Warriors: Starbound Paws

Starbound Paws: Chapter 2

The sun was rising slowly over the top of the hollow, the birds not quite ready to begin their songs to announce morning to the clan. Badgerkit, however, was itching to go back out to discover more of the camp. He had barely been paying attention when Snowear was pointing out the dens to them the moon before. He watched with awe as Bluewind began ordering the clan cats into hunting and border patrols, her mew confident and her dark brown eyes shining with pride.

I'll be deputy someday; he thought fervently, his tail lashing impatiently as he realized he had not even been made an apprentice yet! A flash of golden fur caught his eye; Whitepaw was exiting a bracken-covered den in the corner of the hollow slowly. Her paws were dragging underneath her, the white blotch of fur on the underside of her belly skimming the floor below as she settled down to groom herself.

"Badgerkit," Spottedkit mewed, giving him a playful cuff over his ear. "You're zoning out again! Do you think Smokestar will give you your apprentice name if you can't notice a cat coming towards you?"

"Shut up," Badgerkit muttered. "You're not an apprentice, either, so stop acting like you're leader." If she had heard his retort, she didn't show it. She was staring expectantly at Smokestar as he padded out onto the wooden ledge in front of his den. His fur was freshly groomed, the sun hitting it and making his smoky-gray pelt look like it was basking in flames.

"All cats old enough to stalk their own prey assemble beneath the ledge for a clan meeting," Smokestar's mew rang clear through the hollow. None of the cats had been sent out on patrol yet, and even Bluewind looked baffled as to why their leader had interrupted her. "I am aware that patrols should be out soon, but, before you all leave, I would like to welcome a kit into the clan as an apprentice." His eyes traveled down towards Badgerkit, and he felt his fur fluffing up proudly. "Spottedkit, please come forward," he beckoned the she-kit forward with his tail.

Badgerkit felt his fur grow hot with embarrassment when he realized Smokestar wouldn't have been talking to him, he wasn't even six moons old yet!

"Move over, you fluff-ball," Skunk-kit had emerged from the nursery, her sky-blue eyes dulled by exhaustion. Huh! Badgerkit scoffed, scooting over a bit to let Cloudsky pad out behind Skunk-kit without a problem. Lazy ball of fur, he thought sourly.

"I ask our warrior ancestors to look down on this kit," Smokestar began. "She has waited patiently for her sixth moon to come, and, now, we commend her as an apprentice in her turn. From this moment on, your name shall be Spottedpaw," his tail draped across Spottedpaw's shoulder, and Spottedpaw bowed her head in return. "Bluewind,' he beckoned his deputy forward. "You haven't mentored an apprentice since Yewtail, and now it is time for you to pass on your knowledge, skill, and patience," his mew sharpened, covering the brief flash of grief in his mew. "May StarClan bless you both, in training," he gazed briefly at Spottedpaw. "And mentoring," finally, his forest-green eyes rested on his deputy.

"Spottedpaw! Spottedpaw!" The clan bellowed, their yowls filling every corner of the hollow and echoing in Badgerkit's ears long after their mews had died down. Spottedpaw padded forward, touching her bright pink nose to Bluewind's affectionately.

"I wasn't expecting this," Bluewind began. "But I'm honored to have been chosen to mentor such a fine young cat," her gaze traveled over to Spottedpaw's mother, Embertail, who looked ready to burst with pride. Badgerkit looked on enviously as the clan cats crowded around Spottedpaw, giving her affectionate licks on her ears and shoulder.

"Do you want to play a game, Badgerkit?" Skunk-kit had spoken up from beside him, her black-and-white tail practically mimicking Badgerkit's impatient flicks.

"No," he growled, turning his back on his former friend, the clans praise filling his ears once more.

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