Shadow woke in the morning when the elders were ready to take the bodies out to be buried. Her father had already retreated to his den to mope but Shadow refused to leave her mother and sister's side until they had been laid to rest in their final resting places. Then she returned to Thunderclan's camp to look over her remaining family members, Birch was sleeping restlessly in the medicine cat's den and Skystar was going about his usual work with. Shadow decided to go tell her father that she would like to become a warrior of Thunderclan.
At sunhigh Skystar leapt onto the Leader's rock and called the clan to a meeting, Shadow started to go out into the clearing to join the meeting but was shoved back by a wiry gray she-cat who meowed, "Skystar said all cats who are old enough to catch their own prey," she scoffed, "you're too young and too mousebrained to catch your own tail." Shadow responded by unsheathing her claws and leaping at the annoying she-cat but before she could do any major damage, like slitting the cat's throat, a brown blur rammed into them and shoved them apart while hissing, "Wrenpaw! You're too old to be acting like a kit!" the she-cat Wrenpaw flattened her ears embarrassedly as Hawkpaw scolded her but Shadow just stood and stalked out into the clearing ignoring the two cats. Shadow didn't pay much attention to the meeting until Skystar called her forward and made her and made a an apprentice, Shadowpaw, her mentor would be Twigclaw until she took the warrior's assessment. As Shadowpaw stepped forward to touch noses with her mentor she caught Hawkpaw looking at her venomously as if saying, "He's my mentor not yours." Shadowpaw just ignored him and basked in the light of being a new apprentice.
After the ceremony Twigclaw took Shadowpaw and Hakwpaw out on a hunting patrol. When they got to the place where they would be hunting Twigclaw said, "Meet me back here at sundown, I have set some standards for you two. Hawkpaw," at this Hawkpaw sat up proudly, "You must bring back at least three pieces of prey and Shadowpaw I expect you to bring back at least five-," "WHAT?!" yowled Hawkpaw, "You expect her," at this he waved his paw at Shadow, "to catch more prey than me!?" "Yes, Hawkpaw I expect her to catch more prey than you because you are a new apprentice, and since you have such a problem with her you can go and hunt with her." Shadowpaw hissed and then stalked toward her area and then looked over her shoulder and called, "Hey Hawkdung are you coming or not?" Hawkpaw hissed annoyedly and slowly walked toward Shadowpaw.
When the duo saw or rather scented their first piece of prey Shadowpaw immediately settled into a hunting crouch and began to stalk the rabbit which was very plump. Shadowpaw was almost on it when Hawkpaw snapped a stick and the rabbit fled, but Shadowpaw was prepared for this and she swiftly leapt on a tree and sprung off of it and landed neatly on the rabbit. She grabbed the prey and trotted back to Hawkpaw with her head held high.
When the two young cats returned at sundown they were hauling a pile of prey and chatting with each other. Shadowpaw had stopped calling Hawkpaw Hawkdung and Hawkpaw had lost his hostility. The two weren't quite "friends" but they seemed to have a grudging respect for each other which meant that they weren't snapping at each other. "Twigclaw," Shadowpaw called, "did we catch enough prey?" "You sure did," Twigclaw meowed impressedly. In all Shadowpaw and Hawkpaw had caught 2 mice, 3 shrews, 1 thrush, 3 squirrels, and 2 rabbits. When they returned to camp all the cats turned to look at the amount of prey that the duo had caught.
That night as Shadowpaw prepared her new nest Wrenpaw walked by and meowed, "So, the little kitty manages to catch some prey, how did you actually catch? 1? Or maybe 2?" Shadowpaw turned and stared at Wrenpaw defiantly and replied, "I caught 7 pieces of the prey we brought back. How many can you catch?" when Wrenpaw didn't respond Shadowpaw smirked and continued to create her nest. When she had finished she trotted over to the medicine cat's den and checked on Birch. He was awake this time and when Shadowpaw said hi he turned and looked at her or actually it just looked like he was looking at her, Shadowpaw knew that he was blind. His eyes were milky colored , a sure sign that he was blind, and his tail was wrapped in herbs. Shadowpaw filled her brother in on what had happened until Fernshine came to tell her to let her patient rest. Shadowpaw returned to the apprentice's den and fell asleep.
That night Shadowpaw woke in her dream, her mother awaited her, she was just a shimmery figure of a cat but she was still recognizable. She beckoned Shadowpaw to follow her calling, "Follow me Shadowpaw, I have a message and a warning for you." Shadowpaw followed amazedly. Her mother stopped in a starry clearing with a starlit pool in the middle. Her mother sat and then said," I have consulted with the other cats of Starclan and their message is, 'Whatever happens it was meant to be'" "What's that supposed to mean?" Shadowpaw complained, "Can't they just tell me what they mean instead of talking in riddles?" Shadowpaw's mother purred and replied, "Don't worry dear, all will be revealed in time. Now here's my warning, don't let this prophecy rule your life or everything will fall apart." Shadowpaw nodded and the pressed up against her mother and meowed, "Oh mother, I miss you and Storm!" Her mother purred but she looked sad, "I must go soon daughter, you will be waking up soon, but remember, I'm proud of you." and with that she faded away. A moment later Shadowpaw awoke in the apprentice's den to the sound of Wrenpaw's annoying voice.
Shadowpaw trained and trained, soon Twigclaw managed to convince one of the other warriors to give Shadowpaw her warrior's assessment. That warrior was Sandfire, the light sandy colored she-cat who questioned her when Shadowpaw had first come to Thunderclan searching for Twigclaw. Sandfire trotted over and meowed, "Well? Let's go." Shadowpaw dipped her head and followed Sandfire with one last look at Twigclaw and Hawkpaw who were watching her go. Sandfire awaited, "Let's begin."