An Appearance Doesn't Define Me

Chapter 1: The Apprentice and The Stranger

Light striked through the reed woven den hitting the dark shape of a sleeping she-kit. Two deep brown eyes blinked open, immediately taking in the dawn light with excitement. 'Today's the day!!!!!' She stood with such speed she aroused her nest-mate. A paler kitten raised her head to stare in annoyance at the standing figure.

"Go back to sleep Ivykit! Too early..." a grotty voice murmured.

"But Cin'kit, we're becoming Apprentices today!!!!" Ivykit jumped up to awaken her sister,

At the reminder the pale kit's dazzling blue eyes lit up, "We get to start Battle Training!!! Ahhh! Yes!" the squeals of excitement died down in realisation "Oh, yeah, you're going to be cooped up in a stinky den." Cinnamonkit plopped down with humph.

"Hey! Tallshade's den is not stinky... don't get in a mood, I still learn some fighting..." the brown kitten racked her brain to find a way to cheer her sister up... "And anything I don't learn you could teach me!!!" Cinnamonkit lightened up at the thought of teaching her sister what she was missing out on. But before she could say anything a she-cat moved her head to glare at the two gossiping kits

"Shhh!" She hissed through gritted teeth "Echotail's sleeping!" The kits look toward the bigger cat.

"Sorry Ma." They said in mono-tone unison.

A low chuckle came from the corner of the nursery den as a pair of green eyes shone in the faint light, "Don't scold them Rosecloud, it's their special day, plus I've been awake for hours. I'm just hoping for the Kitting to come, the little scandals are really feisty." The pregnant she-cat mewed wistfully.

"Fine but groom yourselves! I don't want the clan to see you as hedgehogs as you're Apprenticed." Rosecloud's voice was laced with the exaggeration of a fretting mother, before turning to gossip with her friend.

Ivykit obeyed her mother's command and pondered on what was about to happen, she was finally getting a Mentor - a day every kit in all clans look forward to. But Ivykit's Apprenticeship would be different. She knew that. She even knew who her Mentor's going to be, she was going to be the RiverClan Medicine Cat Apprentice! She would have duties better than fighting and hunting. She chuckled aloud as she recalled her family's reactions at her desire: her father, Eelstripe, looked at her with pride, Rosecloud asked if this was definitely what she wanted, all while Cinnamonkit looked confused. But Ivykit was way too happy that Tallshade had suggested the idea after the brown kit had spent moons in the den's corner observing the Medicine Cat's busy and slow days - she said yes with excitement.

Once her fur looked okay to her, she padded out the den following Cinnamonkit who left a few moments ago. The sun had fully risen by now, its rays bounced off the den roofs, and it looked so peaceful with the stream trickling down toward the lake and the dawn patrol just returning. Ivykit looked about, hoping to find Cinnamonkit and found her sitting behind Eelstripe, like a smaller, lighter shadow. To this he looked unimpressed - it was obvious what she was doing... eavesdropping on his conversation with the silver tom who looked at the kit with amusement, it took Ivykit awhile to understand why her sister was so interested in the conversation, when she padded forward a couple of steps it hit her square in the face. The silver cat was Dropstar, her sister was trying to see if the Leader would give away who her Mentor would be. But much to the young cat's disappointment, and soon glee, Dropstar jumped up on the grand rock standing in the clearing and called out to the clan:

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather to hear my words!" the calling echoed through the camp and more cat emerged from their dens, Ivykit heard the elders grumble about something to do with how early it is but it went right through one ear and out the next as she watched a short black tabby emerged from a den's entrance alone and moved over to sit under Dropstar's perch as his Medicine Cat 'I'll be there as well soon' she thought.

Behind Rosecloud appeared, and the other half of the family came to join the beige coloured she-cat, and the almost black kit, Eelstripe's brown fur merged into the light pelt of his mate and Cinnamonkit ploughed into her sister with a headbutt causing her to lose balance and stumble to the floor earning a low growl from Rosecloud,

"Keep your pelts clean, for StarClan's sake!"

A snort came from next to the group, a long-haired tom looked over to the she-cat.

"Like you didn't do the same." He's low mew earnt the attention of the kits.

"What do you mean Hollowtail?" Cinnamonkit's inquisitive voice question the older cat.

"Sparkletooth scolded her until she received her name, her pelt was dust caked." He whispered to the kits.

"And who repeatedly tackled me to the floor, oh, dearest brother of mine?" Rosecloud tutted at her brother's half of a tale.

The conversation came to a halt as the clan became hushed and Dropstar started to recite the ceremony, before long Cinnamonkit was called and received her new name, Cinnamonpaw, and Thymeclaw as her Mentor, it was his first Apprentice and Ivykit chuckled inward as she thought how chaotic the sessions between the ball of energy and the calm and collect Warrior will be. It wasn't until Eelstripe nudged her with a paw that she realised that she had completely missed Dropstar summoning her, causing her to dash forward to meet the Leader.

"Ivykit, you have been chosen to walk a special path that only StarClan themselves confirm but until that time comes... Tallshade, do you accept Ivykit as your Apprentice?" The Leader looked across to the Medicine Cat who had appeared in front of Ivykit.

"No, I asked her to waste my breath." he said with a sarcastic tone but the glee in his eyes betrayed the 'negativity' he was showing.

"Well then; Ivykit, until you receive your full name, you shall be known as Ivypaw!" She looked up to Tallshade and touched his nose with her smaller one 'I've got some growing to do, but that's normal!' around the Clan erupted into cheering the new names of the Apprentices.

"So...Ivypaw... Thymeclaw has said I can ask if you can join us in a view on the territory, so, can you?" Cinnamonpaw said bouncing up and down, Ivypaw glanced hopefully at Tallshade, who looked at Thymeclaw and nodded,

"I approve of her going on a tour that can happen anytime, I however will not be going with you, Echotail is close to kitting..." he trailed off looking down to his new Apprentice.

"Wait! You're right, I can see the territory anytime, helping you with duties is a better experience!" Ivypaw squeaked, Cinnamonpaw rolls her eyes and Thymeclaw chuckles.

"Right, tell one of us if you start to feel something, time is your only enemy at the moment." Tallshade says to the pregnant queen, they walk out the den after checking up on Echotail.

"So, what's next?" Ivypaw looked up at the Medicine Cat in hope of a lesson.

"Well, we could go up and check on the eld- "he was cut off by a thud by the entrance. A she-cat no older than Ivypaw was lying on the sandy floor, her pelt colour was unclear, but she had a red stain along her flank. No-one made a move; they all saw what Ivypaw did not; a light blue collar hung from the neck of the intruder.

The young Medicine Cat Apprentice only saw the blood causing her to sprint forward, "Are you okay?"