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"Mom, stop!" Owlkit moaned while his mother, Foxface groomed his fur into place. The young tom rubbed his paw viciously at where his mother had just cleaned. The morning air was still crisp and the trees bare. The snow was gone and in its place the ground was covered in a light sheet of frost. New-leaf was finally here.
"I just want you to look your best." Foxface sighed, smoothing down the patch of fur again. Owlkit opened his mouth to protest but caught his father's gaze as the large tom came towards them.
"All cats old enough to catch their own prey join beneath the Highstone for a Clan meeting!" Dawnstar's voice echoed throughout the camp. Cats slowly began to crawl out of their dens and gathered around. "Owlkit, please join me."
Owlkit stood up and started to make his way up the Highstone. He could feel everyone's eyes on him. His heart began to beat faster and faster, threatening to burst out of his chest. Through it all Owlkit remained composed, he was the son of the deputy. He could not afford to make a fool of himself.
"Owlkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Owlpaw. Your mentor will be Firefoot. I hope Firefoot will pass down all he knows on to you." Dawnstar said, once Owlkit had made the climb. "Firefoot, please join us."
The large orange tom strides towards Owlpaw and Dawnstar, his head and tail held high. He passes by Hawktail who nods approvingly at the other tom. Unlike Owlpaw, Firefoot has no trouble making the descend up the Highstone.
"Firefoot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have shown yourself to be strong and loyal. You will be the mentor of Owlpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to Owlpaw." Dawnstar steps aside to let the two males touch noses. The Clan below begins to chant Owlpaw's new name, welcoming him as the newest apprentice of DawnClan.
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The cats disburse to start their duties for the day. Hawktail hops up to join Dawnstar on the Highstone. "He is going to be a strong warrior someday." Hawktail boosted, watching Firefoot lead Owlpaw out of the camp for his tour of the territory.
Dawnstar nods, "I think so too. And I know Firefoot will do well teaching your son." She looks down at the camp and her eyes rest on Patchpelt. He was sharing tongues with Moonflower. The pretty she-cat's belly was already beginning to grow round. She'd be having to join Mousepath in the nursery soon. Dawnstar's heart ached and she forced herself to look away from the mates and back at Hawktail. "We are going to need strong warriors after everything we lost these pass few moons.
Featherflight had been the first cat to die. She had lost too much blood while kitting. Morningdew had done everything she could but it was too late. In the end Featherflight had two healthy daughters; Featherkit and Gingerkit. Mousepath and Foxface took turns nursing the young kits. Then DawnClan experienced their first outbreak of the deadly greencough. Firefoot, Ivypaw, Rainpool, Gingerkit, and Aspenpaw had all contracted the illness but recovered. The same could not be said for Orangestripe who lost his life to it. Even Dawnstar lost a life.
"Speaking of which, I worry that little Gingerkit will never be able to be an asset to the Clan." Hawktail looked towards the nursery. Gingerkit and Featherkit were playfighting, but only Featherkit let out happy squeals. The horrible disease, while it had not taken Gingerkit's life, it had stolen her voice.
"She can still hear." Dawnstar reminded him, although part of her worried too. How was a cat with no voice going to be an effective warrior?
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Firefoot led Owlpaw throughout the large island. "Wow, it is so much bigger than I thought!" Owlpaw squealed, bouncing around in front of his new mentor. Firefoot chuckled, watching the young one's excitement. In a few moons' time his daughters would be making the same journey. "It's Aspenpaw and Spottedwillow." Owlpaw announced,racing ahead to join his two clanmates at the lake. The two did not seem to notice Owlpaw. Aspenpaw rubbed his head under Spottedwillow's chin and to her flank.
"What do you think you two are doing?" Firefoot raised his voice. The two lovers' fur shot up, "Aren't you supposed to be on a hunting patrol right now?" He glared at them both, "Spottedwillow, you are his mentor, you are supposed to be getting him ready to be a warrior."
"I..." Spottedwillow's voice cracked and she put her head down.
"I will be letting Dawnstar know about this." With that Firefoot turned his back to Aspenpaw and Spottedwillow. "Come, Owlpaw." Owlpaw looked back at the two, confused as to what had just happened. Aspenpaw flicked his tail towards Firefoot. With one last look, Owlpaw hurried after his mentor.
"I don't understand what they were doing wrong." Owlpaw said, after he had caught up.
"It is hard to explain," Firefoot looked straight ahead, "you'll understand when you are older." The toms walked the rest of the trip back to camp in silence. Once inside Firefoot instructed Owlpaw to go see if the nursery needed new bedding. Firefoot found Dawnstar in her den. "Dawnstar, do you have a moment?"
Dawnstar raised to her feet, "What is the matter, Firefoot?" her voice was full of worry, "Did something happen with Owlpaw?"
Firefoot shook his head, "No, it is Spottedwillow and Aspenpaw." Firefoot explained what he and Owlpaw had witnessed at the lake.
Dawnstar listened closely and did not speak for a moment after he was done, "I guess it was bound to happen." Spottedwillow had taken over as Aspenpaw's mentor after Orangestripe died. She wasn't the best choice but at the time there was not many cats to choose from. Aspenpaw had already gotten most of his training from Orangestripe. "Rainpool's litter have been training for awhile now. I know Rosepaw has been training very hard. I think they are ready for their tests."
