Sparks of a Fire

Chapter 43

Goldenpaw stretched and yawned, her sharp white teeth gleamed like sharp fangs as she opened her jaws to scent the air. Her light golden fur glowed in early morning sun, making her look like a drop of sunlight in the pale green grass that waved slightly from side to side in the wind.

Beside her, her sister flicked her tail from left to right, her bright green eyes narrowed into slits and her ears pricked in preparation for an oncoming attack.

"Hey Goldenpaw and Sweetpaw!"

The two apprentice's whipped their heads around to face the owner of the voice.

"Huh? Oh, hiya Silverdawn!" Goldenpaw mewed, greeting her mentor with a friendly smile. "Is something the matter?"

Silverdawn chuckled and flicked an ear in amusement. "Come along Goldenpaw," she mewed with a small laugh. "We're going to do some battle training."

Goldenpaw blinked. "Can Sweetpaw come too?" the golden-colored she-cat asked her mentor with a pleading look on her face.

Sweetpaw smiled and bounced on her paws excitedly. "Yeah, can I go Nightpetal? Can I? Please? Please?" Sweetpaw begged, staring at her mentor with those oh-so-adorable kitty cat eyes.

Nightpetal sighed and rolled her eyes in fond exasperation. "Yes you may you little troublemaker!" she purred, chuckling softly and padding alongside Silverdawn and Goldenpaw with Sweetpaw racing around her paws like an eager newborn kit.

On their way to the training hollow, the four cats ran into Ghostwish, the Clan medicine cat along with Ghostwish's apprentice, a small dark tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes named Cloverpaw.

"Hey Cloverpaw!" Goldenpaw called out cheerfully. "Have you seen Sparky around here?" Cloverpaw purred and put a paw over the golden she-cat's muzzle.

"Don't you mean Sparkpaw?"

Goldenpaw rolled her eyes and gave Cloverpaw a cheeky smile in response.

"Ah whatever!" she waved a paw in a dismissive tone, smiling softly and batting at a stem of marigold with a golden-colored paw.

"What do you have there Goldy?" Ghostwish meowed, patting over to see what the young apprentice had found.

"I found some marigold leaves!" she responded sweetly. "I think I also found some raspberry and blackberry leaves as well," she added after a short pause.

Cloverpaw frowned and tilted her head to the side. "But that's my job!" she retorted with a playful pout on her face.

"Ok you two little troublemakers," Nightpetal meowed to get the other two apprentice's attention. "Aren't we suppose to be heading to the training hollow?" she motioned with her tail to the direction of said training area.

Goldenpaw and Sweetpaw laughed nervously before saying a quick farewell to Ghostwish and Cloverpaw and heading to the training hollow with their mentors.

•••

When Goldenpaw and Sweetpaw arrived at the training hollow, they were delighted to see their friend, Dawnpaw, was also there. She was training with Emberdusk, her mentor. The older black long-haired she-cat was teaching her some kind of advanced move. Goldenpaw wasn't great at fighting. But her cleverness made up for it.

"Goldenpaw! Today I will teach you the claw-up swipe move."

Silverdawn demonstrated it by rearing up her hind legs and swiping upwards. Goldenpaw sighed. It was going to be a long day.

•••

"May all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting!"

Goldenpaw and Sweetpaw both spun around to see Kestrelstar sitting on one of the many ledges on the top of the Hightock.

Once all the cats in the Clan had all gathered around the Sunstone, Kestrelstar began to speak.

"The biggest honor a leader can do is to turn an apprentice, or two in this case, into warriors. Goldenpaw, come forth." Goldenpaw then went to the base of the Highrock to meet Kestrelstar. "I, Kestrelstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." She then looked at Goldenpaw, who raised her head. "Goldenpaw," Kestrelstar continued, "do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?"

"I do." Goldenpaw replied. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Goldenpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Goldencloud. StarClan honors your cleverness and spirit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan." When she was done, Kestrelstar then rested her muzzle on Goldencloud's head, who then licked the leader's shoulder. "Goldencloud! Goldencloud! Goldencloud!" the whole Clan cheered. Sweetpaw and Redclaw chanted the loudest.

After Goldencloud stepped back it was Sweetpaw's turn to step forward. "I, Kestrelstar, leader of SkyClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice. She has trained hard to understand your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn." She then looked over at Sweetpaw as she raised her head. "Sweetpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan even at the cost of your life?" Kestrelstar said. "I do." Sweetpaw replied with determination. "Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior name. Sweetpaw, from this moment on you will be known as Sweetfrost. StarClan honors your bravery and intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SkyClan." She then put her muzzle on Sweetfrost's head, who licked Kestrelstar's shoulder.

"Sweetfrost! Sweetfrost! Sweetfrost!" the Clan chanted Sweetfrost's new name. Sweetfrost then went to sit beside her sister. "As of tradition, Goldencloud and Sweetfrost will sit in silent vigil all night and guard the camp while the rest of us sleep. You are all dismissed." When Kestrelstar was finished a few cats went to the prey pile to get something to eat before going to sleep for the night.