"Softpaw, don't be afraid to show some mettle! You too Cloudpaw!" Weaselpelt yowled. Softpaw dodged a swipe from the tom, narrowing her eyes to focus on him. Cloudpaw's strike missed and he landed on the ground.
A brown tabby and white she-cat trotted over with Blacktuft by her side. "Weaselpelt, we have more recruits." She meowed.
The dapple ginger cat's ears pricked. "Excellent Leafdust. Have you brought them?" He asked. Leafdust nodded her head and flicked her tail for the cats to come into the bright open clearing.
Webpelt padded into the open along with Turtleheart. Leafdust watched the ginger tom pad around them. "Well Weaselpelt?" She mewed.
"Hmm, good stature. Nice legs on this one," he sniffed Turtleheart's pelt. Webpelt gave a small hop. "What about me?" He meowed, his eyes hungry for approval. Blacktuft looked him over. "You're small, but even though you didn't participate in the battle, you were quick in the tunnels." She explained.
Softpaw's eyes widened and Cloudpaw pricked his ears. "You could see us?" He asked. Leafdust hooked a flower petal with one claw. "Let's just say certain kinds of cats can see everything." She replied.
Softpaw blinked looking confused. "Okay?" She looked at the others now. "Should we continue?"
"We can continue, but word of advice Cloudpaw, you were kind of slow. Like most living cats." Leafdust rumbled. Cloudpaw's blue eyes flashed. "I can be faster!" He yowled eagerly.
"You might be able to be faster, but you won't be as fast as me!" Softpaw declared puffing put her chest and the two began training again.
"Why are you two here?" Blacktuft asked. Webpelt straightened up. "When I was a kittypet, me and Ashfang lived with a horrible Twoleg. We were scared of him, but Ash finally got the courage for both of us to run away. We don't want to be helpless. We want to protect others and fight for our new friends." He meowed.
Turtleheart curled his tail. "I'm here because I want to be able to protect my new Clan. But mostly my mate and kits from my former Clanmates." He growled, his claws sliding out.
Weaselpelt's eyes gleamed. "Yes, let your anger make you stronger. You'll do good indeed." He purred.
"Ha! I win!" Softpaw meowed as she stood over Cloudpaw. She purred and let him up. Cloudpaw shook his fur. "Let me try again!" He panted.
"Yeah right!" Softpaw taunted. The brown tabby apprentice turned away to the older cats. Turtleheart purred in amusement. "He's so much like his father. Energetic."
"Grrr!" Cloudpaw pounced on her from behind. Turtleheart tried to got between them, but Softpaw's forepaw flailed wildly and he moved back. She lashed out and slashed his muzzle. "Ow!" He screeched and flung himself back.
Her eyes widened in shock. "Cloudpaw! I'n sorry," but her apology was cur short by both Blacktuft, Weaselpelt, and Leafdust who were sitting with smiles on their lips.
"Excellent work Softpaw." Blacktuft purred. Weaselpelt nodded beside her. "Yes. How you moved so swiftly, your stance,"
"And it's all thanks to me for finding him." Leafdust purred in a cocky tone. Blacktuft and Weaselpelt rolled their eyes in annoyance. Softpaw shook her head. "But I scratched him! I drew blood, and I didn't mean to!" She looked at the three older cats.
"Pain means you're just progressing." Blacktuft scoffed with a dismissive flick of her plumy tail. Leafdust gave a curt nod. "Yes. Your reflexes were sharp too." She added.
She looked over at Cloudpaw, her green eyes bright with guilt. "Well, if it's a good thing, okay." She purred as she stared down at her claws, the tips of them bright with her Clanmate's blood. Softpaw pushed her guilt away. She had done a good thing. Not really. But the Great Cats sent her here for a reason; and that reason was her Clan.
"Think of it this way, there are more plans to make. Your Great Cats have given you a purpose. One so great, that StarClan will bow to you." Weaselpelt meowed with a flick of his tail. Cloudpaw's eyes gleamed. "With you guys, we can make the other Clans respect us!" He meowed. Turtleheart flicked his ears. "Respect would be nice. How would our old Clanmates feel if we came stomping onto their land telling them they didn't belong?" He snarled.
"Those leaders, they are just at the brink of death. I feel it in the tips of my whiskers," Leafdust growled. Blacktuft broke in roughly, "What she is saying is that with your young thriving mother Cloudpaw, HavenClan has twice as much strength."
Turtleheart sniffed. "Dewstar, that mange-pelt." He spat in undisguised rage. Webpelt straightened up. "Wait until those dung-faces feel my claws when I'm chosen to fight!" He lashed his tail from side to side, his eyes glittering.
"Form an attack at the next gathering." Leafdust suggested. Softpaw's tail lashed from side to side behind her. "I scented a fox nearby yesterday." She mewed.
Weaselpelt nodded eagerly. "Put the three Clans against each other. Let's see how loyal to StarClan they are then." He snarled. Softpaw nodded eagerly. "This could be an opportunity for justice, to prove our strength! We have more cats than they could dream of!" She declared.
"I agree!" Cloudpaw yowled. Turtleheart curled his lip. "Cats like Dewstar are just waiting to have one Clan against another for her own benefit."
Webpelt stepped forward. "If they try to drive us away, we can be ready then!"
Leafdust flicked her tail. "Go to your nests," she ordered the Clan cats. Turtleheart tipped his head, distracted from his enraged thoughts. "But it's early."
"Go back to your Clan and rest," she ordered. "You'll need your strength tomorrow night." She turned and stalked into the distance for the shadows of the clearing behind them, Weaselpelt hurrying after with Blacktuft following, her fur blending in well with its depths.
Softpaw shrugged. Closing her eyes, she began to fade back into the living world. Looking around, she was back in the apprentice's den above the snowy-ground. Briarpaw's nest was empty. She must have been out for the dawn group that lasted until sunhigh. Softpaw caught Rainpaw. The tom had been grouchy ever sine he had been forced to clean Bambi and Adder for ticks. But he started it! She huffed to herself.
"All cats old enough to be looked after by the Great Cats, come to the High Cliff for a Clan Meeting!" Berrytail called as she jumped up to the stone. "Today marks a new day for our Clan. We shall make three kits apprentices, Lionkit please step forward." She called to the young she-cat.
Lionkit scrambled forward in excitement. Her amber eyes gleaming with excitement. Berrytail looked down at the she-cat. "Lionkit, you have reached the age of five and a half moons, as you and your siblings have grown much stronger. Now that we no longer look at StarClan, all kits are apprentices at five and a half moons. From this day forward, until you have received your warrior name, you will be known as Lionpaw," scanning the cats below her, she continued. "Your mentor will be Waspflight, I hope he will pads down all her knows to you." She spoke as she dipped her head to the newly made apprentice.
"Lionpaw! Lionpaw!" The HavenClan cats cheered. Lionpaw bounded over to the tabby tom, who purred in amusement at her eagerness.
"Dovekit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Dovepaw. Your mentor will be Ripplegaze. I hope she will pass down as she knows to you." Berrytail meowed as she dipped her head, the Clan's cheers ringing loudly.
"Larchkit, from this day until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Larchpaw. Your mentor will be Fenclaw, I hope he will pass down all he knows to you, as Lilacfoot, Pinethroat, and I all believe he will help you grow. I know this is your first apprentice," she meowed looking to the young warrior. "But as the Clan's future, I hope you look after Larchpaw well." The Clan cats cheered once more.
Just as Softpaw thought the meeting was over, Berrytail yowled, "There is one more apprentice to be made."
The HavenClan cats looked at each other in confusion. Ashfang muttering something to Marshsong, while Creamflame meowed to Thorntalon who shrugged his shoulders.
"It has come to my attention, that Flowerkit is blind. So her parents, Flareheart and Thistletuft, desire for her to become an apprentice, as well as she does. If anycat is against this, speak now," she meowed as silence graced the clearing of cats. "If we are all in agreement, please help Flowerkit to the center of the clearing." She spoke.
Thistletuft helped her young daughter in front of the Great Cliff. Berrytail cleared her throat. "Flowerkit, you are five moons of age, and you wish to be a medicine cat. Is this true?"
"Yes!" Squeaked the silver and white tabby she-cat. The silver tabby leader lifted her chin. "From this day forward, until you recieve your medicine cat name, you will be known as Flowerpaw. Your mentor will be Leafsong. I hope he will pass down all his skills on to you."
"Flowerpaw! Flowerpaw!" The Clan cheered, Flareheart and Thistletuft yowled. Wolfkit and Dawnkit looked happy for their littermate.
Mossfang smiled at Fenclaw. "First apprentice huh? Wow." She purred. The gray tom lifted his chin, basking in the brown tabby she-cat's praise. "Well, it was time right?" He meowed.
"Get a den!" Drizzlefall teased rolling his eyes. Seedwing let out a mrow of laughter while Duskpool gave a teasing smirk at Mossfang.
Softpaw looked at Rainpaw. He was walking alongside Briarpaw who had just returned with the dawn group, prey in their mouths. The pale gray she-cat only glanced at the tom before putting her catch on the fresh-kill pile. Robinpaw eagerly bounded towards her. "Hey Briarpaw! That was nice how you caught that pigeon!" He meowed. Rainpaw bristled but said nothing.
Softpaw suppressed a hiss and walked over to her sister. "Hey Briarpaw, you just missed the ceremony. "Flowerkit's an apprentice to Leafsong! And Dovepaw is mentored to Ripplegaze, Larchpaw is mentored to Fenclaw, and Lionpaw is mentored to Waspflight! Isn't that cool?" She asked her littermate.
"Yeah." Briarpaw mewed. Rainpaw looked at Softpaw. "Hey, wanna see this new move Pebblespring showed me?" He meowed. Then without waiting for her to answer, he launched himself into the air, landed on his forepaws, and flicked his hindlegs out behind him. "Impressive huh?" His eyes were round with approval.
Larchpaw looked shocked and amazed at the same time. "I want to try that!" He beamed, but Fenclaw shook his head. "How about we start with a tour of the territory first?" He purred in amusement, causing the young brown tabby tom to frown.
"Wow! Want to see a move I learned myself?" Softpaw had to lie. She couldn't let the secret slip that she was training with cats other than her mentor.
Jumping, she watched Rainpaw turn, but she sprinted under him and started pawing his belly. Then, she pinned him down. "Just a move I came up with." She purred hopping off a now dazed Rainpaw.
Briarpaw and Robinpaw sat there in shock. Softpaw lashed her tail behind her, moving bits of snow. Just like what they said. I'll be seen for my moves for sure! Just wait and see!