Sorry if I messed up the ceremony! I tried my hardest to get it right XD So don't kill me if there's something wrong…
Chapter Nine
The next morning, Jaypaw stretched his jaws wide in a yawn, and rolled over on his back to stretch. Right before he did so, though, he stopped himself—he didn't want to disturb Cinderpaw. Then, inhaling deeply, he found that her scent was stale. He got to his paws, silently to not wake Leafpool, and padded to the apprentice's den. The rain wasn't as heavy as the night before, but it was still enough to drench Jaypaw's fur after a few minutes.
When he reached the den, he parted his jaws to scent the air. Hazelpaw… Mousepaw… Honeypaw… Poppypaw… Berrypaw… but no Hollypaw, Lionpaw, or Cinderpaw. Shock pulsing through his body, he forced himself to stay calm. He padding back to the main clearing and, although his paws were itching to run and find Cinderpaw, he picked out a mouse from the fresh kill pile and sat down to eat. Then, paw steps were heard from the entrance of the camp and a sweet scent hit Jaypaw's nose.
"Hiya, Jaypaw," Cinderpaw purred, going to sit beside him. Jaypaw's ears warmed and her scent flowed all around him.
"'Morning," he meowed back.
"Mind if I share with you?" Cinderpaw asked, sounding slightly embarrassed.
"Sure," Jaypaw replied, as if it was a dumb question to ask. Cinderpaw purred and took a bite from the mouse.
"You know," Jaypaw mewed. He could feel her looking at him. "… You've been learning the herbs really quickly."
"Hmm, I have noticed that," she said back, sounding confused. "I don't know how, but they kind of just come to me… it's as if I've known them before or something." Jaypaw smiled and felt warmth rippled of Cinderpaw's pelt.
"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather below the Highledge." Firestar's yowl could be heard all through the camp, and cats began to arrive in the main clearing. Cinderpaw and Jaypaw finished off the prey and went to join them. Daisy and Ferncloud were among the first to come out, and Jaypaw could feel excitement sparking off Daisy's pelt.
"I bring you all here today to honor three special apprentices, Hazelpaw, Berrypaw, and Mousepaw," Firestar continued, when every cat had come. "They have trained long and hard, and now deserve their warrior names. Hazelpaw? If you would step forward?" Jaypaw could hear Hazelpaw scramble to her paws and then walk steadily over to Firestar.
"Hazelpaw, do you promise to serve and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" Firestar meowed.
"I do," she replied.
"Then before StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Hazelpaw, from this day forth, you shall be known as Hazelpatch." Firestar placed his head on the new warrior's, and Hazelpaw gave his shoulder a respectful lick.
"Hazelpatch! Hazelpatch!" The whole Clan began to chant her name, and a strong scent of happiness reached Jaypaw, causing him to smile. When the voices died down, and Hazelpatch stepped back, Firestar spoke again.
"Now, Berrypaw, may you would step forward?" Berrypaw squared his shoulders and made his way over to his leader. "Do you promise to serve and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Berrypaw meowed.
"Then before StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Berrypaw, from this day forth, you shall be known as Berryfrost." Firestar placed his head on Berryfrost's head and the young warrior licked his shoulder.
"Berryfrost! Berryfrost!" The Clan began to meow his name as well, and Jaypaw knew that he must be brimming with pride. Beside him, Daisy was prodding at the ground, anxiety prickling off her pelt like needles.
"And lastly, but not least, Mousepaw, if you would come forward?" Mousepaw walked over to Firestar and stood before him, his paws shaking a bit with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. "Do you promise to serve and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," Mousepaw meowed, trying to sound more mature; Jaypaw stifled a chuckle.
"Then before StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Mousepaw, from this day forth, you shall be known as Mouseclaw." Firestar laid his head on the warrior's head and Mouseclaw licked his shoulder repctfully, like his siblings.
"Mouseclaw! Hazelpatch! Berryfrost!" The whole Clan shouted the new warrior's names, and the three of them beamed with pride. Jaypaw lowered his ears, but then lifted them at the sound of someone's muffled cries.
"I'm just so proud of them!" Daisy sobbed. Ferncloud patted her on the head. Then, feeling for the mother, Jaypaw began to chant, too.
Suddenly, Jaypaw felt something intertwine with his tail. He sniffed the air to make sure Cinderpaw was still beside him and she was.
hr
After the ceremony, Jaypaw just realized that Ferncloud had seemed fine. Her voice didn't crack when she spoke anymore, and she didn't sneeze or cough. Hollypaw is going to be so happy! Jaypaw thought, but then stoped himself. HollypawShe still wasn't back, and it had been a day. Something surely must have happened if Lionpaw was gone as well. Worriedly, Jaypaw made his way over to Firestar's den.
"Firestar?" Jaypaw meowed.
"Come in," he heard Firestar say. Jaypaw padded inside the private den and sat down in front of his leader. "What is it that you need, Jaypaw?" Firestar seemed concerned.
"Well, you might have noticed this already, but Hollypaw and Lionpaw have been gone for quite some time now…" Jaypaw let himself trail off.
"Yes, I have noticed," Firestar meowed. "That's why I sent a patrol out to search for them." Jaypaw could tell that there was more that Firestar wanted to say, but he didn't mention it. The rain's falling hard, and it will be hard to find them in this weather—I know.
"Thank you," Jaypaw meowed instead, as he bowed his head and padded out of the den. He sulked back to the medicine cat den, knowing that his brother and sister had not much of a chance of being rescued from wherever they were. What if something had happened? What if badgers had taken them? What if Twolegs had captured them? What if they were dea—Jaypaw didn't allow himself to finish the thought. He bit his bottom lip hard for even thinking of such a thing.
Jaypaw padded out of the medicine cat den and to the entrance of the nursery the nursery, happy to smell Ferncloud's scent mixed with the joy from her kits. Staying out of view, he listened.
"Mommy! You're okay!" Foxkit and Icekit purred. She licked both of their heads and Jaypaw heard her curl her tail around them. Letting the rain soak into his fur, Jaypaw thought: Hollypaw, wherever you are, you don't have to worry. Ferncloud's okay now—she's going to live.
Back in the WindClan camp, in the middle of the clearing like she was sentenced to be, warmth spread through Hollypaw's body.
"What are you so happy about?" Lionpaw hissed softly, glaring around the camp with wary eyes.
"I don't know," she purred, and was just fine with that.