Chapter 4: The new apprentices

Ravenkit watched the sun rise, it was the near the end of new leaf now. The forest was full of green, prey could be heard all the way from the camp and Jayfeather's store was full to the brim. Not to mention that no cat was going hungry. Also it was getting warmer too. What a relief! A moment longer of the cold and I would have become a living icicle! Ravenkit always got up at dawn, she liked to watch the sunrise, the magnificent colours that touched the sky, dancing and twirling filling the air with the sun's warm beams. Then the orange light would touch her pelt, sending the warmth seeping into her skin.

Today was no ordinary morning though, today was the day that she and her brothers along with Songkit and Foxkit would be made apprentices! She decided to groom her pelt, she HATED anyone touching her fur and whoever tried would get a sharp yowl and a glare for them to stop. No. Today she would do her own pelt. She licked her chest fur and shoulder fur, smoothing down some stray tail fur and licking her paws to wash her face. When she was done satisfaction tingled in her pelt along with excitement and impatience. She would have to wait a bit longer until the sun was higher till she would be made an apprentice.

I wonder who my mentor will be?

"You're up early!"

Ravenkit turned around to see her white and grey, striped mother Ivypool sit down beside her. She looked at her with warm blue eyes. "Excited?"

"Yeah!" Ravenkit mewed.

"I'm sure Bramblestar will give you a great mentor, your very special."

Ravenkit stared at her, her mother had a almost foreboding tone, or one of awe or fear. There was something she wasn't being told.

"What happened to Blackkit?" Ravenkit asked sadly.

Ivypool shook her head. "I don't know... he grew up? Foxkit could have well.. changed his personality. Or it could just be a phase."

"I was playing with him yesterday, and it was like two different cats! At one point he was beating me up, then suddenly he would purr and give me a gentle swipe on the ears!" Ravenkit sighed and looked at her paws.

"Blackkit isn't bad, he just has temper issues. Plus don't you have plenty of other friends?" Ivypool asked.

"Yeah." Ravenkit mewed.

Ravenkit nuzzled her mother then turned to the apprentice's den. Wolfpaw and Swiftpaw would have to be awake by now. She stood at the entrance warily. When she heard someone meow for her to come in, so she decided to enter. The apprentice's den was strange, it was dark, because it was inside a cave in some rock, hidden by brambles. So less light came in. "A kit?! What are you doing in here?" Hissed Dewpaw. A apprentice that had become like his mentor, Spiderleg.

"There's nothing wrong in her being here, and you'll have to get used to it! She will joining us today." Ravenkit recognised Swiftpaw's voice. And ran over to her. "hi Ravenkit!" Swiftpaw purred. "Don't mind that bird brain! Everyone hates him!" she teased. Dewpaw's response was curling up going to sleep again. "WOW! You've grown huge!" Ravenkit purred. Swiftpaw shrugged.

"Not that much. Anyway! We've got to make you a nest! Lets save a spot here." She tapped a clear spot with a golden paw. Ravenkit suddenly realised that her friend was growing up, her legs were becoming longer and more developed. Her fur was starting to smooth out and become more adult like. And her golden fur was matched by brown stripes. She had a long, white tipped tail and short fur with two white front paws. Her eyes, so much like Ravenkit's were green, gleaming in the dark. "You've grown too though! You're the right size for an apprentice."

"let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the highledge for a clan meeting!" yowled Bramblestar.

"It's time!" grinned Ravenkit.

"I will be the first to call your new name, good luck with the choosing of your mentor!" Called Swiftpaw as Ravenkit raced out of the apprentice's den.

Ravenkit ran up to her littermates, who were to their annoyance, were being groomed by Toadstep and Ivypool. Blackkit refused more than Stormkit, the more passive of the three. "I groomed myself earlier!" she teased her brothers.

"Good, can you teach anything else to your brothers?" Toadstep purred.

Ravenkit sat down and licked one paw. In mock mid thinking.

"Ravenstupid sat down and licked one paw, wondering how she could get even more pathetic and annoying." Blackkit growled.

"Be quiet and be nice to your sister." Toadstep growled.

Ravenkit turned around. The whole of thunderclan gathered around Bramblestar. She felt her stomach flip over. She was scared now!

Ivypool and Toadstep led their kits to the front of the clan, and sat them under the huge rock coming out of the ledge on the side of the camp wall.

Ravenkit ducked her head shyly, feeling the hot gazes of the warriors of thunderclan lock on her.

"Ravenkit, Blackkit, Stormkit and Songkit and Foxkit." Bramblestar had to breathe for a second, recovering over the amount of names he had just said. "thunderclan is lucky to have so many kits, they show that our clan is strong. You have all reached the age of six moons. It is time for you to be apprenticed. From now on your names will all end in paw." He looked at Foxpaw. The ginger tom kept a strong eye contact, amber against ice blue. "Foxpaw your mentor will be Berrynose." Foxpaw nodded. Berrynose padded over to Foxpaw and touched his nose to Foxpaw's. He then sat beside him.

"Songpaw, your mentor will be Leafpool." Leafpool's amber eyes widened as she padded over to Songpaw and touched her nose to the dark tabby apprentice. She then sat beside her. Ravenpaw noticed that the two she cats looked identical, except Songpaw was a darker brown and with blue eyes instead of amber.

"Blackpaw, your mentor will be Cloudtail."

Cloudtail trotted over to her brother. Who actually looks horrified to have Cloudtail as his mentor. Cloudtail glared at him and reluctantly Blackpaw touched his nose to his new mentor's.

"Stormpaw, your mentor will be Tigerheart." The clan gasped at Songpaw's father's name. Tigerheart was quite new to the clan, only being in thunderclan for about six moons.

Tigerheart grinned and trotted eagerly over to his new apprentice. Clearly happy to have Ravenpaw's brother.

"Ravenpaw." Ravenpaw's stomach flipped over again when the leader said her name. "Your mentor will be..." Ravenpaw felt the leader's gave burn into her.

"Lionblaze."

Ravenpaw leapt to her paws in excitement, the deputy of Thunderclan her mentor! What a honour! Also the best fighter in the clan!

Lionblaze padded over to her and touched his nose to hers. "You're doing brilliantly. I' m glad you're my apprentice, I can't wait to teach you!" Ravenpaw was surprised by his kind tone. She thought Lionblaze was scary, she must have been wrong.

"Ravenpaw! Stormpaw! Songpaw! Foxpaw!" yowled the clan. They also yowled "Blackpaw!" but Ravenpaw noticed that it was significantly less eager. She was an apprentice of Thunderclan...her journey had begun...

Not much of a cliffie but the story is going to get better, there's tons of mysteries at the moment, like why Bramblestar was wary of Ravenpaw, and what is Cinderheart and Lionblaze not telling Swiftpaw and Wolfpaw? And what's going on in Darkclan?

Till next time!

Neonxx