Silver-ripple's Story

Chapter 8

Fawndapple was seen cleaning her kits near the nursery. Silver-ripple looked at her with eyes of disgust. "Kittypet blooded kits. They shouldn't be here." She hissed under her breath. Robinpaw looked up at Silver-ripple. "Everyone's giving them a chance, Silver-ripple." She mewed.

Silver-ripple turned to her apprentice. "You don't get second chances at life, Robinpaw. I learned that the hard way. Fawndapple has only been through one death, about one cat she had actually cared about, Lightstep. Lightstep killed my mother, and other innocent cats." Robinpaw sheathed her claws, as she looked at Fawndapple. "Disgraceful." She meowed.

Fernstar yowled from the Highrock, and everyone padded towards it. "We have an apprentice ceremony to go through." Fernstar looked down at Stormkit, whose fur was unkempt. His eyes sparkled with pride, as he stepped forward. "Stormkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it it time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Stormpaw. Your mentor will be Ravenfrost. I hope Ravenfrost will pass down all he knows on to you."

Fernstar looked at Ravenfrost as he touched noses with his apprentice. "Ravenfrost, you are ready to take on another apprentice. You have shown how much strength you have put into this Clan, and I believe you are ready to mentor Stormpaw." Ravenfrost nodded, his tail held high. As the Clan cheered Stormpaw's name, Ravenfrost approached Silver-ripple. "This will be last apprentice. I've mentored too many, and I believe I'm ready to join the elders."

Silver-ripple purred and licked his ear. "You were a good father, and I will honor your memory." Ravenfrost purred, before being interrupted by Stormpaw. Duskstorm padded up to Silver-ripple, Ravenfrost leading his apprentice out of the camp.

"Silver-ripple, can I ask you something?" Duskstorm meowed. Silver-ripple nodded. Before he opened his mouth again, Robinpaw interrupted him. "Silver-ripple, you said we could continue battle training." Silver-ripple nodded to her apprentice. "I did say that. Sorry, Duskstorm. Maybe another time?" Duskstorm sighed and nodded.

The rain soaked everyone's pelt. Silver-ripple looked around at her Clan. As leaf-fall had begun, two new litters of kits were born. One loner had decided to join ThunderClan as well. Roselight was in the nursery with Lionwhisker's kits. Silver-ripple remembered when their first litter was killed in battle.

Softkit's pale ginger fur spiked up in alarm. "Roselight, why is the sky crying? Did we do something bad?" Roselight held her two kits close. The other was Antkit, who was asleep in his mother's soft tail. Roselight purred. "No, Softkit. This is rain, and it happens a lot in leaf-fall."

Beefall and Blossompool were watching their only kit, Birdkit. She was pouncing on a fallen leaf, her fur soaked. Silver-ripple approached them, when Birdkit pounced on one of Silver-ripple's paws. "Oompfh!" Silver-ripple purred. "Sorry, Birdkit. I didn't see you there."

Birdkit shook her pelt. "Your standing on my prey." She squeaked. Silver-ripple lifted her paw, to see the leaf under it. "Oh, sorry. You're getting pretty good at hunting." Birdkit's eyes shone with pride.

Silver-ripple twitched her ears, as a patrol came in with wet prey. Halfsky, Birchstorm, Cedarheart, and the loner, Maplefoot. He caught Silver-ripple's eye and smiled. Silver-ripple quickly looked away, and padded under a tree, where Hazelpaw, Oakwing, Duskstorm, and Robinpaw were sitting.

Duskstorm moved closer to Silver-ripple, and she sighed to feel his warmth. "Can we talk now?" He whispered. She nodded, as they moved away from the other three cats. "Silver-ripple, since we were-" He was cut off by Maplefoot bringing a shrew over to Silver-ripple.

"I caught it just for you." He purred. Silver-ripple thanked him, with a flick of her tail. He nodded, and sat next to her. "Well, I mean, we can share it." Silver-ripple sighed. "Maplefoot, I'm not really hungry right now, so you can go ahead and eat it."