West Woods: Sliverstone's Destiny

2 -- Permanent Apprentices

Sliverpaw, Breezepaw, and Nightpaw charged past the clan in hot pursuit. The three best friends had the whole clearing deserted for their race.

Sliverpaw felt Breezepaw's breath on her neck, hot and urgent. Nightpaw was struggling to keep up. Breezepaw called back to her friend, "Come on, slowpoke! Last one to the shore is fresh-kill!"

With that, the gray she-cat launched herself onto Breezepaw knocking both of them flat on their backs. They squirmed as they tried to get up before the other, but Sliverpaw's mocking voice stopped them, "While you two are playing in the dirt..." The white-faced she-cat was staring teasingly at the three apprentices.

Breezepaw leapt up and shook her pelt free of debris. "Pssh. You only won because you have a mentor." Bramblestar had granted Sliverpaw Hollypelt as her mentor but refused the same for the other two apprentices. It was understandable of Nightpaw having her mother Sparrowtail overly protective enough to train her own daughter instead of having a real, experienced mentor, but why Breezepaw hasn't a mentor baffled everyone.

Her mother was especially devastated. "She's not really a bad omen, is she?" Creamfrost had asked Lilacpath before they moved out of the nursery.

"Of course not," Lilacpath had replied, but had not much to say to comfort her denmate.

"Sliverpaw! Stop running around and have that energy put into something useful!" Hollypelt called from the shadow of the warriors' den, her pelt blending in.

Sliverpaw looked apologetically at her friends. "I'm sorry. I promised Hollypelt I was going hunting today. See you later." The young apprentice sped off to the tall grass of the hunting grounds.

The two friends were left alone. Breezepaw turned to her companion. "Having a mentor is a lot of work."

Nightpaw shrugged. "At least she'll be a warrior one day."

Breezepaw stifled a sigh of disappointment and tried to cheer up her sorrowful friend. "Yeah, but just think, when we're older, we'll get to relax all day and we'd never have to hunt or wake up early to mark borders."

"Except gathering moss and checking Liontail for mites." Nightpaw took a deep breath trying to think of a positive side. "He's pretty cool, right? He was here when BrambleClan was created."

"Yeah! He was." Below a high sun, Breezepaw and Nightpaw began their slow walk back to their den, speaking of how 'fortunate' they were to be permanent apprentices.