"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Stonepile for a Clan meeting!"
His voice echoed around the clearing. Fallowheart emerged from the Gorseledge with a plump vole clasped in her jaws. Lithefoot padded out from the den, her sandy tail sweeping the ground. Patchedtail and Scareyes approached the Stonepile side-by-side. Soon the rest of PoplarClan was also seated in front of Pinestar, looking up at him expectantly.
"I am very happy to say that we have received many kits in the last quarter moon," he began, looking at the eager young kits. "Goldenkit, Snowkit, Windkit, Nightkit, Fernkit, Grasskit, Dustkit, Violetkit, and Emberkit." Each kit pricked his or her ears as they heard their name being called.
"Each of the kits I have just named fully deserves to be an apprentice. Kits, please step forward," Pinestar continued.
Once each kit was sitting proudly before him, glowing with excitement, he spoke again.
"Does each of you promise to uphold the duties of a warrior, and to remain loyal to your Clan, no matter what?"
"I do," the kits squeaked together.
"Then, by the power of StarClan, I pronounce
Goldenkit to be Goldenpaw.
Snowkit to be Snowpaw.
Windkit to be Windpaw.
Nightkit to be Nightpaw.
Fernkit to be Fernpaw.
Grasskit to be Grasspaw.
Dustkit to be Dustpaw.
Violetkit to be Violetpaw.
Emberkit to be Emberpaw.
"Goldenpaw, you will be mentored by Fallowheart.
Snowpaw, you will be mentored by Pebbleclaw, and will learn to be a medicine cat, following in his pawsteps.
Windpaw, you will be mentored by Ravenfeather.
Nightpaw, you will be mentored by Lithefoot.
Fernpaw, you will be mentored by Sunsleet.
Grasspaw, you will be mentored by Patchedtail.
Dustpaw, you will be mentored by Ivydawn.
Violetpaw, you will be mentored by Tigerflame.
Emberpaw, you will be mentored by Mallowleaf."
Each newly made apprentice touched noses with his or her mentor while the Clan chanted,
"GOLDENPAW!
SNOWPAW!
WINDPAW!
NIGHTPAW!
FERNPAW!
GRASSPAW!
DUSTPAW!
VIOLETPAW!
EMBERPAW!"
VIOLETPAW!
EMBERPAW!"
The happy voices rang throughout PoplarClan camp.
"Meeting dismissed!" Pinestar yowled, his voice rising above all the others.
Pinestar padded past throngs of cats and jumped up onto the Gorseledge. He opened his mouth, scenting for prey. Soon he smelled prey - but something wasn't right about it. He just couldn't figure out what.
He tracked the scent, winding his way through numerous tree saplings and shrubbery. The smell got stronger as he went along, until suddenly he found --
A dead snake was lying in the middle of a small clearing in the foliage. But it wasn't the snake that made Pinestar hiss with fear.
It was the dead cat lying next to it.
**Pinestar**
*Windpaw bounched happil;y* YAY! I'm an apprentice! just one more step closer to being a warrior!
ReplyDelete*Nightpaw rolled his eyes* immaute Windpaw, you have to man up when you become an apprentice that means no more moss ball games
*Windpaw sighed* I guess your right Nightpaw, warriors don't play with moss
Fernpaw giggled as she saw Violetpaw staring shyly at Nightpaw. Then she turned to Windpaw.
ReplyDelete"Don't worry, Windpaw," she reassured the other apprentice quietly. "Playing with moss IS pretty fun." She purred with amusement.
**Fernpaw**
Pride swelled in Dustpaw's chest. I'm an apprentice now! he thought. He decided that every cat would be very impressed if he caught a piece of fresh-kill on his first day as an apprentice, so he scrabbled up to the Gorseledge.
He heard a hiss of fear. An intruder!? he thought wildly, his legs wavering with fear. But curiosity overcame him, and he bounded towards the hiss.
Dustpaw saw Pinestar standing over two limp, furry lums on the ground. He remained silent and neared the two lumps, making sure to stay downwind of Pinestar.
One of the lumps was a rabbit. The other was a dead...cat. He couldn't hold back a gasp of fear.
Pinestar whirled around, startled, and then snapped, "What are you doing here?"
**Dustpaw**
*One of the lumps was a snake (not a rabbit, whoops).
ReplyDelete**Pinestar**
*WIndpaw looked happier* yeah, Nightpaw is just a grumpy elder! apprentices CAN play with moss if they want to! *she gave a laughing glance at Nightpaw*
ReplyDelete*Nightpaw rolled his eyes* yeah sure Windpaw, think what you like
Fernpaw mrrowed in amusement at Nightpaw's sarcasm, then padded off to find Dustpaw with a flick of her tail.
ReplyDelete"Dustpaw!" she called. No answer.
"Dustpaw?" Still no reply.
**Fernpaw**
"Uh-Uhm..." Dustpaw couldn't think up an excuse. "Well, I heard this hiss, and...and..." He couldn't tear his eyes away from the dead cat, and trailed off.
Pinestar heaved a sigh. Seeing the frightened look in Dustpaw's eyes, he quickly reassured the apprentice, "No, I did not kill this cat...nor this snake..." His claws dug into the ground with apprehension.
After a few long, tense heartbeats, Pinestar turned around abruptly and dissapeared into the shrubbery.
Dustpaw was utterly confused and frightened. He couldn't bear being near the two dead animals alone anymore. He ran off in the direction of camp. Suddenly he heard his name being called. He ran faster.
**Dustpaw**
"Dus- OOF!" Fernpaw staggered back as Dustpaw rammed into her.
"Sorry!" he apologized. "I didn't mean to..."
"What's the matter?" she snapped, trying to sound consoling, but her words came out harsh and angry.
Dustpaw found himself being watched curiously by not only Fernpaw, but also Windpaw and Nightpaw.
"A dead cat...snake...and Pinestar was there, too..." he mumbled.
**Dustpaw**
"What? Speak clearly!" Fernpaw instructed.
**Fernpaw**
"Oh...nothing, just nothing." Dustpaw turned tail and ran into the den.
**Dustpaw**
Fernpaw turned towards Nightpaw and Windpaw. "What do you think he saw?" she asked them. "It sounds important."
**Fernpaw**
*Nightpaw blinked* a dead cat and snake? and Pinestar was there too? I think I heard that
ReplyDelete*Windpaw looked wrried* do you think Pinetsra used the snake to kill then cat?
Fernpaw shook her head. "I don't think that Pinestar would ever do a thing like that...would he?"
ReplyDeleteFernpaw immediately regretted what she had said. Of course Pinestar would never kill a snake, let alone a cat! she thought. But if he didn't...then who did?
Fernpaw sighed. "I just don't know anymore," she meowed defeatedly. "I just don't know..."
**Fernpaw**
Lithefoot purred at the new apprentices. "Well done!" she mewed, padding up to Nightpaw. "What do you want to do first?" Then she spotted her apprentice's worried expression. "Is everything OK?" she asked.
ReplyDelete~Lithefoot~
"Thanks for the congratulations, Lithefoot," Fernpaw told the warrior. But she couldn't stop thinking about what Dustpaw had said.
ReplyDeleteWith a flick of her tail, she dashed off to find Dustpaw. She had to know.
**Fernpaw**
Grasspaw raced over to where Nightpaw, Windpaw, and Lithefoot were standing.
"We're APPRENTICES!" he caterwauled, leaping up and slashing the air with his claws.
Nobody seemed to notice. Lithefoot was looking questioningly at Nightpaw, while Windpaw stared off into the distance with an agitated look.
"Hello? Guys? We're APPRENTICES. Aren't you excited?"
Still, no one spoke.
Grasspaw settled down and sheathed his claws. "Guys...What happened? What's wrong?"
**Grasspaw***
*nightpaw mewed worridly* Dustpaw said that he found Pinestar near dead bodies of a cat and a snake
ReplyDelete*Windpaw shuffled her paws and looked around*
Grasspaw gaped a moment, then pulled himself back together.
ReplyDelete"Pinestar...near dead bodies of a cat and a snake?" he choked. What had their leader done!?
"Did he...did he...kill them?" Grasspaw hated to ask the question, but knew it had to be asked.
**Grasspaw**
Fernpaw raced into the den and found Dustpaw huddled in the deepest, darkest corner.
"Tell me what happened!" she ordered as soon as she spotted the small grey and white apprentice. "Tell me!"
**Fernpaw**
Dustpaw sighed. He knew that there was no escaping now.
"I-I really don't know," he admitted. "I saw what I saw. There's nothing I can do to change that."
**Dustpaw**
"Tell me exactly what happened," Fernpaw coaxed.
**Fernpaw**
Dustpaw sighed.
"Well...I went out to hunt, and I saw Pinestar crouched over a dead snake and a dead cat. I didn't want to let him know I was there, but I couldn't hold back a gasp of surprise. Pinestar found me out.
"I made up some lame excuse, and Pinestar simply turned and dissapeared into some ferns. I don't think he killed either animal: he's better than that. But I honestly don't know what to think!"
Dustpaw lied himself on the ground and sighed with apprehension, frustration, shock, and confusion.
**Dustpaw**
Pinestar, I simply cannot be a warrior. I am sorry. what you could do is me and Goldenstream could both be medicine cats, but golden, I know how you would feel if Pinestar did that. It has happened to me and i felt horrible! I am sorry Pinestar. I cannot be a warrior.
ReplyDelete~Lilypetal
((Lilypetal, I completely understand. I will make both you and Golden the medicine cats, but I will be sure to speak to Golden about it. If there are any problems, I'll let you know and we'll try to work something else out))
ReplyDeleteGrasspaw whirled around, startled to see Violetpaw.
"I agree. I don't think that Pinestar is the kind of cat to kill on a whim," he told her.
"Is it...a sign?" he wondered out loud.
For the first time he felt really, truly scared.
**Grasspaw**
Fernpaw stroked Dustpaw's flank with her tail.
"It's ok," she reassured him. "Everything is fine. I'm sure Pinestar didn't do anything wrong. We all know him better than that."
Or do we? she wondered sorrowfully as Dustpaw heaved a tragic sigh.
**Fernpaw**