Warrior Cats: Cascade

Chapter Four

Unforeseen circumstances did end up preventing Doekit from becoming an apprentice. Who saw that coming? With her form of reputation, however, Doekit had thought that her antics would get her into trouble, but it was, in fact the hypodisease that kept her cooped up in the medicine den for over a week's time.

Three days prior, Willowkit had become an apprentice, and she had surprisingly held her tongue about it, choosing instead to talk about how amazing it would be to train together. Willowki-paw had already been out to see the territory, and had been practicing her hunter's crouch nonstop. The good thing was that she was able to get closer to Sandpaw, which gave Doekit at least some satisfaction.

Now, it was her turn. Her brown and white fur had been groomed to near perfection, so clean and neat that even her own mother had looked twice when she saw her kit heading out of the medicine den (Russetpelt had insisted that she took one more dose of medicine before going out onto such a tall establishment). Doekit gave her shoulder a nervous lick, butterflies stirring in her empty stomach. Her appetite had left her in the past few days, but now she was starting to feel the effects of not eating. That starling on the fresh kill pile looked so inviting...

Doekit was snapped out of her trance when Mothstar cleared her throat, nodding to the kit as she passed by. Her muscles coiled under her bushy pelt as she leaped up, beginning to climb the Dead Tree with the utmost certainty, her paw steps seeming to direct themselves.

The brown tabby called out, her practiced voice carrying throughout the camp. Warriors and apprentices alike poked their heads out of dens and looked up from conversations, curious looks on each. Those who hadn't already heard and assembled padded over, joining Doekit's mother, sister, and a few others under the shadow of the massive trunk.

The Dead Tree had been in camp for seasons upon seasons, acting as a meeting place and den for the leader. A hole at the base, sheltered by moss draped over interlocking roots, served as the den. Not that Doekit had ever been in there.

Well...

Mothstar hushed the crowd with a simple flick of her tail, the silence settling expectantly over the gathered cats. Doekit repressed the urge to shiver. "Gathered companions," she began, a bit quieter now that everyone was in earshot, but still very loud.

"We gather to witness the inauguration of Doekit, who has reached the age of six moons and is ready to become an apprentice. Our heavenly guardians will looks down upon her as she takes on the challenges of the outside world, starting with the first ritual." Mothstar paused to look back down at Doekit, who was having trouble breathing correctly. "If you would join me on the Dead Tree, young one."

Doekit had seen it before; all a cat had to do to become an apprentice was climb up the spindly, slippery branches of the tree, and then they would receive their mentor and make their den. With her experience in climbing the nursery tree, she should be able to scale it rather easily.

Preparing herself, Doekit crouched, doing a little shimmy as she got into a comfortable position. Then, as if leaping onto the back of the hawk that had always plagued her games, she jumped, soaring through the air to dangle precariously from a low hanging branch. It was only about a foot and a half off the ground. Doekit choked back a frustrated hiss, instead focusing her energies on the next branch, already feeling slight traces of fatigue in her short legs.

It went on like that for quite a while, but the branches were growing farther apart. She was so close, she could taste the gales of the mountains, feel wildflowers under her paws. The last jump.

The branch itself was distinguished by several deep claw marks at the base, so Doekit knew it wasn't just some poor cat sliding off of it. The wind up here (though only being several fox-lengths above the ground) was colder than that of the ground, almost fresher. But it was also stronger, picking up the neatly groomed fur of Doekit's body and tugging it gently, as if to suggest she just fall back. She decided to decline that offer.