Sky of Thunder

Chapter 9

Emberpaw at the top!

"Let all cats old enough to climb trees, gather in front of the Skyrock for a clan meeting!" Emberkit's mother's voice rang in her ears as she sprang out of her nest and hobbled out of the nursery.

After her incident near Thunderclan's camp two moons ago, she had adapted to walking on only three legs once her hind leg had come all the way off, leaving only a stump where her thigh should be.

She crossed the clearing in a couple bounds and sat next to her littermates. Today, she was going to become an apprentice! Emberkit could barely contain her excitement. Becoming a warrior had been her dream since she opened her eyes.

"Silverkit, Sparkkit, Snowkit, Emberkit, Willowkit, Surgekit, and Sunkit have all reached their sixth moon and are ready to become an apprentice." Emberkit focused on her mother's words as she tried to calm herself down. "Silverkit," Silverkit padded to the center of the semi-circle. "From this day forward, until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Silverpaw. Your mentor will be Seedstem. I know you are a young warrior, Seedstem, but I trust you to pass on your bravery and Battle skills to Silverpaw."

Fernstar moved on. "Sparkkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Sparkpaw. Your mentor will be Plumwillow."

The rest of Emberkit's littermates' ceremonies wizzed by. Surgekit was apprenticed to Doestep, much to his dismay; Willowkit to Leafshine; Snowkit to Windwhisp; and Sunkit to Finsplash. There seemed to be a meaning behind Sunpaw's apprentiship but Fernstar never said anything. Finally, it was her turn.

"Emberkit, from this moment on, until you earn your warrior name, you will be called Emberpaw." Emberpaw lifted her tail in the air in excitement. Who was going to be her mentor?

"Amberleaf. You will mentor Emberpaw and teach her each herb and skill as a Medicine Cat." Amberleaf nodded her head.

Emberpaw was horrifed. What! Her tail drooped to the ground and she laid back her ears. She wanted to scream at Starclan, at her mother, and most importantly: at that stupid fox trap that cut off her leg. Instead, she held it in and stomped away. Emberpaw probably didn't have as much of an effect as she wanted with her three-legged, ungraceful, gait. She heard her mother calling after her but she didn't care. She marched all the way to the back of the nursery and closed her eyes, still fuming.

* * *

Silverpaw stared in shock as her littermate's tail disappeared into the nursery. She glanced at her mother as the Skyclan leader bounded after her daughter.

Silverpaw shook her head and made her way to the Apprentices den. Owlpaw padded up to her.

"You can make your nest by mine if you want." He purred.

Silverpaw rolled her eyes. He'd been treating her like this since she was four moons old. "Thanks, but no thanks." She mewed and walked away from him and joined Sparkpaw.

Silverpaw was about to ask to make her nest next to Sparkpaw's when Sparkpaw rolled her eyes at her. "What?" She mewed instead.

Sparkpaw sighed, "You realize he likes you, right?"

Silverpaw's heart skipped a beat. "He does?"

Sparkpaw rolled her eyes again. "Why else would he talk to you like that? It's been pretty obvious since he was about five moons." Sparkpaw eyed her sister playfully. "And...I think you two would make cute kits!"

Silverpaw's belly lurched. Hissing, she swiped a paw at her sister. "Stop it! He means nothing to me. If he likes me, that's his problem. I don't want a mate for a real long time."