Post by EthanTheAnnus on Oct 2, 2016 2:03:33 GMT -5
Prologue
The gray tabby tom padded through the bush, his long fur catching on a bramble.
"Ugh," he muttered and the ginger tom in front of him turned.
"You okay, Graystripe?" he called.
"Fine, Fireheart," said Graystripe. "My fur keeps catching, that's all."
"Come on, then," replied Fireheart. "Bluestar's waiting. It's the apprentice ceremony today!"
"Ah, yes," said Graystripe. "It seems like only yesterday that Brackenfur was an apprentice and- poof! He's all grown up and even leading patrols."
"Yes," said Fireheart. "Maybe he will get Bramblekit or Tawnykit as an apprentice." Graystripe nodded and bounded ahead.
"Come on!" he called. The camp was in sight. The two friends hurried through the entrance and moved to the centre of camp just as a blue-gray she-cat leapt onto the large rock before them.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. The cats flooded from the dens and the two toms who had entered camp moments ago were jostled to seats near the front.
Bluestar leapt from Highrock and flicked her tail to motion forward a brown tabby tom and a tawny-pelted she-cat.
"Bramblekit, Tawnykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time that you were apprenticed. Tawnykit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Tawnypaw. Your mentor shall be Brackenfur. I hope Brackenfur will pass down all he knows to you." She motioned with her tail for Brackenfur to step forward. "Brackenfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Graystripe," as she said his name, she gave a short glare, as if to say, well, mostly, "And have shown yourself to be loyal and brave. You will be the mentor of Tawnypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Tawnypaw." The two touched noses and moved back as Bluestar summoned forward Bramblekit. Graystripe could see the nervous look in the kit's eyes as he scanned the mass of cats- no doubt wondering which of them would be his mentor.
"Bramblekit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Bramblepaw. Your mentor shall be Fireheart. I hope Fireheart will pass down all he knows to you." As Bluestar beckoned her deputy over, Graystripe recognised a look of slight anger cross his friend's face before it vanished, replaced by a calm softness. "Fireheart, you are more than ready to take on an apprentice. You have received the best training I could bestow, and you have shown yourself to be courageous and noble. You will be the mentor of Bramblepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Bramblepaw." The two touched noses and Graystripe heard Bramblepaw quietly mew, "I'll make you proud." He saw Fireheart's eyes sparkle.
"I know you will," said the ThunderClan deputy.
"Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw! Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw!" yowled the Clan. They broke off and the two new apprentices rushed over to Goldenflower. Graystripe saw Fireheart immediately turn and follow Bluestar to the leader's den. Graystripe quietly crept after them and stood beside the den to listen to their conversation.
"Why me, Bluestar?" Fireheart's angry mew floated out of the den slightly.
"Because you can train him to be good and loyal and to be a true warrior of ThunderClan," came Bluestar's somewhat gentle mew. Graystripe pressed closer to the den wall.
"What if he turns out like Tigerstar?" asked Fireheart anxiously.
"He won't," said Bluestar. "Not with you as his mentor." Graystripe heard pawsteps ad glanced around wildly, looking for somewhere to hide, but it was too late. Fireheart's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Graystripe?" he meowed. "Just how much did you hear?"
"Ugh," he muttered and the ginger tom in front of him turned.
"You okay, Graystripe?" he called.
"Fine, Fireheart," said Graystripe. "My fur keeps catching, that's all."
"Come on, then," replied Fireheart. "Bluestar's waiting. It's the apprentice ceremony today!"
"Ah, yes," said Graystripe. "It seems like only yesterday that Brackenfur was an apprentice and- poof! He's all grown up and even leading patrols."
"Yes," said Fireheart. "Maybe he will get Bramblekit or Tawnykit as an apprentice." Graystripe nodded and bounded ahead.
"Come on!" he called. The camp was in sight. The two friends hurried through the entrance and moved to the centre of camp just as a blue-gray she-cat leapt onto the large rock before them.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!" she yowled. The cats flooded from the dens and the two toms who had entered camp moments ago were jostled to seats near the front.
Bluestar leapt from Highrock and flicked her tail to motion forward a brown tabby tom and a tawny-pelted she-cat.
"Bramblekit, Tawnykit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time that you were apprenticed. Tawnykit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Tawnypaw. Your mentor shall be Brackenfur. I hope Brackenfur will pass down all he knows to you." She motioned with her tail for Brackenfur to step forward. "Brackenfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Graystripe," as she said his name, she gave a short glare, as if to say, well, mostly, "And have shown yourself to be loyal and brave. You will be the mentor of Tawnypaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Tawnypaw." The two touched noses and moved back as Bluestar summoned forward Bramblekit. Graystripe could see the nervous look in the kit's eyes as he scanned the mass of cats- no doubt wondering which of them would be his mentor.
"Bramblekit, from this day on until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Bramblepaw. Your mentor shall be Fireheart. I hope Fireheart will pass down all he knows to you." As Bluestar beckoned her deputy over, Graystripe recognised a look of slight anger cross his friend's face before it vanished, replaced by a calm softness. "Fireheart, you are more than ready to take on an apprentice. You have received the best training I could bestow, and you have shown yourself to be courageous and noble. You will be the mentor of Bramblepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Bramblepaw." The two touched noses and Graystripe heard Bramblepaw quietly mew, "I'll make you proud." He saw Fireheart's eyes sparkle.
"I know you will," said the ThunderClan deputy.
"Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw! Tawnypaw! Bramblepaw!" yowled the Clan. They broke off and the two new apprentices rushed over to Goldenflower. Graystripe saw Fireheart immediately turn and follow Bluestar to the leader's den. Graystripe quietly crept after them and stood beside the den to listen to their conversation.
"Why me, Bluestar?" Fireheart's angry mew floated out of the den slightly.
"Because you can train him to be good and loyal and to be a true warrior of ThunderClan," came Bluestar's somewhat gentle mew. Graystripe pressed closer to the den wall.
"What if he turns out like Tigerstar?" asked Fireheart anxiously.
"He won't," said Bluestar. "Not with you as his mentor." Graystripe heard pawsteps ad glanced around wildly, looking for somewhere to hide, but it was too late. Fireheart's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"Graystripe?" he meowed. "Just how much did you hear?"
