A Well-Earned Ceremony
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting!"
Nightfrost sat away from the crowd, waiting for the apprentices and mentors. Thornpaw was with Mousefur. Brightpaw and Whitestorm had already cleaned themselves. Longtail and Cinderpaw shared tougues. Brackenpaw and Graystripe mewed to each other, the apprentice having lost his animosity to the former Riverclan warrior though the time Graystripe did to make up to the golden-brown tom.
Nightfrost spotted Yellowfang coming from her den. Willowpelt was with her, and the two cats had their heads together, talking in low voices. The deputy looked at the medicine cat den, where a tortoiseshell kit lay there, asleep.
"How is Sorrelkit?" Nightfrost mewed, when Yellowfang pass by.
The medicine cat paused. "Sorrelkit is starting to wake up. I'm sure she'll recover. What of Darkstripe?"
Nightfrost nodded as Willowpelt dipped her head. He turn back to Yellowfang. "He's being watched over by Swiftfoot still."
The elderly she-cat nodded and turned to the ceremony.
"Too long has their ceremony been delayed. Four apprentices have proven themselves over the last few moons that they are ready to be warriors. Whitestorm, Graystripe, Mousefur, Longtail, do you believe that your apprentices are ready?"
The four warriors looked at each other and nodded. "We do, Firestar."
Firestar looked down to the apprentices.
"Then, I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn."
Firestar turned to each apprentice. "Thornpaw, Brightpaw, Cinderpaw, Brackenpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Thornpaw's reply was firm and confident. "I do."
"I do." Brightpaw was calm as always.
"I do." Cinderpaw, her excitement showing.
"I do." Brackenpaw mewed, as excited as the others.
"Then by the powers of Starclan," Firestar declared, "I give you your warrior names: Thornpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Thornclaw. Starclan honors your loyalty and your intelligence. Brightpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Brightheart. Starclan honors your dedication and loyalty. Cinderpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Cinderpelt. Starclan honors your enthusiasm and courage. And Brackenpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Brackenfur. Starclan honors your determination and forethought."
Firestar rested his muzzle on each new warriors' head and each of Lionheart's kits licked his shoulder respectfully. They joined the warriors as they chanted their names. Their leader waited until the chanting died down, as the clan slowly realized he has more to say.
"In addition," Firestar continued, "I want to give thanks from the clan to Fernpaw and Ashpaw. They showed the bravery of warriors in the race against the dogs, and although they are still too young to receive their warrior names, we honor them."
"Fernpaw! Ashpaw!"
Firestar padded away, ending the meeting. Nightfrost padded to his brother just as Whitestorm finished his congratulation to his former apprentice.
"I looked in on Sorrelkit just before the ceremony. She was starting to wake up. Yellowfang thinks she'll recover," Whitestorm mewed.
"That's great news!" Firestar purred. "Do you think she's fit yet to tell us what happened?"
"You'll have to ask Yellowfang," the white warrior replied.
The Thunderclan leader turned to him. Nightfrost nodded. "I'll see to the patrols," he promised.
Firestar bounded to the top of the Highrock and yowled the summons to another meeting. His green eyes flickered around camp, looking for something. Nightfrost, along with the rest of the clan, padded back to the Highrock.
"Where's Darkstripe?" he meowed at Graystripe as his friend made his way to the base of the rock.
"In the den," Graystripe replied.
"Fetch him."
Graystripe disappeared into the warriors' den, and emerged a moment later with Darkstripe and Swiftfoot by his side. All three cats returned to the base of the Highrock, where Darkstripe sat and looked up at Firestar with a sneer on his face.
"Well?" he asked. "What does our noble leader want now?"
Firestar met his eyes steadily. "Sorrelkit is awake."
For a few heartbeats Darkstripe held his gaze, and then he looked away. "Have you called a Clan meeting to tell us that?" His tone was scoffing, but his fur had bristled easily at the news.
"Cats of Thunderclan." Firestar raised his voice. "I've called you together so that you can witness what Darkstripe has to say. You all heard what happened to Sorrelkit yesterday. She's awake now, and Yellowfang says she'll be fine. I've talked to her and she confirms what Graystripe said. Darkstripe did feed her the death berries. So, Darkstripe, what have you to say for yourself?"
"She's lying," Darkstripe retorted. An angry hiss came from more than one of the cats around him, Nightfrost included, and he added, blustering, "Or she made a mistake. Kits never listen to what any cat says. She obviously didn't hear me properly when I told her not to eat them."
"She's not lying or mistaken," Firestar meowed. "And she told me something even more interesting: your reason for feeding her the deathberries. She saw you meeting Blackfoot, the deputy of ShadowClan, on our territory. Would you like to tell us what that was all about?"
More furious snarls came from the clan, and a cat at the back of the crowd yowled, "Traitor!" Nightfrost curled his lip, glaring at the dark warrior.
Firestar had to signal with his tail for silence, and it was several moments before the angry cats quieted down again.
Darkstripe waited until he could make himself heard. "I don't have to justify myself to a kittypet," he growled.
Firestar unstealth his claws, his eyes narrowed. "That's exactly what you have to do. I want to know what you and Tigerstar are planning. Darkstripe, you know what Tigerstar tried to do to us. The dog pack would have torn the whole clan to pieces. How can you even think of following him after that?"
Darkstripe looked up the Highrock, meeting his brother's eyes. At least, it felt like the tabby was.
"You could have been a valuable warrior," he went on to Darkstripe. "I gave you one chance after another to prove yourself. I wanted to trust you, and—"
"Trust me?" Darkstripe interrupted. "You've never trusted me. Do you think I didn't know you told that ginger fool to watch me? Did you expect me to live the rest of my days with a shadow?"
"No. I was waiting for you to show your loyalty." Firestar crouched on the rock and held Darkstripe's furious gaze without flinching. "This is the clan where you were born; these are the cats you grew up with. Doesn't that mean anything to you? The warrior code says you should protect them with your life!"
Darkstripe hesitated, before letting out an unexpected yet expected answer. "This is not my clan," he hissed scornfully, to gasps of shock from the warriors around him. "Not any longer. Thunderclan is led by a kittypet, and there's nothing left to fight for. I feel no loyalty to Thunderclan. In the whole forest, the only cat worth following is Tigerstar."
"Then follow him," Firestar retorted. "You are no longer a warrior of Thunderclan. If you are found in our territory after sunset today, we shall treat you as we would any enemy. Go now."
Darkstripe's burning gaze held Firestar's for a moment longer, but he did not reply. Unhurriedly, he turned his back on Firestar and stalked toward the camp entrance. The cats nearby drew back as he passed them, their lips curled.
"You know what will be waiting for you if you try to come back," Cloudtail snarled, curling his lip. Willowpelt said nothing, but spat, her fur bristling.
As soon as the tip of Darkstripe's tail had vanished into the tunnel, a murmur of speculation broke out among the crowd of cats. One voice rose up clearly. "Has Darkstripe gone to Shadowclan?" asked Tawnypaw.
Firestar froze slightly. "I don't know," he admitted. "Darkstripe can go where he likes. From now on he is not a member of Thunderclan."
"Does that mean we can chase him out of the territory if we see him?" Whitestorm called.
"Yes, it does," Firestar replied. Addressing all the cats, he added, "If you scent him, or any Shadowclan cats, tell me or Nightfrost. And that reminds me—this morning Thornclaw scented rogue cats on our territory. Keep a lookout for them, too, and report anything you find."
Nightfrost noticed Firestar's fur started to flatten naturally.
"Hey, Firestar!" Dustpelt's voice startled him out of his thoughts. "What about Fernpaw? She hasn't got a mentor now."
"Thanks, Dustpelt, I'll deal with that right away. Fernpaw, come up to the rock."
Fernpaw obeyed, leaving Dustpelt's side to step delicately around the cats in her way until she stood at the foot of the Highrock.
Firestar glanced around and hastily summoned the right words. "Longtail, you are without an apprentice since Cinderpelt became warrior. You were an excellent mentor to her, and I expect you to pass on your skills to Fernpaw for the rest of her apprenticeship."
Longtail sprang to his paws, his eyes wide with surprise. Firestar beckoned him with his tail.
Still looking stunned, Longtail padded up to Fernpaw and touched noses with her. Fernpaw dipped her head and both cats withdrew to where Dustpelt and Ashpaw were sitting.
"Nearly out of juniper…" she muttered, then saw Firestar. "What's the matter? What's happened now?" The cranky medicine cat narrowed her orange eyes. "If your going to..." Yellowfang paused, and padded to him, nosing him anxiously as she smelled his fear-scent.
"Firestar, what's wrong?"
Firestar shook his head to clear it of apprehension. It was a relief to go right back to the beginning, and tell Yellowfang about the dream that had come to him as he lay beside the Moonstone.
Yellowfang sat beside him and listened in silence, her steady gaze never leaving his face.
"Bluestar told me, 'Four will become two. Lion and tiger will meet in battle, and blood will rule the forest. When all ends, the panther shall return,'" Firestar finished. "And then blood oozed out of the hill of bones and started to fill the hollow. Blood everywhere…and I saw blue eyes from the darkness, eyes just like Nightfrost's...Yellowfang, what does it all mean?"
"I don't know," Yellowfang confessed. "Starclan have not shown me any of this. Just as they have the power to show me what will happen, so they can choose not to share with me. I'm sorry, Firestar—but I'll keep thinking about it, and maybe something will happen to make it clearer soon...Are you worried that Nightfrost might do something to Thunderclan?"
Firestar let out a sigh. "I don't know..."
Yellowfang cuffed his ear. "You foolish youngster, there is no way your brother would go against you and Thunderclan. Nightfrost cares too much about you, and the clan are his friends."
Firestar allowed a light smile. "Yeah, that was mouse-brain of me."
The leader's green eyes turned empty. Yellowfang licked his pelt, just like a mother would to her own kit. Firestar stayed there, deep in thought.