Hello again! I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get any reviews for my previous chapter, but hopefully this chapter will be different. And now, on to chapter 2!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN WARRIORS!
"Silverkit, what are you doing here again?" Softbelly said, sounding irritated.
"I just want to see how Rockpelt's doing," Silverkit defended herself, looking at the sleeping tom with concern. Softbelly sighed.
"Why would a kit be so concerned and worried about a cat that they scarcely know?"
But Silverkit wasn't paying much attention. Almost a moon had passed since Silverkit's peculiar dream and Rockpelt's accident. Softbelly had said that the deputy's paw is going to take a long time to heal and work properly again. Silverkit visited Softbelly's den almost every day. The medicine cat didn't really understand this behaviour and kept saying that Rockpelt will be fine.
Silverkit didn't know why she was so concerned about Rockpelt. Maybe she felt guilty in a way, feeling that the dream was a warning and she failed to warn Rockpelt in time. Another part of her knew that the deputy was a former clanmate and clanmates have to look out for one another. She had tried to explain her actions to Softbelly but the medicine cat still looked confused. Silverkit refrained from telling her about the dream; afraid the medicine cat might think she was crazy.
Softbelly didn't protest any further with Silverkit and started sorting out herbs, naming each herb as she placed them in their rightful places.
"When do you think Rockpelt's paw will be completely healed?" Silverkit asked out of the blue, turning her gaze to look at the medicine cat. Softbelly stopped what she doing.
"I'm not sure," Softbelly said, looking at the former deputy. "We'll just have to hope it will heal soon."
Hope, Silverkit thought, replaying that word over and over in her mind. Somehow that four consecutive letters meant more to her than any other letters.
"I believe his paw will be healed in no time. It's like you said, we just have to have hope."
Silverkit looked up at Softbelly determinedly. The medicine cat looked lovingly down at her, bending her head to give the kit a wet lick across the cheek.
"I think you're right."
Silverkit's eyes lit up when she heard Softbelly's words. She glanced at Rockpelt for the last time before exiting the den.
"Stand still, Silverkit," Frostblaze scolded, trying to get her kit to stop fidgeting so she can wash her properly. It was almost time for Silverkit's apprentice ceremony and it was nearly impossible for Silverkit to stand still while waiting for the ceremony to start. Her mother insisted on grooming Silverkit over and over again.
"You're licking off all my fur," Silverkit had protested, trying to escape from Frostblaze's dangerous tongue. Silverkit watched excitedly as the Clan leader, Redstar, made his way up the tumbled rocks to the top of the pile.
"Can all cats, young and old, please gather beneath Tumblerock for a Clan meeting."
These famous words sent a chill down Silverkit's spine, realizing the entire Clan is gathering for her apprentice ceremony. She spotted Brightflower slowly slumping out of her den, stopping again to sit just outside the entrance. The two apprentices, Robinpaw and Lionpaw, hurriedly ran across the clearing from their den, taking their places next to their mentors. The brambles that covered the camp's entrance quivered as the hunting patrol returned, their jaws ladened with prey.
Silverkit recognized her father, Sparrowfang, among the patrol. Pride swelled in her chest when she noticed that he was carrying two large squirrels in his jaws.
He really is an excellent hunter. I want to be just like him when I become a warrior.
The hunting group deposited their prey onto the fresh-kill pile, before also taking their places in the crowd of gathering cats. It was then that Silverkit realized how many cats were actually going to watch her accept her new name and become a true member of the clan.
This is actually very nerve-racking.
Frostblaze started guiding her till they were in the centre of the clearing, surrounded by their clanmates. Sparrowfang came to join his mate and daughter a moment later, licking the top of Silverkit's head, his eyes shining with pride. Silverkit looked around her nervously, noticing almost every cat's gaze was focused on her.
I don't really like being the centre of attention.
Redstar lifted his tail, signaling the cats in the clearing to quiet down. After the clamor had dispersed, Fireclan's leader motioned Silverkit to come closer to Tumblerock.
"Go on," Frostblaze whispered to Silverkit. "You'll be fine."
Silverkit gave a nervous gulp and walked a few paces forward till she was standing right under the heap of stones. She turned her head slightly to look back at her mother and father, wishing she was next to them again. Frostblaze gave her a reassuring nod, her eyes sparkling. Silverkit turned back again as Redstar bounded down Tumblerock to stand in front of her.
"Silverkit, you are now six moons old and ready to start with your training. From this moment on you'll be known as Silverpaw. Train hard and be willing to learn the ways of Fireclan."
Redstar paused to look at the cats surrounding them.
"The warrior that will be a mentor to this young cat and guide her to the path of becoming a warrior will be Foxheart."
The ginger she-cat emerged from the group, looking quite nervous. She came forward to stand next to Silverpaw, looking down at the young cat lovingly.
"Foxheart," Redstar continued. "You have become an excellent warrior. I believe you'll pass on everything you know to this young apprentice."
Foxheart bended her head to touch noses with Silverpaw. Silverpaw returned the gesture.
"You and I will make a great team," Foxheart whispered to her apprentice. Silverpaw nodded, waving her tail excitedly. The clan started chanting her new name.
"Silverpaw! Silverpaw! Silverpaw!"
Silverpaw lowered her head in embarrasment. When the noise had finally died down, Redstar brought the meeting to a close. Every cat left the clearing, eager to continue with their daily tasks. Silverpaw looked at Foxheart expectantly.
"So, what are we going to do first?"
Foxheart thought for a while before replying.
"Not much unfortunately. One of the most important tasks of being an apprentice is taking care of the elders."
"Great!" Silverpaw said, her eyes litting up.
"Really?" Foxheart sounded surprised. "I thought every apprentice hated that task. I know I did."
Silverpaw shook her head.
"All elders are our clanmates, even if they don't serve their clan anymore. And it's every cat's duty to look after and respect their clanmates."
Foxheart was shocked to hear such words come from a brandnew apprentice that knows almost nothing of the warrior code. The ginger warrior nodded.
"You're absolutely right."
Silverpaw's mentor lead her out of the camp, explaining that they will need to find clean moss for Brightflower's bedding.
Brightflower was currently the only elder in the clan. Cricketfang had died two moons ago, after a long and tiring battle with white cough. The grey elder is still grieving the loss of her denmate. Everytime Silverpaw visited her den, Brightflower would start telling stories about how brave, wise and strong Cricketfang was as a warrior. They were very close.
Silverpaw's thoughts were interrupted when Foxheart stopped near a large, very old-looking tree.
"It's huge!" Silverpaw breathed, tilting her head to look at the entire length of the tree. Her mentor padded to the base of the tree, motioning to the green mass that was located there.
"This is the best spot to find good quality moss. We only use the moss of this tree for the elders' bedding."
Silverpaw nodded in understanding, stepping closer to watch Foxheart. The ginger she-cat flexed her claws and started expertly tearing large chunks moss, forming a neat pile next to her. Silverpaw tried to imitate her, slicing imaginary moss in the air with her claws.
"Come stand next to me and try to form your own pile," Foxheart said, motioning to the empty spot next to her. The silver-furred apprentice happily obliged, wanting to test out her skills. She quickly glanced sideways at Foxheart's actions before trying it out herself. With a flick of a paw a chunk of moss landed in front of Silverpaw's paws. She gave the green mass a tentative sniff, looking up at her mentor, waiting for her approval. Foxheart examined the piece closely, giving admiring nods and remarks.
"Well done, Silverpaw," she said after a while. "Not too big and not too small either. Most apprentices struggle with that."
Silverpaw gave a happy purr, gripping her piece of moss in her jaws proudly and neatly placing it on a dry area next to her. After a few more slices, both mentor and apprentice had enough moss for the whole clan.
"Now, it's important to make sure there are no stones or tiny sticks in the moss that can hurt Brightflower. I'm sure she won't appreciate a splinter in her fur," Foxheart said, a glint of amusement in her eyes.
Silverpaw immediately set to work, running her paw up and down the green slop, removing a few objects here and there. When she was finally finished, Silverpaw realized how tired her paws are. They started hauling the moss across the forest floor till they reached the camp entrance. The ferns rustled as Blueshadow and his apprentice, Lionpaw stepped into the open.
"Where are you going, Lionpaw?" Silverpaw managed to ask around her mouthful of moss. The golden tom beckoned with his head to a path that lead deeper into Fireclan territory.
"We're going to check out the border we share with Windclan. Apparently a whiff of Windclan scent had been found on our side."
Silverpaw's ears perked up when she heard this and immediately released the moss, bounding closer to Lionpaw.
"Really?! Can I come?!"
Lionpaw looked overwhelmed with her amount of energy and stared behind her at Foxheart. The she-cat looked a bit irritated, shaking her head.
"Have you already forgotten your first task?" Foxheart asked.
"But . . ."
"We'll visit that border some other day, but right now Brightflower's nest requires tending to."
The silver apprentice looked a bit downcast at first, but quickly brightened up again when she reminded herself that taking care of the elders are also a very important task.
"Don't forget to tell me everything you found," Silverpaw said to Lionpaw, flicking his nose with her tail. The golden tom sniffed once, before replying.
"S-sure."
Silverpaw seized the moss again and proceeded through the entrance to the camp.
Silverpaw sighed with relief when she smoothed out the last piece of moss. She had been in and out of dens all day, replacing almost every cats' bedding: Dragging out the filthy ones to replace them with clean ones and removing any debris that bothered her clanmates while sleeping. Foxheart was of course a huge help, but Silverpaw's legs were still so tired, almost too weak to carry her body much further. Brightflower watched her work with worried eyes.
"It's only your first day. No need to overwork yourself like this."
The apprentice sat back on her haunches, observing her handiwork.
"Don't worry, Brightflower. I'm finished now."
The elder slowly made her way to her nest, giving it a quick sniff before curling up and laying down with a satisfied sigh.
"Thanks so much, young one. This moss is perfect for old, sore bones."
Silverpaw took a few steps forward, scanning Brightflower's pelt.
"Do you maybe have any ticks I can remove?"
The elder shook her head.
"Don't bother yourself with me. I'm not that old that I can't look after myself yet."
The silver apprentice bowed her head to the old cat, but before she could move her paws to leave, a heavy paw crashed onto her tail, sharp claws digging into the skin. Silverpaw shrieked and quickly looked back over her shoulder. Brightflower had Silverpaw's tail trapped between her paw and the ground. Her eyes looked wild and her breathing was ragged.
"Beware!" the elder said, but only, it didn't sound like her voice at all.
"There are dark times ahead; death at every corner. But it's important to remember that the dead must remain dead! Ignoring this warning will result in more deaths than necessary."
The little silver cat's jaw quivered with fright and she stared at the elder with huge round eyes.
"B-Brightflower, w-what are y-you saying?"
But just as quickly as the old cat had pinned her paw to the ground, Brightflower released it, looking like she was back to normal again. The elder shook her head a bit, before giving the apprentice a questioning stare.
"Why do you look all ruffled up? Are you alright, dear?"
Silverpaw can still feel her fur standing on end.
"Uhm . . . I just . . . uhm . . ." She just couldn't form the words. Silverpaw had gotten quite a shock.
"What is it, Silverpaw? It's almost time for my nap." Brightflower was starting to get impatient with the stuttering apprentice. The elder's tone managed to pull Silverpaw out of her trance a bit. She gave her fur a couple of rough shakes before replying.
"N-Nothing, Brightflower. I'll come and visit you tomorrow."
The silver she-cat gave the elder a respective nod and quickly bounded out of the den, relieved to leave it.
What just happened? I've never, ever seen Brightflower act like that. And her voice . . .
Silverpaw shivered when she remembered that dark, threatening tone.
And the dead must remain dead? What does that mean? Cats that are already dead can't come back to life. It's impossible! M-Maybe it was a message from StarClan.
The thought that StarClan had sent her, a new, inexperienced apprentice, an important message, made her feel quite special, but scared at the same time.
Why not send the message to a medicine cat? This doesn't make any sense.
Silverpaw decided that her only option will be to tell Softbelly about the weird message that Brightflower had passed on to her. She turned her head in the direction of the medicine cat's den, but before she could even give one step, an earsplitting wail sounded from behind her.
With her fur standing on end, Silverpaw quickly turned around and gasped when she saw Lionpaw and his mentor, Blueshadow, coming through the camp entrance, except, something was terribly wrong. Lionpaw was lending his mentor his side to lean on. Taking a closer look, Silverpaw's eyes widened in horror: Blueshadow's right paw was completely twisted to one side, and just like with Rockpelt's paw, Silverpaw could see the bone jutting out through the skin.
What's going on here!?
Yay! Chapter 2 finished.
Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.
Let's say I want at least 3 reviews before I'm going to continue with this story.
AnimeKoneko Out!