The Ebony Jury (Warriors, Book 2)

Chapter 3

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

Hauntedkit blinked. Flamestar was standing on highrock, his ginger pelt flashing in the dawn sunlight. Rottenstar had died peacefully of old age in the four moons that had passed. My apprentice ceromony, Guessed Hauntedkit, joining the crowding cats. Great. He wasn't exactly joyed to be an apprentice. Its just what he had been going through, but with training and chores. Besides, he couldn't sleep in the corner of the den anymore. He had to sleep in a nest, apparently, because he had overheard Hollypaw complain that he had rolled onto the dirt ground in his sleep and woke up sore all over. At least Flowerpaw had been apprenticed two moons ago, so maybe Hauntedkit could make a friend with the cat he DEFINETLY DIDN'T HAVE A CRUSH ON so go SHUT UP if you think that.

Flamestar spoke. "Five ThunderClan kits have reached the age of six moons, and are now ready to be apprenticed. Bubblekit, Darkkit, Ironkit, Willowkit, and Hauntedkit, please step up."

The four littermates all let out squeals of excitement, and pushed past all of the other cats, who give out kind giggles. Hauntedkit's ears flattened nervously as he edged his way through his staring clanmates, their eyes raking his fur. He padded over to join the four other kits, and sat down, a little bit away from them.

"Bubblekit," Flamestar was saying. "From this moment on, until you recive your warrior name, you will be known as Bubblepaw. And your mentor will be Drypelt." Squealing with excitement, Bubblepaw rushed over to the mottled warrior and booped noses before sitting down next to Drypelt, his eyes bright.

Flamestar continued. "Darkkit, from this moment on, until you recive your warrior name, you will be known as Darkpaw. And your mentor will be Seedrise."

"Ironkit, from this moment on, until you recive your warrior name, you will be known as Ironpaw. And your mentor will be Mulchstorm."

"Willowkit, from this moment on, until you recive your warrior name, you will be known as Willowpaw. And your mentor will be Yellowfur."

Flamestar blinked, then began to edge his way down the rock. "Clan dismissed. I hope your mentors will share all that you know with you." Hauntedkit froze. I'm not being made an apprentice? Does the Clan really hate me that much? Luckily, the familiar voice of Treekit called loudly, "You forgot Hauntedkit!"

The Clan leader flinched, then nodded. "Oh, right." He edged back to the rock, his ginger pelt bristling. "Hauntedkit, from this moment on, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Hauntedpaw." He paused, scanning the crowd. Some cats had crept away, slinking into their dens, or flattening their ears and hanging their heads. "And..." Flamestar let out a sigh. "I will mentor you."

Hauntedpaw flattened his ears. Nobody wants to mentor me. Nobody even likes me. Not even Flamestar... he's only mentoring me because nobody else will.

Regardless, Hauntedpaw padded over to Flamestar, who had leapt down from the Highrock. He and the deputy, Grassfern, exchanged a glance. Hauntedpaw saw worry flash in Flamestar's gaze and annoyance in Grassfern's. Then, the Clan leader gradually let his fur lie flat, and touched his cold nose to Hauntedpaw's.

***

Hauntedpaw trotted after Flamestar. His mentor had stopped at a ditch. "This," Flamestar explained, "is the Sandy Hollow." Without looking over his shoulder at Hauntedpaw, the flame colored tom leapt, and disappeared within a moment. Hauntedpaw padded over to the edge, then nervously jumped down. He fell for a moment, then landed gracefully on the sandy ground, dust spraying everywhere. Hauntedpaw shook out his pelt before turning his slit gaze to his mentor, whom was sitting patiently.

"Alright." Prompted Flamestar. "This is the hunting crouch." He dropped into a low position, almost like laying down but his chin was above the ground, his belly fur barely brushing the sand. His tail hovered above ground and his ears were flattened.

Hauntedpaw blinked at him, then dropped into a crouch, trying his best to look exactly like his mentor.

"No, no." Flamestar growled, shaking his head. "Your rear is present to StarClan!"

Eeeeeee. Hauntedpaw quickly adjusted his position, raking his eyes against Flamestar's pose to make sure he did it exactly right. After about thirty seconds, Hauntedpaw spoke. "Is this good?" Please say yes please please-

"Yes, thats perfect." He was suprised to hear approval in Flamestar's mew.

Suddenly Flamestar flinched. His ears pricked. "What is it?" Whispered Hauntedpaw as Flamestar dropped into his crouch.

"Squirrel, over there." Flamestar hissed quietly. He turned to Hauntedpaw. "Go get it."

A nervous whimper caught in Hauntedpaw's throat. Self-consciously, he edged forward, spotting the squirrel. It was sitting on a root, its back turned to Hauntedpaw. Trembling a bit, Hauntedpaw adjusted his position til he knew it was perfect. Okay, just do it. Hauntedpaw let out a low hiss, then reared up on his hind legs and pounced. However, he did it at the wrong time, so he crashed down on the root instead. Scrambling to his paws, Hauntedpaw watched as the squirrel disappeared into a bush. Dang it! Hauntedpaw growled in his mind. Then, he noticed the squirrel's leg was caught on a loose thorn. Thinking quick, Hauntedpaw launched towards it, grabbed its fluffy tail, then waved it around til it let out a horrified shriek, then went limp.

Purring through the mouthful of fur, Hauntedpaw skidded over to Flamestar, who was glaring at him.

"Er..." Hauntedpaw stammered, dropping the squirrel. It landed on the ground with a thud at Flamestar's paws. "I- I caught the squirrel." Flamestar snapped at him. "You shook it around to kill it! It died slow and painfully! You need to show more respect for your prey!" Hauntedpaw shrank in his pelt. I- I... YOU BARELY TAUGHT MY ANYTHING!

"You- you didn't teach me HOW to kill it!" Hauntedpaw cried, his ears flattening. What did I do..? Its not my fault..!

Flamestar opened his mouth to snap at Hauntedpaw again, then closed it. "You're right," He growled at last. "Okay." He sat down again. "The killing bite is how to kill prey." Hauntedpaw barely heard him. He was too angry and sick of how his clanmates treated him like a viper about to kill. About to strike.