Dawnstar's Message

Chapter 18

CHAPTER 18

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the High Cliff for a Clan meeting!"

The cats in the EarthClan camp heard the call for a Clan meeting, and instantly began to gather in the clearing below the highest rock in camp: the High Cliff, on which Dawnstar and Specklegaze's den was. It was almost sunset, and all of the patrols had come back for the night. It was time for the ceremony.

When EarthClan as a whole had collected in the clearing, Dawnstar bounded down the rocks to the dusty earth below. Every cat was arranged in a semi-circle of dappled pelts and ages, with the warriors on one side, the elders, apprentices and queens with their kits on the other. Dawnstar and Skypelt stood side by side in the center.

"Cats of EarthClan," Dawnstar began, "today is a special day. Of new warriors for the Clan!" This was accompanied by a yowl of approval from a few cats. "Would Whisperpaw please, come to the front?"

Whisperpaw looked at her father with excitement, and proudly stalked up to him through the sea of cats. When she got there, she could barely keep herself still. Skypelt looked on happily. When Dawnstar asked him if his apprentice was ready to become a warrior, he nodded.

"Alright then," Dawnstar concluded. He began the ceremony, looking up to the stars just barely visible in the dusk light. "StarClan, I give you another warrior in her turn, who is a brave and strong cat who will love and fight for her Clan. She deserves this opportunity." He looked at his daughter. Her small features almost matched his, and it looked like a mirror effect. "Whisperpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code, and feed and protect your Clan, even at the cost of your life?"

Whisperpaw suppressed a, "Yes. I do."

"Then by the power of EarthClan and StarClan, I give you your warrior name. From this day forward, you will be known as Whispershine. May you be a valuable addition to EarthClan and use your intelligence to the best of your ability."

"Whispershine! Whispershine!" The Clan cheered for their new warrior. She trotted happily to the other warriors, and sat next to Amberstrike, who she had grown up with in the nursery and she had no littermates.

"Now, there is another important occasion to attend to," Dawnstar went on. "Would Wavekit, Mallowkit, Scorchkit, and Sparrowkit please come to the front?"

"Really?!" A squeak came from below. Ringpool was beaming, and before her kits scrambled away she caught them and licked them each in turn, muttering things all mothers do, like "Let me just fix this real quick" and "You look like a rogue! Let me get that." So with a heavy heart, Ringpool let her kits trot up to the front of the Clan, up to Dawnstar. They stood in a line before him."

"Sparrowkit," Dawnstar said. "You are six moons old. Are you ready to take on apprenticeship, learn the ways and skills of a warrior, and to be taught the warrior code?"

Sparrowkit, the frail little golden kit, replied softly, "I do!"

"Then by the power of StarClan, from this day forward, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Sparrowpaw. Eaglefeather," he mewed, summoning the young warrior. Eaglefeather padded up humbly to the front. "Eaglefeather, may you pass your skills on to your new apprentice." Mentor looked at apprentice, and they touched noses and moved to the edge of the circle.

"Mallowkit," he said, looking at the little black she-cat. "Do you swear to learn the ways of a warrior and respect the warrior code?"

Her eyes were filled with excitement. "I do!"

"Then from this day forward, until you recieve your warrior name, you will be known as Mallowpaw. Rosefang will teach you well." Rosefang came to the front, touched noses with her new apprentice and they moved to stand next to Eaglefeather and Sparrowpaw.

"Scorchkit," he said once more, looking down at the black tom. His fur was fluffed up and he reproached Dawnstar's amused look. "Do you promise to be taught the warrior code and respect your mentor, who will teach you the warrior code?"

"I do!" Scorchkit did a little hop when he said it.

"Then until you recieve your warrior name, you shall be known as Scorchpaw. Thrushfall has learned the ways of our ancestors and will pass his skills on to you." They touched noses, and Thrushfall and Scorchpaw joined the others.

"And finally, there is Wavekit." Dawnstar looked down fondly at the little blue kit. He looked just like his father, Skypelt. "Wavekit, I believe that you will become an honorable apprentice and an even better warrior. That is the reason that I have decided to mentor you myself." Murmurs radiated through the camp, and Wavekit hopped up and down happily. He was trying to keep still, but couldn't manage it.

"Do you, Wavekit, promise to learn the ways of a warrior, and learn the warrior code?"

"I do!"

"Then by the power of StarClan I give you your apprentice name. Until you become a warrior, you will be known as Wavepaw." He touched noses to his new apprentice.

"Wavepaw! Scorchpaw! Mallowpaw! Sparrowpaw!"

The Clan dispersed into their dens for the night. Yawns echoed around the clearing. The new apprentices skipped off by themselves to make their new nests in the apprentice's den -- a bramble thicket that was hollow in the inside -- because now they had it all to themselves. Dawnstar walked over to his daughter and licked her shoulder. His mate, Specklegaze, joined him.

"You were great, Whispershine!" Specklegaze congratulated her. She licked Whispershine's shoulder.

"We're so proud of you," Dawnstar agreed. "Now you have to take vigil, so go and take your seat."

Whispershine purred. "Thank you, Dawnstar. I'm so happy!" She skipped to the gorse-lined entrance to camp and plopped down next to Spottedclaw, who was also guarding camp. It was amusing to watch their little "conversations": Spottedclaw would meow something to Whispershine, and she would nod, or purr, or try to keep from laughing and breaking her silence.

Dawnstar watched as his Clan retreated to their dens, and the prophecy snapped into his mind. He walked over to Cherryfoot before she retreated to her den. "Cherryfoot, we need to talk."

The medicine she-cat didn't up from what she was doing. Shadowheart was laying on her side, and there was a half-inch thorn sticking out of her paw pad. Cherryfoot gripped it with her teeth and slowly extracted it from his paw. After she stopped the bleeding with cobwebs, she mewed, "G'night, Dawnstar," and left.

"Cherryfoot, what have you found out about the prophecy?" His voice had an edge.

She sighed and put down the cobwebs. Cherryfoot took a deep breath, and began her story. She told her leader briefly, in no detail, what she'd seen at the Star Lake and its importance.

"And so," she concluded, "Thunderclaw needs to convince the forest to help BeachClan get rid of the trash and the Twolegs."

Dawnstar took it all in slowly. The BeachClan cats were in need of their help. Twolegs were invading their territory, and their lake was being tainted. Their Clan was weak. That must be the reason that Sharpstar has been so shifty! "Great! So we just go to the Gathering tomorrow, and it'll all go down!"