Hollyleaf's Second Chance

Chapter 6

"hollykit! Wake up!" deepkits raucous mew pierced the silence of hollykits sleep, as a paw prodded her in the side as an attempt to rouse her.

"Come on! We're becoming apprentices today, remember?!" hollykit bolted upright. How could she forget! Adrenaline-powered excitement surged through her, swiftly bypassing the knot ofapprehension that lay twisted in her gut.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, swishing her from tail side to side readily.

"I can't wait!" suddenly, a paw was planted on her rapidly swinging tail, pressing it into the den floor. She looked around sheepishly to see dovewing sternly eying her up and down.

"Well you may have to wait even longer if you sweep dust in all our fur. I may just accidently take a very long time to groom myself, and completely forget about the ceremony? And how would you like that?" hollykit crouched low to the ground, and bowed her head, embarrassed.

"I was only joking!" laughed dovewing, licking her foster-daughters head fur flat.

"I wouldn't halt your ceremony for all the prey in the forest." Dovewing continued to groom hollykit, and her disgusted expression seemed to provide great amusement for deepkit, who was biting on his tail to stop himself falling into hysterics. Hollykit had the last laugh, however, as deepkit was his mother's next target, and his matted grey fur seemed fit to her for a particularly vigorous grooming.

Suddenly, bramblestars booming voice echoed across the camp. Hollykit and deepkit padded outside to meet briarkit and pebblekit, who were already waiting by the highledge.

"Cats of thunderclan!" began the golden eyed leader once all the cats had assembled

"Four cats have reached the age to become apprentices. Briarkit, step forwards." Hollykit heard briarkit gulp as she padded over to bramblestar.

"briarkit. You have reached the age of six moons and are ready to become an apprentice. Until the day you receive your warrior name, you will be called briarpaw! Cherrytail. You have only recently been made a warrior, however you have shown great skill whilst hunting and in battle. You shall mentor briarpaw." The ginger she cat tried to contain her excitement as she touched noses with her new apprentice, but the clan heard her let out a squeak of joy as she sat back down with the newly named briarpaw. Pebblekit was then apprenticed to molefur, and finally it was hollykits turn. She padded nervously to the highledge, apprehension overwhelming her.

"hollykit. You have reached the age of six moons, and although you were not born in the clans, you have shown skill in fighting techniques that a warrior could envy. From this moment forwards, you will be named hollypaw. To help you make the most of your rare gift, I will be your mentor." Hollypaws head spun. Bramblestar would be her mentor?! Hollypaw felt stunned as she touched noses with the leader, and the floor seemed to spin as she sat down. She barely registered deepkits apprentice ceremony. As everyone expected, he was apprenticed to jayfeather, but hollypaw just sat there in a daze. She was the leader's apprentice! The leader's apprentice! She only snapped back to reality when a tail trailed over her shoulders, and she looked up to see bramblestar looking at her, a kind fire flickering in his eyes. The same look he gave you when he thought he was your father... reminded a voice in the back of hollypaws head, but she shook it away as bramblestar spoke.

"I think a tour of the territory is in order!"