A Spark in the Night, part one: The Spark Ignites

Chapter four

"And finally," finished Emberstar, "Softpaw, your mentor will be Spekleheart."

Softpaw stepped forward to touch noses with her new mentor. Speckeheart had so many light and dark brown spots, in so many shades, it was impossible to know what her pelt color really was. Her new mentor smiled at her, looking proud to have an apprentice.

"Where are we going first?" Softpaw immediately asked.

Spekleheart looked down at her. "A tour of some of our territory," she mewed.

Softpaw skipped with excitement. "Let's go right now!"

They padded off with Shinepaw, Featherpaw and their mentors, Stickleaf, a brown and white tom, and Sparkflame, a ginger she-cat.

"This is the Heather Field," meowed Sparkflame, pointing with her tail at the stretch of land thriving with heather.

At this point dusk was nearing. "Why does it smell like NightClan?" asked Shinepaw.

"How do you know what NightClan smells like?" Stickleaf answered his apprentice's question with one of his own.

"Cats from border patrols bring scents to camp on their pelts," shrugged Softpaw.

"Anyway," mewed Stickleaf, "You can scent NightClan because we recently took it back from them. They've started trying to take it."

Featherpaw widened her eyes. "NightClan stole territory?"

Sparkflame nodded. "They started, and might never stop. They seem so sure it should be their territory, because the grass is a darker green, like in their territory." He seemed to think the idea and reason were dumb.

They are! Softpaw thought to herself, growling. I'll rip the pelts off of any NightClan cat who tries to steal our territory. "Let's head back now," mewed Sparkflame.

The six cats turned and headed back to camp.

It was a few nights after her first day as an apprentice, and Softpaw was bouncing on her paws. "I can't believe Emberstar and Bluemist picked us to go to the Gathering!" she mewed to Featherpaw and Shinepaw, who were both visibly just as excited as she was.

"Okay," she heard the Clan leader's meow "Let's get going." The cats picked for the gathering headed off.

"Let the gathering begin," announced Dewstar, BloomClan's leader. "Prey is running well in BloomClan. We have one new warrior. Ripplepaw's new name is Ripplestram."

There were no unusual tensions among the Clans, so Ripplestram's cheering was loud and welcoming. "Ripplestream! Ripplestream!"

Softpaw turned around and saw a silver and blue tom sitting with the BloomClan cats, looking a little shy.

She made her way towards him. "Hi, are you Ripplestram?"

The tom nodded.

"I'm Softpaw. It's my first gathering."

Ripplestream smiled. "I remember my first like it was only last green-leaf."

"That's because it was," Softpaw heard a voice from about a fox-length away

. "Ignore that flea-brain."

Softpaw couldn't help but snicker.

Ripplestram smiled. "Oh, you think that's funny?" he asked with playful indignation.

She heard Emberstar's voice, and turned to look at the BloomClan warrior. "Ripplestram, shush! He's going to tell everybody that I'm an apprentice!"

Emberstar looked down at the cats at the gathering. "MistClan has three new apprentices. Please welcome Featherpaw, Softpaw, and Shinepaw, Willowleaf's and Stormclaw's kits."

The cats begin to cheer, "Featherpaw! Softpaw! Shinepaw!"

Softpaw could make out two slightly different chants, there was Ripplestram's: "Softpaw! Softpaw!"

And Leafpaw and Grasspaw's: "Featherpaw! Mouse-brain! Shinepaw!" Softpaw scowled at them.

What felt like only a few heartbeats later, Shadestar of TideClan brought the gathering to a close. "Bye, Ripplestram."

"Bye, Softpaw."

On the way back, Softpaw chatted excitedly with Shinepaw and Featherpaw about their first gathering.