Brambleberry's Path

Chapter 2

Wetstar stood before the group of kits from HighBranch. They all glanced at each other before staring back at him with anticipation.

"Today we are gifted with a plentiful amount of apprentices. It has been a wonderful greenleaf, but the harsh leaf-bare will soon be upon us. We need all the paws we can get to help us catch scarce prey." Wetstar mewed, his voice ringing throughout the camp. The clan murmured agreement and grew silent when he held up his tail for silence.

"Pebblekit, you are now to be known as Pebblepaw, and I shall take you as my apprentice." Wetstar mewed.

"Leafpaw, your mentor is Adderfang", he continued on.

"Brightpaw shall be mentored by Mistcloud."

"Rockpaw shall be mentored by Puddleclaw."

"Hawkpaw will be mentored by Reedfeather."

"Bramblepaw's mentor shall be Minnowtooth."

"And Birdpaw, your mentor shall be Pondfrost."

The group of apprentices looked over at the ginger and white she-cat and her amber eyes lit up with glee. She was going to be a medicine cat! Bramblepaw touched noses with Minnowtooth, the grey and white warrior's blue eyes shining with determination.

He watched as Hawkpaw touched noses with Reedfeather, and the dark ginger tom lead her towards the dark brown tabby and his mentor before they sat down and waited for the others. Leafpaw and Rockpaw sat to Bramblepaw's left, and on the other side was Hawkpaw, Brightpaw, and Pebblepaw. Birdpaw was underneath HighBranch with her mentor, watching her friends with joy.

"Warriors, take them into small groups to explore the territory. This meeting is officially over!" Wetstar yowled before leaping down from the tree and padding towards his den. The new mentors split up into groups of three. Leafpaw, Rockpaw, and Pebblepaw in one, and Hawkpaw, Brightpaw, and Bramblepaw in the other.

They padded out of the camp and the two patrols split up, Puddleclaw's patrol heading towards one side of the island border, and Reedfeather's towards the other border.

"Alright, Brightpaw, I want you to see if you can scent anything." The silver tabby's mentor instructed, watching her intently. Brightpaw lifted her head and opened her jaws to catch a scent and looked back at Mistcloud.

"I can smell a mouse!" She said cheerfully. Hawkpaw and Bramblepaw glanced at each other and shrugged.

"Very good! Now, Hawkpaw, can you tell me what else you smell?" Mistcloud asked the she-cat. Hawkpaw sniffed the air and her eyes darted towards her mentor.

"I can smell cats. But they aren't from our clan." She mewed, and Reedfeather sniffed the air.

"You're right. But they aren't like the other clans' scents." He mewed, looking at Mistcloud. The deputy nodded her head and lashed her tail.

"Well, whoever it is, they have two younger cats with them." She mewed. Hawkpaw and Brightpaw looked at each other and their eyes widened.

"So they aren't a threat?" Bramblepaw asked. Minnowtooth narrowed his blue eyes and lashed his tail angrily.

"Just because they have two younger cats doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. We should wipe out the threat immediately!" He said. Mistcloud stared at him and shook her head.

"No, Minnowtooth. We must think with our brains, not our claws, like Killclan." She mewed, flicking her tail towards the border that split them apart from the overly aggressive clan. Minnowtooth glared at the ground but didn't argue with the deputy.

"Come on. We need to report to Wetstar." Mistcloud mewed, padding away with the rest of the patrol on her paws.

Bramblepaw glanced over his shoulder and saw a ginger and white head pop out of the bushes, green eyes staring in awe at the leaving patrol, followed by a darker ginger and light ginger head with the same color eyes staring after them.

His amber eyes widened and he glanced at Hakwpaw, who was padding beside him, but her attention was on her mentor. He looked down at his paws and his mind wheeled, trying to figure out what he just saw.

Just who were those two cats?