A/N- Thank you Griffinfeather for reviewing. (If you other people review, I'll thank you too. So review! Hehe that rhymed.) Hope you're contented with two pages in Microsoft Word, cus that's what I'm givin' you.
YAY WINTER BREAK!!!! I usually update on weekends, but this is my first day of break and I felt like celebrating. YAY!!!
Disclaimer- This is pointless. We all know that I am the great Erin Hunter, and not a wannabe fourteen year old who wishes she could own Warriors (duh).
Chapter 4- Pup to Paw
Swiftpup was creeping through the ferns, placing her tiny paws carefully on the ground. She finally caught sight of her prey, a small hare, nibbling on some grass. After pausing to gather her legs under her, she leaped.
A split second before her claws came into contact with the hare, she was awoken by someone jumping on top of her.
"Wake up sleepyhead!" Leafpup cried joyously "It's our apprentice ceremony today!"
The hyperactive German shepherd was bouncing around the nursery waking everyone with her cries. She only stopped after getting cuffed over the head by Sunstripe, the newest queen.
Shaking herself awake, Swiftpup felt a thrill of excitement surge through her. In the moon she'd been with the Clan, she'd seen Jewelpool become a warrior and her mentor, Sunstripe, become a queen with the deceased Foxfur's pups.
Just last week Beechpaw and Beetlepaw had become apprentices, and now it was her turn! She would be Swiftpaw, apprenticed to…who? Hardly anyone in the Clan liked her at all, something needed for an apprentice and mentor.
She didn't have much time to dwell on this before Owlfeather came bustling in and began furiously grooming her for the ceremony.
OOOoooOOO
Spiritstar lay in her den, her eyes narrowed to slits. She was naming two new apprentices at sunhigh and still didn't have both mentors chosen.
Leafpup was easy enough; a young warrior like Redstorm would be able to keep up with her. But Swiftpup would need someone different. An apprentice needed a mentor who accepted them, so that knocked out half the Clan already.
"Maybe," she trailed off, thinking hard.
Coming to a decision, she said confidently, "Yes, that will do."
OOOoooOOO
The sun was high overhead when Spiritstar padded out of her den and leaped to the top of the Highrock. "Let all those old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."
She watched as her clanmates slowly emerged from their dens. The last to appear were Owlfeather, Leafpup, and Swiftpup.
Swiftpup's golden fur was groomed until it glowed in the sun and her chocolate colored eyes shone with excitement. Spiritstar felt a strange surge of emotion come over her, something she'd never felt before.
It was love, a sort of motherly love that she had for this poor, prejudiced little pup. It pained her to hear the growls and see the glares that were thrown at Swiftpup as she walked through the crowd to the Highrock, though she didn't seem to mind. Flicking her tail for silence, Spiritstar turned to Leafpup and began the ceremony.
"Leafpup, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Leafpaw. Redstorm, you will mentor Leafpaw. Though you have been a warrior for less than a moon, you have shown courage and wisdom beyond your age and are ready for your first apprentice."
Warrior and apprentice padded up to each other, looking equally excited. They touched noses and moved to sit off to the side. Spiritstar then turned to the small, golden furred pup on her left and said, smiling, "Swiftpup, from this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Swiftpaw. I shall be your mentor."
Swiftpaw's eyes widened, she knew that being mentored by the leader was a great honor. Shocked and envious faces watched as mentor and apprentice touched noses, most wondering how a half-breed runt could possibly be that lucky.
When the time came for the Clan to chant the names of the new apprentices, Spiritstar felt as though a thorn was lodged in her heart when she heard how much quieter Swiftpaw's name was chanted. Brackenpelt and Owlfeather, the pair's parents, chanted both names the loudest of all.
Spiritstar noticed that many dogs were still staring at Swiftpaw with jealousy in their gazes. Troubled, Spiritstar wondered if she had possibly done more harm than good by taking her as an apprentice. As the meeting broke up, Spiritstar padded over to Swiftpaw, who was talking animatedly with her sister.
Upon reaching them, she said, "You should both go get settled in the apprentices' den. We start training tomorrow."
"Yes Spiritstar." They chirped and trotted off to the apprentices' den side by side.
A/N- I feel kind of bad for Swiftpaw. Just so everyone knows, the dog that was killed in the prologue was Foxfur, Sunstripe's mate. It's so sad that he died right before she found out she had pups.
I know that some of that didn't need to be put in and seemed random, but I'M THE AUTHOR AND YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! Hmm, anyway, just please, please, please review!