Embers

Chapter 18

Emberstripe stood once more with her sister and Dustfur. Madeline looked happier than she had in days as her sister's kits walked up to meet Mothstar. They all looked forward to this day when they were made warriors. The golden she-cat began to speak.

"I, Mothstar, leader of Thunderclan , call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn. Flowerpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
Flowerpaw looked up at Mothstar. "I do,"

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Flowerpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flowerpetal. StarClan honors your detication, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan. Nightpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?

 "I do," Nightpaw said confidently.

 "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Nightpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Nighthawk. StarClan honors your initiative, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan. Applepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?
 
"I do," Applepaw never sounded more sure at this.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Applepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Appleclaw. StarClan honors your spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of Thunderclan," Each new warrior gave Mothstar a lick on her shoulder and the clan cheered, obviously happy that the cats were now warriors. Morningmist, a warrior only a few moons older than them, rushed over to congratulate them. The four cats had grown really close since Madeline and them came to Thunderclan, and were now best friends. Appleclaw looked especially proud, puffing out her chest while the clan cheered their names, while Nighthawk looked a bit embarrassed at how loudly they chanted. Flowerpetal looked around, purring when Madeline padded over to them.

"My little kits are warriors now! I'm so proud of you three," she said to them. They each thanked their mother and gave her a lick, then headed outside the camp when Mothstar told them it was time to sit vigil.

"I have another announcement to make," Mothstar called. The cats turned around, wondering what else would be going on. "Tonight Nightwhisker will be joining the elder's den,"

"What?" Dustfur said, shocked, as did the rest of the clan. Nightwhisker nodded, and Emberstripe noticed how gray fur flecked his mussle and how stiff the black and white tom looked. Cats dropped their tails at the thought of not working with the tom, who was very popular and great liked among Thunderclan. Nightwhisker began to head for the elder's den, greeted by Dappledleaf, Honeybelly, and Raventail. Some cats began to retreat to their dens, chilled by the cold breezes that began to pass through the camp. Inside the nursery, Emberstripe could make out the sleeping shapes of Foxkit, Moonkit, Thrushkit, and Shadekit in the nest. Silently, she curled around them and laid her tail protectivly around them, shifting to make more room for herself. The kits had grown so much, and in just in a moon her kits would be sleeping in the apprentice's den.

A cold wind woke Emberstripe, and she looked outside the den. The ground was covered in the white snow, untouched except for a few paw prints left by the dawn patrol. She turned and muzzled each kit, waking them up slowly.

"What's going on?" Shadekit asked, blinking.

"Come outside, and be careful," she said. Foxkit ignored her and raced outside, only to fall into the snow.

"Help! I'm stuck!" She said, twisting. Emberstripe lifted the red fured she-kit, fluffing out her kit fur against the cold. Thrushkit laughed and spring into the snow, not sinking that much, but just enough for him to see above it. Moonkit followed, running after his brother just as Shadekit jumped in. Sunpaw entered from the apprentice's den with Petalpaw and saw the kits playing. He then flicked a bunch of snow at Petalpaw, who pushed him in. Sunpaw sat up, snow covering his pelt. Foxkit laughed at the golden tom and lunged for him, making him fall again. Soon Thrushkit came out of the snow, shivering. Emberstripe picked him up by his scrub and began to lick his fur the wrong way, warming it up.

"Mama, what is this stuff anyways?" Moonkit called from it. He saddled out, leaving a small trail behind him, shivering as well.

"It's snow. It comes every Leaf-bare," she said. After licking Moonkit, she called Shadekit and Foxkit over, who was still playing with the apprentices. They trudged thought the snow when she called them. Shadekit shook out his fur, flinging snow all over Foxkit.

"Hey, don't do that!" She said to her brother. Shadekit stuck out his tongue and Foxkit lept for him, pushing him out of the nursery and back into the snow.

"Foxkit, don't push cats into the snow," she scolded as Shadekit jumped back into the nursery and shot a glare at his sister. She began to lick him as the hunting patrol came by. She noticed how small their catches were. Hazelwood had a small mouse, Hollysong had a shrew, and Oakpelt had a scrawny squirrel, while Hawkfire and Robinswoop had nothing. Their tails dropped as the cats deposited their prey into the fresh kill pile, while was still pitifully small. Oakpelt picked up the shrew and gave it to Emberstripe.

"Sorry there's not much prey, Emberstripe," he said sadly.

"It's not your fault, Oakpelt. Leaf-bare has always been hard," she said sympatheticly. The dark brown tom nodded and walked away to talk with Hollysong. She started giving each kit a piece of prey, leaving the smallest bit for herself. 

The day pasted slowly, and the small catches bothered her. Standing up, she told the kits they would stay with the elders for a while. While the kits walked into the elder's den, she headed for Stonefrost, who was about to leave for another hunting patrol.

"Could I join this one?" She asked the gray and white tom. "I need to get out of that nursery,"

He nodded, pleased that she was coming.

"We could use the best hunter in Thunderclan," Dustfur said. "It's going to be a hard Leaf-bare,"

Emberstripe greeted her mate and continued on with the hunt determined to catch some prey. She angled her ears towards the roots of trees until she heard a small sound.  Creeping up, she found a nest full of mice, quickly killed four, while two escaped. She turned happily, the mice hanging from her jaws. Stonefrost opened his eyes wide while Appleclaw purred happily.

"How'd you get so many mice?" Stonefrost asked.

"I found a nest of them," she said through the prey. He nodded happily, telling her the clan would be better fed today. They headed back to camp, and some cats stood up excited at her catch.

"Thunderclan will be well fed today!" Mothstar remarked when she saw the fresh kill pile.  "Who caught the mice? They did extremely well,"

"Emberstripe did. She found a nest of them," Dustfur said, looking at her. She looked away and gave her chest fur a lick, embarrassed at the leader's praise. Mothstar looked even more pleased, and Emberstripe went back to her kits, who were listening to Honeybelly tell them stories of battles before they were born.

"My, I see how big you've gotten, young ones. Soon you're going to be apprentices," Dappledleaf said.

"Yep, and you'll have to sleep in the apprentice's den," Emberstripe said to the kits.

"Not me! I'll be sleeping in the medicine den with Cloudshine!" Moonkit said proudly. Dappledleaf purred at the kit's enthusiasm.

"I'm sure you'll be an excellent medicine cat," the retired medicine cat said. The kits left the den, following Emberstripe back to the den.

"How much longer until we're apprenticed?" Thrushkit asked. Emberstripe counted the days and looked at her son.

"Only seven more days," she said cheerfully,  but on the inside sadness filled her stomach. Her kits wouldn't be curled up with her anymore after that, being trained by their mentors. And she would be sleeping with the warriors soon, at least with Dustfur, she thought to herself.