Book Two, Chosen

Chapter Sixteen

Streamkit's POV. One moon later.

I awoke by my mother gently pushing me with her nose. I yawned and stretched and complained as to why I had to wake up so early. Then I remembered. I was going to be an apprentice today!

I instantly jumped out of my nest and into the middle of camp. Batstar slowly followed with the rest of my siblings.

"Well you seem excited!" exclaimed Batstar.

"Who wasn't excited on the day they became apprentices?" I exclaimed. Juniperkit, Frostedkit, and Fallenkit all circled me, hopping around in excitement.

"Alright, it's time now. When I'm up there, sit with Skywing, okay?" Batstar told us. We nodded.

Batstar hopped onto the Greatledge. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, join beneath the Greatledge for a Clan meeting!"

All around us, cats poured out of their dens. Soon, we were crowded with cats on all sides. Batstar announced the traditional words of the apprentice ceremony.

"Frostedkit, Juniperkit, Fallenkit, and Streamkit have all reached their sixth moon and are ready to become apprentices." I shivered at the words that Batstar spoke.

"Frostedkit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Frostedpaw. Your mentor, Sweetwish." Batstar announced. Frostedpaw lifted her head high up in the air. I caught something out of the corner of my eye.

Stonepaw was looking at Frostedpaw with a proud gaze. Odd. I thought, but my eyes went back to Batstar as she called Juniperkit's new name.

"Juniperkit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will now be known as Juniperpaw. Your mentor, Oakleaf."

Batstar's eyes shifted to Fallenkit. "Fallenkit, from this day forward until you earn your warrior name, you will be known as Fallenpaw. Your mentor, Moonwish."

And finally, Batstar got to me. "Streamkit, from this day forward, you will be known as Streampaw. Your mentor, Meadowheart." I looked up in pride. I'm an apprentice!

All of the new mentors came up to us and touched noses with us. I could feel a large wave of happiness coming from Meadowheart as she touched her nose to mine.

"I'm excited to finally have an apprentice," Meadowheart said. "And I'm excited to be one!" I squeaked, then shied away in embarrassment. I'm an apprentice now, she thought to herself. No more joking around.

"Frostedpaw! Juniperpaw! Fallenpaw! Streampaw!" the Clan called the apprentices' new names. Then StormClan dispersed back to doing their morning duties. It was now sunhigh and she imagined that a hunting patrol would be going out soon.

"Come on, Streampaw, I'm going to take you out and show you the territory now." Meadowheart signaled for me to follow.

I followed Meadowheart out of camp and out into StormClan territory. I shook my pelt. It was cold and windy out here. When we were in camp, the bramble walls protected us from the wind, but out here, we were all exposed.

"There'll be a Gathering soon. You know what that is, right?" Meadowheart asked as she led me along the border of our territory.

I nodded. "Yep! My siblings and I always listened to the wonderful tales Batstar told us every night and sometimes she'd tell us about the Gathering."

"That sounds awesome! Did you have a favorite story?" Meadowheart asked me. I nodded my head. "Oh yes! I love the story of the Clans' first StarClan's Coming, Batstar said she had fun, and I can't wait until I get to do StarClan's Coming!"

I seriously couldn't wait. Leaf-fall was coming soon, but leaf-bare seemed so far away! "Ah yes, that night was wonderful. I hadn't met your mom yet, but I remember hanging out with some ThunderClan cats." Meadowheart responded.

"That seems so cool, I can't wait!" I made a small leap in the air, then remembered, come on Streampaw!

"Look, Streampaw, that's Big Rocks!" Meadowheart took me closer to the large pile of boulders.

I stepped onto the sandy ground there, it felt nice underpaw. Then, I smelt something odd. I followed the scent under the boulder to a small patch of strong-smelling plants. "Meadowheart? What's this?" I called for her, not keeping my gaze off the plant.

"That is coltsfoot, it's an herb used for shortness of breath," Meadowheart explained. "Oh, wow, it has a weird scent." I wrinkled my nose.

"Yes," replied Meadowheart. "Get used to those, Streampaw." she smiled.

"Are we going to collect it?" I asked, still staring at the coltsfoot plant. "No, I have lots of coltsfoot already in my den," Meadowheart explained.

I nodded, taking a final sniff of the plant. "What's next?" she asked. "I'll take you along the ShadowClan border," Meadowheart responded.

"Okay!"

Meadowheart took me along the border. "ShadowClan smells funny." I wrinkled my nose at the strong scent.

"Yes. They've been marking their borders strongly lately, but we will as well." Meadowheart grumbled. We were now approaching a corner and a very strong-smelling path.

"That's the Thunderpath and also the WindClan border. You'll notice how there are not many monsters out here, they usually don't wander this far."

I shook my head at the scent. "Ugh! Gross!" I commented. "But I can detect WindClan though, they smell like grass. Not that bad a scent."

Meadowheart laughed. "Come, I'm not finished yet." Meadowheart took me long down the WindClan border and down to a large cave.

"Wow." my jaw slid open with amazement.

"Come sit on the boulders and I'll tell you all about the Moonstone," Meadowheart instructed.

I nodded and followed her down a small slope and up to a boulder. Meadowheart hopped up and I followed. "The Moonstone is a sacred stone that leaders go to speak with StarClan." Meadowheart started.

"Your mother also went there to receive her nine lives and name." Meadowheart went on.

"Wow." I breathed as I stared deeply into the cave.

"The cave is called Mothermouth. Every half-moon, the medicine cats from each Clan come together and we all touch noses with the Moonstone and have dreams from StarClan." Meadowheart explained.

"That seems so interesting!" I exclaimed. "I can't wait to meet the other medicine cats!"

"You will see them at the next Gathering, which is in a few days." Meadowheart chuckled. "Oh. That makes it better then!" I squealed.

"Let's head back now, maybe you'll get a good pick from the fresh-kill pile!" exclaimed Meadowheart.

"Aw! But I wanna keep learning!" I complained. I don't wanna stop and wait till tomorrow!

"You wouldn't be done, don't worry! You still have to make your nest, and I want to run you briefly through herbs first." Meadowheart finished.

"Yay!" I exclaimed. My first day as an apprentice went so well!