The Life And Adventures of Ivyshadow

Chapter 18 - Moon 11

Ivypaw sped up, still clutching the mouse in her mouth. She stopped worrying about being quiet, snapping twigs and running straight through shrubs. She slid to a stop outside the battle training hollow, and scanned the clearing wildly. There - the nest was tucked up in the same tree Runningmouse had put it in. Ivypaw set the mouse down and leapt up, quickly scaling the tree. "Oh thank the Clan of Rising Stars!" She whispered. 5 chicks sat in the nest, their mother above them. "Sorry, friend." Ivypaw meowed before quickly killing the prey. The chick's were big enough that they could almost pass off as adult birds, and along with the mouse that made seven pieces of prey.

Ivypaw dropped the prey at her leader's feet minutes later, panting slightly. "Done!"

Acornstar exaimed it alongside Blackstripe for a few tantalizing minutes before meowing, "I've seen better. But, you pass."

"YES!!" Ivypaw leapt to her feet, relief washing over her.

Blackstripe meowed in amusement, leaning over to give Ivypaw a lick on her forehead. "Ill miss having you as an apprentice, Ivypaw."

Ivypaw smiled back up at him, suddenly feeling a little sad. She would miss the days she'd spent with Blackstripe. The hours of training had made the two cats closer to each other.

As they padded back to the camp, Acornstar went ahead, leaving the two of them alone. "You were so nervous," Blackstripe meowed, "but then again, so was I. I was frantically trying to remember what Windfur taught me on my first day.

"You did great," Ivypaw meowed, meaning it. She couldn't have asked for a better mentor.

"Thanks," Blackstripe laughed, "you were so attentive and curious, and every time I complimented you, I loved to see you glow with pride."

Ivypaw hadn't realized that she had changed, but now that she looked back to when she'd first set off with Blackstripe, she'd been so young and unsure. When had she grown into a full warrior?

The two cats padded into the camp. Ivypaw splitting off to join an Winterthorn and an eager Snowpaw. "Did you pass?" Her sister asked, her blue eyes excited.

Ivypaw nodded, setting down her prey. Blackstripe and Acornstar had helped her, so she'd only carried the mouse and a sparrow chick. "I did it! Although, something strange happened..." she lowered her voice, telling her sister about the prey disappearing.

"Rising Star! Seriously?" Snowpaw looked shocked.

"Yeah, I-"

"A mouse, two squirrels and a sparrow, you said?" Winterthorn asked suddenly.

Ivypaw nodded, "Yeah! It was so much prey, I don't-"

"I saw Violetpaw bring in that exact amount of prey just twenty minutes ago," Winterthorn meowed. He then picked up a sparrow and began eating it as if he'd been commenting on the weather.

Ivypaw felt her skin boil with anger. Violetpaw had tried to stop her from becoming a warrior? She turned to scan the camp, and wasn't surprised to see Violetpaw watching her. Ivypaw raised her head, meeting Violetpaw's gaze unflinchingly.

"I call all cats of the Clan of Tall Trees to gather for a meeting!" Acornstar yowled.

Ivypaw snapped her gaze away from Violetpaw, her heart beating. Snowpaw began licking Ivypaw's fur furiously, much like a queen with her kit. "You're so dirty!" Snowpaw mowed worriedly, and Ivypaw began to groom her chest and paws frantically.

"Ivypaw, step forward." Acornstar said cooly, glancing down at the gathered cats.

Ivypaw's paws were steady as she stepped up the the stump, everything feeling like a dream. She straightened her spine, staring up at her leader.

"I, Acornstar, leader of the Clan of Tall Trees, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn."

"Blackstripe, has your apprentice, Ivypaw, learned the skills of a warrior? Does she understand the importance of the warrior code?" Acornstar turned to Blackstripe.

Ivypaw dared to glance over at her mentor, who smiled at her warmly. "She does."

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

Ivypaw looked back up at her leader, meeting Acornstar's eyes. Until the day of her death, Ivypaw would serve her clan. She would give her life to defend her clan, she was sure of that. "I do."

"Then by the powers of Rising Star, I give you your warrior name. Ivypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ivyshadow. Rising Star honors your determination and loyalty, and we welcome you as a full warrior of the Clan Of Tall Trees."

Ivyshadow turned back to her clan as they began to chant her name.

"Ivyshadow!" Snowpaw, Birchpaw and Winterthorn called out as loud as they could.

"Ivyshadow!" Windfur and Runningmouse yowled her name, Runningmouse meeting her eyes with a smile.

"Ivyshadow!" Violetpaw sulked while Sunshine and Larktail joined the chant.

"Ivyshadow!" Morningpaw and Daypaw yelled, while Forestkit and Goldkit peeked out of the nursery in wonder.

Ivyshadow felt herself tear up with happiness. Finally, she was accepted. Finally, she was home.

How has your journey with Ivyshadow been so far?

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