Tangletuft's Mistake; (complete)

Chapter twenty

"We've passed! We passed our final assessment!" The three apprentices cheered, excitement in their fur.

"You're going to be warriors now," Thymeclaw purred, nuzzling up to Grainwhisker. Something odd had been between those two for a long time but Tanglepaw shrugged it off. "I'm so proud of you guys."

"I am too." Darkwing nodded, looking pleased with the apprentices.

"Let's head back to camp," Grainwhisker meowed "We need to tell Graystar that you've passed."

The three apprentices nodded, and skipped the way back to camp, chattering like birds.

"I'm so excited!" Sagepaw cheered, her wounds from a moon ago almost gone. Her attitude had also been replaced by her old lively one. But still, ever mention the word RiverClan or dogs around her and she'd break.

"Same here!" Breezepaw chirped "I can't wait to see the look on Smoketail's face."

"Smoketail? Why her?" Tanglepaw asked, tilting her head.

"Uhhh no reason. I just want to see how she'll react that we're catching up to her." Breezepaw awkwardly meowed, but something was up. Tanglepaw just didn't know what that was.

But luckily, Sagepaw changed the subject "I can't wait to see what my name will be, and who my first apprentice is, who my mate is and what my kits look like!"

"I was just saying that to Snowblaze the other day." Tanglepaw laughed although that had been around two moons back.

"Can you three please shut your mouths?" Grainwhisker asked, twitching his ear.

"Sorry Grainwhsiker." The three apprentices said in unison, looking at their walking paws.

The rest of the trek back was in utter silence, but the vibe was full of excitement.

As Tanglepaw entered camp, she looked all around herself. A hunting patrol came back into camp, laden with prey. Silverblaze, the newest and only queen, was heavy and overdue with Rustlestep's kits, the four other apprentices chatted with each other, constantly being shushed by the warriors who were on the dawn patrol earlier this morning.

Everything was so peaceful. It was the perfect day to be made a warrior.
Tanglepaw watched as Grainwhisker, Thymeclaw and Darkwing made their way up Tallrock and into the leader's den, where you could only hear small murmurs.

The three apprentices watched the leader's den, all anxious to see Graystar reappear.

And eventually he did. Grainwhisker, Thymeclaw and Darkwing left the leader's den, casting their apprentices a happy look. Tanglepaw returned the gesture before looking back up.

And there came Graystar with a proud look on his face "All cats old enough to catch prey join beneath TallRock for a Clan meeting!"

Tanglepaw joined her brother and sister at the front of the crowd, too excited to sit still.

The rest of the cats in the Clan crowded around Tallrock. They obviously knew who's ceremony this would be.

"It has come to my attention that we have three apprentices whom are ready to become warriors." Graystar meowed, looking at their mentors.

"Grainwhisker, Thymeclaw and Darkwing. Do you think your apprentices are ready to become warriors?"

The three warriors bowed their heads "Yes Graystar." They meowed at the same time.

Graystar nodded before turning back to his Clanmates "Therefore I will make these three apprentices warriors." Graystar paused, beckoning Breezepaw over to him with his tail "Breezepaw, do you promise to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Breezepaw stepped forward and nodded, shaking in his own fur "I do."

"Then from this moment on you will be known as Breezefoot. StarClan honours your courage and loyalty." Tanglepaw watched as newly named Breezefoot jumped up beside the leader and licked his shoulder fur.

Graystar turned to Sagepaw as Breezefoot went the opposite direction "Sagepaw do you promise to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Sagepaw this time stepped quietly forward, confidently waving her tail behind her as she beamed "I do."

"Then from this moment on you will be known as Sageclaw. StarClan honours your integrity and strength." Tanglepaw suddenly felt a knot in her stomach. Her ceremony was next. Nervousness started in her paws then quickly crept through her whole body, where she almost shook on the spot.
Graystar turned to Tanglepaw this time as Sageclaw jumped off of Tallrock, casting Tanglepaw an excited look as her sister passed her.

"Tanglepaw," Graystar's voice sounded smooth, almost as if he had recited this many times before "Do you promise to defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Tanglepaw stepped forward, holding her head high while her tail twitched in nervousness "I do." She meowed, trying to sound as confident as she could.

"Then from this moment on, you will be known as Tangletuft. StarClan honours your warm heart and intelligence. We welcome you, Breezefoot and Sageclaw as full warriors of WindClan."

Newly named Tangletuft jumped up Tallrock and licked Graystar's soft shoulder fur, before she turned around to see the Clan erupting in cheers.
"Breezefoot! Sageclaw! Tangletuft!" They all yowled as the sun seemed to shine its brightest.

Tangletuft pounced off of Tallrock and scampered her way over to Snowblaze, who was still cheering for the three new warriors. "Congrats!" He mewed "Now you're a warrior just like me."

Tangletuft just stuck her tongue out "Don't worry. I'll be a better warrior than you too." She teased, empathizing the word better.

"No you won't." Snowblaze rolled his eyes "You'll always be less experienced than me. I'm older so I'll always know more."

"Oh really now?" Tangletuft narrowed her eyes playfully as she twitched her white tail tip "Who was the medicine cat before Rabbitfoot?"

"Oh that's easy! It's it's... uhh." Snowblaze trailed off, pondering on the answer.

"It was Dewblaze." Tangletuft slowly said, as if talking to a daft kit "Dewblaze."

"That solves nothing," Snowblaze erupted, trying not to laugh "I don't need the know the medicine cat before Rabbitfoot to be the best warrior ever."

"Well actually-" Tangletuft started before Darkwing cut her off.

"Tanglepa-er tuft I mean. You have to have warrior vigil."

Tangletuft just nodded before turning to Snowblaze "Wish me luck." She purred before spinning on her heels and meeting up with her littermates before the three cascaded out of camp, the vibe filled with excitement.

The thing Tangletuft didn't know was that when she purred "Wish me luck." A certain cat whispered luck to her as she left the camp. And he meant it too.