Light in The Darkness

Chapter Two

Silverkit chased Ravenpaw around the elders. They were playing tag with Nightkit and Heatherkit. It had been a week since Willowstar had made Ravenpaw Copperpelts apprentice. Silverkit was glad that Copperpelt let Ravenpaw play with the other kits even though he had duties. At the moment her and Ravenpaw had been creating a plan to get Featherpounce to notice Copperpelt, It was so painful watching Copperpelt not act on his crush. "Ravenpaw! The elders need their ticks done" Copperpelt called out as he came back from a patrol. "Good luck Ravenpaw, don't forget to do Tatteredeyes paw pads while you at it" Silverkit teased, pulling a face at him. "Very funny Silverkit" he shot back trotting off to Emberstreaks den to get the mouse bile. "Hey Silverkit!" Heatherkit hollered, flicking her tail to Brokenleg who was sleeping in the sun. A mischievous smile spread across Silverkits face. She grabbed a long stick and tied a feather onto the end. She held the stick in her mouth and lowered it so the feather was in front of Brokenlegs nose. She flicked her tail to Heatherkit signaling her to watch. Brokenleg drew in a long breath but stopped short when the feather tickled his nose. "A-A-ACHOO". Silverkit and Heatherkit collapsed into giggles and held the stick closer. "AAAACHOOO" Brokenleg spluttered out sitting up. Both kits glanced at each other and ran.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highledge for a clan meeting!" Willowstar said, her call echoing through the camp. A murmur rose around the camp but Silverkit wasn't surprised. She was finally getting her apprentice name! She walked up next to Willowstar "Silverkit, 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 Silverpaw. Your mentor will be Ashstreak. I hope Ashstreak will pass down all he knows on to you". Silverpaw felt a bolt of panic shoot through her stomach, she always got the feeling that Ashstreak didn't like her. She swallowed it down though and forced the excitement back into her mind. Ashstreak padded up next to Silverpaw. "Ashstreak, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Sandyvine, and you have shown yourself to be determined and logical. You will be the mentor of Silverpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her". Silverpaw saw Sandyvine dip her head proudly to Ashstreak. Ashstreak bent his head down and touched noses with Silverpaw. As she looked into his eyes Silverpaw saw something calculating in there. Should she be worrying? "Silverpaw! Silverpaw!" the clan chanted, making Silverpaw feel a glow of pride when she saw Ravenpaw chanting the loudest. She would become the greatest warrior ever. She knew it.

"First we'll do a patrol of Thunderclan territory" Ashstreak said walking out through the arch of the camp. Silverpaw bounced after him, tripping over a tree root on the way. "I have so many questions! Like how long do you think before I'll make my first catch? And do you think there will be any battles I can fight in the future? And- What's that?" Ashstreak laughed at his apprentice's enthusiasm. For the first time Silverpaw's unease around Ashstreak disappeared. Maybe she could trust him. "That, is the scent of Windclan. Take a good sniff so that you recognise it when you need to". Silverpaw breathed in deeply ingraining the scent into her mind. "You'll have to be wary when your patrolling the borders, and always remember- " he broke off as fresh scents engulfed the area around them. "Ashstreak?" Silverpaw mewled worried. She looked up to see a patrol of unfamiliar cats making their way over the moorland towards them. They hissed when they spotted the ThunderClan cats. " What are you doing on this side of the border-" the she-cat began before breaking off "Oh it's you. Hi Ashstreak"

"Hey Vixenheart, hey Beetlebranch" he gave them a warning look flicking his eyes over to Silverpaw "This is Silverpaw my apprentice. Silverpaw didn't like the way the two windclan cats were staring at her. Shrinking back behind Ashstreak she wondered how he knew these cats. Doesn't the warrior code say not be friends with cats outside of the clan? Silverpaw shifted her paws watching uncomfortably as the three cats all chatted with each other like old friends.

"Shouldn't we keep patrolling Ashstreak?" Silverpaw asked timidly. She was getting nervous for her mentor. They had been standing here for a while. Soon another patrol would come round. Ashstreak glanced at her, probably smelling the fear sent. "Yes we should. I'll see you at tomorrow's gathering?"

"Only if Patchstar lets us go. She still doesn't completely trust us after the Incident" Vixenheart answered, turning around. A jolt of panic ran through Silverpaw. What incident? As they made their way out of sight Ashstreak turned to Silverpaw "Not a word of this to anyone. Understand?". Silverpaw nodded mutely scared out of her wits. "Come on we're going to the Shadowclan border next" Ashstreak meowed briskly stalking off. Silverpaw followed him without saying a word until she smelt a familiar scent. She gasped "Goldpaw!". Silverpaw ran forward to the border catching a flash of his ginger coat. "What are you doing Silverpaw!" Ashstreak hissed. Goldpaw stepped out of the tree line, his long fluffy coat shining in the sun. "Hey Silverkit" he said shyly, casting a wary glance at Ashstreak who looked strangely calm. "I'm Silverpaw now!" Silverpaw said puffing out her chest. She drank in Goldpaw's scent watching his eyes shine. "Wow an apprentice already. Who knew the lost kit I rescued a week ago would be apprenticed so soon" he teased. Silverpaw fake glared at him. "Goldpaw!" someone called in the distance Goldpaw winced. "Oops gotta go, Muddysnow will flip out if he finds me talking to ThunderClan cats. Bye Silverpaw!" he said, scampering off. Silverpaw watched his ginger coat flash in the sun for a moment before turning back to Ashstreak. The anger in his eyes startled her. "You should have listened to me when I asked what you were doing" he spat "Not a word of any of this to anyone understand?!" he hissed, making Silverpaw's mind reel. Suddenly the fire in his eyes dimmed as if he had realised that she was only an apprentice. "I only say this to protect you Silverpaw. Cats can't have friends outside their clans"

That night Silverpaw curled up in her nest. She was glad to be in the same den as Ravenpaw again but even curling up next to him couldn't distract her from the strange Windclan cats. Didn't Ashstreak say that cats were not allowed to have friends outside of their clan? Silverpaw shifted around trying to get comfortable. Maybe everything will be alright after all Ashstreak would never betray his clan. Would he?