Sunflower's Past

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sunpaw yawned as sunlight burst through the apprentice den's entrance. Sunpaw watched as Forestpaw shifted in her sleep, muttering about a mouse. She stifled a purr as Forestpaw's legs moved as if she was running. Sunpaw lifted herself to her paws and walked out of the den.

The clearing was filled with cats, and Sunpaw lifted her head to see Fernstar at the top of a rock. He nodded towards her before yowling, "All cats old enough to catch their own prey come for a clan meeting!"

Most of the cats were already gathered and Sunpaw watched in amusement as Forestpaw, Weedpaw, and Treepaw dragged themselves out of the apprentice den. Forestpaw's eyes cleared as they meet Sunpaws.

"I bet this is about your new mentor." Forestpaw meowed excitedly. Sunpaw turned her attention to Fernstar as he began to speak.

"Cats of FernClan, we welcome Sunpaw to our clan as an apprentice. As some of you know, she is from FlameClan, but this doesn't mean she is who they are. Sunpaw will need a mentor to continue her apprenticeship. Sunpaw and Lilyheart, come here." Fernstar instructed. Sunpaw got to her paws shakily but found herself padding up to Fernstar with a white and brown patched she-cat.

Fernstar eyed the two of them closely. "Lilyheart, will you continue the apprenticeship of Sunpaw?" He asked.

Lilyheart dipped her head in understanding. "Yes."

"And Sunpaw, will you train under Lilyheart to become an apprentice of FernClan?" Fernstar asked. Sunpaw felt the stares of the clan on her.

"Yes." She answered clearly. It was a strange apprentice ceremony, but she had been an apprentice of FlameClan before FernClan, so maybe the ceremony wasn't a ceremony at all.

Wait, what and who is FlameClan? Isn't it supposed to be Blaze...BlazeClan? Sunpaw thought to herself. She shook her head to try and get rid of her thoughts. She was in FernClan now. This was her new home.

Sunpaw turned to Lilyheart, well aware that the chantings of her name had ended and cats were now organizing into patrols. "What are we going to do first?" Sunpaw asked simply. Lilyheart's eyes focused on her own, and Sunpaw noticed they were a light brown.

"I'm going to show you the territory." Lilyheart answered. She gestured with her tail for Sunpaw to follow her and they padded past the entrance and outside of camp.

"Keep up." Was all Lilyheart meowed as she started to run. Sunpaw followed her new mentor, her paws moving swiftly. Lilyheart suddenly stopped at a scent Sunpaw recognized.

"This is FlameClan's border, which I'm sure you noticed." Lilyheart meowed. She started moving again and this time Sunpaw had to work to catch up with her. Lilyheart had smug look to her as her apprentice caught up.

"Your faster than some apprentices." Lilyheart commented. Sunpaw didn't try to answer, though she quickly catched her breath. Lilyheart gestured to the clearing in front of them. "This is the training grounds."

Sunpaw's ears perked up at the word training and she looked over the clearing carefully, taking note of the short grass and even ground. She almost didn't notice that her mentor was on the move again.

Lilyheart let out a long purr of amusement as Sunpaw came to a stop next to Lilyheart. Sunpaw stood there panting, and she looked up at Lilyheart and rolled her eyes. She couldn't help letting out a purr too.

Lilyheart lead her around the rest of the territory and they covered it all quickly. Lilyheart seemed to have boundless energy and she was obviously a newly made warrior. Sunpaw managed to not lose her but as she padded into the apprentice den, her paws were heavy and her head drooped. She dropped into her nest and was long asleep by the time Forestpaw came in.

Forestpaw purred as she watched her new denmate. The fun they would have together! Lilyheart must have worked Sunpaw hard because Forestpaw was almost always asleep first. Forestpaw let out a low purr and nestled into her nest gratefully.

As the clan slept, the threat of greencough grew larger as Cloudfern and Oakclaw coughed in Sticktail's den. Mosspaw looked up at his mentor fearfully.

"Its speading around the clans, isn't it?" Mosspaw meowed. Sticktail nodded sadly.

"It is, but maybe we can prevent it, there is a lot of catmint in the storage and..."

"You don;'t have to do that, Sticktail. I wish there was a way too, but if the catmints not working we don't have to pretend it will." Mosspaw interrupted.

Sticktail studied his apprentice before replying, "You'll make a fine medicine cat, Mosspaw. Now, get some sleep whiile you can." Mosspaw obeyed and alid down on his nest, his thoughts troubled towards the arrival of the new apprentice and greencough. Whatever a FlameClan cat was doing in FernClan couldn't be good, and he vowed to protect his clan from her and the greencough.

-There's a longer chapter! Your treat for all the short ones you've had to put up with the whole time. Hope this gives some insight to the threat of greencough-    Moonflier