The Dawn of Night | A Warriors Fanfiction ✔

Chapter 24

Bluestripe woke early a few mornings later to the tiny kits mewling for milk. She swept them with her tail to the curve of her belly to suckle. The brambles in the front of the nursery rustled and Moonwhisper stalked in with fresh-kill. Drizzlekit, who had stopped suckling to play with Swallowkit's tail, turned towards Bluestripe.

"Who's that, Mother?" the tiny kit squeaked. Bluestripe saw Moonwhisper tear her eyes from Drizzlekit. Bluestripe walked over to her sister to give her an empathetic nudge with her muzzle. Moonwhisper just purred and looked lovingly at her son, then left the nursery.

"That was Moonwhisper, my littermate," she told the tiny kit, wondering why Moonwhisper had actually seemed happy.

"Oh," was all the kit said, and then started suckling again. Redflame padded into the nursery, giving each one of his kits a lick on the head.

"There's going to an apprentice ceremony soon, and Maplestar wants me to be a mentor!" he told his mate, then pushed his muzzle into hers.

"That's wonderful!" Bluestripe purred, and suddenly Maplestar's yowl sounded through the camp.

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

Maplestar leaped onto the Highrock as two little kits followed their mother in front of the crowd.

"Tulipkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed," Maplestar declared. "From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tulippaw. Your mentor will be Redflame. I hope Redflame will pass down all he knows to you."

Redflame padded up to the front of the crowd.

"Redflame, you received excellent training from Oakleaf, and have shown yourself to be strong and a great warrior. I expect you to pass these traits onto Tulippaw."

Redflame stepped forward, and gently touched noses with Tulippaw.

"Iriskit, 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 Irispaw. Your mentor will be Sunstorm. I hope she will pass down all she knows to you."

Dazed with surprise, Bluestripe saw her littermate, Sunstorm, make her way to the front of the Highrock.

"Sunstorm, you received excellent training from Stormfoot, and you have shown yourself to be a swift hunter and fighter. I expect you to pass these traits onto Irispaw."

Glowing and giddy, Sunstorm touched noses with Irispaw.

"Tulippaw! Irispaw! Tulippaw! Irispaw!" The Clan swarmed around the new apprentices. Maplestar waited for them to quiet down.

"The Gathering is tonight, and the new apprentices and mentors will go. Stormshadow will choose the rest of the attending cats." Maplestar flicked her tail and the meeting was over. Oakleaf walked over to the nursery where Bluestripe and Willowtuft were.

"Stormshadow wants to know if you want to go to the Gathering," he mewed.

"Sure, Oakleaf!" Willowtuft purred.

"Great! I'll tell him." Oakleaf turned around and padded toward Stormshadow.

"What are Gatherings like, Bluestripe?" Willowtuft mewed to the other queen.

"Well, all four Clans go and meet to share news like new apprentices and warriors," Bluestripe informed Willowtuft, who nodded her head. Maplestar's yowl sounded once more through the camp, calling all the chosen cats to come gather for the Gathering. Willowtuft mewed to her kits, "Now just stay here, and don't get into mischief. I'll be back soon." She turned and padded out of camp with the other cats.