Willowflame's Begining

Chapter 2

"Iceshadow! Stop licking us! We're clean enough!" Whined Nutkit, "Stop!!!" He raced out of her grip.

Iceshadow purred and pushed them with her paw towards the Highledge .

"Everyone join under the Highledge for a clan meeting!"

Willowkit sprinted after her brothers and sat under the Highledge after bumping into Blazeclaw, who pushed her in the right direction.

"Petalpaw has earned her full medicine cat name, Petalwhisker! Heatherheart has  also decided to retire to the elders den. Also we are making three new apprentices. Cometkit, you will now be known as Cometpaw. Your new mentor will be Firepetal. Firepetal, you have learned many great talents from Daisyfire, and I hope you will pass them on to Cometpaw. Nutkit, you will be known as Nutpaw. Your new mentor will be Cinderleaf. Cinderleaf, Longflight has taught you well even though he is now with StarClan. I hope that you will pass on your knowledge to Nutpaw. Willowkit, you have proven to be the most special of all kits. Even though you are blind, you find a way to do everything and you are good at memorizing. Skywren will be your mentor. Skywren, you were my fifth apprentice. I taught you all I know and have learned. Pass it on to Willowpaw and learn new techniques from her." The new apprentices touched noses with their mentors as the rest of the clan cheered their names.

"Heatherheart, Petalwhisker, Willowpaw, Cometpaw, Nutpaw!" Mostly, Willowpaw heard Foxkit. His littermates, Brindlekit and Coalkit were born less than two moons after Willowpaw and her littermates were. Gorsepaw and Kestrelpaw became warriors two moons before and are now known as Gorseleaf and Kestreltail.

"Willowpaw! Come make a nest." Called Petalwhisker walking up. She put her tail on Willowpaw's shoulders and guided her to her new den.

That night, when Willowpaw fell asleep, she had a dream. She woke up in a field with tall grass blowing softly. "Where am I? And I can see! Wait, how can I see?" She turned around and saw another cat sitting behind her.

"You are in StarClan." The black-furred tom stood up. "And no, you're not dead. Do you want to prove your worth to your clan? To show them that you're not just some useless blind cat?"

"Is that what my clan thinks of me?" Willowpaw mewed softly, "I don't know." She replied, speaking louder now, "but I want to think about it."

The tom nodded, "I'll be here in your dreams, whenever."

Willowpaw woke back up in darkness to Skywren prodding her shoulder with her tail, "Time to train."

The two walked to the training area to meet up with Cometpaw and Nutpaw. "We will focus on each of you separately. First we will work out Willowpaw's weaknesses. Cometpaw and Nutpaw will try to pin you down while you have to try to stay standing. Do anything you can but no blood will be drawn or else you will be stuck in camp for two moons. Go."

On that signal, Willowpaw stretched her other senses and heard the sound of two soft breaths. Through the ground she felt them stepping lightly on the sides and their weight shifted to their hind legs. She felt them jump and a split second before they hit her, and leaped out of the way. As her brothers collided, she took the advantage, but without her eyesight, she had to feel the dust coming off the ground as they tumbled and leaped into the air and sailed on top of Nutpaw's back, pinning him down. Cometpaw saw this happening and tried to pull her off. Willowpaw's ears flicked to the side as Cometpaw leaped in the air and rolled out of the way just as Cometpaw landed on Nutpaw.

"Good enough for today. I like how Cometpaw and Nutpaw tried to use a stalking method, but how well Willowpaw used her other senses was amazing. Good job to all of you." The apprentices eyes shone at Cinderleaf's words. "But I believe Skywren was going on a border patrol with Willowpaw, Firepetal and Cometpaw. Me and Nutpaw will be hunting."

"We get to go on our first border patrol!" Said Cometpaw happily. "Who else is coming?"

"I believe it's just us." Replied Firepetal, "We're going along the WindClan border."

The small patrol stood at the border as Firepetal explained, "This is the WindClan border. They run over fields and chase rabbits for prey." Willowpaw felt the breeze on her whiskers as she sniffed the air.

"Firepetal, Skywren. What are you doing so close to the border?"

"Showing our apprentices the border on their first border patrol. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No. What are your names?"

"My name is Cometpaw. I have another brother named Nutpaw and this is my sister." Replied Cometpaw.

"I'm Willowpaw." Said Willowpaw with a polite nod.

"Willowpaw, Cometpaw, this is Windrush, Mudflame, Dustpaw and Dustyleaf. Mudflame is the one you were just talking to." Replied Skywren.

"Can't they see us?" Asked Dustpaw.

"I can, but Willowpaw is blind." Replied Cometpaw, walking to stand beside her.

"Then why isn't she a medicine cat?" She heard someone shove the one that asked.

"I don't know. That's for my leader to decide." She replied, her blind eyes blinking with astonishment. No one had ever asked her that.

"We better be on our way. We still have to finish our patrol." Said Firepetal, dipping her head. "Let's go."