Warriors: The Return Of The Greatest Heroes

69. Now Apprentices

I'm SO sorry about not updating forever! My bus was shot at on the way home from school a long time ago, and I was put into a mental hospital called Rockford to deal with PTSD and other things. I was able to go on AO3, but since I was on at the time of the incident, they thought it would bring up too many bad memories to go on it for a while afterwards.

Also, I hope my suckish writing skills improved since it has been a while. ;)

Ashstar leaped up to the Highledge and called out to his clanmates. It had been one moon since Flamingkit had shown Shrewkit around the ThunderClan camp, making both of them officially six moons old. That, of course, meant that it was time for them to become apprentices. He had spent a lot of time thinking about which warriors would be good mentors for them. It wasn't all about who deserved it, after all. It took time to figure out which warrior would be best equipped to train each specific apprentice.

Shrewkit, one of the ones who was reborn. Ashstar had spent the majority of the moon figuring him out as it was natural that he had changed from his past life. When he was Ashfur, he did not have the pleasure of getting to know him very well. He was very eager to become a warrior and learn how to do each and every thing the other cats were doing. That was good as long as he didn't get cocky or overconfident. He would need a mentor who could enthusiastically teach him yet also keep a firm paw on him in order to prevent him from dying.

Flamingkit, on the other hand, was a little bit different. He showed eagerness to become a warrior, sure, but sometimes, he seemed to be absent from reality. As if he were in the middle of a conversation with someone who wasn't really there. He would need a mentor who could bring him out of that head of his.

As his clanmates appeared, both the soon-to-be-apprentices walked proudly out of the nursery with freshly-groomed pelts.

"Kits are perhaps the most important part of a clan. They are the future, the ones who will protect us in our old age. Therefore, it is of top priority to train them well to serve the clan in the best way possible. I have thought about which mentors all of the kits would need, and I have come to a decision right as they hit six moons old. And even though one was not born to the clan, I expect that he will be treated and trained just as hard as anyone else." Ashstar announced in a powerful voice.

The warriors cheered in approval, though some were looking sadly at the medicine cat's den. Unfortunately, even though Fireheart had woken up for small amounts of time, he was still not able to serve the clan.

"Flamingkit, you have reached the age of six moons old and therefore will become an apprentice. Your mentor will me Graystripe, who has been trained well and will help you concentrate more on tasks at hand." the leader of ThunderClan continued. "You will now be known as Flamingpaw."

Graystripe gave the medicine cat's den one more sorrowful glance before marching up touching noses with Flamingpaw.

"Shrewkit, even though you were not originally from our clan, you are now a member. Now that you have reached the age of six moons old, it is time for you to become an apprentice. Ravenheart, you have also been trained most excellently. You have the ability to train Shrewpaw and go beyond the standard, but you also hold the ability to teach him valuable life lessons of restraint and other things that could prove to save his life and the lives of others one day." Ashstar felt confident about his choices.

Ravenheart looked startled as if he didn't expect to be chosen. He had only just been allowed to go back to doing his normal tasks as a warrior, after all. He too glanced to the den where his friend lay before padding towards his new apprentice and touching his nose lightly as if not to hurt him. Shrewpaw had thrust his nose up enthusiastically.