A paw prodded me in the ribs. My eyes opened suddenly, my claws flying out. My eyes flashed pink in anger and surprise. The cat backed off suddenly. I realized it was Greypaw.
I mewed apologetically. I let my claws slide in and my muscles relax. I realized it was almost sunhigh. Almost time for Rusty to give his answer. I hoped it was yes.
Bluestar was deep in conversation with Lionheart, walking to the camp entrance. A white cat followed him. Bluestar noticed my gaze. She padded up to me, meowing a friendly greeting.
"Good morning, little one" Bluestar meowed in greeting.
"Good Morning" I said timidly, my tail flicking back and forth.
"My name is Bluestar, Leader of Thunderclan. What is yours, young one." Bluestar asked quietly.
"M-my name is Shadow" I quickly mewed, my fur standing on end. I licked it back, my gaze still on Bluestar. I scuffled my paws on the ground. I could not tell her my real name. It would draw too much suspicion.
"Well than, good morning Shadow. I do hope you were warm last night?" Bluestar asked.
"I was" I quietly mewed.
"I wish to ask you an important question. Do you wish to join our Clan? You would be trained in the ways of the wild, and you would have companionship wherever you wander." Bluestar meowed importantly, her ears standing tall.
"Me! Join your Clan...." I gasped. "I would be honored to!"
"We will hold your apprenticeship ceremony until after sunhigh. There should be two new apprentices today." She meowed to me, then walked over to another warrior.
I looked around the camp, catching Greypaw's eye. He was in a heated conversation with a sand colored she-cat and a brown tom by what seemed to be the apprentices den.
I walked over to them cautiously.
"Hello" I mewed quietly. The brown and sand colored cats hissed at me. I let loose a threatening growl, loud enough to make the two cat's tails bristle with fear. I smiled to myself.
"My name is Greypaw, this is Sandpaw and Dustpaw." Greypaw meowed, his tail flicking towards the two other apprentices. Sandpaw and Dustpaw paced off, their tails lifted up into the air trying to keep their dignity.
Graypaw snorted in amusement at their retreat.
"Hello, my name is Shadow." I mewed nervously.
"Great to meet you!" Greypaw exclaimed as three cats walked through the camp entrance.
Their scents wafted towards my nose. I turned my head to look, as well as many other different cats.
It was Rusty, Lionheart, and the white cat. Bluestar came over to them before launching herself onto a boulder.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting." She yowled, and the rest of the cats settled themselves below the Highrock looking expectantly at their leader. I padded and sat at the back of the group of cats.
"Thunderclan needs more warriors. Never before have we had so few apprentices in training. It has been decided that Thunderclan will take in two outsiders to train as warriors."
Much muttering erupted from the Clan cats, but Bluestar silenced them with a yowl.
"I have found two cats that are willing to become a apprentice of Thunderclan."
"Lucky to become apprentices," yowled a loud voice from the crowd. A pale tabby cat stood up and stared defiantly at the leader.
"Lionheart and Whitestorm has met one of the young cats, and they agree that we should train him as an apprentice. The other young cat I say we should train." Bluestar adressed.
All eyes were on Rusty now. His fear-scent was overpowering.
Yowls erupted from the Clan cats. But one yowl in particular stood out. "Look at his collar! He's a Kittypet!"
The pale tabby yowled again,"Once a kittypet, always a kittypet. This Clan need wildborn warriors to defend it, not another soft mouth to feed. And the other cat is just as bad! A little kitten that lost it's way! Obviously a Kittypet!"
Yowls of agreement broke out. Lionheart whispered something in Rusty's ear, then stepped back.
Rusty launched himself on the pale tabby. They started squabbling in the dirt, one getting the upper paw, then the other. The pale tabby grabbed ahold of Rusty's collar, choaking Rusty. I launched myself onto the pale tabby as Rusty's collar broke. Then I easily rolled the pale tabby over on his back. I growled menacingly.
My claws were out, pressing lightly on the pale tabby's neck. His pulse was racing. With one final glare, I stepped off of the pale tabby.
"I am not a Kittypet, kitten, and I will defend my clan with my lives." I growl at him, then sit up silently, my tail curling over my paws daintily.
"Starclan has decided that these two young cats should join us. The young Tom shall be now known as Firepaw, in honor of his flame colored pelt. The young she-cat will be known as Shadowpaw. Runningwind, do you accept the role of mentoring her?" Bluestar asked.
"I do" Runningwind replied.
"Then she is now your apprentice. I hope you pass on all the skills Swiftbreeze taught you, and I hope she shows Loalty to her clan.'' Bluestar meowed as she jumped down from the Highrock.
I walked over to Runningwind and touched noses with him, guessing as to what we were supposed to do. And I was correct.
"Firepaw! Shadowpaw! Firepaw! Shadowpaw!" The clan cats yowled, Greypaw one of the loudest.
All the apprentices went to their den after the ceremony. I heard rustling and another cat scent. My ears flicked up as I heard it coming closer.
A warning yowl by a old grey cat erupted. A second later, a skinny cat burst through the bushes leading into the camp. His fur was complete black except for his tail, which had a white tip. His fur was ragged, blood marking woundsd.
The cat staggered across the clearing as the group of cats came to greet the new arrival.
Bluestar stepped forward to greet the new cat. "Ravenpaw? What has happened?" Bluestar meowed softly, jumping up on Highrock. "Speak Ravenpaw!"
Ravenpaw was struggling to breathe, but he took a deep breath anyway.
"Redtail is Dead!" He yowled, and silence filled the clan.
