Chapter 2: The Ceremonies

Redstar was lying in the setting sun on the Highledge, basking in its warmth as well as his own satisfaction. The apprentices had passed their final assessments, and Lavender was recovering in the nursery. Prismpaw was helping her sister collect herbs; when they returned, Redstar would hold the ceremony.

Aha! The white apprentice was returning to camp with her mouth full of leaves. She padded into a beam of sunlight; her pelt dazzled, and Redstar was temporarily blinded. Barely a heartbeat later, his view cleared and he saw the apprentice heading for the bramble screen in front of the medicine den.

That was very odd.

Redstar sat up and waiting a few heartbeats for Fernpaw to return. When everyone was back in camp he filled his lungs with evening greenleaf air and yowled.

"Let all cats old enough to think of a dare join beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!"

Redstar leapt down from the ledge as the Clan assembled. Prismpaw's fur was neatly groomed, and she sat in the shade of a low tree. Her golden eyes were excited, but there was a hint of something else in them. She knows that she flashed her pelt in my eyes. But why did she do it?

"Cats of DareClan," he mewed when everyone was present, "we have four apprentices ready to become warriors. Prismpaw, Rainbowpaw, Solpaw, and Lemonpaw, come forward."

The apprentices did so.

"I, Redstar, leader of DareClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to honor the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Rainbowpaw, Lemonpaw, Prismpaw, Solpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan at any cost, even that of your own life?"

"I do," Rainbowpaw replied, her voice vibrating in excitement.

"I do," Lemonpaw meowed, lifting his chin.

"I do." Prismpaw seemed to be addressing Redstar, telling him that she would not break her vow.

"I do," Solpaw agreed.

"Then, by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Rainbowpaw, from this moment forward you shall be known as Rainbowheart. Lemonpaw, you shall be known as Lemonpelt. Prismpaw, you shall be known as Prismlight. Solpaw, you shall be known as Solfang. StarClan honors all of your abilities and the strength you give the Clan. I trust you will all be loyal warriors, defending the Clan with your last breath. Go and eat, and when the sun sets you will sit vigil."

"Rainbowheart! Lemonpelt! Prismlight! Solfang!"

The new warriors' eyes shone as the Clan welcomed them, yowling to the first warriors of StarClan. Prismlight looked faintly unnerved; Rainbowheart's excitement could have made her burst; Lemonpelt was sitting nobly, listening; Solfang was panting.

"They get first pick of the fresh-kill pile," Nightfrost called.

Prismlight selected a juicy mouse and carried it to a corner of the camp to eat alone. Molespots offered to share a rabbit with Rainbowheart, and the pair sat nearby. Solfang took the fattest robin Redstar had ever seen, and Lemonpelt shared with his mother.

"Also," Redstar announced, "before you start eating, I have another ceremony to perform. Jetkit and Darkkit have reached their sixth moon and are ready to become apprentices. Jetkit, Darkkit, come forward, please."

Jetkit dashed forward, nearly treading on his own whiskers, while Darkkit followed more slowly.

"StarClan has seen to it that kits are made apprentices when they are six moons old. When apprentices become warriors, new apprentices may take their place. The apprentices' den will not be empty for long. Jetkit, you shall be known as Jetpaw. Molespots," Redstar beckoned the creamy brown tom forward with a twitch of his tail, "you will be mentor to Jetpaw. He will be your first apprentice, and I trust you to pass on what you know of Clan life to him."

Jetpaw rushed forward and crashed into his mentor. "And teach him to not rush in nose first," Redstar added with a twitch of his whiskers.

Jetpaw reached up his nose to touch it to his mentor's. After a moment's hesitation Molespots touched his nose to Jetpaw's.

"I will teach him all I know," the warrior promised.

"Darkkit. You shall be known as Darkpaw. Silverstreak, you were an excellent mentor to Prismlight. Teach him what you know, and make him a warrior the whole Clan will be proud of."

Silverstreak dabbed Darkpaw's nose with her own. "I will not let you down, Redstar. Or you!" she told her new apprentice. Darkpaw sniffed and studied her through yellow eyes.

"Let's eat!" Stormspeckle croaked.

The stone hollow echoed with the sounds of eating and friendly chatter. Honeyleaf had come to watch, and she prodded Redstar with the thrush in her jaws.

"Share?" she mumbled around it. Redstar nodded, and they sat near Nightfrost.

"New warriors, new apprentices, new kits," the deputy meowed. "The Clan is prospering."

Redstar took a mouthful of thrush. It was succulent on his tongue. He swallowed the warm morsel with a smile.

"Where's Lavender?" he asked.

Honeyleaf swallowed. "She's in the nursery. She's doing well, but she's still weak. Thank StarClan that it's greenleaf. She wouldn't have a chance against greencough."

"Don't let Molespots here you say that," Nightfrost warned. "Can I have some of that thrush? It looks a little big."

Redstar purred. "Help yourself. It's your own fault, though; you ate that vole far too quickly."

"It was a small one," Nightfrost replied with his mouth full. "Shinyheart got the big one, and I let her have it. She's a queen!"

"Not anymore," Honeyleaf reminded him. "Unless she chooses to stay in the nursery."

"I'd forgotten."

The three cats purred around their meal. Nightfrost got up when the sun disappeared.

"Rainbowheart, Prismlight, Lemonpelt, Solfang! Your vigil!"

Redstar watched them leave. They'd sit outside the camp until morning with no words exchanged except in an emergency.

Nightfrost leaned back on his haunches with a sigh. "I'm stuffed full as a thundercloud. I'm heading to my nest." He stood up and stretched before trotting to the warriors' den.

Honeyleaf purred at Redstar. "I'm going to pick the feathers from this. Are you staying?"

Redstar shook his head. "I'm not quite as full as Nightfrost, but I'm close. Goodnight, Honeyleaf."

"'Night."

\|/

Redstar slept soundly for most of the night. He awoke to peace and the earliest birdsong. Nightfrost would be up soon to send out the dawn patrol. Redstar yawned and curled up tightly. There would be time to nap until the patrol returned.

He soon dozed, and dreamed.

He was with Sandstorm once again, padding through the forest. But this time a pained cry made them both prick their ears. It reminded Redstar of Lavender's kitting.

"They're coming, and soon," Sandstorm mewed urgently to Redstar. "You must be ready!"

"What...?"

Redstar was hit with a reek unlike any he had scented before. It was rank and bitter. Yowls of other cats joined the first.

"They will bring death."

Redstar opened his eyes with a start. Sunlight was filtering into the cave. Sandstorm's scent hung heavy in the air.

She came to me.

Redstar stretched each back leg in turn as he headed out.

"How are you, Redstar?" Honeyleaf called as he leapt down from Highledge. "Sleep well?"

Redstar drew nearer to the golden she-cat. "Honeyleaf, there's something I have to tell you."

Please review! Another cliffhanger...

DareClan:

Leader: Redstar: reddish ginger tom with amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Deputy: Nightfrost: black tom with light blue paws, tail-tip, and light blue eyes. Invented by Shadus Krifetalon.

Medicine cat: Honeyleaf: light gold she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Jayfeather Luva.
Apprentice, Fernpaw

Warriors:

Willowheart: light brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Silverstreak: silver she-cat with blue, dark gray, and black streaks throughout her fur and blue eyes. Invented by MyrtleFalls and Mothstar.
Apprentce, Darkpaw

Smokesplash: blue and dark gray tom. Invented by Smokeclaw of ShadowClan.

Patchclaw: black-and-white patched tom. Invented by Patchkit.

Palestorm: pale gray tom with darker gray paws, chest, and tail-tip, and green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Rainbowheart: rainbow tabby she-cat with green eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Prismlight: white she-cat with a sheen to her fur that makes it shine in all the colors of the color spectrum and golden eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Solfang: tortoiseshell-and-white tom with long fur, a ruff of fur around his neck, a tail tuft, and amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Lemonpelt: yellowish-grayish-green tom with yellow eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Molespots: creamy brown tom with gold spots and green eyes
Apprentice, Jetpaw

Apprentices:

Fernpaw: pale gray she-cat with green eyes, apprentice to the medicine cat. Invented by Mothstar.

Limepaw: white she-cat with lime-shaped green splotches and green eyes. Invented by Velvet Masquerade.

Jetpaw: jet black tom with very dark blue eyes

Darkpaw: smoky black tom with yellow eyes

Queens:

Shinyheart: very pale gold she-cat with yellow eyes. Invented by Mothstar. Nursing Patchclaw's kits Darkkit (smoky black tom with yellow eyes, invented by Darkhead and Mothstar) and Jetkit (jet black tom with very dark blue eyes, invented by Darkhead and Mothstar).

Elders:

Stormspeckle: jet black tom with pale gray flecks and amber eyes. Invented by Mothstar.

Outside DareClan:

Lavender: pale gray she-cat, loner, with green eyes. Nursing two young kits, a tom and a she-kit.