Bearheart's Shame

Chapter 2

Bearkit rushed outside. A moon had passed since Irispaw and Pinepaw had been apprenticed, and it was time for Bearkit and her littermates to receive their mentors.

"Congratulations!" Tigercloud flicked his tail over her ear as she rushed past.

She gave him a quick nod, and kept running.

Her legs had grown longer and she was able to run much quicker.

Sparrowstar had already summoned the clan, and cats were gathering.

Sunstripe and Lilyflower, two new warriors, stepped aside to let Bearkit through.

Lionkit, Dustkit, and Doekit were already waiting eagerly in the clearing.

As Bearkit joined them, Sparrowstar beckoned Lionkit forward.

Bearkit listened intently as Sparrowstar said the words of the ceremony.

She waited patiently while her other littermates got theirs.

Finally the time came for her ceremony.

"Bearkit, 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 Bearpaw. Your mentor will be Dawnpool. I hope he passes all he knows onto you.

Dawnpool, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You had received excellent training from Darkwhisper."

Sparrowstar paused to let the clan honor the dead warrior. He had died in a battle against Shadeclan When they tried to take over the Star Tree clearing.

"and have proven yourself to be smart and tactful. You will be the mentor of Bearpaw, and I expect you to pass down all you know to her."

Dawnpool nodded, and touched noses with Bearpaw, waiting while the clan cheered.

Bearpaw saw Pinepaw standing by Minnie, his eyes bright, his voice ringing out around the clearing

When the clan stopped cheering, Dawnpool turned to Bearpaw.

"I need to teach you the basics." He said.

Bearpaw nodded and followed him through the gorse tunnel marking the entrance to Thornclan's camp.

Once they were in the woods, Dawnpool turned around.

"Alright, Bearpaw, choose a tree."

Bearpaw circled the clearing they were in, looking at every tree closely.

He's going to teach me to climb! Bearpaw thought.

When Pinepaw had reported on his first outing as an apprentice, he said he had gathered moss.

Suddenly Bearpaw noticed paw holds in a tall tree.

There were loads of moss packed among the roots of it.

Bearpaw let out a small mrrow of laughter. She wouldn't be collecting moss! She was going to climb the tallest tree she could find!

"This one." She said as she gestured to the tree.

"You picked a good one for what we're doing." Dawnpool commented. 

"Unsheathe your claws. See that moss? Bring it off the roots into a pile next to me."

Bearpaw gasped.

She thought they were going to be climbing! But she just nodded and began to claw at the moss, tearing off small clumps at a time.

"No, not like that." Dawnpool interrupted. "Here."

He dug his claws deep into the moss, until he hit the damp ground underneath. "Because newleaf is coming, the moss will be wet. We have to get to all of it, that way, we have a better chance of finding dry moss." Dawnpool pulled a clump of moss from the roots.

Bearpaw nodded and dug her claws into the remaining moss, pulling up and out.

The moss rolled up beneath her and she stepped back, so that it lay at her paws.

"Nice!" Dawnpool seemed very pleased that his new apprentice was catching on so quickly.

"How do we carry it back to camp?" Bearpaw asked. She assumed that it wouldn't just be carrying it in her jaws, after they way she had pulled the moss from the roots.

"Ah! Right! First make sure it's rolled very tight. Then tuck it under your chin and press against it." Dawnpool directed.

Bearpaw rolled the moss some more, making sure it wouldn't fall apart if she picked it up, then tucked it under her chin.

"Let's go back to camp." Dawnpool meowed, his voice muffled from the ball of moss tucked under his chin, pressing against his throat.

Bearpaw followed him through the woods, and back to the camp.

When they got to camp, Dawnpool had her changing the elders' bedding, and checking them for ticks.

When Bearpaw had finished pulling the last fat tick from Moonpool's pelt, she went outside to get a piece of fresh kill, when Dawnpool intercepted her.

"Take fresh kill to the queens first. Then take one for yourself."

Bearpaw sighed, and continued toward the fresh kill pile.

She picked up a plump thrush and took it to Hawkfern and her two moon old kits.

"Thank you!" Bounced Firekit.

Bearpaw nodded to the tabby she-kit, and went back to the pile.

She picked a fat vole off the top of the pile, and began to tear at it hungrily, tired and famished after her outing.

Soon Pinepaw trotted over.

"What's going on?" He asked.

Bearpaw just grunted and kept tearing at the vole.

Pinepaw laughed.

"You're tired aren't you?"

Bearpaw nodded, licking her chops.

"It was harder than I thought it would be." She mumbled.

"Why don't we set you up in the apprentices den? Seems like you need the comfort." Pinepaw offered.

"Let's go." Bearpaw meowed, her voice dragging.

Pinepaw picked up a clump of moss and bracken, then went to the small den.

Bearpaw followed on tired paws.

When she got past the scraping thorns of the entrance, she saw Pinepaw setting up a soft, fluffy nest, big enough for two cats.

"Why is it so big?" Bearpaw asked.

"I think a new apprentice deserves it." He shrugged.

Bearpaw gave a small mrrow of laughter.

He stepped back to let her climb into the soft moss, then curled up next to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Bearpaw nodded.

She had never felt better.