Warriors: Storm Coming - Rising Dawn

Chapter 1

Emberpaw woke up in her nest in the apprentices den. Her brother was pressed against her; his warm body provided warmth for Emberpaw. His familiar scent drifted into the air. Emberpaw felt at peace.

Before she could get a chance to close her eyes to lay back down, she saw a flash of dark fur out of the corner of her eyes. She turned her head, her focus on the new figure. Ambernose stood in the den. "Emberpaw, would you like to go hunting?"

Emberpaw nodded. Drowsily, she stood up. She arched her back in a stretch before opening her jaws in a yawn. "Let's go," Ambernose meowed. He began to head out of the den.

Emberpaw followed in pursuit. As she padded out, she cast a final glance at the apprentices den made of flowers and brambles. She wished she could still be curled up besides her brother.

Ambernose and Emberpaw padded along the moor before Ambernose came to a stop, his nose twitching slightly. "I think this is a good spot." he meowed.

Emberpaw opened her mouth while sniffing the air. It felt good to be out in the fresh air. The wind ruffled her fur slightly. She scented a rabbit and instantly dropped down on all fours. Her tail shot straight out, right above the ground. She creeped forward, her belly barely brushing the underbrush. She kept sniffing the air until she figured out where the rabbit was. She prepared for the leap; she crept forward a bit more before leaping up. She shot into the air and quickly pounced onto the rabbit, trapping it between her paws before it could flee.

She delivered a killing bite to the neck with her sharp teeth. She stood back up, holding the rabbit in her jaws.

"Good job!" Ambernose meowed.

Emberpaw just nodded in acknowledgment, her mouth full. She dropped the rabbit at her paws. She dug up a hole and then gently pushed the rabbit in with her paw. She filled the hole before marking the hole with her scent marker so she could relocate her catch.

She began to open her mouth again, tasting the air. So far, she could only smell the fresh scent of grass. There's got to be something! she thought. She kept padding around the moor, sniffing the air for any sign of prey.

She scented another rabbit. She dropped down into hunting crouch one again and kept still, scenting the air to figure out where the rabbit could be. She located the rabbit finally and creeped up behind it. She leaped up into the air and landed onto the rabbit, trapping it. She bit its neck, killing it.

"You've done great." Ambernose meowed.

"Thank you." Emberpaw meowed through her mouth which was full of rabbit. The delicious scent made her want to take a huge bite but she held back, despite her mouth watering. She knew she had to feed the elders and queens first, unless she had permission from her mentor.

"Let's get these back to camp." Ambernose meowed.

Emberpaw dropped the rabbit and then padded over to the hole she marked. She dug it up with her paws and retrieved the rabbit. Ambernose picked up the rabbit while Emberpaw carried the other rabbit she caught.

Walking into camp, she dropped both her catches into the fresh-kill pile which was full of warm, fresh prey that made Emberpaw's mouth practically water.

Emberpaw resisted and grabbed a thrush, she padded into the elders den. 

Rabbitpelt and Prickleclaw were sat down in front of Mothkit and Honeykit in the large spacious den. "—then Hawkfrost attacked Ivypool. Ivypool put up a fierce fight but still was about to lose. Hollyleaf however saved her. Unfortunately—" Rabbitpelt meowed.

Emberpaw knew she was telling the story of the Great Battle that happened many, many moons ago. The story had been passed on by elders and now kits heard it all the time. Emberpaw herself liked hearing stories. Unfortunately as an apprentice she didn't have time to sit in the elders den all day and listen to stories.

"Here, I brought you this." Emberpaw meowed, dropping the thrush she held in front of Rabbitpelt and Prickleclaw.

"Thank you," Prickleclaw meowed as Rabbitpelt began to continue telling the story.

Emberpaw headed out of the elders den and decided to get a piece of prey for herself, after all she had fed the elders. She picked up a nice, warm rabbit. The scent alone made her hungry. She laid down and began to tear into the rabbit, taking swift bites as she gulped it down.

Ambernose padded past but stopped as he saw Emberpaw. "Can you go on the patrol later?" Ambernose meowed.

Emberpaw nodded, her mouth full. As Ambernose walked away, she continued to eat. She had been starving, but the delicious taste of prey in her mouth had eased down her hunger.

"Before we know it, you'll eat the whole fresh-kill pile."

Emberpaw turned her head to see Thistlepaw. "That would be you," Emberpaw meowed in response.

"Whatever." Thistlepaw purred.

"Why don't you do something like hunt?" Emberpaw suggested. "If I'm going to eat the whole fresh-kill pile, I need you to stock it up."

Thistlepaw let out a mrrow of amusement before padding away.

The sound of pawsteps had caught Emberpaw's attention. Sagestar had leaped onto the high branch. "All cats gather under the Moontree!" Petalflight took his special place at the roots of the tree.

Emberpaw got up and padded forward to join her clanmates while sitting at the bottom of the tree. They all looked up at Sagestar. Cedarkit eagerly sat down beside Emberpaw, his light brown pelt brushing against her silver pelt.

"Cedarkit, please come up to the roots of the Moontree." Sagestar meowed.

Cedarkit confidently walked up to the roots of the tree and sat down, staring up at Sagestar with glowing amber eyes.

"Cedarkit, 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 Cedarpaw. Your mentor will be Quicksong. I hope Quicksong will pass down all they know on to you."

Quicksong! My mother! Emberpaw thought.

Quicksong padded up to sit beside Cedarpaw as Sagestar continued, "Quicksong, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Sunburst, and you have shown yourself to be brave and intelligent. You will be the mentor of Cedarpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Cedarpaw."

Quicksong turned to Cedarpaw and leaned forward to rest her muzzle on his head. Cedarpaw leaned forward in turn and gave her shoulder a respectful lick. Quicksong got up and went over to sit back down beside Halfdawn. Cedarpaw walked over and sat back down beside Emberpaw. Emberpaw could practically feel excitement radiating off him.

"Fernkit, please come up to the roots of the Moontree." Sagestar meowed.

Fernkit nervously padded up to the tree and sat down at the roots, glancing up at Sagestar. Her eyes showed nervousness mixed with excitement.

"Fernkit, 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 Fernpaw. Your mentor will be Rowancloud. I hope Rowancloud will pass down all they know on to you."

Rowancloud padded up to Fernpaw and sat down by her side.

"Rowancloud, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Ravenfall, and you have shown yourself to be strong and courageous. You will be the mentor of Fernpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Fernpaw." Sagestar meowed.

Rowancloud rested his muzzle gently on Fernpaw's head and she respectfully licked his shoulder.