ωαяяισя ¢αтѕ // Mintpool's Promise

Chapter 20

"Let every cat in AirClan gather around the Clanledge for a Clan meeting!" Spottedstar's yowl broke through the air, bouncing off of the trees. 

Mintpaw poked her head out of the medicine den as several of her Clanmates got to their paws and trotted over towards the ledge. At the foot, Adderpaw sat, his tail curled around his paws proudly, his black-and-white fur gleaming in the sunset light. He must've passed his Warrior Assessment! The tabby fluffed her pelt proudly in her brother's behalf. 

"Mintpaw! Come on!" Echoleaf called as she ducked out of the medicine den and towards the ledge.

The tabby glanced back at the herb pile that she was sorting. "Coming!"

Abandoning the leaves, Mintpaw bounded towards the ledge, wondering if she'd be able to go to sleep early. In the past moons, her mind had been occupied with many things. First, not only were the rogue scents becoming stronger and stronger, they were practically pressed right on the border! It was maddening to many Clan cats that rogues would even dare to do that, as though they were teasing them. Many in AirClan had called for an attack, but Spottedstar tried calming them down, saying that there was no reason to attack the rogues until they've done something wrong. Still, many cats were uneased at how close the rogues seemed to be. Secondly, StarClan had stopped in the dream-sending with Mintpaw. In fact, they'd completely closed themselves off! Whenever she arrived at the Moonpool to try and get more information on the future, she would be greeted with nothing, as though they had finished sending Mintpaw dreams and checked her off the to-do list. She could tell that the other medicine cats didn't have much luck, either. Their eyes were almost always worried when they woke up. Echoleaf had told her that she got warnings on the weather, but nothing more than that. She had tried to ask StarClan about the rogues, but they'd simply padded away. And, with the Fireclaw story that Mintpaw had recently learned about, she wanted to know more about it, about Cobrastrike. But StarClan seems to be ignoring her prayers. 

The only good thing that has come of this moon was that Mintpaw finally mastered the rearing up move, and Robinpaw hasn't yet. The tabby wanted somehow to do it right in front of the brown she-cat, to see her expression when she realized that a medicine cat could do it and she couldn't. How would I get that to happen, though...?

"I, Spottedstar, leader of AirClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice." The golden she-cat's voice snapped Mintpaw out of her thoughts. "They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as a warrior in their turn."

Adderpaw's blue eyes shimmered as he listened to Spottedstar's words. Mintpaw's gaze caught onto Snowfrost. Her mother's pelt was fluffed with joy and pride as she blinked at her son. Suddenly, a small twinge of envy swirled in Mintpaw's stomach as she gazed around at her Clanmates' expressions. When I become a medicine cat, Snowfrost and Adderpaw aren't going to be there. 

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

"I do." There was no hesitancy in Adderpaw's voice, and he gazed calmly back at Spottedstar. 

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Adderpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Adderclaw. StarClan honors your bravery and determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of AirClan." Spottedstar rested her muzzle on Adderclaw's head as the new warrior gave her shoulder a lick.

"Adderclaw! Adderclaw!" Adderclaw's name rang through the clearing, bouncing off the trees, echoing through the camp. 

Mintpaw raised her head, yowling out her brother's name as loudly as she could. I still remember the day we became apprentices. How could time have passed so fast? We were so close then... She shook her head, as though shaking off the thoughts, giving Adderclaw's name another loud yowl before letting it fall into silence.