Ruby T34rs | discontinued

Chapter I

Wavestar was sitting on the highrock, patiently waiting for her clan to gather around. Seagullkit on the other hand was buzzing with excitement, it was time for her apprentice ceremony! As her mother Frostfoot walked her over to the highrock, the small cave they lived in–that was usually pretty much empty–seemed full to the brim with cats.

As they arrived next to the other kits, Frostfoot softly licked Seagullkit's fur. She leaned into the touch of her mother and then ran over to the other kits.

"I'm so excited Shellkit! I can't even sit still!" Seagullkit mewed, her tail sticking straight into the air. Suddenly, everything went quiet and Wavestar began talking.

"Seagullkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it's time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Seagullpaw." Seagullpaw was quivering with excitement, but everything stayed terribly quiet.

Wavestar waited for a few seconds before continuing. "Your mentor will be Cherrypool." Seagullpaw froze. All of her excitement suddenly sinking into the ground. "I hope Cherrypool will pass down her extraordinary hiding skill on to you." Seagullpaw was now quivering with fear as Cherrypool made her way through the crowd and came to a stop behind her.

"Cherrypool, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have received excellent training from.." Wavestar stopped and took a deep breath. "Birchstar." she spat, "and you have shown yourself to be very brave and rational. You will be the mentor of Seagullpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Seagullpaw turned around to face her new mentor and they touched noses. "Seagullpaw! Seagullpaw! Seagullpaw!" As soon as the entire clan started shouting her name, all the fear of the senior warrior who had just been assigned as her mentor was forgotten and her tail sticked straight into the air.

The ceremony was done for Seagullpaw, she was quivering with excitement and didn't even listen to the other's part.

"Goodluck Cherrypool!" A forest hunter came up to her, the hunter's whiskers quivering with amusement.

"Yeah, thanks Northbreeze." Cherrypool rolled her eyes and looked down at her apprentice.

Seagullpaw guessed that Northbreeze was Nightpaw's mentor, and that made Pyramidscar Shellpaw's. Oh yeah, Hailpaw. She almost forgot about the aspiring Silver! Of course, his mentor was going to be Smokefall.

"Stop dreaming mousebrain! We're exploring the territory." Cherrypool snarled, as she was already walking out of camp and Seagullpaw was still sitting, zoned out.

"Oh good Protectors of the Endless, I'm so sorry!" Seagullpaw gulped and ran after her mentor, who relaxed visibly as the sea came into view. "Woah.. It's really pretty here.." Seagullpaw gasped and unknowingly inhaled saltwater-air, making her choke.

"Do you have bees in your brain?? C'mon now, let's get to the borders." Cherrypool exclaimed in response and Seagullpaw rushed after her, holding back chokes.

After a bit of silent walking, her mentor stopped. "This is the border." she hissed, "the border of the Sand Hiders' territory." Cherrypool gestured to some bushes and sighed. "I know you're young, so I'm sorry for shouting at you like that."

Seagullpaw was stunned for a second, eyes wide and looking up at the molly in front of her. "T-that's no problem of course, I was acting like a mousebrain.." she stuttered and a warm feeling was making its way through her belly.

Cherrypool nodded coldly and seemingly tried to not freak out. "Do you wanna go search for some shells?" she looked down at her tiny apprentice, who was still quivering with excitement. She was also feeling quite excited, but she had a hard time showing it.

"Yes!!" Seagullpaw mewed and rushed into the sea, jumping back immediately after experiencing the cold feeling in her paws.

"Apprentices these days.." Cherrypool laughed lightly to herself and her whiskers quivered with amusement, tails ticking up straight into the air, as she walked over to her.

"Those were always my favorites to collect." Cherrypool vaguely gestured at a nice green one and Seagullpaw cowered down to take a closer look at it.

"It looks very pretty yes! It looks a lot like.. Mallowfang's eyes.." Seagullpaw thought out loud and carefully touched it with her paw.

"That's why I like them, mousebrain. Mallowfang and I were very good friends, since we were both trained by Birchstar." Cherrypool sighed and looked down at her apprentice. Seagullpaw was looking up at her with big, round eyes, so Cherrypool continued. "She would always make fun of me, but it was a very lighthearted.. rivalry."

Cherrypool walked forward a little bit, and let her paws sink into the sand as Seagullpaw tried to get rid of the sand on the shell by washing it in the sea.

After a little while, Cherrypool wiggled her paws out the sand. Something about the sand forming an indescribable pattern, struck the wrong chord with her and she sighed to herself.

"Let's get back now."

The sudden talking scared Seagullpaw, and she looked up at her mentor. "Already?" she asked.

"Yes. Already." Cherrypool hissed, with a tone in her voice that didn't allow disagreement, so Seagullpaw just followed along, the one red shell she really liked dangling from her mouth.

This is gonna be a long few moons.