Pineshade's Loss

Chapter 19

"I passed, I passed!" Spikepaw yowls excitedly as he dashes through the entrance of the camp, while Snowpetal and Boulderstar chase after him.

"Slow down, dear!" Snowpetal calls out.

Dear? Pinepaw thinks as the three cats run into ShadowClan camp. Pinepaw watches as his father heads over to the Highbranch, leaping onto it.

Since Snowpetal said he was ready, Spikepaw had his warrior assessment today. As he clearly said, the gray-and-white tom has passed his warrior assessment.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the high branch for a meeting!" Boulderstar calls out. The clan then gathers beneath the high branch. Milkpaw, Frogpaw, and Acornfall sit with Pinepaw.

"I wonder when Flamekit and Mousekit will become apprentices!" Frogpaw meows excitedly. "They were so cute, but now they're nearly my size! I'm gonna miss having Spikepaw around," he meows.

"Me too," Milkpaw responds to the smaller cat.

"When will you two become warriors?" Frogpaw then quietly asks. "Isn't Beetlenose your littermate, Pinepaw? And Spikepaw yours, Milkpaw?"

"Yes," Pinepaw answers for the both of them. "And we will become warriors whenever Milkpaw is ready,"

"Spikepaw passed his warrior assessment and is now ready to become a warrior of ShadowClan," Boulderstar announces. Pinepaw watches as Spikepaw looks over his shoulder at Milkpaw, seemingly upset that his sister is missing out. Milkpaw then gives her brother a nod of approval.

"Spikepaw, please come forward," Boulderstar says. Then, Spikepaw steps forward as he is told.

"I, Boulderstar, leader of ShadowClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. He has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend him to you as a warrior in his turn," Boulderstar meows. He then looks down Spikepaw.

"Spikepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?" He asks.

"I do," Spikepaw then promises.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Spikepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Spikepelt. StarClan honors your strength and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ShadowClan," Boulderstar meows.

The clan begins to cheer his new warrior name. "Spikepelt! Spikepelt!" They cheer.

"Thank you, Boulderstar," Spikepelt meows respectfully and steps back to where he was.

"Now, we will move on to another announcement," Boulderstar meows, looking over at Juniperleaf and her kits coldly. Pinepaw could feel a shiver down his spine, noticing that his father is seemingly still upset that Juniperleaf had kits with a former kittypet, making her kits half-kittypet.

"Two half-ShadowClan kits have reached the age of six moons, meaning it is time for them to become apprentices," Boulderstar meows.

Time really does fly by. I can't believe it's been six moons since Milkpaw confessed to me. Pinepaw thinks.

"Flamekit, please step forward," Boulderstar meows. Pinepaw watches as the fluffy ginger kit excitedly steps forward.

"Flamekit, 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 full warrior name, you will be known as Flamepaw. Your mentor will be Deerwhisper. I hope Deerwhisper will pass down all she knows on to you," Boulderstar goes on, his gaze looking down at the bouncy ginger apprentice, but then it shifts over to the brown she-cat. "Deerwhisper, you are ready to take an apprentice. You have received excellent training and you have shown yourself to be an loyal and diligent cat. You will be the mentor of Flamepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him."

Pinepaw watches as the apprentice bounces over to Deerwhisper. The warrior and apprentice then touch noses. The Clan cheers for the new apprentice.

"Now, Mousekit, please step forward," Boulderstar meows. Pinepaw watches as the pale brown she-kit nervously steps forward.

"Mousekit, 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 full warrior name, you will be known as Mousepaw. Your mentor will be Jaggedfoot. I hope Jaggedfoot will pass down all he knows on to you," Boulderstar goes on, his gaze looking down at the shy pale brown apprentice, but then it shifts over to the black-and-white tom. "Jaggedfoot, you are ready to take an apprentice. You have received excellent training and you have shown yourself to be an skilled and brave cat. You will be the mentor of Mousepaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to her."

Pinepaw watches as the apprentice pads over to Jaggedfoot. The warrior and apprentice then touch noses. The Clan cheers for the new apprentice.

"The Clan meeting is now dismissed," Boulderstar meows, hopping down from the Highbranch. The Clan begins to gather around Spikepelt, Flamepaw, and Mousepaw to congratulate them. Milkpaw quickly heads over to her brother while Pinepaw and Frogpaw follow closely behind her.

"Congratulations!" Milkpaw meows happily, touching muzzles with her brother.

"Thanks, but are you sure you're okay?" Spikepelt asks worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine," Milkpaw responds. "I still have a lot I have to relearn and learn for the first time. It's been hard for me to remember things after Volenose already taught them to me,"

"Congratulations," Pinepaw meows to his kithood friend.

"Thanks Pinepaw, you should be a warrior with Beetlenose by now," Spikepelt meows. "Speaking of Beetlenose," he then meows, turning his head to spot the black tom.

"Congratulations, now we can spend time together more often like we used to," Beetlenose meows.

"Sounds great," Spikepelt responds.

Congratulations Spikepelt," Frogpaw meows to the tom. "Can we go see Flamepaw and Mousepaw now?" Frogpaw asks excitedly.

"You lead the way," Pinepaw responds. With Pinepaw's words, the young black-and-white apprentice dashes over to the new apprentices. However, Pinepaw does not budge.

"Aren't you going to follow him?" Milkpaw asks Pinepaw.

"No, I want some time without him," Pinepaw meows. "Besides, I can go congratulate Flamepaw and Mousepaw later."

"You're so silly," Milkpaw responds with a purr of amusement.