Spirits on the Wind

Chapter 3

Minnowkit scrambled in his nest. He frantically got up to Wolfhaze's call. She immediately started to groom his fur to slick it down. Today was his apprentice ceremony. His claws flexed impatiently on the soft moss in the nursery.

"Okay now you will sit tall and make sure you smile." Wolfhaze walked in front of them and guided them out. Already Shadepaw and Fernpaw had gotten their warrior names, Shaderock, and Fernshdow.

Minnowkit smiled at his sisters but they didn't look at him twice. He lowered his head but he couldn't be sad, he was going to get to train soon!

"Cats of RiverClan. We have three special kits who are ready to be apprentices." Blossomstar kept talking about their kithood.

Minnowkit glanced around and saw Silverkit smiling at him. She was sitting next to Stripetail but he didn't even know it when stars bushes on his pelt. Minnowkit laughed and Silverkit giggled back. Then he payed attention to Blossomstar again.

"Graykit, Pebblekit, and Minnowkit. From this day until you get your warrior names, you will be known as Graypaw, Pebblepaw, and Minnowpaw. This has been requested though usually this wouldn't happen. Minnowpaw, you will be mentored by your father, Rippletalon." Blossomstar nodded happily. Minnowpaw looked surprised. Fathers weren't supposed to mentor their kits! And it was requested? What an honor, he thought. He reached up to touch noses with his father.

"Pebblepaw, your mentor will be Cherryfeather and Graypaw will be mentored by Eaglestrike! I know that you will mentor these precious apprentices well."

Minnowpaw watched as his sisters touched noses with their mentors. He caught a scowl from Pebblepaw, the older of the sisters.

He saw Silverkit flicking her tail for Minnowpaw to come over. "Father, may I go to the river for a drink?" Minnowpaw asked Rippletalon.

He nodded and then said, "Report back here when you are finished. Then we will leave to explore."

"Thank you." With that, Minnowpaw trotted out of camp.

He was tackled. He looked up to see who pinned him. Silverkit stood over him. "Minnowpaw! We did it! We are apprentices!"

"Wait you're telling me that you are Silverpaw now?!" He asked excitedly and got up.

"Yes! You've got that right! I told you I'd come...and I did!" She laughed.

"I see that." Minnowpaw meowed and shook his fur and laughed.

After a couple days of exploring, hunting, and trying to learn the basics of fighting, Minnowpaw was worn out. He sat in camp enjoying a thrush. He looked up and saw Smokepaw and his mentor, Petalrise. Smokepaw carried a small trout in his jaws.

Minnowpaw watched Pebblepaw run up to greet the other apprentice. Smokepaw put down the trout and said something to her. Then she raced off to a bush where Minkpaw was sitting. It's been a while since the death of Fallowkit but Minkpaw was still a little down.

Minnowpaw got to his paws and started walking, not really watching where he was going. He ran into a wall of multicolored fur. "Sorry Brookspring." He meowed looking up and the pretty, young she cat.

"No no, my fault." She purred and helped him to his paws. "Hey I'm going hunting with Rippletalon if you want to come!" She meowed.

"Sure. Let me go to fur place first." Minnowpaw replied. She nodded and he started to walk away.

When he walked out of the dirtplace tunnel, he saw Brookspring and Rippletalon talking.

"There he is!" Brookspring purred.

"Ready Minnowpaw?" Rippletalon asked getting up from his sitting position.

Minnowpaw nodded eagerly.

"Alright let's go!" Rippletalon bounded out of camp beside Brookspring, their pelt almost brushing. Minnowpaw ran behind them.

Soon, Minnowpaw veered off alone, seeing a sparrow. He crept up on from behind a bush but a familiar scent washed over him and a silver pelt leapt out behind him and snatched a claw of the bird. Silverpaw brought it down like a phantom and pride shone in her eyes.

"Hey that was mine!" Minnowpaw teased and bounded over to her. "Nice catch by the way! You came out of nowhere!"

"See, that's my specialty." Silverpaw laughed. "Do you want to hunt with me some more? It'll really surprise the clan when you come back to camp with two cats' prey."

"Yeah! That would be awesome!" He meowed and sniffed the air. He smelled no birds in the area. "Uh maybe we could fish. Or thee might be some more birds that way." He flicked his tail.

"Yeah, I like catching birds. But then we could fish." Silverpaw nodded.

The two trotted toward the other clearing where the birds mostly were. Minnowpaw spotted dead and crouched behind a bush, pulling Silverpaw down next to him.

"What?" She hissed lightly

"Shhh..." He hushed her with his tail and peeked through the branches of the bush. Rippletalon had Brookspring pinned to the ground. Minnowpaw had no clue whether he was hurting her or whether they were play fighting. Then one thing explained it all; Rippletalon touched his muzzle to Brooksprings'. Minnowpaw let out a gasp of disbelief. Even more so, he head what they were saying!

Brookspring was purring. "I love you Rippletalon." She meowed.

Then to Minnowpaw's horror, Rippletalon replied "I love you too."

Minnowpaw turned around and fled through the bushes toward the river.