Warriors: Time of Peace: Reconstruction

Prolouge

Deep in the Thunderclan camp, a young tabby tom cat sighed and stood up inside his den and walked out to the face of the Highledge.

He looked around at his Clan. He reveled in the thought, this was HIS clan now. A pang of sadness hit his heart as he thought about how his former mentor, Clan leader, and friend had died so bravely for the Clan that he loved.

He shook himself, he had no time to think such sad things, he had apprentice and elder ceremonies to hold!

He smiled down at his young, ginger deputy, "Hello Squirrelflight." He called down.

She turned and smiled at him, happiness sparkling in her green eyes, it was obvious that she was glad that he had forgiven her, and she called back up, "Are you ready for you first apprentice ceremony Bramblestar?!"

"I thought I was a WARRIOR!" He called back down, mock horror, but they both knew that his answer was yes.

She smiled up at him again before turning back to face the clearing.

He took a deep breath and recited the ancient words under his breath one last time before calling out to the cats of Thunderclan.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather beneath the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

He looked around and saw the queens walking out of the nursery, Cinderheart, stayed in the nursery entrance with Daisy because she was extremely close to kitting, but Brightheart and Sorreltail, who's eyes shone with pride for her kits, came out and sat in the back, thier tails keeping Brightheart's lively kits close to them.

He saw the hunting patrol hurrying in and scrambling to put their prey on the fresh kill pile before rushing to find a good place to sit and the dawn patrol rushing in after them.

He looked down and saw Lilykit and Seedkit waiting patiently below, excitement shining in their eyes. He then called out for Jayfeather to come up beside him.

"Greetings, Bramblestar" he said, dipping his head.

"Greetings, Jayfeather"

Bramblestar looked back at the cats and addressed the clan, "Cats of Thunderclan! Today we will be performing three very special ceremonies! We shall start with apprenticing Lilykit!"

He then turned his gaze back to the waiting kit.

"Lilykit, you have reached the age of six moons and it is time for you to be apprenticed."

The kit's eyes glowed bright in excitement and she seemed barely able to contain herself.

"From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Lilypaw. Your mentor will be Birchfall. I hope he will pass down all that he knows, to you."

He then turned his gaze to the excited, brown warrior.

"Birchfall, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Ashfur, and you have shown yourself to be brave and wise. You will be the mentor of Lilypaw and I will expect you to pass on all you know to her."

He then watched Birchfall touch noses with his new apprentice and was flooded with the memories of his own apprentice ceremony and how special he felt to have the clan deputy mentor him.

"Lilypaw! Lilypaw! Lilypaw!" The Clan chanted for the newly appointed apprentice and he took a seat next his new den mates, Molepaw and Cherrypaw.

"We also have a new medicine cat apprentice to appoint!"

Happy murmurs went through the gathered cats, everyone knew how attached Seedpaw had been to Jayfeather and how interested she had been in the medicine world.

Jayfeather stood up and spoke, "Cats of Thunderclan, as you know, I will not be around forever. It is time that I took an apprentice. I have chosen a cat that has shown dedication and a willingness to learn."

Bramblestar saw Seedpaw dip her head in embarrassment at the compliments.

" Your next medicine cat will be Seedpaw." Jayfeather leaped down from the Highledge and faced his apprentice.

"Seedpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Jayfeather?" Bramblestar spoke up.

"I do" she squeaked out and she cleared her throat, "I do!" She replied, louder now, her voice and confidence ringing through the clearing.

Jayfeather's whiskers twitched in amusement, "Then at the half-moon you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by Starclan before the other medicine cats."

"The good wishes of all Thunderclan go with you." Bramblestar said.

Jayfeather stepped forward and touched noses with his new apprentice and padded off to sit at the edge of the clearing, Seedpaw trailing after him.

"Seedpaw! Seedpaw! Seedpaw!" The clan chanted, her mother's voice rising above them all.

"We are also gathered here today to introduce three new elders." Dustpelt, Graystripe, and Sandstorm stepped forward and watched him from the base of the Highledge.

"Graystripe, Sandstorm, and Dustpelt, is it your wish to give up your name of a warrior and go to join the elders?"

"It is." They replied in unison.

"Your clan honors you and all the service you have given us. I call upon Starclan to give you many moons of rest."

"Graystripe! Sandstorm! Dustpelt! Graystripe! Sandstorm! Dustpelt!" The clan chanted for the loyal ex-warriors.

He watched them pad over to the oldest cat in the clan, Purdy, the story telling, ex-loner. He welcomed them with fitful purrs of happiness. He must have felt very alone for those first few days after Mousefur's death, sleeping and eating all alone in the large elder's den.

Bramblestar was about to jump off the rock to console Sandstorm, who was still grieving for her dead mate, Firestar, when Daisy came rushing out of the nursery, "The kits! They're coming!" She screeched, rushing over to Jayfeather and Seedpaw.

Annoyance flashed in his sightless eyes at her overreaction and he glanced down at his excited apprentice, "I guess it's time for your first lesson." He mewed calmly, annoying Daisy, "Go to the medicine den and get some borage leaves and some chamomile leaves. Briarlight should know what you are talking about." And with that, his apprentice raced off and he padded into the nursery to help Cinderheart.

He smiled and looked at the cats around him, all of them staring at the nursery. "The kits won't be born for a while, it's not worth starving over." He said to them and headed over to the fresh kill pile, followed by Cloudtail and Brackenfur. Cloudtail shared a rabbit with Brackenfur beside Bramblestar who ate a thrush as the clan sat waiting for their new clan mates to enter the world, at last.