CinderStar's Broken Family

Chapter 10 ~ A massive ceremony

"No! You're doing it wrong! SwiftKit, you have to leave you tail just barely hovering over the ground, and it can't move! You have a good stance, ShellKit, but you need to tuck your front paws under you a little more. Like this!" CinderPaw had groaned as she leaned down, her belly fur just barely hovering over the ground as she was showing MapleCloud's kits a proper hunting stance.

They seemed to try their very best to copy what they were doing, and after a few more attempts, they had managed to get it correct. "Yes! Just like that!" CinderPaw exclaimed happily.

"You three are sure to surprise your mentors after your apprentice ceremony! You are doing so well." A soft voice purred behind the four young cats. They all turned around, and CinderPaw sat down and brushed a paw over her head. "I wonder how long I'll be a warrior before SkyStar gives ME an apprentice" She meowed jokingly.

"Maybe not too long. You seem to be a good mentor already!" MapleCloud complimented. Her kits were now 6 moons old, and their warrior ceremony would be any moment now. Since they had turned 5 moons, CinderPaw had worked with them to get them ready for apprenticeship, and she always would reward them with the juiciest looking prey on the fresh kill pile if they had done well. And CinderPaw never hesitated to add in a bit of fun games. She listened to their questions, and answered as best she could.

CinderPaw opened her jaw to reply, but was stopped as she heard a familiar voice call out over the camp. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high ledge for a clan meeting!" The three kits bounced up excitedly, and their father, CedarLeaf, had joined MapleCloud and CinderPaw, looking down proudly at his kits as he led them towards the high ledge, CinderPaw and MapleCloud close behind.

"Hey!" CinderPaw almost tripped after the startling call, but she caught herself, and turned her head to see Chenelle, the kittypet they rescued a moon ago, run over to her. CinderPaw purred, and sat down, brushing the spot beside her inviting Chenelle to sit there, which she gladly did.

"Today is a very important day for our clan," SkyStar's voice called out. "There will be more than one ceremony!" The clan was stunned into silence. 'Two ceremonies in one?' CinderPaw thought confusedly.

"First," the ThunderClan leader continued, "we have a warrior ceremony to hold!" The clan erupted into cheer. "WhitePaw, RavenPaw, step forwards." CinderPaw looked in their direction, and immediately noticed their shocked expressions. But, they stood, and moved to the very bottom of the high ledge, looking up at SkyStar.

"WhitePaw," she started, looking at the white and gold tom, "from this moment on, you shall be known as WhiteFire. StarClan honours your compassion, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" By now, SkyStar has leaped down from the high ledge, and touched her nose to his head. Turning to WhiteFire's brother, RavenPaw. "RavenPaw, from this moment of you shall be known as RavenStrike. StarClan honours your bravery and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan!" SkyStar touched her nose to RavenFrost's head, before backing up as the clan erupted in cheer once more.

"WhiteFire, RavenStrike! WhiteFire, RavenStrike!" They called. CinderPaw was practically yowling their names at the top of her lungs, happy for the two new warriors. They seemed to hear her, as they both turned their heads in her direction, and grinned.

"Now!" SkyStar called after the clan had settled down. "We have some cats to be apprenticed!" MapleCloud and CedarLeaf nudged SwiftKit, ShellKit and MarigoldKit forwards. They all looked terrified. As they nervously padded towards the front of the crowd of cats, they looked back at CinderPaw, who gave them an encouraging nod of her head. They turned their attention back to SkyStar.

"ShellKit," she started, looking down at the small ginger tom, "from this day forward, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as ShellPaw." SkyStar looked around at the gathered cats. "OwlFang," she looked at the brown and white tom, "I want you to mentor ShellPaw. I hope you will pass on all that you know to this young apprentice." OwlFang simply dipped his head, and came forward and touched his nose to ShellPaw's.

Seeming pleased, SkyStar looked to the next kit. "MarigoldKit. From this day forward, until you have received your warrior name, you will be called MarigoldPaw. BlazeClaw, I'm giving you the responsibility of training MarigoldPaw. I trust that you two will become good partners, and I hope you will gift her with your knowledge." BlazeClaw stepped forwards and touched his nose to MarigoldPaw's. When he backed up, the young she-cat looked through the crowd and at CinderPaw, who waved her tail and smiled.

"SwiftKit," SkyStar started, looking to the last of MapleCloud and CedarLeaf's kits. "From this day on, until you have received your warrior name, you shall be known as SwiftPaw. SnowHeart," SkyStar looked towards the white and black she-cat as she walked forwards." You will be SwiftPaw's mentor. I trust you to teach him all you know." SnowHeart dipped her head, before turning and touching noses with SwiftPaw.

The ThunderClan cats raised their heads, ready to call out the names of the three new apprentices, when SkyStar spoke up, "Chenelle. Please come forwards." Everyone was stunned into silence once again. CinderPaw turned to look at her friend, who's eyes were wide, as she shakily stood and padded towards SkyStar. The ThunderClan leader looked at her proudly for a moment, before speaking. "You came to the clan as a kittypet, but the day your leg had healed, we expected you to go back home, but you didn't. Instead, you tore off your kittypet collar, and began to help out around camp, and with hunting. You may not have warrior blood, but you have proven to us many times over that you have found a place here in the heart of ThunderClan. So, I spoke with my deputy, AshPelt, and medicine cats, PaisleyPool and HollyPaw, and we agree that you should become a full member of ThunderClan!"

Chenelle stared at SkyStar in disbelief, and as she had opened her mouth to protest, she was cut off by a yowl from that back of the crowd of gathered cats. "Chenelle! Chenelle!" It was CinderPaw, who was happily cheering the name of her friend, happy that she was becoming a part of the clan. MistyPaw, who sat closer to the front, and beside AshPelt, joined in the call. "Chenelle! Chenelle!" RavenStrike And WhiteFire joined in the chant, followed by SwiftPaw, ShellPaw and MarigoldPaw. She looked at them gratefully, before the whole of the clan erupted into a cheer, but SkyStar raised her tail to silence everyone. "Not Chenelle," she started, "but AspenPaw!" SkyStar turned to look at BlackTail. "BlackTail, I want you to mentor AspenPaw. Show her the true meaning of being a clan cat, and may we show StarClan that not every warrior has to have warrior blood!"

The clan erupted into a loud cheer. "ShellPaw! SwiftPaw! MarigoldPaw! AspenPaw! ShellPaw! SwiftPaw! MarigoldPaw! AspenPaw!" CinderPaw was yowling out the names the loudest, overjoyed for her friends.

The sun was already setting by the time the clan had been dismissed from the meeting. CinderPaw and MistyPaw were sitting in a small circle with the four new apprentices, chatting and laughing, before WhiteFire and RavenStrike padded up and stood beside them. "So," RavenStrike started, "I suppose you two are next!" He stated, pointing at MistyPaw and CinderPaw with his tail. MistyPaw let out a mrrow of laughter before replying "no, StormPaw is older than us! Either he's being made a warrior with us, or he's before us."

CinderPaw shrugged, and opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by AshPelt. "WhiteFire, RavenStrike! Get your tails over here now! You have to sit a silent vigil all night, remember?" WhiteFire sighed, and padded away, waving his tail at the apprentices before being sat down in the center of the camp for his vigil. "We'll talk tomorrow..." RavenStrike whispered to CinderPaw before moving away to join his brother. CinderPaw watched him go, before she was called out of her thoughts when she heard SkyStar say her name. By now, the other apprentices had gone to the apprentice den to sleep, and CinderPaw turned and looked at SkyStar.

The leader seemed to be in a silent argument with SummerWind, her mother, who was also one of the oldest cats in the clan, and SmallTail. 'Are they talking about me?' She thought, padding closer. However, SkyStar had seen her out of the corner of her eye, as she sighed heavily and got up, whispering something to the two before hurrying off to her den. CinderPaw stared at the leaders den for a moment, after SkyStar had disappeared inside, and she turned back towards SmallTail and SummerWind. Both of them were snarling.

'What was SkyStar, SmallTail and SummerWind arguing about? Why did they mention me?'