Waterstar's Heart

Chapter 3

"Badger! Stop, my fur is clean enough-!" Waterkit protested. Badger swept her tongue across the top of his head. She held her son in place with a paw despite the frustrated groans and grumbles that returned from her son.

"This is your apprentice ceremony. I didn't spend six moons raising you just to let you act like a fool. I wouldn't want you to have a dirty pelt the whole time." Badger replied, giving Waterkit another lick across the head.

Waterkit then gently pushed his mother away. "Okay- Okay! I get it. I'm clean now!" He backed away, and puffed out his chest. Sometimes his mother was embarrassing...but he knew her intentions.

Hearing pawsteps, he turned to look the other way. It was Cowpatch! With a gentle purr, he padded over to greet his grandmother. The black and white molly touched her nose to his cheek. "You're going to enjoy training. I can see the excitement in your eyes." She commented, a raspy chuckle following, and soon, a cough. Badger's ears fell slightly.

"You should really stay in the elder's den with Houndtail." Badger sighed, giving her mother a gentle prod.

Waterkit huffed, "She's fine! Shadestar even agrees. Sometimes she hunts, remember? A couple of days ago she brought back a mouse." He defended his kin, his fur prickling a bit. The grey tom's brows furrowed as his mother shot him a look.

Cowpatch chuckled, and dipped her head. "I'm just living out the rest of my days. You understand. It's mouse-brained that you'd believe for a second that I'd miss his ceremony. By StarClan, you can't let me miss it."

"Mother!" Badger gasped, before ushering her towards the elder's den. The older molly stubbornly stayed put.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the High Rock for a clan meeting!" Shadestar's voice rang across the clearing. Waterkit gasped, and began to smooth out his chest fur, and took a couple of deep breaths. My apprentice ceremony! Yes! I'm going to hunt, fight, go to gatherings... He thought excitedly.

Staring up at his father, the sun shone bright on his dark grey pelt. His blue eyes were like a scorching blue fire. It was mesmerizing.

As the clan gathered, Waterkit began to excitedly walk up to the clearing of the camp.

"The time has come for Waterkit to be apprenticed." Shadestar began. The clan let out a loud cheer in response. "Not only is this special for me, but for ThunderClan. By naming apprentices, we show the other clans that we are strong and resilient!"

Shadestar stared down at the clan. Waterkit knew that his words were referencing to ShadowClan.

Taking in the sight of all of his clan mates, he began to search for who he'd think to be his mentor. Although he and his father discussed his mentors, he didn't really believe his father's words.

Would it be Tanglewind? Webtooth? Clovernose? Flarejump? There were so many cats! So many different personalities, and stories to be told. Different training. Would he be friends with Grasspaw and Oakpaw? What was he going to learn? Who are from the other clans? What were the other clans like?

He was snapped back to reality by his father's booming voice.

"Waterkit, 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 Waterpaw. Your mentor will be Clovernose. I hope Clovernose will pass down all she knows on to you."

With a dip of her head, Clovernose padded up to the clearing, and staged herself next to her new apprentice. Waterpaw stared up at his new mentor, his eyes sparkling in pride, and admiration.