"What happens now?" Firepaw's mew broke Spottedleaf out of her thoughts. He was looking up at her expectantly, green eyes wide.
Spottedleaf's mind drew a blank. Her throat went dry and she felt hot underneath her fur. My first task after becoming a mentor again and I'm standing here like a cornered mouse! She wanted to wail. With how nervous she was, it surprised her how she managed to train Stonefur into the respected warrior he was now.
"I was going to show him around camp!" Spottedleaf was more than relieved to hear the fluffy apprentice. "If that's alright with you, Spottedleaf." He added as he paused at Firepaw's flank.
Spottedleaf gratefully swiped her tongue between her kin's ears. "That is a wonderful idea, Graypaw."
Graypaw beamed under the praise.
"I'll show you the apprentices' den first." The gray tom decided.
"You have already seen Highrock." He flicked his tail at the big and smooth rock. "That is where Bluestar addresses the Clan, as you've seen. Her den is below." Graypaw pointed toward a hollow in the side of the stone. "It is said that her den was carved out by a stream many moons ago." Lichen hung over the entrance, acting as a barrier from wind and rain.
Continuing the tour, Graypaw led the way into a thick bush of ferns behind a mossy stump. "All apprentices share fresh-kill by this stump." Graypaw told Firepaw. It was clear he was taking his role as guide seriously.
Spottedleaf touched the tip of her tail to Firepaw's shoulder. "Now that you have your new name, and are an official Clan apprentice, your nest will be moved to the apprentices' den." She mewed.
The night before, the ginger tabby had slept in a makeshift nest outside the apprentices' den. It was almost like Bluestar knew he'd move into the den.
"How many apprentices does ThunderClan have?" Asked Firepaw.
"Just me, you, Ravenpaw, Dustpaw, Sandpaw, Antlerpaw, Leopardpaw, Birdpaw, and Bloompaw. Our ranks are small at the moment." Graypaw responded.
Firepaw's ears pricked. "Small? That seems like a lot of cats!"
"Clans can have upwards of fifty active cats at a time. Considering that we have just over thirty as of right now, it's not a lot."
The trio faced the owner of the voice. It was a small and stocky young tom with a pale gray pelt and ice blue eyes who was approaching the stump from a clump of his Clanmates. His muzzle, chest, paws, and tail-tail were snow-white.
"Hello." Mewed Firepaw.
"I'm Antlerpaw." The white-pawed apprentice introduced.
Firepaw stared at Antlerpaw, looking intrigued. "ThunderClan has thirty cats?" He echoed. "How many do the other Clans have?"
Antlerpaw flicked his tail. "It varies. Cats are born and killed almost everyday."
"Oh." Firepaw turned his attention to Spottedleaf. "Why was I named Firepaw? Why are all the apprentices called whatsit-paw while the others have more distinctive names like Redtail or Tigerclaw?"
Antlerpaw answered before Spottedleaf had even collected her thoughts. "All apprentices have the paw suffix because it symbolizes that our paws are set on a path, whether that be to warriorhood or to become a medicine cat. Warriors and full medicine cats have their full names where they are given a new suffix that corresponds with their appearance or personality. Longtail and Redtail, for example. Both of them have distinctive tails. Tigerclaw, however, has huge claws!" He explained.
Firepaw's eyes brightened as he absorbed the new information. "What do you think your warrior name will be?"
"I have not given it too much thought, but I'm hoping for something simple. Like Antlerheart or Antlerfur." Antlerpaw mewed before dipping his head to lick his chest.
"Mine's going to be Graystripe. No doubt about it!" Graypaw butted in. "What about you, Firepaw?"
"I...I don't know..." Firepaw began.
"You shouldn't need to worry. You'll never get a warrior name, kittypet!" A new voice snarled.
A young she-cat shouldered past Antlerpaw. Her coat was a pale ginger with barely noticeable stripes of her darker fur, and her eyes were a sharp leaf-green. Behind her, appeared a dark brown tabby tom apprentice.
"Excuse Sandpaw." Graypaw apologized. "She must have a furball stuck somewhere for she's usually not this bad." He jerked his head to the dark tabby while Sandpaw spat crossly. "And Dustpaw is no better. He may have just lost his mentor, but he is still a massive pain in the tail."
"That is enough bickering between you apprentices." Meowed Spottedleaf. "Antlerpaw, Sandpaw, Dustpaw, don't you three have duties to tend to?"
The deep voice of a senior warrior sounded behind the group. "Sandpaw most certainly does. We're going hunting. But, as my apprentice, I expected you to be more welcoming to Firepaw."
Sandpaw looked up at the large white tom. "Sorry, Whitestorm," she purred, not sounding apologetic in the slightest. "I didn't expect to be training with a kittypet."
"You'll get used to it." Whitestorm meowed calmly. "Now, come along. Prey is not going to catch itself." He summoned his apprentice with a flick of his tail and headed to the camp entrance.
"Bluestar told me to get some rest. I'm going on the sunhigh patrol." Antlerpaw mewed before he disappeared into the den.
All eyes turned to Dustpaw.
Dustpaw showed his teeth. "I'm on tick duty."
"Tick duty!" Graypaw purred, sticking his tail into the air. "This is the perfect opportunity to show Firepaw the elders' den."
"I don't need a kittypet trailing me!" Snapped Dustpaw.
"Firepaw will not interfere with your duties." Spottedleaf reassured the apprentice.
Dustpaw flattened his ears and stalked off across the clearing and past Mossfall's den to a fallen tree that concealed a patch of lush grass. Four elderly cats were crouched amongst the greenery.
"We have six elders, but Patchpelt and Rosetail are helping to bury Redtail." Graypaw whispered to Firepaw. "It's the elders' job to bury our dead."
"Where are the dead buried?" Firepaw asked while Dustpaw set to work, parting the fur of a tortoiseshell she-cat with a gray muzzle before cracking a tick between his teeth.
It was Spottedleaf who answered. "You will see when you are shown the territory."
Firepaw bristled with excitement. He was so energetic and eager to learn. Just as a Clan apprentice should be. Spottedleaf was relieved her apprentice wasn't as hyper as Graypaw. She still failed to understand how Lionheart kept up with the young tom.
"When are we going to see the territory?" The ginger tabby asked.
Spottedleaf carefully picked her response. She didn't want to overwhelm the newcomer. "Tomorrow. Today, you will see the camp and learn our ways."
Firepaw gave a polite nod, and Spottedleaf continued. "Aside from training, an apprentice's job is to care for the elders. Apprentices must hunt for our elders — and the rest of the Clan, but elders are fed first-change their bedding, and ensure that they are tick-free."
"Come on, you still need to see the rest of camp." Graypaw piped up, gesturing for them to follow him out of the den with a flick of his fluffy tail.
"This is where the warriors sleep." He padded over to a large bush a few pawsteps from Highrock. The den had a clear view of the gorse entrance into the camp. The branches of the bush were low hanging, but the nests within the sheltered space were still visible. "Senior warriors sleep near the middle, where it's warmer." Graypaw explained. "They typically share fresh-kill together by that clump of nettles over there. The younger warriors eat nearby unless they are invited to eat with the senior warriors, which is a huge honor."
"What about the others?" Asked Firepaw.
"The queens share warrior quarters when they don't have kits, but when they do, or are expecting, they stay in the nursery."
Firepaw's belly rumbled and he gave an embarrassed dip of his head.
"I take it you two haven't eaten?" Spottedleaf purred.
Both Firepaw and Graypaw shook their heads.
"There is enough for you two to have a bite. With Sandpaw and Whitestorm out hunting, the fresh-kill pile will be restocked in no time." Meowed Spottedleaf, heading for the pile of prey beside the clearing.
Graypaw stepped forward to take a large mouse from the pile. He then dropped it at Firepaw's paws. "Still haven't tasted mouse?"
"No." Admitted Firepaw.
Spottedleaf selected a squirrel and settled down beside the apprentices. She dug into the prey, watching Firepaw and Graypaw from the corner of her eye.
"You can have the first bite then. Just save some for me!" Graypaw stepped back to give Firepaw some room.
Firepaw crouched down before taking a large bite of the mouse.
"Well?" Graypaw pressed.
"It's fantastic!" Firepaw mumbled around a mouthful of the food.
"Move over!" Graypaw mewed, stepping forward and dipping his head to take a bite.