"It's ok, Cloudpaw, you'll get the next one!" Sparrowpaw called from some ways off.
The older apprentice's encouragement did little to soothe her frustrations. It had been moons since she'd become an apprentice; she felt as though she should be much better at hunting by now! Moonpaw and Skypaw had no problems hunting, just her! It wasn't fair!
She hissed in frustration as she turned and trudged back to Sparrowpaw and Plumpaw were waiting for her. Both of the apprentices had caught a piece of prey, but Cloudpaw had yet to catch anything. Sparrowpaw gave her a sympathetic look, but Plumpaw looked impatient and ready to go back to camp.
"Give it another go, I'm sure you'll get it this time!" Sparrowpaw encouraged, but it only made Cloudpaw feel small.
Still, the younger apprentice sat down and opened her jaws to scent the air around her. She closed her eyes to focus better, hoping that anything would come to her. It wasn't long before she scented a mouse, but then she realized it was just the mouse Plumpaw had caught. Cloudpaw stood and padded away from them, jaws still open. She closed her eyes again, walking very slowly so she wouldn't miss anything that came to her.
And then, much to her delight, the sound of flapping wings and little feet bouncing on the ground came from in front of her. Instinctively, she dropped into a hunting crouch, and she began to slowly move forward. Cloudpaw stalked diligently, careful to not step on any leaves, stones, or dry grass. She crept from behind a bush and found her quarry: a robin was picking around in the grass in front of her. Her tail twitched in excitement. A bird was one of the first pieces of prey she ever caught, so she felt confident that she could bring this one down, too.
The bird was a nice, plump robin, fattened up by the plentiful bugs and worms brought about by new-leaf. Any cat would be happy to eat that! Cloudpaw thought.
She was careful to keep still when the robin was facing her. If she kept motionless enough, her coat would blend into the dry grasses and hide her from the bird's sight.
Cloudpaw took one step forward before the loud screech of a blackbird echoed throughout the small patch of trees. Her eyes darted back to the robin, and she sprinted forward, pouncing at the bird, but just narrowly missing it.
"Foxdung!" She spat, her tail lashing in frustration.
She turned and sulked back to Sparrowpaw and Plumpaw.
"Did'ja get it?" Plumpaw asked knowingly.
"No!" Cloupaw groaned.
"It's ok," Sparrowpaw mewed. "There's a lot of time left to get good at hunting - you've still got three moons of your apprenticeship left."
"It's easy for you to say! You're the best at hunting - at least out of the apprentices."
Sparrowpaw purred at the compliment. "You say that, but you've never seen Newtpaw hunt snakes. He's so quick! I don't think he's ever even been bitten." With that, Sparrowpaw pick up his prey, and he nodded for Cloudpaw to follow.
The three cats had spent the entire morning out on the moor, and she couldn't manage to get one thing. Not one thing. Her tail drooped as she followed the two back to camp. This was supposed to be the more exciting part of the morning, too. Once the hunt was over, Brookleap told her that she'd be helping Plumpelt remove ticks from the elders.
The old medicine cat could be snippy, and that made Cloudpaw wary of her. But she was old, and she knew that, and she knew that her eyes were bad, too, so Cloudpaw knew she needed her help. She wouldn't be able to do it all by herself, at least not very fast, and that was no good, as she was the only medicine cat in the Clan. She had other, more important tasks to worry about, like gathering herbs, sorting them, and removing what had gone bad.
Cloudpaw followed the other apprentices to the fresh-kill pile, and she sat for a moment, looking over what had been caught that morning. A mouse, a vole, and three rabbit kits - not counting what Sparrowpaw and Plumpaw had caught, a dove and a plump little lizard. Her tail swished. She didn't know for sure what the elders liked to eat… Surely the rabbit kits would be fine, right? They were tender and juicy - easy on the old warriors' teeth.
She picked up two of the rabbit kits, as she couldn't carry three, and decided that she would come back for the last one and the vole. She trotted off towards the elders' den and ducked under the low entrance. Inside lay four elders, gossiping about this and that. One, a fluffy brown-and-white she-cat, groomed the fur of a thin, dark brown tom. They all turned to her when her pelt brushed against the top of the den.
"Ah! There you are," mewed Swiftriver, a pretty silver tabby. "I was wondering when you'd come round."
"And with prey, what a considerate young cat you're shaping up to be," Twigtail purred.
Cloudpaw set the prey down, one in front of the brown tabby tom, Rowansplash, and one in front of Twigtail. "I couldn't carry all of the prey. I'll go get the rest of it!" Cloupaw mewed earnestly. She didn't want Swiftriver and Skydapple to think she'd forgotten them.
"What's still on the pile?" Asked Skydapple.
"A mouse, lizard, a dove, a vole, and another rabbit kit," Cloudpaw answered.
"Hm," Skydapple didn't seem pleased. "I had hoped one of you would catch a squirrel."
"Is that your favorite?" Cloudpaw asked.
The elder brightened. "Sure is!" Skydapple purred. "Ever since I first tasted it."
"If I ever catch one, I'll be sure to bring it to you," Cloudpaw promised. "I don't like them much, so you can have them."
"Ah, what a sweet apprentice," Swiftriver mewed, laughter creeping up as she spoke. "And what did you catch?" She asked. "Plumpelt said you'd gone hunting, and that you'd help get rid of our ticks when you got back."
Cloudpaw's gaze dropped, and she curled her tail around her paws. "I didn't catch anything."
There was a beat of silence before Twigtail spoke. "Ach, what are you?" She asked. "A moon into your apprenticeship?" She flicked her tail dismissively. "Don't worry, you'll figure it out. Hunting wasn't much my strong suit, nor was it ever that one's," she snickered and nodded towards Rowansplash, who huffed in mock indignation.
"I was perfectly fine, thank you!" He chuckled.
"Cloudpaw," Skydapple said. The apprentice turned her attention back to the other elders. "Would you fetch the vole and the mouse?"
Cloudpaw nodded and trotted off to go get them. As she walked, she heard a yowl from across the clearing, and she turned to see who had yelped. She spotted Newtpaw from across the clearing, sat and grooming between his paw pads. She could hear the cats beside him speaking, but couldn't make out what they were saying. There were brambles and vines all around them. From what she could tell, the cats were working on reinforcing the entrance to the camp; just after Turtleheart was killed, Briarheart had announced plans to reinforce dens and the walls. Newtpaw had been one of the unfortunate souls assigned to the task. He'd probably stepped on a thorn or been scratched by one. Poor cat, Cloudpaw thought. Plumpelt would not be excited to see him when he came for a poultice later.
Cloudpaw picked up the vole and the mouse up from the fresh kill pile and brought them back to the elders.
"What was that?" Asked Rowansplash.
"Newtpaw stepped on a thorn," Cloudpaw said after she set the prey before the elders.
"Ah, poor thing," Skydapple murmured. She then took the vole and began to eat.
"I'm sure Plumpelt will be thrilled to see him again," Swiftstream snickered.
Cloudpaw giggled, too. With the medicine cat getting older, getting more cats to care for made her anxious. More than anything, she wanted an apprentice, with no luck. She hadn't had an apprentice in many moons, not since before Cloudpaw and her siblings had been born.
Not soon afterwards, there was a rustling behind her, and Cloudpaw's gaze swiveled back, and there behind her was Plumpelt, with a sick in her mouth. The stench of it hit her, and her face scrunched up in disgust. Plumpelt gathered a little spare moss and set the end of the stick with the moss down on it.
"There you are," the old she-cat rasped. "I trust you have been taught to use mouse bile?" She asked.
"Yes," the golden tabby replied.
"Hello, Plumpelt," greeted Twigtail.
Cloudpaw noted the soft look in Plumpelt's eyes when Twigtail spoke - a rarity for the old medicine cat. "Hello, Twigtail. How are you? Has your sore throat improved or is it still bothering you?"
"Oh no, no, it's cleared up just fine. The honey you gave me was just what I needed."
"Good to hear," she purred. She turned her head to Cloudpaw. "Well, I have to get back. But do take care of the elders, and be sure to wash your paws when you're finished." And with that, Plumpelt turned and left the den.
"Ah, she always had a soft spot for you," Rowansplash said warmly.
"We understand each other," Twigail said, flicking her mate's ear with her tail.
Cloudpaw could guess what she meant. Twigtail was her grandmother, the mother of Larchdapple, the medicine cat who had tried to murder Petalstar, and had killed all of her siblings. Plumpelt had been the cat's mentor, and from the little that Cloudpaw had been able to glean from Peachpelt, Rowansplash, and Twigtail, the two cats had been quite close and Plumpelt had been very fond of her first - and only - apprentice. Cloudpaw guessed that Twigtail and Plumpelt's shared grief served to bring them together, making them very close friends.
Wordlessly, Cloudpaw began working on the elders' ticks, a soft, mournful mrow came from the other side of the den. "Plumpelt," sighed Skydapple. "That poor old cat."
"She should be retired by now," agreed Rowansplash.
"She'll need to take on another apprentice very soon," Swiftriver said.
"Do you think she'll take one of Mothspeckle's kits?" Cloudpaw asked, pressing the soaked ball of moss against a tick in Rowansplash's fur. It dropped off, dead, and Cloudpaw swept it aside with her paw.
"She ought to," Swiftriver mewed. "She doesn't have much time left." The other elders murmured in agreement.
"I wonder if either of that kittypet's kits would be picked to do it," mused Twigtail. "They're older."
"Why would they? Their mother hasn't decided if she is going to stay with us. I wouldn't expect Plumpelt to plan on choosing either, due to that."
"I know one of them wants to stay," Cloudpaw interjected as she brushed a dropped tick off one of the elders' fur.
"Is that right?" Twigtail asked.
"Yes! It's the little tom kit, Dumpling. The last time I was in the nursery he went on and on about how he wanted to be a warrior."
The elders looked between themselves. "Spirited little thing, by the sound of it," said Swiftriver.
"He is. He even thought he'd be allowed to pick his own name," Cloudpaw said with a chuckle as she pressed the moss to another tick. "Goldenpaw, he said, because of his eyes."
"Oh that is a fine choice, though, isn't it?" Rowansplash said with a soft smile.
"Certainly better than Twigpaw," Twigtail chuckled in agreement.
"Oh don't say that, Twig is a perfectly acceptable name," said Skydapple.
"You don't have to lie to me, Skydapple," Twigtail laughed.
"I would never!" The other elder protested.
Cloudpaw spent so long in the elders' den, both talking and removing ticks, that the sun had begun to dip in the sky by the time she left to wash her paws. When she came back to camp, she trotted over to the fresh kill pile and picked a pigeon off it.
"Cloudpaw!"
The golden tabby turned her head and saw Skypaw and Moonpaw trotting towards her. "Eat with us?" Asked Moonpaw, and Cloudpaw nodded in agreement, unable to answer with the squirrel in her mouth.
When her siblings had picked their prey, they padded over to a secluded corner of the camp and began to eat. "What did you do today?" Skypaw asked.
"I went hunting with Plumpaw and Sparrowpaw and-"
"Did you catch anything?" Moonpaw asked.
Cloudpaw's ears flattened against her head and she dropped her gaze in embarrassment. "No, I didn't."
"Aw bad luck," said Skypaw encouragingly. "I'm sure you'll catch something next time."
"Maybe," murmured Cloudpaw as she tucked into her prey.
"What did you do after you went hunting?" Moonpaw asked.
Betwen bites, Cloudpaw said, "I removed ticks from the elders."
"Ew!" Skypaw gasped. "Oh I hate doing that - the smell of the bile makes me retch!"
"It wasn't so bad. The elders were in a good mood and we talked the entire time. Even Plumpelt was in a good mood when she came to give me the mouse bile."
"Really?" Asked Moonpaw, a look of shock blooming across his face. "She's never in a good mood."
"She's good friends with Twigtail, I think," said Cloudpaw. "She was happy to stop in and see her."
"That's kinda sweet, actually," Skypaw said. "Plumpelt's had it bad the last few years. I'm glad she's still happy to be around at least one cat."
Moonpaw nodded in agreement. "How was Twigtail?" He asked.
"She looks healthy and she's in good spirits."
"I've been seeing her go on a lot of walks around the camp," Moonpaw said. "I even heard her talking to Briarheart about asking to go on patrol sometime."
"Can elders do that?" Skypaw asked.
Moonpaw shrugged. "I think she's bored. She wants to do something other than walk in camp and lay in her nest."
"I hope Briarheart lets her. I think it will be good for her. She's not that old, she should be able to keep up just fine," said Cloudpaw.
"How were the other elders?" Skypaw asked.
"Good! Skydapple said that if you catch a squirrel, then he wants it. I know you two don't like them either, and he loves them."
"I'll try to remember that!" Skypaw said brightly. "We need to go visit him more, anyway."
"Is he family?" Cloudpaw asked.
"He's our grandfather," Moonpaw said with a nod.
"I didn't know that," Skypaw said.
The siblings continued to talk until the sun dipped below the horizon, and once it had, they ambled back to the apprentices' den to sleep.
Cloudpaw woke up to a paw prodding at her face. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Sophie's kit, Dumpling.
"What are you doing in here? This is the apprentice den."
"I know! And you're gonna share it with me after today!" The kit said.
"What?"
"Yeah! Petalstar visited the nursery yesterday! She said that she would apprentice me, Rosekit, Clearkit, and Piper apprentices together - today!"
"Oh that's such good news! Four new apprentices all at once!"
"Do you think they'll give one of us to Plumpelt?" Dumpling asked.
"They should," Cloudpaw said.
"Yeah, Plumpelt is old, she needs one. The Clan would lose a lot if they lost her and she didn't have one."
"Do you want to be her apprentice?" Cloudpaw asked.
"I don't think I'd hate it. I don't know if I'm a good choice, though. Besides, would they let a cat from outside the Clan be something that important?"
"There aren't rules that say Petalstar can't."
Dumpling thought about it for a moment before saying, "well, if it does happen, I think I could do it."
"But you don't think it will?" Cloudpaw asked. Dumpling shook his head.
After a moment of silence Dumpling went on. "We should eat - the morning hunting patrol just came back! I bet they brought back something good!"
Cloudpaw rose to her paws and stretched. She then followed the soon-to-be apprentice out of the den and over to the fresh kill pile. Dumpling's sister, Piper, was sitting just a ways off from the pile with her mother, with whom she was sharing a squirrel. Dumpling picked a plump mouse off of the pile, and Cloudpaw picked a vole, and the two padded over to join the other kit and their mother.
"Good morning, Cloudpaw," said Sophie warmly.
"Good morning, Sophie," Cloudpaw answered after she set down her prey.
"How are you?" She asked.
"Excited for Piper and Dumpling, that's for sure. I didn't know they were going to be made apprentices today. It feels like the three of you only got here yesterday."
"The days have gone by quite fast," Sophie agreed. "But I am excited to get out of the nursery. I spoke to Petalstar, and she said that not only would the kits be made apprentices, but I would as well."
"Really?" Dumpling, Piper, and Cloudpaw said in unison.
"Yes. I don't have all of the skills the other Clan cats have, and I do want to stay here with my kits, so I will need to learn them. Petalstar said that the best way to teach me would be to give me a mentor of my own."
"I've never seen a full grown cat have a mentor before. But I'm glad you want to stay, too!"
"Is she gonna change your name, too?" Piper asked.
"Yes, but I discussed it with her beforehand. She's agreed to give me the name Sweetpaw."
"Aw," gasped Piper. "That's a really good name. I wonder what she will call us…" She looked over at her brother.
"I bet she'll give us good names," Dumpling said, sounding a little nervous.
"I bet she will! She gives good names. She named Graymoth, Littlepounce, and Ambersight - those are all good names." Cloudpaw told him.
"I suppose…" Dumpling said.
"Don't worry, I'm sure it will be just fine, and you'll get a great name," Cloudpaw said, trying her best to reassure him.
Just as Sophie opened her mouth to add something else, a loud yowl cut her off. The cats looked over and spied Petal star hopping up onto a cliff on the far wall of the camp. Briarheart came to sit on the ledge just below her.
"All cats that are old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the high stone for a Clan meeting!" Cried the fluffy she-cat.
The cats quickly licked their faces clean and hurried over to the gathered cats. Cloudpaw sat next to her siblings and watched Petalstar eagerly. When the whole Clan had gathered, the leader continued the ceremony.
"As you know, three moons ago, the Clan gained three new cats - a kittypet and her two kits. Since then, the three of them have decided that they belong here with us in StoneClan, and we are here to mark their transition from loners to loyal Clan cats. Likewise, we recognize the growth and progress that two of our own cats, Clearkit and Rosekit, who are ready to be given mentors."
The gathered cats yowled and cheered with excitement. It was rare that five cats became apprentices all at once.
"We shall start with the oldest cats and work to the youngest. That means -" Petalstar looked at Sophie. "Sophie, in the few moons since you came to us, it has become clear that you are a kind and gentle cat. You are loving to your children and to cats of the Clan, even those you don't know. Those are admirible traits for any warrior to have, but at the same time, you will need to learn to put your compassion aside when it comes to defending the Clan. As such, I have decided that your mentor will be Sunstripe." She paused as the cats cheered, and once they died down, she began again. "From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sweetpaw."
The cats cheered again as Sunstripe, a stocky golden tom, padded up to greet his new apprentice. The two cats touched noses, and Petalstar continued. "Sunstripe, you are a fierce, yet noble, fighter, and you know the territory better than nearly any cat. You are capable and intelligent, and I know that you will pass these qualities on to your apprentice."
"Sweetpaw! Sweetpaw!" Cheered the Clan.
"Now, onto Sweetpaw's kits. Piper!" The black and white she-cat stepped forward. "Piper, you are a spirited young cat, quick to make a tense situation light. From this day on, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Ploverpaw, and your mentor will be Heatherstripe."
Poor cat, thought Goldenpaw. Before her own apprentice ceremony, she dreaded the idea of being assigned to the warrior.
The stout gray tom padded up to his apprentice, and they touched noses. "Heatherstripe, you are diligent and hard-working. You put your Clan before yourself at every given opportunity, and defend it at all costs. I hope that you will pass these qualities onto your apprentice."
That couldn't be denied, no matter how much Cloudpaw was intimidated by the tom. When the fox had attacked camp, Heatherstripe, according to Ambersight, had been one of the first warriors to rush in and draw it away from the nursery. He had sustained a bite from the incident, but it had healed up well.
"Ploverpaw! Ploverpaw!"
"Now, onto Dumpling," Petalstar purred. "Dumpling, I have heard how spirited you are, from the elders, from the apprentices, from warriors. Even at three moons old, as a kit who as not born in this Clan, you wandered about, asking to help others, hear our Clan's stories. You are shaping up to be a wonderful member of the Clan indeed, and as such, you will need a mentor who will shape you into everything you ought to be. From now until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Raven-"
"Can I be called Goldenpaw?" The young apprentice piped up, cutting Petalstar off.
Cloudpaw looked over at Briarheart, who looked at Dumpling through narrowed eyes. Petalstar was shocked, and the entire Clan sat in uncomfortable silence as they waited for someone to speak.
"I have golden eyes!" Dumpling went on. "It is fitting! And it is a good name!"
Petalstar tipped her head to the side as she considered the cat's words. Cloudpaw could only guess what was going on in the leader's head. Was the angry? Did she feel spurned?
After what felt like years of agonizing silence, Petalstar dipped her head. "Very well," she said. "From this day forward, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Goldenpaw, and your mentor will be Shadowclaw."
Cloudpaw's jaw nearly dropped. She'd thought that Ploverpaw being given Heatherstripe had been unfortunate, but that paled in comparison to being given Shadowclaw as a mentor. The she-cat was rigid and cold. A good warrior, yes, but not a fun one to be around. She took her duties seriously. Cloudpaw could only assume that the two young apprentices had been given such challenging mentors as a test. If they could handle being mentored by the two strictest cat in the Clan, they would be able to handle anything Clan life threw at them.
The ceremony went on for just a little longer, with Clearpaw being assigned to Tigertail, and Rosepaw being assigned to Shimmerfur, two far less strict and demanding mentors.
When the Clan was dismissed, Cloudpaw watched as the apprentices and their mentors formed a patrol and went off to see the territory for the first time. Not so long after, her own mentor came to collect her, so they could begin their training for the day as well.