HhannAa: "So 7th chapter is up! YAY!"
Moonflame: "You do not own warriors!...Just thought I'd save you the breath."
HhannAa: " Aww...thanks Moonflame!"
Echopaw: "My mouse!"
Splashpaw: "Haha! You're the mouse!"
Lionblaze: "Splashpaw!"
HhannAa: " Anyway- I"ll just pause here a minute and say that yes I am sort of skipping ahead with the time...Cherrykit and Molekit were supposed to be apprentices much earlier than Splashkit and Echokit but oh well- also the two latest kits kinda grew a little faster thank usual- because thats the way i needed it to work for my story:)"
Sandstorm: "So THATS where my Fast Forward button went!"
HhannAa: "Ohh..."
Jayfeather: " So THATS where MY Fast Forward button REALLY went!"
Sandstorm " Er..."
Firestar: " SO THATS WHERE MY FAST FORWARD BUTTON WENT!"
Bluestar: "Firestar, why are you screaming?"
Echopaw: " So many freaky cats! Oh my!"
Jayfeather: "So THATS where MY Fast Forward button REALLY went!" *hyperventilates*
HhannAa: " EVERYONE STOP!"
*cricket sounds*
HhannAa: *Contented Sigh*: "Thank you. -Chapter!"
ECHOKIT POV (point of view)
The sun rays filtered through the small holes in the weaving of the nursery. A few dew drops fell on Echokit's whiskers, causing him to tremble with the tickling sensation.
"Echokit, stop moving like that." Cinderheart's gentle mew vibrated through to her tummy, tickling Echokit some more.
"Echokit!" now his sister lashed her tail at him, stinging him with a blow at the ear.
"I get it, I get it. I'm just a nuisance." Echokit mumbled, feeling slightly hollow inside as he looked at Molekit and Cherrykit cosily wrapped up close to Poppyfrost 's belly.
Cinderheart's mew interrupted his glum thoughts."Of course you aren't. You know your sister, she's grumpy when she wakes up." her whiskers twitched in amusement as Splashkit stood on her paws
with a glare.
"Am not!"
Echokit gathered his haunches and released a quiet growl before launching himself at Splashkit. The kit squealed in surprise and crumbled beneath Echokit's weight.
"Get off me!" she exclaimed and Cinderheart's teeth soon sunk into Echokit's scruff.
"Shh!," she hissed with kind eyes, " the others are still sleeping."
Echokit's head swung around to look at Poppyfrost.
"Well we were…" she grumbled as her kits started to fuss around as well.
Cinderheart's ears perked, and she lifted her tail as a signal for her kits to follow. Echokit ran after his mother and sister eagerly when he realised Cinderheart was leading them out the nursery.
Echokit 's eyes grew impossibly wide as he thought all of the four clans had gathered in the middle of their camp. The fur along his spine started to rise as he hissed.
"Stop that. You look like an owl!" Splashkit purred before sitting beside their mother, but obviously as curious as he was.
"It's an invasion!" Echokit exclaimed, wondering why his sister wasn't getting ready to fight for her clan.
"It's not silly," Cinderheart swooped down to lick his fur flat, "it's a clan meeting. Look, Bramblestar is up there waiting to speak," she pointed with her tail.
"All of this is Thunderclan?"
"Almost. Now hush!" Cinderheart turned back to look at the leader as Poppyfrost and her kits began to emerge from the nursery.
"It is high time that I appoint a deputy. I apologize for the delay, and any incomfort it may have put you in," Bramblestar began, his amber eyes glancing over his clan, "Thunderclan is still strong. We
will not show ourselves weak after the invasion that has been forced upon us." there Bramblestar paused, silence swallowing all of the cats for a few moments.
Echokit wondered what had happened. He knew that there had been an attack, the very day that he was born, but that had been moons ago. Why was everyone still upset about it? They had one,
had they not?
"I have thought long and hard, and do not regret, will not regret the announcement I am about to make. Our new deputy is Cinderheart, should she choose to accept the position."
Echokit gasped and looked up at his mother, his heart beating furiously. Why hadn't she told him about this? What would become of him and Splashkit if they had no mother to keep them warm at
night; or tell them which prey was good to eat or not; or yell at them to get out of Jayfeather's den? Around him, all cats seemed approving. All except Berrynose, who was obviously stating his
annoyance by turning his back and sulking his way to the dirt place.
"You're leaving us?" Splashkit mewed, looking at Cinderheart with sorrow in her eyes.
Cinderheart was about answer but Lionblaze made his way to them, nosing Cinderheart toward Bramblestar. "Go on. I'll keep an eye on them." he mewed as Cinderheart bounded to Highledge with a
glance back at her kits.
"Why?" Splashkit started to wail, only to be gently silenced by their father.
"She's not leaving you. You'll see." Lionblaze whispered to his kits before settling close to them.
Echokit burried his nose in his father's fur for a quick heartbeat, liking the warmth he found there. He looked back just in time to see his mother dip her head at Bramblestar.
"I am honoured. I do accept to be Thunderclan's new deputy." then she looked back at the clan with eyes impossible not to trust.
"I know you will serve your clan with your life. We are proud to have you be the new deputy."
"Cinderheart! Cinderheart! Cinderheart!" the clan began to chant and Echokit and Splashkit soon joined in, their small mews reaching to be the loudest.
"I have more announcements," Bramblestar mewed and the clan settled right away, "There are five new apprentices to be made. Molekit, Cherrykit, Splashkit and Echokit." as Bramblestar said his
name, Echokit wanted to jump up and down but refrained from doing so, not wanting to look like a newborn kit in front of the elder warriors. Lionblaze gave each of his kits quick licks on the head
before Cinderheart bounded toward them.
"Oh dear, you two look like you've just came back from fighting foxes!" the queen and new deputy exclaimed as she started to lick urgently at Echokit.
"Cinderheart! Stop!" Echokit mewed, embarrassed, before trotting away, walking to sit beneath Highledge with his sister.
"Splashkit, do you promise to follow the warrior code, and learn to be the best warrior you can be?"
"Yes I do!" she chirped, before shuffling her paws, looking embarrassed.
"Then from this day on, you shall be known as Splashpaw until you receive your warrior name. Foxleap will be your mentor."
Splashpaw jumped to her paws to touch noses with her new mentor.
"Echokit, you seem brave already, and eager to learn. Do you wish to become a warrior that your clan will be proud of?"
"Of course!" Echokit tried to keep the kit-ish excitement from reaching his voice, but failed.
"Well. Until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Echopaw, and you will be mentored by Sorreltail."
Echopaw's eyes locked on the tortoiseshell and was glad when he saw that his mentor was going to be a cat as strong, healthy, skilled as Sorreltail. He stood and padded to touch noses with
her.
"Congratulations little one." she purred.
"Thank you!" Echopaw could not keep from staring at her large frame and strong muscles that were obvious beneath her pelt, yet slender as any delicate she-cat.
"Molekit and Cherrykit, do you promise to fulfill your mission as dedicated apprentices on the path to becoming great warriors?"
The two kits both eagerly nodded.
"From this day on, until you be given your warrior names, you shall be known as Molepaw and Cherrypaw. Bumblestripe will mentor Molepaw, and Rosepetal will be Cherrypaw's mentor."
"Cherrypaw! Splashpaw! Echopaw! Molepaw!" the clan chanted, and Echopaw could clearly hear Lionblaze's and Cinderheart's the loudest among all, reaching right to his heart and spreading a warm
feeling all over his body.
"Do you have ants in your pelt?" Splashpaw mewed as she licked her brother's ear.
"We're apprentices! Can you believe it?" Echopaw exclaimed to his sister, his heart soaring.
"But you said you have five new apprentices to appoint!" a mew from Berrynose rose over the crowd, his voice surprisingly not speaking the disappointment Echopaw had clearly noticed earlier.
"Yes, I did. Poolpaw does not wish to follow the path of a Warrior any longer." the leader said gently as Poolpaw gazed up at him, her eyes full of hope. "No cat reproaches you anything, and neither
do your ancestors. We all honour your faith and your courage, and know that you will serve your clan multiple times better as a medicine cat apprentice." he nodded at Poolpaw as she sprung to her
paws to go meet Jayfeather who looked at his new apprentice with kind eyes.
A shiver ran through Echopaw; the way Jayfeather's blind eyes conveyed so much emotion scared him terribly.
"All of the new apprentices will attend the Gathering tonight, as well as Cinderheart, Duspelt, Graystripe, Lionblaze, Sorreltail, Doveflight and Foxleap. The clan is dismissed."Bramblestar turned to go to
his den and the cats broke apart to share tongues before duties as the sun edged closer to its highest point.
Echopaw ran to Cinderheart, joyful at the pride in her eyes, reflected in Lionblaze's.
"Congratulations, my little warriors!" Cinderheart purred, weaving around her two kits.
"You both will make amazing warriors. But you should eat and rest before the Gathering. Although make sure you speak to your mentors about any tasks they may need you for." he purred at them
both before padding off to talk to Doveflight and Jayfeather.
On his way to the fresh kill pile, Echopaw jumped in fear as he noticed Berrynose's eyes glowing in the semi darkness- there was something odd about the way he looked at him. A strange sense of
forbordding fell upon Echopaw, but he shook it off, thinking he was probably imagining it.
"Care for a mouse?" Moonflame's voice made him jump, as he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Er- yeah sure. Thanks." Echopaw took the mouse he had been offered and started backing away, but not before noticing that Berrynose and Moonflame were glaring at each other, obviously not
playing like he sometimes did with Splahpaw. What was up with these warriors? They were all huge, scary, and some of them were just plain weird. All of the incident was forgotten very quickly though
as Splashpaw came to try and steal Echopaw's mouse.
"Hey! Come back here with that!" and Echopaw pelted after his sister.