shall be known as Duskpaw. Mistleberry, you have agreed to pass on your skills to this young apprentice?" Thornstar mewed.
"I will not live forever, as you all know. I agree to take Duskpaw as my apprentice," Mistleberry replied. Duskpaw raised her chin higher, feeling happy butterflies take over in her stomach.
"Then, your mentor will be Mistleberry. I am sure she will guide you in the path of StarClan and healing well," Thornstar purred. Duskpaw twitched her ears, straining to hear the sounds of the dainty medicine cat.
"I'm right here," Mistleberry whispered. Duskpaw turned towards the medicine cat, slightly embarrassed, and leaned forward, brushing her nose against the medicine cat's. "I promise I will make you a medicine cat everyone can be proud of." Duskpaw trotted over to where her littermates were, pressing her pelt against her mentor's for comfort.
"Lionpaw! Featherpaw! Duskpaw! Lionpaw! Featherpaw! Duskpaw!" Duskpaw purred in delight as the warriors cheered her name out along with her littermates. After the cheering had died down, the cats had begun to go back to their duties. The cold breeze made Duskpaw fluff out her pelt, and she sighed, knowing that Leafbare had dawned on the clans.
"Come along, Duskpaw. First thing, is that you need to know what all the herbs are and where they're located. We can explore the territory later," Mistleberry mewed, flicking her tail on the apprentice's pelt. Duskpaw could easily hear Lionpaw and Featherpaw chattering away about heading out to see the territory. Duskpaw followed her mentor back towards the medicine cats' den, allowing her muzzle to brush against the ferns that outlined the edge of the den.
"Where do I sleep?" Duskpaw asked, sniffing around on the ground. Mistleberry sighed, using her tail to poke Duskpaw towards two mossy nests.
"I've already made one for you. It's right over there, by the pool of water." Duskpaw padded forward, her pawsteps uncertain. She had never been in this part of the den. Placing a paw forward, she felt a soft mossy pile lined with feathers. "That's the one, Duskpaw. Now, I suggest we go and find the herbs." I know where those are! Duskpaw turned around, quickly sniffing the air, and detecting the wafting smell of the herbs from the back of the den.
"It's over there, right?" Duskpaw pointed a paw at the back of the den, turning towards Mistleberry for confirmation.
"You remembered!" Duskpaw purred, before trotting over towards the back of the den, nosing her way through the ferns that covered the entrance. "Go on, Duskpaw. Stop after three or so pawsteps." Duskpaw nodded, stopping after she had moved about three mouse-lengths. "Perfect! Now, let me show you where all the herbs are!"
"All of them?" Duskpaw was shocked that she would have to find and learn all of the herbs in over a sunrise.
"Of course, Duskpaw. You should be able to get this done before moonrise, with your great memory and all." Duskpaw opened her mouth in disbelief, before shutting it again. Sighing, she trudged around the dark den, learning all of the herbs and their location in the den.