"Keep still, Cherrypaw," Icepool murmured in frustration.
"It hurts, Icepool," Cherrypaw hissed through bared teeth. She was still recovering from the fact that so many cats had died while they were gone. Icepool had been made RainClan's medicine cat after Leafstripe died. Goldenheart died from greencough. Stormstar had lost almost four lives. So much had happened that Cherrypaw and the others had missed.
And Skyfeather! Her kits had been born. She couldn't wait to see the little rascals. "Icepool, how are Skyfeather's kits?" she asked eagerly.
Icepool seemed to hesitate before answering. "Um, they're fine. All three of them. Healthy toms."
Cherrypaw beamed with pride and happiness. "I want to see them!"
"I suggest you give her and Stormstar some time alone," Icepool responded. "They're probably still getting over the shock."
Cherrypaw nodded. "Of course," she agreed. But she couldn't help staring at the nursery expectantly. She imagined three bouncing toms playing around the bramble thicket, pretending to be rogues and Clan cats.
"There, you're all finished," Icepool meowed, stepping back to admire his work. Cherrypaw couldn't deny that he was doing a fine job as a medicine cat.
As Icepool moved on to the next injured warrior, he halted. Cherrypaw recognized the cat as Sugar.
"Icepool, this is Sugar," Cherrypaw introduced, padding up to the cats. "I'll follow you around and introduce you to all of them."
"Who are they?" Icepool questioned, leaning down and wrapping Sugar's leg with cobwebs.
"We're former Coal Pack cats," Sugar meowed. "I'm sure Snowstorm will explain everything, since she offered us a place in RainClan."
Icepool nodded. "Yes, RainClan does need more warriors. Snowstorm made a good decision."
When Icepool was finished with Sugar, he moved on to a group of former Coal Pack cats huddled together. They were all trainers, or apprentices in this case.
"Who are these young cats?" Icepool asked Cherrypaw while he leaned down to work on the wounded she-cats.
"The light brown tabby is Cassie, the gold one is Feather, the light brown one with dark brown paws and tail is Alice, and the brown tabby with a white belly is Harriet."
Icepool nodded, taking note of the descriptions and faces of each new RainClan apprentice.
"The other Coal Pack cats are Speck, the leader, Butterfly, the deputy, and Bella, Seaspray, and Star. Also, another cat came from Diamond Pack. His name is Valley."
Icepool nodded. "And Snowstorm wants all these cats to be RainClan cats?"
"And Whitepaw from LightClan," Cherrypaw added. "He loves Frostfur, and wants to be a part of RainClan once more."
"Once more?" Icepool echoed, looking up at the ginger she-cat.
"His name was once Lucifer, and he was a loner in our woods," Cherrypaw explained, using Skyfeather's words. "He was training in RainClan for some time before running off to LightClan. Now he wants to come back."
Icepool nodded. "I'm sure Stormstar will let him."
"Yeah, but I'm not quite sure about Skyfeather," Cherrypaw put in. "The two had a little quarrel when he was in RainClan."
Cherrypaw padded away from Icepool and trotted up to the pile of fresh-kill. The rogues had stolen almost all of the prey, but that was no problem. In the middle of greenleaf, it wouldn't be that hard to get more fresh-kill.
Cherrypaw opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. She was in some sort of den, and she only realized until after she padded outside that it was the RainClan apprentices' den.
Wow, she thought. I've been away for so long that I almost forgot I was home.
She stretched the sleep from her limbs and trotted over to the fresh-kill pile, yawning. When she remembered that the rogues had taken all of their food, her tummy growled with frustration.
Just then Stormstar hopped on top of the Highrock. Cherrypaw felt like she was going to faint when she saw the scene. She was so happy to be home that she would even spend the entire day helping the elders as long as she stayed in the RainClan camp.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting," Stormstar called.
Cherrypaw took a seat next to Harriet and Feather. She suddenly realized that she was the only official apprentice in RainClan and shivered. She didn't want to be alone for too long.
"Snowstorm, please come up and explain to the Clan where you have been," Stormstar meowed. Snowstorm hopped with some struggle up to the Highrock and looked out over the Clan. Gingerfoot let out a faint mew when she saw that all of the RainClan cats had returned safely.
So she explained everything. Cherrypaw listened and nodded every now and then, while the other RainClan cats gaped up at her in awe. Even Skyfeather emerged from the nursery to add to the explanation.
Skyfeather! Cherrypaw thought. She still had to see her kits.
When Snowstorm had finished, the Clan remained silent. Only Sparrowstripe had the courage to break it.
"Stormstar, did you know this all along?" he called up, defiance layering his meow.
Stormstar stood, but Skyfeather answered. "I only told him recently," she meowed clearly. "It was all my fault, and I'm sorry."
"No, it wasn't," Stormstar meowed angrily. "Firestar told you to keep it a secret, and you did your best. No cat blames you."
Sparrowstripe gave a disdainful sniff before sitting down again and murmuring to Gingerfoot.
"I say these words loud and clear, and no cat will be able to take them away from me," Stormstar called out (A/N: I didn't know what else to say...T.T), staring straight ahead. "All of the former Coal Pack, Diamond Pack, and LightClan cats below are now RainClan cats."
Whitepaw hopped to his paws and nuzzled Frostfur affectionately. The former Coal Pack and Diamond Pack cats all yowled their joy as the Clan burst into meows of happiness.
Cherrypaw was about to rejoice with them when she saw Skyfeather look down in depression and disappear into the nursery once more, followed by Stormstar and Moonflower.
I wonder why she's so down, Cherrypaw thought. But she quickly threw the thought aside and ran up to Feather to congratulate her.
When Cherrypaw was sure she had congratulated every new RainClan cat, she padded silently into the nursery. She saw Skyfeather, Stormstar, and Moonflower whispering to each other and was about to leave. But when she heard what they were discussing, she stayed to eavesdrop.
"If we tell them, they'll get scared about MidnightClan," Skyfeather was whining.
"They already are!" Stormstar hissed. "The next Gathering is tomorrow night, and if Midnight is fast enough, he'll already be Clan leader."
"But he doesn't know where the Moonstone is," Moonflower meowed. "Maybe they'll have to wait for the next full moon."
"Besides, with Tawnyspot and Earthback missing, most of the cats will most likely know that they're in MidnightClan," Skyfeather put in.
There was a long awkward silence for a moment, and Cherrypaw could only gape at the group of whispering cats. MidnightClan? she thought. What's that supposed to mean? And Tawnyspot is missing? What's going on?
"I think we should just tell the Clan that you only had three kits," Moonflower finally meowed.
Cherrypaw's eyes widened and her ears prickled. Only had three kits? What was that supposed to mean?
"But we can't give up on getting the fourth one," Skyfeather mewed desperately. "What happens when we get him back? What will we tell the Clan?"
"We'll tell them when we find him," Stormstar decided. "Don't worry. For now, let's concentrate on Oceankit, Talonkit, and Rainkit."
Skyfeather nodded. She lifted her tail to stare down at three mewling kits, suckling at her tummy.
Cherrypaw backed away out of the nursery. She was grateful that the wind was blowing fiercely, and that the thin drizzle had masked her scent.
Sparrowstripe came up to the ginger apprentice. "Cherrypaw, Snowstorm tells me you did a wonderful job during the journey," the RainClan deputy meowed, pride showing in his voice. "I hope you're ready to become a warrior."
Cherrypaw's worries and thoughts all instantly dissolved as her father spoke. A warrior? Of course she was ready!
"Oh, yes, Sparrowstripe!" she mewed, unable to contain her delight at the fact of becoming a warrior. "I'm ready!"
"Good," Sparrowstripe meowed. "For now, go on a hunting patrol with Gingerfoot and Silverwing. The Clan needs more prey ever since you brought back all those cats."
As the deputy started trotting away, Cherrypaw called after him, "Do you know when Stormstar is going to name the new cats?"
Sparrowstripe turned around. "I think right before your warrior ceremony. Either that or the night after the Gathering."
Cherrypaw nodded and trotted off to find Gingerfoot and Silverwing. The two were already waiting at the entrance. She thought for a moment and realized that this would be a good time for the newest RainClan cats to learn all about their new home.
"Gingerfoot, do you think I could bring a friend?" she asked the white warrior.
"Of course," Gingerfoot replied. "Hurry up and find her."
Cherrypaw nodded and ran over to the pile of fresh-kill where Speck was talking to Bluetail.
"Speck, do you want to come on a hunting patrol with me?" Cherrypaw asked bluntly.
"Of course," Speck replied. She got to her paws. "I need to learn more about my new home, don't I?"
The patrol left the RainClan camp already scenting loads of prey. Cherrypaw watched as Speck caught a blackbird from a tree branch. Gingerfoot praised her on a job well done and padded off to find more prey.
Cherrypaw was so happy to be back in the familiar woods that she let three pieces of prey run away accidentally.
"Come on, Cherrypaw," Silverwing meowed teasingly. "You can't have lost your bearings that quick."
Cherrypaw stared down into the water of the sugar river. She was good at catching fish, and killed at least three. "Happy?" she mewed to Silverwing, who only chuckled. The silver warrior flicked her with his tail.
"Better," he meowed before stalking down a wood mouse scuffling through the undergrowth. He killed it swiftly with one blow to the throat. "You try catching a mouse that fast."
Cherrypaw giggled. Silverwing didn't know that Cherrypaw grew better at hunting during the journey to find Speck. She crouched low in the underbrush, tracking down another wood mouse nearby. She bunched up her muscles and sprang, remembering to be light on her feet. Unfortunately, she wasn't light enough, and the mouse scurried away just in time.
"Looks like you still can't catch mice," Silverwing teased. "I wonder why Stormstar wants to make you a warrior when you haven't even passed the assessment."
Cherrypaw playfully pounced on Silverwing. The two went tussling along the riverbed, ignoring the flopping fish gasping for water.
"Mrr-ow!" Silverwing shoved Cherrypaw hard in the stomach and sent her hurtling into the slippery currents below.
"Cherrypaw!" Reflexively he leaped in after her.
Cold water rushed around Cherrypaw's ears as she felt the current dragging her under. She couldn't move her limbs since she was in a trance of shock.
I'm a RainClan cat! she thought crossly. I should be able to swim! Besides, I'm becoming a warrior tonight. Silverwing's a witness…
Quickly, Cherrypaw flipped over so she was right-side-up. She pushed down with her paws until she was swimming steadily to the riverbed.
"Cherrypaw?" Silverwing meowed, worry layering his voice. "Are you okay?"
Cherrypaw spluttered out some water from her mouth and coughed. She shook her pelt irately and blinked up at Silverwing.
"That's why I should become a warrior tonight," she meowed, twitching her whiskers in amusement.
Silverwing chuckled and scuffed Cherrypaw over the ear with a sheathed forepaw. "You scared me," he muttered. "Don't do that again."
"You're the one who pushed me off the side of the riverbed," Cherrypaw complained. "Speak for yourself."
"Excuse me?" Gingerfoot's voice meowed from behind Cherrypaw. She spun around to see a very irritated-looking Gingerfoot glaring at the two. "If you two lovebirds are finished, we have a Clan to feed!"
Cherrypaw felt a bird of embarrassment flutter its wings inside her chest as she looked down at her shuffling paws. She didn't like Silverwing like that…
Cautiously she looked up at the silver warrior, who was leering at Gingerfoot.
Gingerfoot only giggled and mewed, "I couldn't keep a straight face. You two have to help too."
Cherrypaw immediately dashed off to find her fish while Silverwing sprinted away to find his mouse.
The rest of the patrol went rather well. Cherrypaw caught a thrush and a couple of shrews. The patrol had to make two trips to bring back all the fresh-kill.
They were greeted with a naming ceremony for the former "fighters" of Coal Pack.
Cherrypaw quietly slipped through the crowd and sat down next to Cassie on the apprentices' side of the meeting. The ceremony had only just begun, so she didn't miss anything.
"From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Bella will be known as Blackpaw." Stormstar lifted his muzzle to look over the crowd of RainClan cats. "Sparrowstripe, you are a bold and noble warrior. I hope you will teach Blackpaw the ways of the warrior and the warrior code."
Sparrowstripe nodded and padded up to Blackpaw. "I will, Stormstar." The two cats touched noses and padded off to the side of the clearing.
"From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Sugar will be known as Sorrelpaw. Gingerfoot, I am proud of your progress and hope you will teach Sorrelpaw your speedy ways of hunting and fighting."
"Of course, Stormstar," Gingerfoot meowed, padding up to the large golden apprentice. They touched noses and joined Sparrowstripe and Blackpaw at the edge of the clearing.
Stormstar turned to Seaspray. "From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Seaspray will be known as Swiftpaw." Swiftpaw chuckled, amd Cherrypaw remembered that Swiftpaw had wanted "swift" in her name. "Dustcloud, Skyfeather has taught you well. I'm sure you will pass on all you have learned to your first apprentice."
Dustcloud nodded and touched noses with Swiftpaw before joining the others.
"From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Star will be known as Hawkpaw. Silverwing, I am extremely proud of you, as your former mentor. Please teach Hawkpaw all you have learned."
Cherrypaw saw Silverwing glance at her before trotting up and touching noses with his new apprentice. Cherrypaw looked down at her paws, embarrassed, although she didn't know why.
"Feather, Harriet, Alice, and Cassie, please come forward," Stormstar called as the four cats padded up to the RainClan leader.
"From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Feather will be known as Loudpaw." Cherrypaw chuckled. The name suited her well. "Darkstep, you have developed wonderful fighting skills, and I hope Loudpaw will learn everything from you."
Darkstep padded up to Loudpaw and leered down at her. Cherrypaw couldn't resist the giggle that escaped her lips. Darkstep and Loudpaw were complete opposites, which would make this fun to watch.
As the two walked off, Stormstar continued. "From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Harriet will be known as Cloverpaw. Frostfur, you have always remained faithful to your new Clan. Please pass on your wonderful loyalty to Cloverpaw."
Frostfur, eager with anticipation, trotted up to the trembling new RainClan apprentice and touched noses. "I will try my best, Stormstar," she meowed before the two left the clearing.
"From this moment, until…"—Stormstar sighed, Cherrypaw could tell this was getting boring for him—"until she has earned her warrior name, Alice will be known as Lightpaw. Littlerock, as RainClan's very first apprentice, you should feel proud to receive your first apprentice. You have always been eager to learn the way of the warrior, and I hope Lightpaw shares your enthusiasm."
Littlerock, surprised by Stormstar's kind words, stumbled to the centre of the cats. The two touched noses and padded off to the side of the clearing.
"From this moment, until she has earned her warrior name, Cassie will be known as Bravepaw," Stormstar meowed. "Bluetail, you learned so much from Goldenheart, and I'm quite sure that you will teach Bravepaw all that Goldenheart taught you."
Cherrypaw noticed Bluetail's eyes well up before she shook her head and touched noses with Bravepaw.
"Butterfly, please come forward."
Cherrypaw was slightly surprised when he didn't call Speck up as well, but then she remembered that now there were more apprentices than warriors.
"Until she has earned her warrior name, Butterfly will be known as Mothpaw," Stormstar meowed. "Being the only able warrior left, I will mentor you." Stormstar and Mothpaw touched noses before he sent his new apprentice off to the side of the clearing.
"Before I give Speck and Valley their Clan names, there is a different ceremony to be performed. Cherrypaw, Whitepaw, please come forward."
Cherrypaw instantly brightened as she padded up to Stormstar, Whitepaw right behind her.
"I call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices. They have trained hard to learn the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn." Stormstar looked down at the two apprentices. "Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?"
Whitepaw nodded solemnly. "I do, Stormstar," he meowed clearly.
Cherrypaw couldn't stifle the shivers that overcame her body. "I do," she murmured with a shaky voice.
"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names," Stormstar meowed. "Whitepaw: from this moment you will be known as Whitefang. StarClan honours your speed and agility, and welcomes you as a full warrior of RainClan." Then he added more dryly, "And you'd better remain a full warrior of RainClan."
Stormstar rested his head on top of Whitefang's head while respectfully licked his shoulder in return. No cat thought what Stormstar had added, and Cherrypaw knew that Whitefang would never leave RainClan with Frostfur there.
Stormstar turned to Cherrypaw. "Cherrypaw: from this moment you will be known as Cherrynose. StarClan honours your bravery and skills in fighting, and welcome you as a full warrior of RainClan."
Cherrynose felt pride and excitement bubble inside her as Stormstar rested his head on top of hers. She almost forgot to lick his shoulder, but remembered just in time. When the two were through, Stormstar took a step back.
"The two new warriors will hold silent vigil tonight, and I shall give them apprentices tomorrow morning," Stormstar announced. "But first, we eat."
Cherrynose couldn't contain her joy. She had only just become a warrior, and now she was going to get her very first apprentice.
A/N: Do I sense some romance between Cherrynose and Silverwing?? Heh, sorry it's kinda long...O.o