warriors: in the trees

chapter sixteen, moon eleven

"I mean, it was bound to happen at some point," Floweringpaw remarked. "Have you seen the way they act around each other?"

Thrushpaw nodded, but in reality, he hadn't paid much attention. Stella had only been at the camp for three moons, and now she was pregnant with Thunderleg's kits.

Floweringpaw stopped talking as Stella, with a swollen belly, entered the clearing and greeted Thrushpaw's mentor happily.

Thrushpaw had noticed his sisters acting strange around the two of them for a few days now. They kept disappearing to whisper to each other, as well as to Puddlepaw and Hazelfeather. However, Puddlepaw was now sitting under the Low Tree with her imbecile of a sister. Thrushpaw was happy that Puddlepaw was finally getting her warrior name, however, the last few days that had been filled with Morningpaw being busy with her assessments felt like Thrushpaw had died and gone to StarClan.

Morningpaw was standing with her back towards the Low Tree, facing her clanmates with a self-satisfied, snarky expression on her face. Her slicked-back white fur made her look like a ghostly apparition, and her demeanor was as intimidating as one. Thrushpaw immediately averted his gaze when Morningpaw's eyes met his own, knowing all too well that she would assign him unfair and ridiculous tasks as soon as she received her warrior name.

Applestar, who had newly lost a lot of weight and looked rather frail, leaped up to the Low Tree with a surprising burst of energy. He cleared his throat to capture everyone's attention, and most importantly, to make Morningpaw turn in the correct direction.

"Cats of LavenderClan young and old, gather beneath the Low Tree for a meeting under the stars!" Applestar yowled, encouraging any rogue cat still left in their dens to wander out into the clearing. Briarpaw plopped down next to Floweringpaw, Thistlefang on her other side.

Applestar began the meeting. "LavenderClan is blessed to be growing so quickly. Stella would like to formally announce her pregnancy with Thunderleg's kits!"

The crowd burst into cheers, and amidst the praise, the voices of Stella's closest friends - Hollyfire, Willowtuft, and Hauntedwhisker - were the loudest. Thrushpaw too joined in, but in a subdued way, not wanting to hog the limelight. Stella, her silver fur sleek and practically glowing, acknowledged the cheers with a contented purr.

As Thrushpaw sat in the clearing of LavenderClan, his thoughts wandered to the day when Stella had joined the clan. He vividly remembered her mentioning a kit that had passed away during their journey to LavenderClan. The thought had struck him- would the kit be able to make it to StarClan, especially with no clan background? It was a question that had been on his mind ever since.

"Continuing on," Applestar silenced, "Sootshadow, Doefoot, and I have agreed that it is time to give Puddlepaw and Morningpaw their warrior names.

"Puddlepaw?" Applestar beckoned. Thrushpaw couldn't see the she-cat's face, but he guessed it was plastered with anticipation and hopeful wonder.

"Yes?"

"Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?" Applestar meowed, his voice firming and unwavering, unlike the last ceremony he held.

"I do."

Applestar nodded in response, a regal flash of approval making its way onto his expression.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Puddlepaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Puddleskip. StarClan honors your intelligence and resilience, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LavenderClan."

Thrushpaw held his breath as he watched Puddleskip's sister wait to claim her warrior name. Applestar looked down on the apprentice as if he was debating not giving her one at all.

"Morningpaw. Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your clan, even at the cost of your life?"

"I do."

Applestar exhaled, not so much to be classified as a sigh. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Morningpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Morningtail. StarClan honors your... perseverance and ferocity, and we welcome you as a full warrior of LavenderClan."

The rain began to drizzle over the LavenderClan camp. Thrushpaw shuddered as the cool droplets began to melt into his fur. It seemed that Puddleskip and Morningtail's warrior ceremony had officially begun the season of Leaf-Fall. Thrushpaw basked in the light mist, grateful that the cla had survived the dry summer.

The cats in the clearing began their usual good-hearted cheering for the new warriors. "Puddleskip! Morningtail!" Thunderleg started, soon accompanied by Sunclaw, Firsky, and Marshsound. Sootshadow gave her formal apprentice Puddleskip a congratulatory purr, Doefoot following suit with Morningtail.

After the clearing started to clear out, Thunderleg called Thrushpaw to train. "Everyone knows that you're a great hunter, Thrushpaw," he had said as the two entered the grotto. "I think it's time to work on some fighting moves."

Thrushpaw had obviously trained for fighting before and had even been in a battle, but the apprentice's actual skill with combat was mediocre at best.

"I know you have that great warrior in you," Thunderleg meowed. Thrushpaw winced at the remark about his ancestry. "I mean, it's just the warrior spirit. You just can't... I mean, you're getting held back by..." Thunderleg paused. "I think that-"

"I'm too nice?" Thrushpaw finished. "Too scared? Trust me, I know," the golden tom snapped, turning his back to his mentor. There was no denying it. Thrushpaw didn't like hurting things, especially other cats who he had no reason to be fighting.

Thunderleg cleared his throat. "Well, Thrushpaw, I'm your mentor. I'm kinda supposed to, y'know, help you with this stuff."

Thrushpaw let out a deep and frustrated sigh, feeling annoyed by several things. Firstly, he was tired of being treated like a little kitten by everyone around him. He was a young cat, and he knew he had a lot to learn, but he wished they would give him more respect and trust him to handle more responsibilities.

Secondly, he was tired of everyone remembering Moonstar, the legendary cat who had once led their clan. They refused to accept that just because Thrushpaw was one of his descendants did not mean he possessed the same abilities. Thrushpaw was different, and he wished they would see that and stop comparing him to Moonstar.

Thirdly, he was suspicious of Briarpaw and Floweringpaw, two of his closest friends who seemed to be hiding something from him. They would often exchange glances and whispers when he was around, and Thrushpaw couldn't shake off the feeling that they were keeping something important from him.

"Alright, let's fight," Thrushpaw agreed reluctantly, hoping that training would help him clear his head and focus on something positive. The two toms then spent the rest of the day training together, pushing themselves to their limits until the sun went down. Despite his frustrations, Thrushpaw felt a sense of accomplishment and pride in his growth.

Thrushpaw's heart ached as he reminisced about the loss of his fellow clanmate, Hailpelt, in a fierce battle against JadeClan. The young apprentice couldn't help but wonder if he could have done something to prevent the tragedy if he had received better training. However, after a moment of reflection, Thrushpaw came to the realization that it was not his fault. He let out a deep sigh as he watched Thunderleg disappear into the night with the moonlight casting a mesmerizing glow on his ginger fur. Thrushpaw dug his sharp claws into the soft dirt, feeling a mix of sadness and determination to become a stronger warrior.

He was going to find out what Floweringpaw and Briarpaw were keeping from him, Thrushpaw decided, and he slowly began to make his way back to camp.