SandClan's Destiny Book 1: A Flame is Lit

Chapter 4: Where we Belong

It didn't take Rockpaw long to learn the cats of his Clan, his family. Everyone was kind to him, though many cats were also skeptical. Unlike Nightwing and Redcloud from OakClan, SandClan warriors were polite and masked their doubts well!

Stormpaw, another apprentice, helped Rockpaw learn who was related to who. Rockpaw knew he was related to Bigstar, whose pelt matched his own littermate's. Although he was Bigstar's kit, he felt distant from her. In the back of his mind was Skyfeather, though she was distant to him, too. Despite this, Bigstar's constant loving of him was enduring and sweet.

She even asked him about his mother from OakClan. Rockpaw wanted to say something kind about her, but Firepaw had interrupted with, "She wasn't as nice as you are, Bigstar!"

Rockpaw also learned about Stormpaw's family, since the grey tom had told Rockpaw all about it. His littermates were Goldpaw and Orangepaw. Goldpaw, a golden she-cat with similar eyes, was the medicine cat apprentice. Orangepaw, a ginger she-cat, was an apprentice just like Stormpaw. Their father is the deputy himself, Cougarfang. Stormpaw was very proud about that.

Stormpaw also asked Firepaw and Rockpaw about their lives in OakClan. "You were really raised there? How was it? Could you climb? Did you learn how?"
"No, we never got that far." Rockpaw mewed grumpily.
"OakClan's so weird! Do they really live in the dark?"
"Yes." Firepaw mewed simply.
"We're kind of enemies with them," Stormpaw mewed, frowning. "I think. We were enemies with them for many moons before Bigstar became leader, Cougarfang told me!"

Orangepaw was kind enough to tour Rockpaw and Firepaw around the camp, with Bigstar watching fondly. The apprentice's den was surrounded by elderberry bushes, and was smaller than the OakClan apprentice den, which was a small clearing surrounded by small trees.

Orangepaw also showed them the warrior's den, which was a large den surrounded by small trees whose branches and leaves drooped down over the moss to create a green, leafy ceiling. Rockpaw watched the warriors pad in and out, greeting each other, and tried remembering their names.

Now all Rockpaw needed to know was the customs and manners of the Clan. He knew SandClanners could swim, and that they caught fish! Rockpaw's new mentor, Brackenshade, promised to teach him how.

The brown she-cat padded up to her apprentice, her eyes happy to see him.
"Hey, Brackenshade." Rockpaw muttered shyly, staring at her chest.
"Rockpaw, don't you want to leave the camp for a bit? You're used to it now, right? There's still the whole territory to explore." She flicked her apprentice's shoulder with her tail, "Let's hunt so you can eat."

Rockpaw sighed, remembering Redcloud. But he followed his mentor on dragging paws, all the way to a field which made up half of SandClan territory. He dropped down to a crouch and let his mentor do her own thing- he didn't care for her, or for having a mentor at all. He missed Firepaw and he knew that the wound on her eye was deep and that it'd leave a scar. Sunspots had said so. 
It would've been impossible to stop a leader from hurting her, so why do I feel to blame?

Rockpaw only hunted once before in SandClan territory, but he already knew he was a better hunter in the sparse woods or vast fields than in the brambly thickets of OakClan territory. As a SandClanner, he had little need for camouflage. All he needed was to be swift enough to catch the fish in the pond. He didn't need a sleek pelt, either. All he needed was a pelt light and airy enough to swim fast through water.

Brackenshade helped Rockpaw with a dove and the two padded silently back to camp. His mentor didn't talk much with anybody but her own littermate, a tom named Slashingclaw, but it was still awkward between them. She seemed uncomfortable having such a grumpy, unwilling apprentice.