Warrior Cats: Briarstar's Story

Chapter 1

"Wake up, Briarkit! Today is the day!" Otterkit squeaked, pounding his brother's flank with sheathed claws.

Briarkit blinked open his eyes and let the warm milky scent of the nursery engulf his senses. Today was the last day he would wake up next to Sweetpetal and Otterkit, his mother and brother.

Briarkit was very large for being only 6 moons old- he looked like an apprentice that was halfway through their training. Otterkit wasn't quite as large, but what he lacked in size he made up for with personality.

The two kits made their way into the clearing. Briarkit stretched and began to give himself a quick wash; his fur was very long and could easily appear unkempt without a few washes throughout the day. Otterkit flicked his tail impatiently. "Do you think they'll start the ceremony soon?" He asked. Briarkit just shrugged his shoulders. The camp was bustling with activity this morning; almost every cat was outside sharing tongues. Shadefoot, Berrytail, and Oakfur padded through the camp entrance with fresh kill dangling from their jaws. Three apprentices followed, Lilypaw, Dawnpaw, and Rosepaw, who each carried a single mouse.

"Lilypaw," Berrytail meowed to her apprentice. "Make sure you and Dawnpaw take your mice to the elders before you eat."

"Yes, Berrytail," the pale cream she-cat mewed to her mentor. Dawnpaw and Lilypaw were littermates; they were apprenticed only two moons earlier. Rosepaw, the third apprentice, was much older. She was not born in ThunderClan, but Heatherfur, Dawnpaw and Lilypaw's mother, offered to take her in before her two kits were born. She was found wandering around the border, starving and on the brink of death. Cloudstar mentioned Rosepaw at a Gathering, but no clan claimed to have lost a kit.

"Hey, you two!" Dawnpaw mewed to Briarkit and his brother. "Come and share a mouse?" Otterkit sprang up and trotted over to the pale gray apprentice, with Briarkit trailing behind him. Rosepaw and Lilypaw joined, and together the five young cats ate in silence, enjoying the warmth of the Greenleaf sun.

"Are you excited, Briarkit?" Asked Rosepaw, who was chewing a huge mouthful of mouse.

"Uh-uh-um," he stuttered, trying his best not to trip over his words. "I—" He was interrupted by Otterkit, who mewed, "Yes, we both are very excited. Briarkit is just a little tongue tied this morning." Briarkit shot his brother a grateful glance and took another bite of mouse before standing up and padding back towards the nursery.

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join me beneath the fallen oak for a Clan meeting!"

This yowl came from Cloudstar; the fearless and respected leader of ThunderClan. Her white fur reflected the sunlight and almost blinded Briarkit.

"C'mon, Briarkit!" Otterkit purred, scampering over to the oak and gazing up at Cloudstar with shining green eyes. Sweetpetal padded over to Briarkit, and with a purr she nudged him forward with her nose.

"This is a very important day for you and your brother, Briarkit." Sweetpetal meowed gently. "I know you'll make a great warrior. Don't be afraid, embrace the attention while you have it!"

Even though he couldn't wait to start his training, Briarkit felt uneasy. He hated being put on the spot; he was shy and wouldn't speak to any cat except for Sweetpetal and Otterkit, occasionally. Sighing, he padded forward slowly and joined his brother underneath the oak. Several cats began to stream out of their dens and sit behind the two kits, whispering excitedly amongst themselves. Shellfoot and Redpoppy, the Clan's only elders, were chatting happily in a spot right outside the warrior's den.

"I remember when I was made an apprentice! I was the best hunter we've had yet." Shellfoot meowed, his tail twitching with excitement. "The only thing you were good at was leaving twigs in everyone's nests!" Redpoppy hissed playfully, cuffing her denmate gently over the ear.

"Shhh!" Growled Cinderfall, ThunderClan's deputy. His yellow eyes were fixed on Cloudstar, a hint of admiration shining in them.

"Two young cats are ready to start their training. Otterkit, Briarkit, step forward." Cloudstar's loud mew echoed throughout the clearing.

Briarkit hesitantly padded forward, while Otterkit practically ran into the fallen tree. Otterkit's eyes were round and excited; his paws were kneading at the soft dirt impatiently. Briarkit just shifted nervously.

"Otterkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Otterpaw. Squirreltail, you are ready for your first apprentice. You have shown great courage and loyalty to ThunderClan, and I hope you will pass down these qualities to Otterpaw."

Squirreltail looked almost as excited as Otterpaw. The ginger tom bounced gleefully over to the brown apprentice and touched noses with him, his eyes brimming with pride.
Cloudstar purred and curled her tail around her paws. Turning to Briarkit, she meowed, "Briarkit, you are also ready to begin your warrior training. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Briarpaw." Briarpaw let out a soft purr at the sound of his new name. Cloudstar paused for a second and, taking a quick glance an her deputy, meowed, "Cinderfall, you mentored Redclaw well, and taught him all he knows of the warrior code and of his duty to ThunderClan. I expect you to pass these same traits on to this young apprentice."

Cinderfall nodded solemnly and padded slowly over to Briarpaw. "I see a great future in you, young one." He purred. The large gray tom touched noses with Briarpaw and joined his clanmates in cheering for the new apprentices.

"Otterpaw! Briarpaw! Otterpaw! Briarpaw!" The clan chanted, Sweetpetal's mew loudest of them all. She raced over to her kits and nuzzled them fondly. "I am so proud of you two! You will make excellent warriors, little ones." She purred, her eyes closed as if caught in the moment.

"Get offfff!" Otterpaw huffed, shoving his mother gently. "We aren't little anymore, we're apprentices, 'member?" He meowed, frowning.

"Oh yes, I remember, Otterpaw." She purred softly. Briarpaw pushed his nose into his mother's fur and inhaled deeply. The chanting was drowned out by the feeling of just him and Sweetpetal, no other cats, no loud noise, no attention. He basked in her warmth and let out a soft purr.

Out of nowhere, he felt a strong wind lift the fur on his pelt and even made him unsheath his claws to get a grip on the ground. He looked around but no other cat seemed to notice the powerful gust that was threatening to sweep him away. Suddenly, a seemingly distant voice called to him.

Briarpaw looked around, trying to find out where the voice had came from. He dug his claws deeper into the ground, desperately trying to hold on.

"You will fly through the trees like the wind, rippling through the forest and tearing down anything in your path. Remember, even though wind is silent, it is powerful."

Briarpaw's eyes were stretched wider than the river. He whipped his head from side to side, frantically searching for the cat who had spoken. He looked upward and pinpointed a she-cat who was hanging on a tree branch directly above where he was sitting. She looked as if she was fighting the wind, too; her pelt threatened to rip right off her back. The tabby apprentice called to her, and she peered down at him with cloudy eyes that pierced Briarpaw's soul.

"You are the wind, Briarpaw. Silent..... Yet powerful all the same." The medicine cat's eyes were glazed over and it seemed as though a thousand stars were reflected in them.

"Wh-who a-a-are y-you?" He stammered, cursing his speech impairment. The pale ginger cat shook her head and her eyes looked normal again. "Streamfur." She meowed simply and stalked away, her tail swishing from side to side. She paused and looked up to the stars, and with her voice no more than a whisper, she muttered, "StarClan, I hope you are right about this one."

Briarpaw looked around, but no cat seemed to have heard, felt, or saw what had happened except for he and Streamfur. Sweetpetal beckoned to her sons with her tail. "Come on little ones, let's go find a place for you two to sleep in the apprentice's den." Briarpaw mindlessly followed, his brain too jumbled up to care about nests. He was the wind... Silent... But powerful.