Night Owl
Yellow Sparx
Gems: 1942
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#17 Posted: 20:08:14 08/01/2010 | Topic Creator
Thanks! The chapters are long, though I'm posting them in bits. xD Here's full chapter one:
Chapter one: Full
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Thistlekit patted the moss ball half-heartedly to her brother, Rockkit. He slammed his paw into it and it flew across the hollow.
“Hmph. We’re not kits anymore. We should be sleeping in the apprentice den now.” She mumbled. “Who do you think your mentor will be?”
“I hope for Icecloud. She’s really nimble, and she protected the camp when WindClan and RiverClan attacked.” He replied.
“Mmm. I would like Firestar as my mentor.” Thistlekit said dreamily, think of the territory to explore, the mice to hunt, the WindClan warriors to fight.
“But he’s leader! He can’t mentor an apprentice.” Rockkit told her bluntly. She shook off her thoughts.
“He mentored Brambleclaw. Why can’t he take another apprentice on? Bluestar mentored Firestar when he was a ‘paw.” She argued.
“Becau-” Rockkit was cut off by Firestar, standing on Highrock.
“May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath Highrock.” The Clan swarmed to where their leader was standing, with his flame coloured pelt. The two kits raced to the front row.
“I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these kits. They have accepted the roll as apprentice, and I now commend them as one of ThunderClan. Thistlekit, Rockkit, come forward.” They stepped out of the crowd, Thistlekits paws were shaking. Her apprentice ceremony! She smiled, but managed to sit still and remain quiet.
“From now until you are crowned warriors, your names will be Thistlepaw and Rockpaw.” Firestar continued. “Icecloud, step forward.” The white warrior blinked in surprise, but did as she was told.
“You will mentor Rockpaw as your first apprentice. I trust you will teach him all he will need to know, and may he gain your strength of heart also.” Firestar called.
Icecloud touched noses with Rockpaw, acknowledging acceptance. Rockpaw went to sit next to his mentor, beaming.
“Lionblaze. Step forward.” Firestar urged. He did as he was bid. Thistlepaw’s heart sunk. Lionblaze. She forced a smile, and Firestar continued.
“You shall be Thistlepaw’s mentor, and she shall be your first apprentice. I trust her to you to teach her all you know, and that you will pass on your courage and heart.”
Thistlepaw and Lionblaze touched noses. She looked into his eyes, searching for happiness, but found only sadness. His sister had died only a moon ago in a rockfall, he had almost died at the paws of Ashfur, and a little while after that he was told his mother was not Squirrelflight, but Leafpool, and that his father was in WindClan.
She smiled, still glad to have a strong warrior as her mentor.
“This meeting is over.” Firestar jumped off Highrock.
Lionblaze smiled at her, happy to have an apprentice to look after to take his mind off things. “How about we find you a space in the apprentice den before Rockpaw hogs it?” He asked.
“Yeah! I can’t wait! But after that I have to thank Daisy for caring for us.” Thistlepaw answered eagerly. Lionblaze beamed, Thistlepaw felt proud for making the warrior smile, he hadn’t smiled for a moon.
They dashed to the apprentice den, and Thistlepaw chose a space next to Waterpaw, her best friend, who became an apprentice a moon ago. She trotted out and joined Lionblaze. He smiled at her, and began to walk to the camp entrance.
“Come on! We’re going to explore the territory.” He explained. Thistlepaw ran after him.
Lionblaze padded down the stream that was the WindClan border.
“Can you smell the rabbit and rainy scent? That’s the WindClan cats. The sleep in the open, and are small and lithe. They can catch rabbits, but cannot climb trees.” He tutored her.
“Yes, I can. I think there’s a patrol coming this way.” Thistlepaw answered, smelling rabbit blood and cat. Tornear, Owlwhisker and Nightcloud padded down the other side of the border. They nodded their acknowledgement and padded on.
“Well done. Now, we’ll head down to the lake, and up the ShadowClan border.” Lionblaze explained. Thistlepaw inhaled, and smelt cold water on the wind. They had to be near the lake. She raced in front of him, and gasped. She hadn’t seen such a big expanse of water before. Wind raced over the lapping waves and a distant scent of fish filled her nose. To her right were soggy moorlands, and to her left a forest of dense prickly fir trees.
“That fishy scent is RiverClan. They eat the fish from the lake and can swim beautifully. Hollyleaf’s best friend was a RiverClan cat…” The words just slipped from his jaws. He sighed, and looked at Thistlepaw.
“I, uh, sorry. It just slipped out.”
“I understand.” She answered, sensing his longing, “Can we head up the ShadowClan border now?”
“Yes, it’s almost sunset, we’ll have to run.” Lionblaze looked up, locating the position of the sun. They padded across the lake’s coming and going waves, until they reached the side of ShadowClan territory, then they turned right and walked up, only knowing where the border was from the musky scent of ShadowClan’s markers. A thrush chirped enticingly on the other side, but they both ignored it, it was on ShadowClan territory so it was ShadowClan prey.
“The camp is near, and we have to get back. Come on.” Lionblaze teased, and ran to the right. Thistlepaw followed, trying to overtake the fast warrior, but her short legs couldn’t keep up. She fell behind, and trotted after him through the thorn barrier that surrounded the camp. The camp was a large hollow in rocky ground, and dens made of intertwined brambles made their walls. Firestar was lounging on Highrock, Brightheart was sharing tongues with Brambleclaw and Rockpaw was biting into a mouse outside the apprentice den. The other cats were out on a border or hunting patrol. Thistlepaw heard a mumble of complaint from the elder’s den, Waterpaw was checking them for ticks, a routine apprentice job.
“Thanks Lionblaze, I didn’t know that ThunderClan territory was so big!” Thistlepaw thanked him.
“No problem. The territory we went around was only the bottom half!” He exclaimed, “Now, go get some food then go to sleep, you’ll have some battle training tomorrow.”
She nodded, and headed to the fresh kill pile. She picked up a water vole and padded over to Rockpaw. He had finished the mouse, and flicked his tail.
“What did you do today?” She asked him through a mouthful of vole. He grunted.
“We went hunting, it was great.” Rockpaw lightened up a little.
“Why are you so angry then?” Thistlepaw asked, confused. She pushed the half-eaten vole to him, in an attempt to make him happier.
“Because I couldn’t catch a thing. Icecloud said it was just because I was a new apprentice, but I felt I could do it. I leaped onto the mouse like you’re meant to, then it slipped out from underneath!” He scowled.
“Well, it might be because you stink of kits, so do I. It’ll go.” She promised.
“Maybe. But what if I can never hunt properly?”
“You will be able to hunt perfectly. It’s just apprentices luck.” Thistlepaw purred. He snorted ungratefully, pushed the vole back toward her and disappeared into the apprentice den. Thistlepaw scowled and finished the vole. She raced in, ignoring him, and took her place next to Waterpaw.
“Oh, hi!” Waterpaw gasped, “How was your first day?”
“Great! We patrolled the borders, I didn’t know ThunderClan territory was so big. Oh, and I wouldn’t be as friendly to Rockpaw, he missed a mouse and now he thinks he’s let the clan down.”
Waterpaw nodded, and fell asleep. Thistlepaw padded the moss down and curled up to sleep.
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But I coukdn't possibly write as long and awsome chapters as you can BEST FAN EVER, I'm not great at typing.writing quick. For me, this is a lot to have done in about a week. xD
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Back from hibernation.
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