Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 15 (Sagepaw)

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Spiderstar's yowl had stirred the tired Sagepaw from his nest. It had been two moons since him and his siblings had been apprenticed. Runningpaw had been given his warrior ceremony a moon ago and is now Runningfoot while Smallfoot had moved into the nursery. Sagepaw nudged Nightpaw awake before padding out of the apprentices' den.

His eyes locked on Raggedkit and Featherkit who were waiting anxiously below the Highledge. Oh, this is their apprentice ceremony, Sagepaw realized. He was happy the Clan would have new apprentices to train, but the apprentices' den would get pretty crowded! Sagepaw took his seat beside his brother, Timberpaw, below the Highledge and saved a spot for Nightpaw. After a brief moment that black she-cat came over and sat down beside her brothers. Once every cat had gathered around the Highledge, Spiderstar began.

"This moonhigh, we gather to name two new apprentices of ThunderClan. Raggedkit, Featherkit, come forward," Spiderstar meowed.

Featherkit padded closer the Highledge alongside her brother. Raggedkit's amber eyes gleamed with pride and something else Sagepaw couldn't quite place his paw on. Sagepaw's whiskers twitched, he wondered who would mentor the two siblings.

"From this day forward, before you," he swept his tail towards Featherkit, "have earned your warrior name you will be known as Featherpaw." He paused as his eyes drifted around at the assembly of warriors grouped together. "Blazetail, you are ready for your next apprentice. You have regained the skill you once had before entering the nursery many moons ago. I hope you shall teach Featherpaw your wisdom and determination and help her become a loyal warrior of ThunderClan," Spiderstar declared.

Blazetail's eyes brightened and she padded over to the small, silver kit. She gently brushed noses with her and Sagepaw felt a wave of happiness pass through him. He was glad his mother was finally going back to the life of a warrior and now taking on an apprentice.

"And you," Spiderstar looked pointedly down at Raggedkit, "shall be known as Raggedpaw. Rattail, you are ready for your first apprentice. I hope you will pass down all the skills your past mentor Leopardtail had taught you."

Rattail puffed out his chest proudly and touched noses with his new apprentice. Raggedpaw's eyes flashed with satisfaction in Spiderstar's choice for whom his mentor shall be.

"Raggedpaw! Featherpaw! Raggedpaw! Featherpaw!" Sagepaw joined in the Clan's chorus of chants.

"Raggedpaw, Rattail and you will be joining me and Featherpaw on a tour of the territory tomorrow," Blazetail meowed to the dark tabby.

"Okay," Raggedpaw nodded before turning away and heading to the apprentices' den.

"It's a good thing WindClan had stopped stealing prey after the Gathering!" Nightpaw whispered in his ear. He nodded, he too was thankful WindClan had left ThunderClan's hunting grounds alone after Spiderstar's warning at his first Gathering.

"It's leaf-fall now, I wouldn't be surprised if they came back and hunted in our territory again," Sagepaw murmured back.

Nightpaw wrinkled her nose at the thought, "You would think WindClan would've been able to solve whatever problem they had in their territory by now."

"You saw how thin Mudstar looked; I bet WindClan is still scarce on prey," Sagepaw scoffed.

"What if they began stealing from RiverClan?" Nightpaw wondered.

"WindClan wouldn't dare try and get their paws wet! And besides, the streams are bound to be freezing cold and when leaf-bare comes they'll be frozen over!" Sagepaw pointed out.

Nightpaw still looked skeptical, "I suppose..."

"Nightpaw! Sagepaw! Get some rest, we'll be going on the dawn patrol tomorrow!" Blacknose called from the warriors' den.

"Yes, Blacknose!" Nightpaw called back. "Come on then, lets go show Raggedpaw and Featherpaw where they can sleep."

Sagepaw nodded and followed Nightpaw into the apprentices' den. Featherpaw had already grabbed some moss and began laying it down on an empty plot of packed earth. Raggedpaw was lingering by more awkwardly. He gazed around at the nests of the den, probably wondering which ones were open and which weren't.

"This one's open, Raggedpaw," Sagepaw meowed. He pointed with his tail to the mossy bedding where Runningfoot used to sleep when he had been in the apprentices' den. Raggedpaw wrinkled his nose but padded over to the nest and prodded it down with his paws.

Sagepaw and Nightpaw curled up in their own nests and the ginger tom easily fell asleep.

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Dawn lighting woke Sagepaw and he slowly rose to his paws. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes and nudged his sister awake. Nightpaw rolled over on her side, refusing to wake up. Sagepaw nipped her ear and a swift black paw batted his head away. A heartbeat later Nightpaw stretched and left her mossy nest.

They padded into the clearing where cats assigned to patrols were exiting their dens. Blacknose and Cinderdapple were waiting by the thorn tunnel for the two apprentices. Sagepaw bounded silently over with Nightpaw right on his paws.

"Good morning," Nightpaw meowed. Sagepaw yawned only to receive a warning glance from his mentor.

They padded out of camp and headed off towards the ShadowClan border. Suddenly, the scent of mouse touched his scent glands and he looked to Cinderdapple for permission. The gray warrior nodded and motioned for the rest of the patrol to stop.

Sagepaw crouched down and his eyes scanned the undergrowth for the scrap of prey. He saw a leaf tremble beside a tree root and a mouse scuttle out from underneath it. Sagepaw crept forward with his tail low and pawsteps light. He put his weight on his haunches so that no sound of his creeping pawsteps vibrated through the ground. He could feel the rapid racing of the mouse's heart tingle through his paws. With claws unsheathed he leapt at the mouse and easily pinned it beneath his ginger paws. He let out a purr of satisfaction as he easily snapped the mouse's fragile spine, leaving it dead. Trying not to waste time he buried the mouse beneath a layer of earth beside a tree root growing out from the ground and returned to the patrol.

"Maybe later we can go hunting," Cinderdapple meowed. "What about you Blacknose? Do you have any plans for today?"

The mottled brown deputy nodded, "Yes, I was planning on taking Nightpaw to the training hollow for some more battle training." Nightpaw's eyes lit up as she heard her mentor's plans.

"We should let the two hunt together one day," the gray warrior said gently.

Blacknose looked thoughtful, "I suppose it would do them good."

"An assessment!" Nightpaw whispered excitedly in Sagepaw's ear.

Sagepaw shared her excited thoughts. An assessment! His claws flexed at the idea of showing off everything he knew to his mentor. 

The rest of the way to the ShadowClan border was quiet. They patrolled along the border but no ShadowClan patrol met up with them. It was quiet and all seemed peaceful between the two Clans. Sagepaw was glad, he didn't want ShadowClan to start causing trouble with ThunderClan, especially since it was mid leaf-fall.

The four ThunderClan cats turned back and started heading back to camp. They planned on heading the same way until Sagepaw traced back to the mouse he caught. They neared the tree root and Sagepaw was about to say goodbye to Nightpaw when something turned his blood cold.

An ear splitting yowl broke the muted silence of the forest.