Warrior Cats: Shadows into Light (book 1)

Chapter 6

Nightkit awoke from her mother's side, last night was the blizzard. Dawnkit was always wake in the mornings while Duskkit refused to wake in mornings. Nightkit nudged her mother awake "Mama? Is anything wrong outside?" Iceheart looked at her shrugged and got up to peak through the brambles. Nightkit waited for her mama and she finally strode over. "The snow isn't deep enough for you to not have your apprentice ceremony, but it also isn't deep enough for you to not deliver mouse bile to the elders," she meowed. "Ok ok I am going to the elders. When did Foreststar say I will get my apprentice ceremony?" Nightkit meowed questionably. "Sun high. Now run along and get that mouse bile  to the elders," Iceheart meowed in response. Nightkit walked into the elders den and got the mouse bile, but today Smokepaw was not in a good mood. "I want Blackleap. He has the least ticks," he meowed with a slight hiss in his voice. "Yea well he is my kin," she retorted. "Half-clan kit," he snarled at her, his green eyes burning. Nightkit began to cry at this remark and took a different elder. Smokepaw felt bad after what he said to her. She was just a kit after all. Nightkit had stopped crying by now and looked up seeing it was sun high and she started bouncing around in happiness. "What are you happy about?" he meowed. "My apprentice ceremony is around this time," she mewed. Nightkit waited and she heard her mother calling for her. She bolted out into the snow and landed right in front of her mother. "It is time. Your brothers are ready," Iceheart meowed and started licking each kit with emotion in her eyes. "All cats old enough to catch their prey gather beneath the high cliff," Foreststar yowled from the top of the small cliff. All the cats gathered under the cliff looking up at their leader. "Nightkit, Dawnkit, and Duskkit join me on the high cliff," he meowed. Each kit he called up sat up beside him with excited looks on their small faces. "Nightkit, Dawnkit, and Duskkit you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw, Dawnpaw, and Duskpaw. Nightpaw your mentor will be   Heatherheart. Dawnpaw your mentor will be Iceheart. Duskpaw your mentor will be Thornnight. I hope these warriors will pass down all they know on to you apprentices. Heatherheart, Iceheart, Thornnight, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You all will be the mentor of these apprentices, I expect you to pass on all you know to these apprentices," Foreststar finished the ceremony with a proud meow. All of the cats chanted the apprentice's names. The apprentices each touched their mentors noses and Foreststar gave them a lick behind the ear. Each mentor began to lead them outside of the camp to show them around. Heatherheart lead her around and showed her all of the forest and the best hunting spots. "Ok now I will show you how to hunt," Heatherheart mewed and Nightpaw nodded. Heatherheart spotted a rabbit nibbling on some ferns. "Make sure your paws are silent and you lay low. Rabbits, Squirrels, and mice can sense vibrations on the forest floor if you are too loud," she whispered. Once again Nightpaw nodded not wanting to disturb the rabbit. Heatherheart pounced on the rabbit biting in to it's neck killing it instantly. "Can I try," Nightpaw asked. She nodded in response to her question. She copied her mentor and her hunting stance she pounced on the vole she targeted. My first catch as an apprentice! I will remember this spot forever. 

Art by: Maplespyder