Blackshade's Backstory

Part Two

   "Vixenkit, Blackkit, and Slatekit, you have each 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 each will be known as Vixenpaw, Blackpaw, and Slatepaw. Blackpaw, your mentor will be Redwhisker. Vixenpaw, your mentor will be Beedip, and Slatepaw, your mentor will be Dogskin. I hope they will pass down all that they know to you three.

"Redwhisker, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You will be the mentor of Blackpaw. Beedip, you are also ready to take on an apprentice. You will be the mentor of Vixenpaw. And Dogskin, you are ready for an apprentice, so you will be the mentor to Slatepaw. I expect you three to pass down all that you know to your apprentices." Beestar's voice rang across the clearing.

"Vixenpaw! Slatepaw! Blackpaw!" ShadeClan cheered the new apprentices' names.

Blackpaw stalked over to Slatepaw. "Redwhisker is my mentor," the dark tom muttered.

Slatepaw blinked. "Dogskin is my mentor. I know that he'll be alright. And besides, if something happened to you, Redwhisker would be held responsible,"

"Yeah, but he was shown responsible for his mate's murder!" Blackpaw hissed. "And he hid it for a while! A lot of cats believed him!"

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Vixenpaw had walked over.

"Thanks," Blackpaw murmured. As he lifted his head to look at Slatepaw, the tom flattened his ears against his head with a glare at Vixenpaw, then stormed away.

"Ignore him," Vixenpaw muttered. Blackpaw sighed. "It's hard to ignore him. He's always around,"

Vixenpaw flicked her tail. "Then try. I'm trying to help,"

Redwhisker trotted over. "You want to go see the territory?"

"Sure," Blackpaw muttered, then glanced at Vixenpaw. "Can Vixenpaw and Beedip come too?"

Blackpaw's mentor blinked. "Sure, why not,"

Beedip and Dogskin trotted over with Slatepaw.

"Come on, we're going out to see the territory," Redwhisker flicked his tail, trotting away.

Blackpaw blinked, racing to catch up with his mentor.

"What are we going to see first?" Blackpaw asked.

"The IceClan border," Redwhisker told him.

"IceClan? Is it true that Pikewhisker's brother, Pinetuft is in IceClan?" Blackpaw asked.

"Blackpaw, those questions aren't any of your business. You may ask Pikewhisker if you'd like, but if she refuses to answer, do not bother her about it,"

Blackpaw sighed. He wasn't sure what he'd think about Redwhisker. He didn't seem as much fun as he thought a mentor would be. He glanced behind him at Beedip and Vixenpaw. Beedip was explaining a lot.

"And here is where I caught my first mouse,"

"Almost, Beedip. You missed it," Dogskin put in.

Beedip rolled his eyes. "Do you have to ruin it for the apprentices?"

Dogskin's whiskers twitched.

Blackpaw sighed. Why couldn't he have gotten Dogskin or Beedip as a mentor? They seemed a lot more fun than Redwhisker.

Redwhisker stopped walking, and Blackpaw bumped into the tom. Redwhisker let out a quiet growl, and Blackpaw quickly took a few steps back.