Pricklefur sat beneath Rock Pile, so close to Olivesong that their fur was brushing.
"Owlpaw, you will be mentored by Shatteredsky, let his bravery and strength get passed on to you." Darkstar announced, and the two cats touched noses, "Rosepaw, your mentor will be Flingmole, let his intelligence and great hunting skills get passed on to you. Thornpaw, your mentor will be Nose-eye, let her strength and intelligence get passed on to you. Sweetpaw, your mentor will be Spiderfall, let her kindness and great hunting skills get passed on to you. Lilacpaw, your mentor will be Berrytail, let her bravery and kindness get passed on to you. Lilypaw, your mentor will be Whiteheart, let her strength and fighting skills get passed on to you." Darkstar said, and the clan cheered. Pricklefur and Olivesong cheered louder than any other cat. He was about to burst with pride for his daughters and sons.
"Now," Darkstar silenced the clan, "Darkpaw." The black she-cat hopped up onto Rock Pile. She looked like a warrior, with her head held high, and her pale green eyes staring calmly at the clan, "You will be known as Darktail. Starclan honors your intelligence and kindness."
"Darktail! Darktail!" the Clan cheered.
"Also," Darkstar said, "New kits were introduced to the nursery. You may not have noticed. They were born easily. Ashkit, Sootkit, Quailkit are the kits of Rockflight. Along with Oatkit, Grainkit, Seedkit and Cementkit, who are Buzzardswoop's kits born a few days ago."
A gray she-cat with darker gray flecks hopped out on the nursery. She walked proudly over to the cats, "I'm Ashkit."
"I'm Sootkit." Said a dark and light gray she-cat.
"I'm Quailkit." A pretty brown tabby she-cat said.
"I'm Oatkit!" A golden-brown she-cat with white paws said, hopping away from Buzzardswoop.
"I'm Seedkit!" said another golden-brown she-cat.
"Grainkit is my name!" said a reddish tom.
"Cementkit." Said a skinny gray she-cat. She had a scar on her face. Buzzardswoop had given birth to her, randomly, on a cement parking lot. Blowingwind, her father, pulled her close and licked her scar.
"Last announcement," Darkstar said, "I'm expecting kits myself. The proud father is Woodgift."
###
Puffyfur was heading up to see Branchtooth and Frostystar.
She pushed her way through the thorn tunnel. It snagged on her pelt, and scratched her sides. Puffyfur was starting to expand, expecting kits very soon. They'd be coming around the time of Darkstar's. The thorn tunnel was odd now. It seemed pokey and sharp compared to the soft fern tunnel of the new camp.
"Frostystar, Branchtooth?" Puffyfur called.
A white head poked out from the warrior's den, followed by a brown tabby face.
3 other cats came out, a gray and white she-cat, a long-haired brown tabby she-cat with a very fluffy tail, and a white she-cat with brown tabby patches. They looked like apprentices who were halfway to being warriors.
"Hi, Puffyfur!" Branchtooth nodded his greetings.
Frostystar padded over, followed by the others, "Hi, you here for them?" she motioned to the she-cats.
Puffyfur nodded.
"Pigeonpaw," she said looking at the gray and white she-cat, "Breezepaw," the white and brown tabby patched she-cat, "and Squirrelpaw." The fluffy brown tabby.
"The other litter can join your Clan shortly." Branchtooth said.
Puffyfur tilted her head, and Branchtooth led her to the leader's den.
A black tom, a brown tabby tom, a golden tom, and a white tom napped. The black tom was named Ravenkit. The brown tabby was named Tabbykit. The golden tom was named Hawkkit, and the white tom was named Dogkit.
Puffyfur watched as Tabbykit stretched. He bumped into Hawkkit, who squealed and shoved him back. Then the two toms drifted back into sleep.
"Ready?" asked Breezepaw.
Puffyfur nodded. She waved her tail 'goodbye' to Frostystar and Branchtooth before exiting. Breezepaw, Squirrelpaw, and Pigeonpaw followed.
They started walking home when Puffyfur said, "Can you hunt?"
Pigeonpaw immediately ran off to hunt, and her sisters ran in opposite directions. Puffyfur tasted the air. The smell of a rabbit washed over her. She crouched down and started to stalk it. Puffyfur had her eye on the rabbit, it was huge, when she saw a flash of gray and white and the rabbit was dead. Pigeonpaw held it proudly in her jaws while she trotted away to hunt for more.
Puffyfur hopped into the lowest branch of a nearby maple tree. She watched the ground. A fat, juicy mouse scurried beneath her. Puffyfur was about to pounce when a snake slithered towards it, and killed it, and swallowed it. The snake started to sun itself when a crow came and killed it. The crow turned its head, and then flew upward, then downward, and killed a squirrel nearby. It flew back over to the dead snake. A big hawk swooped down and grabbed the crow. It killed it, then sat on the ground and began cleaning its feathers. When its neck was exposed, Puffyfur hopped down on the hawk, and dug her claws into its neck. It squawked, and flapped its wings to fly away. Puffyfur dug her teeth into its neck and clawed its wing. The hawk became limp.
Puffyfur was amazed. She had just killed a hawk! A hawk that killed a crow that killed a squirrel, along with a snake that killed a mouse! She had 5 pieces of prey! This was a great hunting method, she'd tell Darkstar about it.
Puffyfur caught a mole while she waited for Pigeonpaw, Breezepaw and Squirrelpaw to finish hunting.
Pretty soon Pigeonpaw appeared with her rabbit, and a bluebird. Breezepaw appeared with a few fish and a vole, and Squirrelpaw came with a couple mice and a thrush. The cats set off towards home.
"Whoah!" Whiteheart gasped when she saw Puffyfur's catches. Puffyfur told her about how she did it. Then Dogpaw came over and cut open the snake to reveal the dead mouse. Dogpaw padded over to share the mouse with Echopaw and Pigeonpaw.