Warriors: The Clans Curse, The Second Sight (Book 1 Fanfiction)

Chapter 5

"Let all cats old enough to hunt, gather!" Yowled Orchidstar from the tree stump. Fallingkit and Yellowkit pad out from the nursery burrow and sit beside Sheepfur and Eagleheart with the other clan cats.

"Yellowkit, you have reached the age of six moons, it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your apprentice name, you will be known as Yellowpaw. Your mentor will be Riverstone. I hope Riverstone will pass down all she knows on to you." Orchidstar gave a short pause looking at Yellowpaw who was bouncing around eagerly.

"Riverstone, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Quailtail, and you have shown yourself to be reliable and caring. You will be the mentor of Yellowpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."Riverstone touched noses with Yellowpaw. The two then sit next to each other on the stump waiting for Orchidstar to finish the ceremony.

Fallingkit looked up to her sister Yellowpaw as she was apprenticed into the clan, the cold crisp breeze rushed through the clan sending Fallingkit a chill down her bare spine.

"Fallingkit," Yowled Orchidstar calling up the kit to the stump.

"You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time foryou to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your apprentice name, you will be known as Fallingpaw." Orchidstar took a long breath looming around in the crowd of cats for a suitable Mentor,

"Your mentor will be Rabbitsong. I hope she will pass down all she knows on to you." Quickly Rabbitsong bounded up onto the large stump and looked at Orchidstar cheerfully and then down to Fallingpaw who was shivering in the cold, chattering her teeth.

"Rabbitsong, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have received excellent training from Cypressfur, and you have shown yourself to be Nimble and Silent. You will be the mentor of Fallingpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

With mighty roar Cliffclan cheers Yellowpaw and Fallingpaw's new names, celebrating their arrival into the warrior code.

Yellowkit bounced around Riverstone eager to see what the clans' territory was like. "Can I see the territory!" Mewed Yellowkit

"Okay. But first we must wait for Rabbitsong and Fallingpaw,"ordered Riverstone.

Rabbitsong and Riverstone led the two apprentices to the camp entrance and pushed past the wisteria vines and into the camp boundaries. A meadow stretched as far as Fallingpaw could see, the scent of sweet wildflowers filled the air. The mountains loomed over the horizon, capped with dense white snow. The river forked and then connected to rush down into the camp, the pine forest was thriving with little pieces of prey, the marshes stunk and oozed mud, the willow trees swayed with the foggy breeze that slowly wandered around the swamp.

Fallingpaw shivered with the chilling breeze; her heart raced with curiosity, her yellow eyes blinked adjusting to the light, dark, fluffy clouds hung over the sun. The scent of damp moss filled the wind.

"Fallingpaw follow me quickly, you need to get use to your new surroundings, this is critical when planning attack moves in an area all the way to protecting your clan in the best and safest way possible." In formed Rabbitsong leaving Riverstone and Yellowpaw alone.

"Ah, that's really important" chattered Fallingpaw.

"Now our camp and our boundaries have tunnels all over the place. It makes a fantastic hide-away zone, but it also is a disadvantage if we are faced with intruders. As for uses of the tunnels, Medicine cats use them sometimes to get to places where warriors, queens, elders and apprentices are injured or sick."

"Amazing! So are we going into the tunnels?" Questioned Falligpaw

"No. We are going to the pine forest then the marshes."Mewed Rabbitsong.

Rabbitsong began to race through the meadow leading Fallingpaw into the entrance of the forest. Rabbitsong quickly halted tasting the air for any danger, while Fallingpaw padded slowly trying to catch up.

The trees loomed above reaching to the grey clouds as a small drizzle of rain began to splatter down. The full coverage of the trees protected the two from the cold water. Rabbitsong lead Fallingpaw on a worn down path leading to a small clearing.

"This is where training is held" informed Rabbitsong "when you are more experienced you will learn how to fight in the tunnels if you are lucky."

"Lucky?" Queried the curious apprentice.

"Well it's tight down there, only a few warriors can go down there, it all depends if you will be bulky or lean" replied Rabbitsong.

The tree coverage began to thin out Fallingpaw could feel the icywater splash onto her and slide off her back and head, she stopped and cleaned the water off her head and away from her eyes, making it easier to see. With a loud monstrous crash, thunder echoed through the forest. The sound of rushing water could faintly be heard.

Within a few fox-lengths, the stench of the swamp was putrid.

"Now this is the marsh, as you can clearly tell."Rabbitsong paused in paw steps and tasted the air once again "we should head back to the camp now, it will rain heavier soon."

The breeze ruffled through Yellowpaw's fur; she raced alongside Riverstone, the breeze raced alongside them, a strong stench filled her nose, it was putrid and sour leaving a bitter note in her mouth. The two stopped at the river; a swampy marsh was ahead of them, the river flow was small and clear where as the marsh was sludge oozing with a few trees offering little coverage.

"Hurry up Yellowpaw, once its done its done" meowed Riverstone from inside the marshes, Yellowpaw took a paw step into the river, the chilly water made her fur stand on end as she followed her mentor into the marsh. Mud clung to her fur making it hard forher to move as the wind dried it.

The clouds hung heavy and poured down making the mud watery, "At least Fallingpaw wasn't here when it was raining she would get sick. Starclan knows how it is with her." Yellowpaw thought she didn't mind the mud as much, she could understand why some cats dislike it, but she found it rather fun.

"What type of food do you hunt here" mewed Yellowpaw.

"Sometimes there are some birds and frogs. The clan mainly uses it to hide the scent of us when we go to get rid of badgers and foxes, it is very handy" replied Riverstone sniffing the air."

Yellowpaw followed Riverstone till the end of boundaries setting down markers. The two got out of the mud and into the stream washing the stench off their paws and tail.