Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 16

"Mothkit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?" Duskstar's yowl echoed across the StormClan camp.

"Yes," she meowed, her fur fluffed up in excitement. Duskstar smiled.

"Then, until you receive your warrior name, you shall be known as Mothpaw. Windsilver," she pointed to the white-and-silver she-cat, "will be your mentor." Windsilver happily padded up to Mothpaw and touched her nose.

"I promise to train Mothpaw to my best abilities," she meowed seriously.

Duskstar then turned her attention to the dark tortoiseshell-and-white she-kit.

"Spottedkit, do you promise to listen to your mentor and uphold the warrior code?" she repeated. Spottedkit nodded.

"Yes," she meowed confidently, her amber eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Then, until you receive your full medicine cat name, you shall be known as Spottedpaw. Blueclaw will be your mentor." Duskstar mewed proudly.

Spottedpaw smiled happily as Blueclaw touched her little soft kitten-petal-pink nose lightly with her rough pink-gray one. She looked up and nodded to Duskstar.

"I promise to teach Spottedpaw everything I know," she mewed.

"Spottedpaw! Mothpaw! Spottedpaw! Mothpaw!" the two young cats lifted their heads in pride, the amber sun behind them making the two young cats look like brands of flame in the new morning light.

The cheering died down.

"Clan meeting dismissed," Duskstar meowed. Mothpaw ran towards Starlingpaw, Foxpaw, Lightningpaw, and Badgerpaw, while Spottedpaw followed Blueclaw to the medicine cat's den.

"Good luck Spot, I know you'll do great! You're the smartest cat I know!"

Spottedpaw smiled and ducked her head at her sister's praise. "Oh, uh, um, t-thanks, Moth!" she meowed, then she disappeared into the medicine den to start her training.

It was silent for a few moments before Mothpaw spoke up with an excited wave of her tail. "Wasn't that great?" Mothpaw mewed excitedly.

Foxpaw had just opened her mouth to start saying something when Windsilver's meow cut through their conversation.

"C'mon, Mothpaw, I'm going to show you the borders of our territory." Mothpaw nodded and waved her tail and trotted after Windsilver, heading out of camp and through the pine forest.

•••

"And this is the gathering place where all four Clans gather for one night of peace, and the truce last's for as long as the moon is full." Mothpaw nodded, her dark green eyes widened in aw as she took in her surroundings.

The Gathering place was in the center of the four Clans. It was surrounded by one oak tree for BreezeClan, a misty pine tree for MistClan, an iceberg for IceClan, and a small rocky hill for StormClan. At the center, a big ancient birch tree sat there, with spots for all the leaders and deputies to sit.

"Wow! This place is so beautiful!" Mothpaw exclaimed, her fur fluffed up in excitement as she turned to face Windsilver.

"When is the next gathering?" she asked, her green eyes wide as she continued to stare at the BirchTree that was perched dead smack in the center of the clearing.

Windsilver purred and twitched her whiskers. "The next Gathering will be held at the next full moon, which is in two sunrises from now if I recall correctly."

"Will we see the Thunderpath?" Mothpaw asked as the two she-cats were making there way back to the StormClan camp.

Windsilver laughed and playfully cuffed one of her apprentice's ears. "We can if you want to," Mothpaw grinned and nodded her head.