Lichenpaw isn't really notable for any outstanding skills. She's not the top fighter or hunter out of the apprentices, and the warriors of her expansive clan don't look at her as the one with the most potential. That is, until she discovers a unique...
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-Lichen-
Rain splattered down from the grey clouded sky, slipping down thick green leaves and gaps in the oak canopy, speckling the cool forest floor. A rather young she-cat crouched low to the earth, her eyes focused intently on the mouse ahead of her. She tried not to flinch at the cold newleaf rain that fell onto her black patched pelt.
Silently, she mumbled to herself;"Tsk, stupid rain..."
She began creeping up towards the mouse. The small animal was chipping away freely at a nearby piece of wood. Slowly and as silently as she could, the white apprentice approached the unsuspecting creature, growing more confident every pawstep. Suddenly, the mouse paused, and glanced quickly at Lichenpaw's direction.
Before the mouse could escape the grasp of the apprentice, Lichenpaw killed it quickly with a slash from her strong paws.
"Ah, this should be enough!"
Lichenpaw pelted quickly through the damp forest, with a crow and two mice in her jaws, and headed straight for camp.
As she advanced towards the camp, she heard distinct yowling and chattering near the clearing.
"Theres a rogue here!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Apparently she's the new apprentice!"
"I wonder who she will be apprenticed to?"
"How could she actually be accepted into the clan? She's an outsider, for StarClan's sake!"
After the initial rogue-apprentice surprise faded away, Lichenpaw felt herself facing a surprising... indifference. While her fellow clanmates received this piece of news with intensity, she found that she actually didn't care. She placed her two mice in the fresh-kill pile, and settled down, stretching.
"This new apprentice will soar over me, I know it,"
She meowed to herself, feeling a momentary twinge of bitterness. "But that's okay. I've got something of my own now-- something that I can do better than any cat, and I have proven it." Lichenpaw nudged the still-warm crow with her nose proudly, not even caring if she looked strange... talking to herself and nudging a big bird with her nose. Nobody had noticed her prize, which she had been thoroughly disappointed about. Lichenpaw frowned. Perhaps she needed to bring in something bigger? A hawk, perhaps? No, as much as she didn't like to admit it, she was still an amateur at catching birds...
A quiet, but authoritative meow echoed throughout the camp.
"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"
Lichenpaw's eyes widened as she saw a small tortoise-shell she-cat pad up onto the rock.
"Ember, you are at the age of 6 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 Emberpaw. I will be your mentor. I hope you will take in all the knowledge I will pass to you."
Murmurs flooded across the clanmates' faces as some watched in horror, while others had gleaming eyes.
"Our leader is going to be a mentor to a rouge!?"
"Oh, it's been ever so long since Smokestar has mentored anybody! This rouge is lucky!"
"How could Smokestar be the mentor to a rogue!? Once a rogue, always a rouge... I know she'll just betray us after the first day of training."
A distinct feeling of resentment boiled up in Lichenpaw. "E-Emberpaw has Sm-Smokestar as her mentor? She really is lucky..."
Her claws dug deep in the crackling earth, and crushed a nearby wilting leaf. A gust of wind pierced her muzzle. She shivered.
-----
As the crowd parted, Lichenpaw nested into the apprentice's den, crow lying, forgotten, by her side. She couldn't get Fallingwhisker's attention for the whole time he shared tongues - she couldn't even talk to her father! Every cat was so busy discussing the new apprentice, her catch seemed like nothing beside her. She wriggled furiously-- her nest seemed even more uncomfortable than usual.
"Lichenpaw, correct?" A shadow stood at the entrance of the medicine den, blocking the cold light of the moon. Slightly annoyed, Lichenpaw rose. "That's me. And you must be... Emberpaw? The new apprentice?"
"Yes! You know me!" She squealed.
"I was at the clan meeting, you know. I'm old enough to catch my own prey."
"Of course," Emberpaw dipped her head, then continued, "I am so excited to be training with the leader herself! This place is just like Windclan, right? So organised!"
Lichenpaw recoiled slightly. There were many thoughts floating around her head, and none of them were favoring the new apprentice very much. Why would a rogue know enough about the clans-- especially Windclan, who vainly protected and patrolled their border down to last fox length. Why would she even compare Thunderclan to Windclan in the first place? She had heard from Icepelt that long ago, Windclan, Thunderclan, Riverclan and Shadowclan fought together to win a great battle, fighting shadowy warriors and winning victoriously. But that wasn't the situation now-- Windclan and Thunderclan were never on good terms with each other, and kept squabbling over small pieces of land worth little to no value. Why would she know about Windclan, then come to Thunderclan generally unscathed?
"I guess so," Lichenpaw finally replied. "But I've never seen their camp before, so I wouldn't know." The unspoken question hung in the air.
"Uhh... anyway," she mewed, slightly uncertain, "Is this place free? I was told to come here to rest, since I am an apprentice?"
Lichenpaw closed her eyes in irritation."No, that's where Snowfall sleeps. Take that one." She rather vaguely gestured a nest with her nose.
"Uh... Which one?"
Lichenpaw sighed. "Here! Now, please, go away." And, with the Clan meeting's occurrences still on her mind, she returned to her nest and rather promptly fell asleep.
