Icestar's Rise

Chapter 14

Icepelt groomed her kits until they looked perfect. Today was the day they were made apprentices. "Let all cats able to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" Oakstar yowled. All the cats gathered. Squirrelflight was sitting beside her kits proudly. "Today we have three apprentices ready to be made warriors. Scorchpaw, Hawkpaw, and Volepaw step forward!" the three apprentices walked forward. "Starclan, these three apprentices have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Scorchpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend this clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Scorchpaw mewed confidently.

"Then from this day forward you will be known as Scorchbramble! Starclan honors your bravery and loyalty and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan," Oakstar rested his muzzle on Scorchbramble's head and Scorchbramble licked his shoulder in return. "Hawkpaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to defend this clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Hawkpaw replied loudly.

"Then from this day forward you will be known as Hawkwing! Starclan honors your reasoning and cunning and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan," Oakstar rested his muzzle on Hawkwing's head and Hawkwing licked his shoulder in return. "Volepaw do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do!" Volepaw replied determined.

"Then from this day forward you will be known as Voleclaw! Starclan honors your honesty and enthusiasm and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan," Oakstar rested his muzzle on Voleclaw's head and she licked his shoulder in return.

"Scorchbramble! Hawkwing! Voleclaw! Scorchbramble! Hawkwing! Voleclaw!" the clan cheered. Squirrelflight looked at her kits proudly.

"We also have three kits ready to become apprentices! Miraclekit, Wishkit, and Thistlekit come forward!" Icepelt and Darkheart's kits walked forward with their parents watching proudly. "Miraclekit from this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Miraclepaw. Amberheart will be your mentor," Miraclepaw and Amberheart touched noses. "Wishkit form this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Wishpaw! Blossomfall will be your mentor," Wishpaw and Blossomfall touched noses and Thitstlekit stood alone. "Thistlekit from this day until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Thistlepaw! Rosepetal will be your mentor," Thistlepaw touched noses with Rosepetal and stepped back to join his siblings.

"Miraclepaw! Wishpaw! Thistlepaw!" the clan cheered for the new apprentices.

Icepelt went up to her kits and purred. "I'm so proud of you three!" Darkheart purred as well and licked the top of his kits' heads. "I promised you would get the mentors you wanted!"

Darkheart whispered something to his kits and left. "Come on Miraclepaw! You, me, Rosepetal, and Thistlepaw are going to take a tour of the territory!" Amberheart called. Miraclepaw and Thistlepaw ran over and left with Rosepetal.

"Wishpaw! Come on! You have to clean the elders den!" Blossomfall called. Wishpaw ran over to her mentor and Icepelt went over to Oakstar.

"Where was Whitewing during the ceremony?" she asked. "I didn't see her," Oakstar looked up at Icepelt.

"Whitewing was out with Birchfall. She had just told me she didn't want to be deputy anymore," Oakstar sighed. "If I make the cat I'm thinking of deputy the other clans and some of our cats will want to start war about it," Oakstar shook his head sadly.

Icepelt nudged her leader's side. "Our cats will respect your decisions. It's not like any cat would want to challenge you with the strongest cats in the clan backing you up," Oakstar nodded his head.