One || Apprentices

Stripekit looked up at Hopestar. Shadowpaw and Snowpaw smiled at him.

"Stripekit, from this moment forward you will be called Stripepaw." Cheers erupted from the crowd. "Your mentor will be Leaffang."

The spotted black-and-white she stood up. Hopestar watched her walk over to Stripepaw and sat next to him.

"I hope she passes her speed and bravery onto you. Clan dismissed."

Stripepaw glanced around. Is it just me or are Hopestar, Shatteredeyes, and Berrymark staring at him? He thought.

Leaffang stood up, "I'll come and wake you tomorrow at sun-up." She said, and walked away.

Stripepaw had barely heard her.

Shadowpaw walked over, "Everything alright?" She asked.

"Y-yeah…" Stripepaw stuttered as he saw Hopestar jump gracefully from the highrock.

"You sure?" Shadowpaw glared.

"It's just… Hopestar and the medicine cats seemed to be staring at us."

"Shatteredeyes is blind, Mouse-brain." A voice from behind said.

Stripepaw jumped. He hadn't realized Snowpaw had sneaked up on them.

Snowpaw and Shadowpaw giggled. "You jumped!"

"Just-"

"I know, I noticed it too." Shadowpaw agreed.

"Same." Snowpaw nodded.

Stripepaw sighed as he started to pad back to the apprentices den. The white and black she's followed.

" Maybe a prophecy?" Snowpaw suggested, sitting down.

"Yeah, and hedgehogs will fly." Shadowpaw scoffed.

Stripepaw settled into a nest. A few moments later he could hear Shadowpaw and Snowpaw snoring.

He soon fell into an unsettled sleep.


"I can't wait for our first gathering!" Snowpaw exclaimed.

It had been about a moon since they had been apprenticed.

"It's gonna be so fun!" Shadowpaw agreed.

"And you better get some rest or you'll miss all the fun!" Bumblebark, a tan and brown tom, said as he walked past the den.

Stripepaw snuggled deeper into his nest. The image of Hopestar and the medicine cats staring at him and his littermate still haunted his head.

He sighed and pushed the thought away.

Shadowpaw began to snore. How can she sleep so easily, does she just not think at all about them staring? Was she lying that she saw it to make me quiet?

Stripepaw closed his eyes and fell asleep.


Stripepaw jumped after the mouse, but a voice from behind stopped him.

"Don't touch it, Stripepaw, it's sick." He realized the mouse had foam around its mouth and its stomach was swollen.

He looked to see who was there.

"Who are you and how do you know who I am?" He demanded.

There was an orange-fox-like she standing there. She had a scar that went from her nose to ear. Her pelt had blood in it and her eyes had sadness and… and her eyes were clear. Her eyes seemed to be staring into Stripepaw's heart.

"I-" She started, and then collapsed.

Stripepaw ran to her.


Stripepaw woke panting. Snowpaw was standing over him. Shadowpaw was watching from her nest.

Stripepaw licked his paw in embarrassment.

"Get something to eat, we're going to leave soon." Snowpaw purred.

Stripepaw sighed and headed to the fresh-kill pile.

As he went, he thought of the pretty she-cat from his dream.

I have to find out if she is real. He thought, I feel like it was a dream from Starclan.

He turned and walked to the dirtplace instead. He then left out of a hole Shadowpaw had made as soon as she was old enough to go to the dirtplace alone.

He started to rush towards snakerocks, which looked like the place from his dream.

As he approached he saw her collapsed on the floor.

She gasped for air, and her eyes were rolled up in her head. She had blood over her pelt and the clearing smelled of fox.

He gasped and ran back to camp.

When he entered the camp, he screeched, "A cat is hurt by Snakerocks!"

In seconds the medicine cats were out of their den and a few warriors had gathered to bring them there. By then a large crowd of cats had gathered to watch and figure out what happened.

Within moments the medicine cats were ready with herbs.