Warriors: A New Beginning #1: The Beginning

Chapter 24

"Wavepelt!"

Wavepelt heard Wolfpaw's voice.

"What?" she asked. "Where are you?"

"Beware!"

"Beware of what?" Wavepelt looked around frantically in the darkness.

"Beware of them!"

"No!" Wavepelt cried. "You're not being clear enough! Who's them? Why should I beware them?"

She couldn't see Wolfpaw in the blackness.

"Please, Wolfpaw! Give me answers!"

But no answer came.

***

Wavepelt woke in her nest, eyes widened and fur bushed out.

"Dream?" Waterfall asked next to her.

Wavepelt nodded. "Yeah..."

She stood up and stretched. "Say, aren't Featherdapple's kits six moons today?"

"I think so," replied Waterfall.

Wavepelt felt excited. Maybe Reedstar would choose her as one of the mentors. It would be fun mentoring a young apprentice.

"Bushpaw is almost ready for his final assessment," Waterfall meowed. "Curlyfur says Greenpaw is almost ready too. In about a moon or two they'll be warriors, I think."

"Wow!" Wavepelt tried to imaging Bushpaw as a warrior. "Time sure flies."

"Yeah." Waterfall nodded. "Remember when Bushpaw was a kit, when he was caught by that hawk and I rescued him? That was the day I got my warrior name."

"I remember that." Wavepelt grinned. Then she left the den.

Outside, Ashkit and Smokekit were running around in circles shouting "We're going to be apprentices!" and Whitekit was sitting at the entrance to the nursery.

"I guess if I became an apprentice, that means that I don't have to sleep in the hot nursery anymore," he grumbled.

Wavepelt rolled her eyes. Whitekit would be a very difficult apprentice.

Featherdapple and Cloverwing padded out of the nursery, chatting together.

A paw prodded her in the side. "Hey!"

Wavepelt turned and saw Smokekit looking at her with his big blue eyes. "When is Reedstar going to make us apprentices?"

"That's up to him," Wavepelt mewed. "But I'm sure he'll do it soon."

"Yay!" Smokekit ran to Ashkit and they started running in circles again.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here beneath Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Smokekit and Ashkit immediately stopped running.

"It's here!" they squealed, and raced to Highrock. Wavepelt followed them and sat down. She saw Whitekit trudging after his littermates to the foot of Highrock.

When all of the cats had gathered, Reedstar began:

"Three kits are now six moons, and it is time for them to become apprentices," he meowed. "Ashkit, Smokekit, Whitekit, come forward."

The three kits padded forward.

Reedstar jumped down from Highrock. "Ashkit." He rested his tail-tip on Ashkit's head. "You shall now be known as Ashpaw, until you become a warrior. Wavepelt." Wavepelt jumped at the mention of her name. She would mentor Ashpaw! She weaved through the crowd and stood in front of Reedstar.