Chapter 5
Shadowkit closed her eyes lazily under the sun. It was already Newleaf, and the forest was full of the sounds of chirping birds and prey scuttling along the undergrowth. "Wake up Shadowkit!" Rockkit yowled from outside the nursery, and Shadowkit jumped to her feet as excited as a baby fox having its first meal. She rushed outside, blinded by the white sunlight, and headed straight for her littermates. "Oww" Leafkit squeaked after Shadowkit stumbled on her front paw. "Sorry Leafkit." Shadowkit said, dipping her head in apology. "Let all cats old enough join under the Highrock for a clan meeting!" Redstars voice echoed in the sun baked camp. What had been a quiet morning was now turned into a camp filled with cats whispering to one another about every little thing that happened in the clan.
"We have gathered here under the Highrock today, because Rockkit, Leafkit and Shadowkit are finally six moons old. Kits, come here. You have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Leafpaw, Rockpaw, and Shadowpaw. Rockpaw, your mentor will be Badgerpelt. I hope Badgerpelt will pass down all she knows on to you." Redstar looked over to Badgerpelt.
"Badgerpelt, you are ready to once again take another apprentice. You have received excellent training from Blueclaw, and you have shown yourself to be wise but yet swift. You will be the mentor of Rockpaw, and I expect you to pass on all you know to him. Rockpaw walked on, in front of Badgerpelt and gently touched noses with her. "I will do my best to teach you." Badgerpelt whispered underneath her breath so that only he could hear and she turned away and turned through the groups of cats to find a free spot.
"Shadowkit, your mentor will be Fawnfoot. I hope Fawnfoot will pass down all she knows onto you. Fawnfoot, come on up." Redstar yowled into the clearing full of the strong Sunclan cats. Slowly, a young she-cat warrior, with sleek light brown and white fur padded up to the base of Highrock. "Fawnfoot, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You have shown yourself to be loyal and strong. You will be the mentor of Shadowpaw,and I expect you to pass all you know down to her." Redstar added, taking a deep breath when she finished. Shadowpaw walked up to her mentor, her whiskers twitching with excitement. Quickly Shadowpaw went to touch noses with her, but stumbled on a pebble falling face first into the floor. She quickly stood up and touched noses with her mentor, hearing her littermates and a few other cats snickering under their breaths.
Redstar continued "From this day forward, Berrywhisker is Leafpaw's mentor. I hope Berrywhisker will pass down all she knows on to you." Then turning to the Sunclan medicine cat she said, "Berrywhisker, you have received excellent training from Lemonleaf in the ways of medicine cats, and you have shown yourself to be patient and truehearted. You will be the mentor of Leafpaw and I expect you to pass on all you know to her." Leafpaw looked up at her new mentor eyes wide with anticipation, and she touched noses with her mentor, signaling the beginning of her apprenticeship. "Rockpaw! Leafpaw! Shadowpaw!" Shadowpaw's clanmates shouted around her.
"Shadowpaw!" The young apprentice heard from deep inside her den. It had not even been a quarter of a moon since Shadowpaw and her littermates became apprentices, but her mentor already had her on a tight schedule. "She may be a bit strict and have you do lots of work, but she is a good clan mate and mentor." Birdsong had told her. Shadowkit had wanted to be a bit more free, but she knew Fawnfoot meant no harm and just wanted to make Shadowpaw a honorable warrior that helped her clan. Fawnfoot yelled again, and slowly Shadowpaw slid out of the apprentice den, careful not to wake up her den mates. Recently both the apprentice den and the nursery were full of young cats. Redstar and Applepelt had even started considering making both dens larger. It was impossible to go anywhere inside the camp without tripping over tiny fluffy kittens considering that Violetwing had three, Lilyshade had two more, and Firejump was expecting more little bundles of fur. Not only were the kits everywhere in camp, but Sparkit had been following Rockpaw around all the time and Shadowpaw had noticed Stormkit had been trailing her from time to time. "Shadowpaw!" She heard her mentor snap at her. "Are you listening?! I'm telling you the schedule" She meowed fiercely. "Sorry Fawnfoot… I'll pay more attention from now on." Shadowpaw meowed, dipping her head apologetically. Fawnfoot sighed, "Today I will continue our hunting lesson at grass meadows until sunhigh. Then we will come back and help make the apprentice den larger. Next moon there will be nine apprentices and we will still have lots of kits. Berrywhisker thinks Firejump will kit sometime between a moon and a half." Fawnfoot's mew was hopeful, she had lost her first litter of two kits several moons ago during a harsh leaf-bare. New kits alway made her remember Dustykit and Nettlekit. "I'm sure the new kits will be just fine, it's the middle of green-leaf, there's lots of food and fresh herbs." Shadowpaw said softly, trying to comfort her mentor. "Anyways, let's get going, we have lots to do today!" Fawnfoot yowled with a newfound energy in her voice. Shadowpaw bounced to her feet, ready to take on anything. "Alright!" Shadowpaw replied back.
"Ughhhh, how much longer I can't feel my paws anymore!" Shadowkit said half asleep, her paws aching like she had been stabbing thorns into them the entire day. All her fresh energy from the morning was drained. "Just a little more, we're almost done with the den anyways." Fawnfoot replied. Shadowpaw, full of energy and positivity now that she knew they were almost done, worked twice as fast and pretty soon the den was finished. Shadowpaw's small body ached, and she could not wait to get something from the fresh kill pile and then curl up in her new soft moss nest. "Good job!" She heard Fawnfoot say behind her, "Go and get something from the fresh kill pile, you deserve a rest." She congratulated. Shadowpaw trotted slowly over to the pray pile. Rockpaw and Rosepaw were already there, eating together. "Oh! Shadowpaw!" Rockpaw jumped up and ran over to her. "Did you talk to the other apprentices yet?" Just before Shadowpaw could answer, a figure walked up behind her. "No, she didn't." Shadowpaw whipped her head around to see Sandpaw looking down at her. Then, suddenly, the tom started to burst out laughing. "You should have seen your face!" He meowed, snickering at the young apprentice. Shadowpaw scowled, glaring daggers into the pale tom's fur. "I can't wait until you become a warrior, then I won't have to share a den with you." She spat, turning around and snatching a plump mouse.
After the apprentices finished their fresh kill, they all padded up wearily to their den, ready to sleep for a whole moon. "Goodnight" Shadowpaw mumbled, as she silently drifted off to sleep.