Tidepaw was looking after Coralkit and Sandkit, Gullnose's kits, while she went out and got some time out of the camp. Slatefur would've taken care of them herself, but she'd just moved out of the nursery and had been assigned to a hunting patrol.
Tidepaw felt that time was moving around her strangely. She grew up with Minkpaw and Flintpaw being apprentices, but tonight they were going to be warriors and Slatefur's kits would be moving into the apprentice den. It all felt so...thick. Like the time Mintpaw showed her some pine sap at a gathering. Mintpaw had carried the stick all the way from her camp to Roundrock just to show her and the other apprentices what pine sap looked like.
"Coralkit, stop tugging on your brother's ear," Tidepaw sighed, pulling her off of Sandkit. Was I ever this demanding as a kit?
"But I want to play!" she whined. "And Gullnose won't let me play with Jaggedstone's kits!"
"That's because they were just born a few sunups ago," she explained. And Shallowkit and Waterkit might not last the night, she added to herself, glancing anxiously towards the nursery as the sounds of coughing emanated from it. Wavebreeze emerged not long after. She caught Tidepaw's gaze and slowly shook her head. Tidepaw's heart panged in grief for Jaggedstone and Duckfoot.
Gullnose returned just as Sandstar called the Clan together. Tidepaw went and sat with Moraytooth and Floodgaze, longing for the day when she would receive her own warrior name. Flintpaw and Mintpaw were just about bursting with excitement and pride as they approached the Callstone.
"Cats of CliffClan, we are gathered here for the welcoming of two new warriors into the Clan. Ledgelake, Fogtail. Have your apprentices shown their skills and their dedication towards this Clan?"
"They have," they answered in unison.
Sandstar dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Flintpaw, Mintpaw, step forward."
They eagerly moved into position, tails quivering, faces lit with a glow of pure joy.
"I, Sandstar, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Flintpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"You better believe it!"
Tidepaw let out a purr with the rest of the Clan at Flintpaw's emphatic declaration.
"Then by the powers invested in me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Flintpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Flintfire. StarClan honors your tenacity and bravery, and we welcome you as a full warrior of CliffClan."
Flintfire was trembling as he licked Sandstar's shoulder. He stepped back, looking towards his sister with pride. Sandstar let the cheers die down before continuing.
"Minkpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"
"I do," she breathed, sounding awed to be living this day at last.
"Then by the powers invested in me by StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Minkpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Minkpelt. StarClan honors your strength of will—"
"A little too strong!" Fogtail purred.
"—and we welcome you as a full warrior of CliffClan."
Tidepaw yowled her Clanmates' new names as loud as her lungs could manage. She hurried forward to congratulate them. The rest of the day was spent lazing around until Dunemist came to get her to make up the nests in the elder's den.
She climbed up to the gull nests and stole the feathers from around the rocks. She was one of the few who was able to get that close to the nests without being attacked. After she was done risking her life, she gathered the seagrass and fish scales from the tidal pools. It was a bit of a pain carrying everything back at one time, but Tidepaw didn't mind. She arranged the nests in the den, chatting with the elders as she did so.
That night she headed to the Gathering with the rest of her Clan. As soon as she caught whiff of BirchClan her fur rose and she bit back a growl. She shook herself. This would be the first Gathering she'd attended after Gavelpaw's murder. She sat with her Clan, not quite trusting herself around Basilpaw. It wasn't his fault and she didn't want to lash out at him.
She caught sight of Elktail and growled, her claws siding deep into the earth.
YOU ARE READING
The Call of the Tide
FanfictionTidekit lives in CliffClan and is excited to become an apprentice. But two things stand in her way: her brother, who everyone believes has a special connection to StarClan, and her own weirdness, which makes others believe she's less mature than she...
