Chapter XI
"Hush, everyone. I know their ceremony is a bit early." Rosestar tried to calm the cats in front of her.
"Go!" Fawnberry hissed, pushing them out of the tunnel. Bramblekit, leading the four marched out confidently with his chest puffed out. Shadowkit came next, looking around the camp with proud eyes.
Brindlekit nodded and smiled at everyone, confident like her brother. And finally, Cinderkit was at the end of their short line. Her eyes were intelligent and her ears were sharp, but her head was kept down.
They made the tail-length leap onto the Burnt Log. Shadowkit struggled a little, but Brindlekit gave him a brisk push. Cinderkit swiftly made the jump, wiggling herself a little to get on.
"These kits are our first DuskClan-born kits. Bramblekit, Brindlekit, Shadowkit and Cinderkit have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for them to be apprenticed." Cinderkit felt Shadowkit tense up as the leader started the ceremony.
"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Bramblepaw. Your mentor will be Whitewhisker. I hope he will pass down all he knows to you." Bramblepaw looked delighted as Whitewhisker, smiling, made his way to the cats on top of the Log.
"Brindlekit, from this day onwards until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Brindlepaw. Your mentor will be Stagpelt, and I hope he will pass down all he knows to you." Brindlepaw and the muscular Stagpelt seemed quite out of proportion, Cinderkit thought, amused.
"Shadowkit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Shadowpaw. Your mentor will be Aspenleaf." Subconsciously, Cinderkit started trembling in anxiousness.
"Cinderkit…" There seemed to be a lull in Rosestar's speech. "From this day on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Cinderpaw. I have decided to mentor you. Actually, I'm sure we all think there is no difference between I as a leader and I as a normal mentor." The cats had no choice but to nod.
Cinderpaw was struck with a sense of proudness. "Bramblepaw! Brindlepaw! Shadowpaw! Cinderpaw!" The cheerful calls sounded after a dazed silence. Cinderpaw was starting to think apprenticeship was pretty good, after all. It wasn't raining for once; how good could this be?
After Rosestar declared the ceremony over, she led Cinderpaw out of camp. "First of all we will be looking at the territories and the scents of the Clans." She explained to Cinderpaw. The apprentice had already noticed that DuskClan territory bordered the vast Twolegplace.
Now, Cinderkit surveyed the open area she was in. She saw that there was quite some forest and open space, but not much. There was just one small clearing and quite some clusters of trees. They seemed to be in the middle of the territory right now, and Rosestar led her to their right.
"On this side we have the DawnClan border. They are much alike us in shape, size and build, and very open and free. Their leader is Ravenstar."
Rosestar put her nose in the air, sniffing. Cinderpaw copied her, nose rapidly moving. A sweet, dewy scent hit her. It was unlike their own earthy scent, the gray cat thought.
Rosestar moved away from the catmint bush that marked the border. She walked over to the other side, "This is the LakeClan border, Cinderpaw. They are sleek cats, who live right at the banks of the lake. Their leader is Brightstar."
Cinderpaw listened carefully as Rosestar relayed multiple facts about the Clans. From what her mentor had told her, Cinderpaw now knew that their territory bordered LakeClan, DawnClan and a small part of EmberClan. She also knew the names of the leaders: Ravenstar, Goldenstar, Brightstar, Sleetstar, Oakstar and Stormstar.
Rosestar led her back along the ivy-crossed path to the camp. "We'll practice some fighting back in the training cave." The training cave was a dirt "cave" carved into a huge pile of dirt, sand and Twoleg materials that the Twolegs had abandoned there. It now served as DuskClan's training cave. How it had served the old cats that had once lived here, no one really knew. Part of Rosestar thought that it was that none of them really wanted to remember their war-torn past.
The camp was built in the shape of a semicircle, with the leader's den at the very end. On the right was the nursery; on the left was the elder's den, which was currently empty. The apprentices' den was right beside the nursery, and the warriors' den opposite it. The medicine den was strategically situated right next to the entrance to serve any cats injured in battle.
Cinderpaw took this all in as she and Rosestar loped their way to the training cave, which towered behind the elders' den.
"I think you can take on an opponent of your age." Rosestar panted, but with a glint in her eyes. Cinderpaw nodded. Brindlepaw came over, a smile on her face. "You can fight Brindlepaw, Cinderpaw." Rosestar smiled too.
Brindlepaw hissed, thrusting herself into the air. Cinderpaw nimbly dodged the attack, then hurled herself around to claw Brindlepaw with sheathed claws. Brindlepaw shook her head in an air of annoyance, then faked a blow above her sister's head, in fact actually clawing her stomach.
The gray cat countered a blow, sending Brindlepaw flying. Stagpelt meowed loudly from the side, "Clearly it's a tie. Well done to both of you." He nodded.
For the first time, Cinderpaw felt a tumbling sensation fall over her. She wanted to claw at fur again, feel the skin beneath her claws rip and hiss at her opponent…
A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I had a lot of things to do, cause my school has a learning exhibition thing going on and I've been doing last-minute work. Anyway, this is a longer chapter than normal. Hope that makes up for the long wait!
And guys! We need more reviews! Please do me a favor and write a review. It doesn't have to be long, just a "hi" or "i loved the chapter!" will be enough to touch my heart.
Once again thanks all of you who have been supportive right from the start.
3 Katia