Looming Darkness

Chapter 8

"I'm nervous," Lilackit meowed.

Rayclaw laughed. "Don't be."

"Yes, you'll be getting your apprentice names!" Clovertail purred beside him.

"I'm not nervous!" Cherrykit exclaimed, puffing out her red fur. She quickly licked it back down, green eyes glowing.

Every cat was now gathered around the High-stone, except Bumblefrost, who was still nowhere to be seen. Eveningstar raised his voice again. "As you all know, two of our kits have reached their sixth moon, and it's time they were apprenticed. Cherrykit, Lilackit, come up here."

Cherrykit sprang up and pranced to the base of the High-stone, Lilackit close behind. The two leapt swiftly up on top of the lichen-covered boulder, one after the other.

Eveningstar turned to face Cherrykit. Cherrykit sat even taller, her red pelt glowing in the sunlight. "Cherrykit, from this day forth," Eveningstar meowed, "until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Cherrypaw. And your mentor will be Echoheart."

Echoheart squirmed in excitement, and, as Whispersong watched with jealousy and longing, she jumped up onto the High-stone beside her new apprentice.

"You received exceptional training from Bronzepelt," Eveningstar meowed to Echoheart, "and I expect you to pass all you learned to your new apprentice." Echoheart lifted her chin in pride, then bent over and rested her muzzle on Cherrypaw's head. Cherrypaw licked her new mentor's shoulder eagerly, nearly bouncing into Echoheart in her eagerness.

Eveningstar now turned to Lilackit. "Lilackit, from this day forth, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Lilacpaw. Your mentor will be Sunfur."

Lilacpaw beamed. The deputy leapt up beside Eveningstar, her orange-brown fur sleek.

"You had received excellent training from Fogtail, and I expect you to pass on all you know to your new apprentice," Eveningstar finished.

Sunfur dipped her head, then turned and rested her muzzle on Lilacpaw's head.

The two new apprentices turned away from Eveningstar and faced the Clan again, their parents and older brother leading the chant.

"Lilacpaw! Cherrypaw!"

Whispersong joined in quietly, not even looking at the two new apprentices. She was watching Echoheart, chest puffed out as she sat behind her apprentice. Her sister was a mentor now, and Whispersong was just a nursery queen.

Whispersong dragged herself back to the nursery with a heavy heart as Cherrypaw and Lilacpaw clambered down the High-stone to meet their Clanmates, who were congratulating them.

Like they once congratulated me... Whispersong thought hopelessly.

She glanced over her shoulder just before she entered the den, eyes misting as she stared at the warm faces of her Clanmates as they looked at the two new apprentices. Would they ever look at her that way again, like they supported her, trusted her, and were proud of her? Was she ever going to be the same in their eyes again?

Whispersong turned away as a cold tear slid down her cheek, and her heart ached painfully. She didn't think so.

* * *

It was way past moonhigh, and Whispersong lay in her nest, wide awake, the near-full moon shining amongst the stars.

It had been a quarter-moon since Cherrypaw and Lilacpaw had been apprenticed, and Whispersong had hardly left the nursery. Bumblefrost visited her occasionally, but most of the time he was out of the camp, to get away from DawnClan, Whispersong supposed. She wished she could do the same, but she was confined to camp.