Trail through Shadows (Warriors fanfic)

New apprentice! New kits?

It was time for Ivykit's apprenticement finally! She was waiting outside the nursery den. Ivykits paws tingled. She was so ready to be able to protect and support her clan in every way she could. She had cut back the gnawing guilt she had for Owlkit not be apprenticed. She had told her brother the news yesterday and instead of taking it harshly he was excited. She let herself sink into that happy memory.

"Owlkit. I'm sorry Blackstar is going to apprentice me tomorrow and you won't be apprenticed with me because you were born later," She let the words flow looking at her brothers eyes with soft hurt.

"Really! My sister! You must be the luckiest kit ever! My sisters becoming an apprentice!" He had yowled with joy trotting around her. "Hey maybe you could be my mentor too! You can train me every night you come back so I'll be prepared to fight off any who dare trek on Shadowclan territory!"

Ivykit had purred and cuffed his ear softly and licked his forehead and she had participated in their last play fight as kits.

"Ivykit!" Tallpoppy's voice threated from behind her. "Your fur is a mess!" She rushed over licking over her long, tangly fur to a smooth sleeked back look.

"Tallpoppy I'm fine," Ivykit meowed irritably ducking away then realized Tallpoppy's rasp was getting worse. Her mother was getting older. However, the shine in Tallpoppy's eyes was without doubt pure happiness for her kit.

"Maybe Smokefoot will train you," Owlkit sounded from behind Tallpoppy and sat down. There was something in his eyes Ivykit couldn't detect. Was that jealousy?

"Let all cats of Shadowclan gather hear beneath large stone for a clan meeting!" Blackstar's voice rang through the camp. Was it time already? She quickly turned back to Owlkit but his expression had changed to joy and she purred and padded towards the front of the group of cats looking up to Blackstar. Large stone was a huge rock planted in the middle of the camp where all cats could look up to their leader as he gave announcements.

She looked among the front line of cats who sat with her. Could any of these cats be her mentor? Oakfur, Snowbird, Rowanclaw and Tawnypelt! Tawnypelt! The cat she adored! Her paws tingled with excitement until she realized Tawnypelt already had an apprentice, Whitepaw.

"I have called a clan meeting because we will be gaining a new apprentice today," Blackstar went on once everyone was settled. Ivykit heard some murmurs from the other cats. "Apprentice?" "Doesn't he mean apprentices?"

Oh no the clan was already doubting Tallpoppy's choice.

"Ivykit." Blackstar called.

Ivykit felt her paws get heavy as she stood up and padded towards large stone and then turned to face her clan. Murmurs seemed to grow louder and now she could watch as her clanmates search around for Owlkit.

"Ivykit has reached her seventh moon in camp and I believe it is time for her to be apprenticed," Blackstar explained. He then turned his head down to Ivykit just below him. "Ivykit from now on you'll be known as Ivypaw."

"Ivypaw! Ivypaw!" Ivypaw's head turned straight to the sound. It was Whitepaw! Her soon to be new denmate was cheering for her! Snakepaw and Ratpaw quickly joined in. Once their voices died down Blackstar carried on.

"I hope that Starclan watch over you and guide you in the path of a true Shadowclan warrior." His voice lingered on Shadowclan confusing Ivypaw for just a heartbeat.

"Rowanclaw, it is so soon after you apprenticed Kinkfur, but I know you have the true heart and skill to teach Ivypaw to be the best warrior there is." He nodded his head to the larger ginger tom who was padding towards Ivypaw.

"I will train Ivypaw as I have trained Kinkfur with pure determination and and extreme passion for Shadowclan," Rowanclaw reached his forepaw out towards hers as a tradition of becoming an apprentice. She raised her opposite forepaw and dabbed it on his large, rougher one and sheathed their claws for the smallest amount of time and then Ivypaw dipped her head to her mentor.

There was silence that followed until Owlkit yowled. "Ivypaw!" And the rest of the clan joined in excitedly.

"I have another announcement!" Blackstar called before any cat could move. "In the incident of Whitepaw losing her sight in one eye. I believe that I should be her new mentor. I am the same shade of her and I had an infected eye once and know how it is too be blind for a certain amount of time." Most cats eyes quickly shot to Tawnypelt. "Tawnypelt you have served this apprentice well, but I believe it is my duty to take her on as my own."

Oh no! This was Tawnypelts chance to prove she was a worthy Shadowclan warrior and it was taken from her. How could Blackstar be so cruel?

"I heard she's expecting Rowanclaw's kits." Ivypaw heard Snowbird meowing to her mother.

Tawnypelt expecting Shadowclan kits? Maybe she wasn't that much of an outsider she thought Tawnypelt was.

"Come on. You'll need a quick tour of the territory. You'll be joining the patrol to the gathering tonight," Rowanclaw meowed into her ear as the cats started to disperse back to their duties.

Ivypaw nodded and both her mentor and her headed out of the pine tunnel for Ivypaw's second time, but now she was an apprentice!