Thornheart's Acceptance

Chapter 6

"Thornpaw!"

Thornpaw jolted awake at the sound of her name. She looked around confused before she made out the head of Brackenstar.

"Come on, it's time to get up, there is much to do in little time." he said backing out of the den

By the time she got out of the den he was already sitting on top of the ravine looking down at her. He flicked his tail as a signaling her to come up.

When she finally got to the top she was out of breath, from slipping and falling on her face, and promptly collapsed on the ground. From her left she heard a light chunkle. She looked up to see that Brackenstar was watching her with a smile.

"Very good, it didn't take as long as I thought it would." he said with a pleased tone as he looked back over the camp, "Thornpaw look out to the camp."

Thornpaw staggered back to her paws with a huff. As she looked to camp she was met with the view of the sun coming through the trees. As the light hit the tree, their shadows came across the ravine, and still let light in making it look like the strip pelt on a tabby cat. The highrock sat in the middle of camp, with a clump of ferns at the base of it. A bit away you could see the nursery thick bramble bush and the elders den near the fallen tree. Across camp was the warrior's den under a bush, with a nearby nettle patch. A few fox lengths away by tree stump is the was the apprentice den both made of ferns. Last came the medicine cat's den, a crack in a rock, near a small grassy clearing, a tunnel of ferns leading to it. It was peaceful and quiet.

When she was down in the clearing it looked so big, but from up here it looked small. When she looked closer she could see the brown tabby pelt of Mousefoot and the dappled black, brown, and light orange pelt of Darkclaw still sitting vigil.

"This is what we train and work to protect." Brackenstar said as she looked at him, "without any of us it would not be possible. We all grow, age and die, but it's the ones we help grow and teach that keep ThunderClan alive." he paused before looking her in the eye, "One day you will be a warrior, many cats you know now may not be here anymore, and you will have an apprentice of your own and you will teach them what I'm going to teach you and what my mentor tough me. You and the five other apprentices will keep ThunderClan alive for many moons past. You are a legacy and you will continue the legacy. No matter what. No matter who saids you are not. You are ThunderClan. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, now come, we have much to do." he said, getting up and walking through the brambles, while Thornpaw walked close behind.

*****

They walked for a while, Brackenstar moving through the dense undergrowth with easy and Thornpaw struggling with keeping up and not getting caught in the brambles and thistles; and only to be told 'it get easier with practice', before he stopped giving her a few heartbeat to catch her breath before saying,

"Close your eyes and tell me what you smell."

She closed her eyes and sat down, "I smell something rotten, but it's not at the same time."

"Good, keep your eyes closed, but look past that and what else do you smell?"

She kept her eyes closed and focused. After a couple heartbeats she smelt something else, "I smell a weird wet grassy smell with a wooded hint to it."

"Marsh is the wet grassy smell. Now Open your eyes." he said.

When she did she was met with a long black grey path, that smelled rotten, that had yellow and white lines on it. Past it was where the marshy wood smell came from. She felt her ear burn a little at not noticing it before now.