Chapter 8

Silverpaw's POV

Silverpaw awoke and looked around. Just then she heard Stonestar's yowl.

'Let all cats old enough join beneath the Highbranch for a clan meeting.'

Silverpaw blinked and left the den, everyone was already coming out. Icewhisker led Icepaw outside below the Highbranch. Icewhisker jumped up next to Stonestar. Silverpaw went and sat at the back of the crowd of cats.

'Icewhisker you wished to speak first.' Stonestar meowed. 'Go ahead.'

'Cats of Streamclan, as you know, I will not be around forever.' Icewhisker meowed. 'So it is time I took on an apprentice. I found a cat who has shown herself to be gifted. Your next medicine cat will be Icepaw, Stonestar has agreed along with Birchheart.' Icepaw fluffed out her chest.

Icewhisker jumped down from the high rock and stood next to Icepaw.

'Icepaw do you accept the post of apprentice to Icewhisker?' Stonestar asked.

'I do Stonestar.' She meowed.

'Then at the half moon we must travel to the Moonstream to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats.' Icewhisker meowed.

'The good wishes of all Streamclan will go with you.' Stonestar meowed and dipped his head.

'Icepaw! Icepaw!' The clan yowled. Silverpaw being one of the first to do so.

Icewhisker bent down and touched noses with Icepaw.

'We also have four kits ready to become apprentices, Dustkit, Darkkit, Flamekit and Firekit step forward.' Stonestar meowed. 'Dustkit, Darkkit, Flamekit and Firekit you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed. Dustkit from this day on until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Dustpaw.'

'Stormheart.' Stonestar meowed. The young Dark Brown warrior walked out of the crowd and over to Dustpaw.

'You have had a great mentor in Graystorm and you have shown yourself to be quick thinking and brave, I expect you to pass on all you know to Dustpaw.' The mentor and the apprentice bent down and touched noses. The young Light Brown she-cat smiled and her eyes gleamed.

'Darkkit from this day on until you receive you're warrior name you shall be known as Darkpaw.' Stonestar meowed. 'Mouseheart.'

Silverpaw smiled as she remembered her apprentice ceremony. The small brown she-cat stepped out of the front of the crowd and stood infront of Darkpaw.

'You had a great mentor in our lost friend Pebbleheart and you have shown yourself to be brave and loyal, I expect you to pass on all you know to Darkpaw.' The two cats touched noses.

After the ceremony Silverpaw walked up towards the four new apprentices.

'Hello Silverpaw!' Firepaw meowed and smiled at her.

'Hello.' Silverpaw replied. 'You excited?'

'You bet you!' Flamepaw meowed.

Silverpaw smiled. 'I'm going to go and see Icepaw.' Silverpaw meowed and left the four new apprentices.

She ran over to her sister and her new mentor. 'When are you two leaving?' She asked.

'We will be leaving soon; we must get to Fourtrees before Sunhigh.' Icewhisker replied. Silverpaw smiled and turned around to see Shinyheart coming over to them.

'Stonestar wants me to assess your hunting ability along with Whitepaw.' She meowed. 'Go and get your brother and then meet me at the Rock tunnel.'

Silverpaw nodded and ran over to the apprentices den. Whitepaw was inside.

'Whitepaw, Shinyheart is going to assess our hunting.' The Silver she-cat meowed. Whitepaw got up and walked outside with Silverpaw. They ran over to Shinyheart.

'Okay now Whitepaw I want you to go from the Training clearing to the Sunclan border.' Shinyheart meowed. 'Silverpaw go from the fallen tree to the Thunderpath, then meet me back at the clearing just outside the Rock tunnel before Sun-down, now go!'

Silverpaw ran into the Rock tunnel and she knew Whitepaw was just behind her. She ran on until she got to the fallen tree and sniffed. She found a vole and crouched down; she stalked forward and then leapt and tackled it down. She bit its neck and it went limp. Taking it in her jaws, she found some leaves and placed the vole under them. She sniffed again and found a scent trail. Following it, she found a mouse running through some moss covering. She leaped and scooped up the mouse, lifting it in the air; she leapt after it and bit its neck.

She heard the bushes behide her shake and she jumped, landing on a cat she hissed. The cat yowled. Silverpaw jumped off the cat and looked at her. It was Shinyheart!

'Shinyheart!' Silverpaw meowed. 'I'm so sorry!'

'Don't worry it was my fault, now go get back to your assessment!' Shinyheart meowed and ran off.

Silverpaw had caught two vole and two mice by this time and it was just past Sun-high. She sniffed and looked around. She saw a sparrow in the trees and crouched. She jumped up and onto a branch. Then she leapt again and landed on top of the sparrow. She bit its neck and jumped down. She found the other prey and placed the sparrow with it. She had no idea if Shinyheart was watching her again or not. She put her head in the air and sniffed.

A faint scent of a Streamclan patrol, old Sunclan scent and a vole! Silverpaw thought and crouched down. She stalked through some bushes until she came to a bush where the vole had hidden. She leapt at it; the vole looked up and then ran off, leaving Silverpaw to skid in the dirt. She took after it and within a few moments she had caught it. The Silver apprentice tossed it into the air, jumped up after it before biting its neck. Silverpaw smiled and ran back to her prey. It was way past Sun-high by this time and Silverpaw was a bit tired. She found her prey and placed the vole with it.

It was almost Sun-down and Silverpaw was stalking a mouse. She leapt and landed on the mouse. She bit its belly and then scratched at its neck, leaving it limp. She ran off to get her other prey. She ran back along the route she had come and soon found the vole and mouse she had put under the leaves. She took them into her jaws and ran on. She sniffed and looked ahead. Near a tree laid some leaves that Silverpaw had put two mice under. She ran over to it and picked them up. Silverpaw ran on and stopped in the clearing outside the Rock tunnel. Shinyheart was already there, however, Whitepaw wasn't there yet. She dropped the prey down and looked at Shinyheart.

'Nice job.' Shinyheart meowed. 'Are you going to wait for Whitepaw or go and get the rest of it?'

'I'll go now.' Silverpaw meowed and turned around. She ran back through the forest and stopped. She sniffed again. Just then she realised she was near the Lostclan border. She turned away and ran off.

Am I really half clan? She thought.

When she had gotten back to Shinyheart, Whitepaw was there with his prey. Silverpaw dropped the rest of her prey and smiled at Whitepaw.

'Okay now let's get all this back to camp.' Shinyheart meowed.

The White she-cat took some of Silverpaw's prey and walked off towards the rock tunnel. Silverpaw grabbed some of her prey and looked at her brother. He was struggling.

'Here.' Silverpaw meowed and pointed towards some leaves with her tail.

Whitepaw nodded and took some of his prey and the rest of Silverpaw's over to it and placed them under the leaves. Silverpaw caught up with Shinyheart and smiled. Silverpaw followed her mentor into the Rock tunnel and could hear her clan mates inside.

Once she entered Shinyheart went over to Stonestar, who was eating outside his den. Silverpaw ran over to the fresh-kill pile and placed her prey down. Once done she turned around and went to get the rest of her prey. She ran through the Rock tunnel and into the forest. She walked over to the leaves that Whitepaw had put the prey under and lifted out the three voles and mouse and ran back to camp. Whitepaw came out of the Rock tunnel and smiled at his sister.

'There still is a bit of prey left.' Silverpaw meowed through the prey in her jaws.

'Okay thanks.' Whitepaw meowed and went to get the rest of the prey.

Silverpaw entered camp again and went over to the fresh-kill pile. She put the prey down and grabbed a vole for herself. She went over to the apprentices den and sat down. She took a bite of her vole and then licked her muzzle. Whitepaw came over to her a few moments later.

'How do you think we went?' Whitepaw asked.

'I don't know.' Silverpaw answered and yawned. 'I'm going to get some sleep night.'

'Goodnight.' Whitepaw meowed. Silverpaw got up and headed inside.

She found her moss bedding and laid down. Not long after that she fell into a deep peaceful sleep.