CHAPTER 4
Moonstar's summoning rang through the hollow. Amberkit paused, giddy with excitement. She bounded toward the Highledge, where a crowd was already beginning to form, and took her place beside Dovewing and Rabbitleap. Amberkit watched as Finchkit and Adderkit sat down next to her. Excitement was pulsing through Finchkit, but Adderkit held an aura of uncertainty.
Whatever. Amberkit wasn't about to let grumpy Adderkit ruin this amazing day for her. He had already been annoying about the thing with Jinxkit, and of course he had to transfer it over to something that they were going to remember for the rest of their lives.
Personally, Amberkit didn't understand why Jinxkit would choose Adderkit. Sure, he was handsome and all that, but he was grumpy all the time. Well, they both did hate socializing, so maybe they'd be perfect for each other. Amberkit shook off her thoughts and looked up at the Highledge, where Moonstar was opening her mouth to speak.
"Today is a proud day for ThunderClan. We will be celebrating the creation of three new apprentices as well as the retirement of one of our very best warriors. Mothclaw, please step forward," Moonstar meowed, her voice commanding.
"Mothclaw, thank you for your determination and loyalty. You have served your clan well, and we hope that your days in the elder's den are peaceful. Your stories and wisdom will still have a place in ThunderClan, and we will continue to learn from you." Mothclaw nodded, her eyes shining with a mixture of joy and sadness. Amberkit remembered that Mothclaw was Moonstar's mother. Moonstar smiled as the clan began to chant Mothclaw's name and Coyotesnout and Mudfoot beckoned for her to join them, smiling.
The clan quieted once again as Moonstar waved her tail in a silencing motion. "Now, there are three kits to be made into apprentices today. I sense they are very excited." A ripple of amusement passed through the crowd.
"Amberkit, Adderkit, and Finchkit, please step forward." Amberkit bounded forward a fox-length before sitting back down, her chest puffed out with pride. Adderkit and Finchkit did the same, staring up and Moonstar.
"Adderkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Adderpaw. Your mentor will be Stormsight. I hope Stormsight will pass down all he knows to you." Amberkit watched as Adderpaw suddenly filled with joy. He was clearly happy with his new mentor.
"Stormsight, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Dunestar, StarClan bless his spirit, and you have shown yourself to be courageous and understanding. You will be the mentor of Adderkit, and I expect you to pass down all you know to him." Stormsight padded forward and bumped noses with Adderpaw, whispering something that Amberkit couldn't catch as they broke away.
Finchkit's part of the ceremony went by quickly, until soon enough, it was Amberkit's turn. "Amberkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Amberpaw. Your mentor will be Ivystern. I hope Ivystern will pass down all she knows to you."
"Ivystern, you are ready to once again take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Mothclaw, and you have shown yourself to be swift and intelligent. You will be the mentor of Amberpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know to this young apprentice." Amberpaw padded forward and met Ivystern below the Highledge. The deputy gave her a small bump on the nose. Pride surged through Ivystern's eyes as she stepped back, nodding to Amberpaw as she rejoined the crowd.
"Adderpaw! Finchpaw! Amberpaw!" the clan chorused as Amberpaw joined her siblings in the crowd. Amberpaw curled her tail up in delight as her clan mingled around her, tossing out congratulations.
"Congrats," mewed a voice from behind Amberpaw. Amberpaw turned around to find Tidekit standing there, grinning at her.
"Thanks. I can't wait until we're both apprentices!" Amberpaw exclaimed.
"Yeah. I-" Tidekit was cut off by Moonstar's sharp yowl.
"ThunderClan, you are dismissed!" Moonstar announced. The crowd dispersed, and Tidekit nodded his goodbye as he trotted off to join Ravenkit.
"Congratulations," purred a voice next to Amberpaw. Amberpaw looked over to find Ivystern standing next to her.
"Thanks!" Amberpaw chirped. "So, when can we start training?" Amberpaw kneaded her paws into the ground impatiently. Ivystern chuckled.
"We can go right now," Ivystern told her. Amberpaw squealed with joy.
"Yes!" Amberpaw exclaimed. She looked around to find Adderpaw and Finchpaw both talking excitedly with their mentors. "Are Adderpaw and Finchpaw coming too?" Amberpaw asked.
"They'll be taking a tour of the territory just like you, but we'll be splitting up," Ivystern told her, stretching out her legs. "So, are you ready to go?" Amberpaw nodded with glee. Ivystern flicked her tail and they were off, bounding toward the tunnel that led up to the forest. Amberpaw pulled ahead, beginning to sprint up the tunnel until she burst out into the open, skidding to a stop. "Whoa…" she whispered, staring upwards.
A massive canopy of leaves covered the sky, a few large gaps giving a glimpse of the clear blue sky. Dappled sunlight filtered in through the leaves of oak trees. Amberpaw spied a small nest nestled in one of the branches. All around her, leaves rustled, birds sang, and the breeze whistled through her fur.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Ivystern breathed, appearing next to Amberpaw.
"It really is," Amberpaw agreed. She breathed in, and thousands of new and exciting smells filtered through her nostrils. "What are we doing first?" Amberpaw asked, the tranquility of the forest smothering her like a warm blanket.
"We'll head over to the ShadowClan border. It's this way." Ivystern pointed her tail tip to the right, and began to pad in that direction. Amberpaw followed, having to run to keep up with Ivystern's long strides. They paused after a moment, staring up into a massive tree.
"Are we here already?" Amberpaw asked, surprised. Ivystern chuckled.
"No, but I wanted to show you the Sky Oak. It's the tallest tree by the lake!" Ivystern meowed. Amberpaw craned her neck up and up, but all she saw was never ending branches.
"You're right. It's huge!" Amberpaw exclaimed. Ivystern smiled, then nodded and disappeared into the undergrowth. Amberpaw followed, bouncing a little in each step. Suddenly, they reached a huge fallen tree trunk blocking their path. Ivystern tensed, leaped, and leaped it easily, but Amberpaw was unsure.
"C'mon! Just crouch down, and spring; it's easy!" Ivystern told her, her voice muffled from the other side of the trunk. Amberpaw took a deep breath. You can do this. She crouched down, then sprang, reaching out as she did. She landed with a thud on the other side, her paws scrabbling to balance herself.
Her face hot with embarrassment, she quickly stood. "Sorry," she mumbled.
"It's alright. No one gets their first landing right, anyways," Ivystern mewed kindly, but there was amusement glimmering in her eyes. "That leap was great, though. You've got a powerful spring."
"Thanks," Amberpaw replied, her face still warm. Then they were off again, walking through the forest in silence, until Ivystern stopped.
"What do you smell?" she asked. Amberpaw craned her neck upwards, drinking in the smell. There was one aroma stronger than others; a pungent, acidic scent.
"Ugh. That's foul!" Amberpaw yelped, scrunching up her nose. Ivystern let out a mrrow of laughter.
"Yep. That's what ShadowClan smells like. Follow me," Ivystern meowed, pushing through a small bush. Amberpaw did the same, emerging on the other side. The scent was even stronger here. Amberpaw glanced around, noticing a long stretch of bare land in front of her.
"This is the ShadowClan border. Be careful not to cross this path, of course. We refresh scent markers and patrol here, but ShadowClan are our allies right now, so we don't have many patrols over here that aren't for hunting," Ivystern informed her. Amberpaw looked around with wide eyes.
"Are all borders like this?" Amberpaw asked.
"Good question. Nope, this one is made along a Twoleg path, that's why it looks odd. Some borders are made along rivers, at the edge of forests, and some are even just made by landmarks," Ivystern told her.
Suddenly, on the other side of the path, the bushes rustled, and a group of fierce-looking dark-pelted cats emerged.
"Hello, Ivystern!" the largest cat called out, padding forward to bump noses with Amberpaw's mentor.
"Pinepelt! How's the prey running in ShadowClan?" Ivystern asked. Amberpaw looked around, surprised. Why was Ivystern acting this way to a cat from another clan?
"Prey's running fine, thank you. Blossomheart's expecting!" Pinepelt told Ivystern, his eyes glimmering with pride.
"Oh, congratulations! Tell her I said hello. She probably won't be at the next Gathering, hm?" Ivystern meowed.
"Yes, probably not," Pinepelt agreed.
"Anyways, we should probably run. I'm taking Amberpaw here on her first tour of the territory." Ivystern flicked her tail at Amberpaw.
"Enjoy!" Pinepelt meowed, letting his warm yellow gaze rest on Amberpaw. Amberpaw wiggled uncomfortably until the ShadowClan cat nodded and guided his patrol back into their territory.
"Ivystern, doesn't the warrior code prohibit cross clan relationships?" Amberpaw asked after the patrol had left. Ivystern looked at her, surprised.
"You're allowed to have friends in other clans, you know. Besides we're allies with ShadowClan," Ivystern told her apprentice, beginning to walk back into the forest.
"But it's against the warrior code!" Amberpaw argued. "You have to be loyal to your clan first!"
"Amberpaw, I am putting my clan first. If we weren't friendly with other clans, we wouldn't have allies. If we didn't have allies, all the clans would be against us. You're taking this a bit too seriously." Amberpaw padding alongside Ivystern, listening intently.
"I guess you're right…" Amberpaw mewed thoughtfully.
"I often am," Ivystern chuckled. "But anyways, we'll be going to the WindClan border next. Be careful, they're quite hostile towards us. If we encounter a patrol, just keep your cool alright?" Amberpaw nodded, her excitement reappearing. More new cats!
Minutes later, the two emerged in front of a shining silver stream. Cool water flowed gracefully over light gray rocks. Amberpaw tasted the air, and the scent Amberpaw recognized as rabbits and heather flowed through her nose. In front of her, rolling moorland dotted with the occasional heather bush stretched wide. Amberpaw looked to her right and saw that the stream flowed down from the mountains.
"This is the WindClan border. Right now, they're our rivals. They keep chasing rabbits onto our territory, then claiming it as theirs. We've given them multiple attempts to apologize, but they refuse. If you see a WindClan cat on our territory, immediately attack, unless you are outnumbered," Ivystern informed Amberpaw. Amberpaw nodded, sinking her claws into the soft soil beneath her paws, imagining it was the pelt of some snooty WindClan bee-brain.
"Now, if you follow this stream towards the mountains, you'll find the Moonpool. You know what that is, right?" Ivystern asked. Amberpaw nodded. "Good. Now, the water here is cold and fresh, safe for drinking. If Applefoot's pool in her den ever runs out, this is the best water source. Oh, and if you're ever collecting moss, the trees along this bank are plentiful in it."
"Alright," Amberpaw replied, a yawn suddenly taking hold of her. She looked up at the sky and realized that the sunlight was quickly fading, turning the sky into hues of orange, pink, and purple.
"It's nearly dusk. We should head back to camp now," Ivystern meowed, almost reading Amberpaw's thoughts. Amberpaw nodded, beginning to pad off, her mentor at her side.
Apprenticeship was going to be great.
Notes: I didn't really know how to end this chapter, because it was getting kind of boring. Let me know what you think. Also, this next chapter is going to be about a moon in the future.