Warrior Cats Fanfiction- Ripples of Fear

Chapter 7

It was a still leaf-bare morning, an occasional cold wind that whistled through the camp or the sound of a fish splashing in the river, which had small icebergs in it by now.

"Let all cats old enough to swim gather here beneath the High Tree for a Clan meeting!" Froststar's yowl ripped through the silence of the dawn.

  Echostep lifted her head suddenly, shock in her gaze. "Oh!" She nudged her kits awake, and began desperately licking them as fast as she could. "Oh, it's your apprentice ceremony today!"

  The three she-kits' eyes widened in joy.

  "Really?" Shadedkit squeaked excitedly, her tail straight up in the air with happiness.

  "Oh, yes," Her mother mewed, "But I won't let you three go out there and become apprentices with your fur all ruffled from sleep! Look at yourselves! Did you fall in a thistle bush?"

  Rosekit, Silverkit, and Shadedkit exchanged exasperated glances.

  Echostep gave them each one last lick and gazed proudly down at them. "This is going to be the best day ev-"

  "Echostep?" Flamefur appeared at the mouth of the den. He flicked his tail at the gathered cats by the High Tree.

  "Okay, come on." Echostep purred to her kits, and the four of them raced down to join the rest of their Clan.

  Froststar dipped his head to Echostep when he saw her kits appear, then lifted his head again. "Today, we welcome three new warriors and three new apprentices." He yowled, his voice slightly cracking, then looked down at Rosekit. "Rosekit, you have been a kit for six moons and you are ready to become an apprentice. From this point on, until you receive your Warrior name, your name shall be Rosepaw." He shifted his gaze to a ginger tom with white stripes. "Sharpfang," he mewed. "You are ready to take on an apprentice. I expect you to pass on your battle skills to Rosepaw."

  Rosepaw widened her eyes in excitement. She was finally an apprentice! She bounced over to Sharpfang to touch noses with her new mentor.

  Froststar purred in amusement, then swung his wide white head around to Silverkit. "Silverkit," he mewed, "you have been a kit for six moons. You are ready to become an apprentice. From this point on until you become a warrior, I name you Silverpaw." Froststar glanced at a fluffy calico she-cat. "Mossysplash, you will be Silverpaw's mentor. I expect you to pass on your hunting skills and knowledge to her."

Excitement leapt into the eyes of Mossysplash and Silverpaw as they touched noses.

"And Shadedkit," Froststar's voice rumbled, the slightest wheeze in it, "you have been a kit in the nursery for six moons now and you are of age to become and apprentice. From this day on, until you receive your Warrior name, you shall be called Shadedpaw." His gaze flickered from the young gray and black she-cat to a nimble-looking black she-cat with pretty white dashes on her face around her eyes. "Darksong, you will mentor Shadedpaw. I expect you to pass your speed and nimbleness as well as all you know to her."

  Darksong smiled kindly at the young she-cat and bounded over to her to touch noses.

  Froststar continued to name the three new warriors, Bronzepaw, Ruddypaw, and Poppypaw. Their warrior names were Bronzeheart, Ruddydust, and Poppyshine.

  Darksong began yowling the names of the new apprentices and the new warriors, the rest of the Clan joining in. Echostep's eyes were gleaming in pride as she sat in the back of the crowd, but as the cheering died down, her eyes flickered in worry.

  (It should get more exciting once they actually start being apprentices :3)