Lost Hope: Book 1: The New Star

Chapter 5

Dandelionkit woke up the next morning with only one thought. I'm going to be a medicine cat apprentice today! He almost couldn't stay still has Honeyflower tried to groom him and Burrowkit. She actually couldn't stay still.

Stonestar came over to them and briefly touched his nose to Honeyflower's. Then, he turned to his kits. "You two ready?" he asked.

"Yes!" Burrowkit replied instantly. Dandelionkit just nodded.

Stonestar led them over to the large rock in the center of camp. "All cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather around the Echostone for a Clan meeting!" he yowled the summons and cats started to crowd around them.

      "It is a very special day," he started. "Two kits have reached the age of six moons, and are ready to become apprentices." Stonestar beckoned Burrowkit and Dandelionkit forward with his tail.

      "Burrowkit," Stonestar said. "You have reached the age of six moons, and it is for you to be apprenticed. From this day pn, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Burrowpaw." Dandelionkit saw his sister puff out her chest in pride of her new name. "Darkmoon, you are ready to take on an apprentice. You received excellent traning from Lilyspot, and I hope you will pass on your bravery and amazing skills in battle to Burrowpaw."

Burrowpaw's dark resentment was like a burning flame as she touched her nose to Darkmoon's. The dark warrior didn't look to happy about being her mentor either. With a jolt, Dandelionkit realized this was the cat they'd run into when they snuck out of camp four days ago.

"Dandelionkit," Stonestar said as Burrowpaw went to join the other two warrior apprentices, Sparrowpaw and Griffinpaw. "From this day forward, until you receive your full name, you will be known as Dandelionpaw. Starfur, you are ready to take on an apprentice. I hope you will pass on all you know to Dandelionpaw."

"Burrowpaw! Dandelionpaw!" the crowd of EchoClan cats cheered as Dandelionpaw touched noses with his new mentor. He spotted his mother cheering loudest of all, her eyes shone with pride for her kits. Dandelionpaw's felt happiness come over him like a wave as he gazed around.

***

"See this herb?" Starfur showed Dandelionpaw a yellow flower. "This is marigold. It's leaves can be chewed up to make a poultice. It stops infection. We're going to go and gather some today, along with some fennel."

      "Sounds good," Dandelionpaw said. His first trip out of camp! Burrowpaw had gone out earlier, and ever since he'd seen her leave camp he'd been dying to go out himself. But Starfur had insisted on spending the morning teaching him some basic herbs.

      Starfur led the way out of camp. The forest was abuzz with bird song and the chirping of insects. Dandelionpaw tried to take in all his surroundings as they trekked through the greenery.

"Oh, hey, Starfur." Dandelionpaw turned around to see Darkmoon leading a patrol with Glarespot, Griffinpaw and Burrowpaw behind him. His sister gave him a friendly wave of her tail, and he returned the greeting with a nod.

      "Hello, Darkmoon," Starfur dipped her head. "Hunting?" she asked, angling her ears toward the limp squirrel that Griffinpaw held by the tail.

      "Patrolling," Darkmoon answered curtly.

      "Griffinpaw happened to see a squirrel just now. I thought it would be good for Burrowpaw to see hunting in action," Glarespot added.

      "Well, Dandelionpaw and I are off to gather herbs," Starfur said. "We'll see you later."

      "Bye, Dandelionpaw!" Burrowpaw said, hanging back.

      "Bye," Dandelionpaw touched his nose to hers, than hurried off to join his mentor. She was several paces ahead of him.

Dandelionpaw spotted a small plant growing close to the river and pointed it out to Starfur. "Fennel, good eye," she said, padding over to it. She instructed him on how to carefully uproot the stems, and it was easy for Dandelionpaw to get the hang of it.

When the finished collecting the fennel, they moved along the bank, looking for marigold. Dandelionpaw spotted a huge clump of the fluffy flowers a few foxlengths down the shore. "Look, marigold!" he told Starfur. Before his mentor could reply, he bounded over to collect it.

      "Dandelionpaw! No!" Starfur's warning came to late.

      "Hey! What are you doing?" Dandelionpaw looked up and saw a golden tabby tom dashing over to them, his teeth bared, and his tail bushed out with hostility.

      Starfur thrust Dandelionpaw behind her, dropped the herbs she was carrying, and flattened her ears against her head. "Lionstripe," she said calmly. "We are just gathering herbs."

      Lionstripe didn't seem to hear her. "You know you're not supposed to cross the border," he growled.

      "Just say the word, Lionstripe, and we'll rip them apart," a gray tom said. His bushy black tail lashed back in forth.

"I could take on that scrawny apprentice no problem," a dark gray she-cat said. Her violet eyes glinted fiercely and Dandelionpaw felt a shiver of fear run down his spine.

      Lionstripe took a pace forward to stand nose to nose with Starfur. "Well?" he snarled.

      Starfur didn't waver. "My apprentice made an honest mistake, Lionstripe," she said peacefully. "And it's not like we're hunting."

      "You may not be hunting, but you're stealing precious herbs!" Lionstripe hissed. "Attack!" He leaped at Starfur, but his mentor agilely dodged the attack and lashed out at him with her claws unsheathed.

      Before Dandelionpaw could react, the dark gray apprentice launched herself at him and dug her claws into his skin. Dandelionpaw yelped in pain as she scratched him. He tried to fight back, but she was too strong and he was unable to push her off him.

But suddenly, her weight was lifted from him, and he heard paws drumming on the ground. Darkmoon's patrol must've found us! He felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw the patrol fight off the BrookClan cats.

Lionstripe let out and irritated hiss, and signaled with his tail for his cats to retreat. His Clanmates followed him back into the river.

      Dandelionpaw saw his mentor leaning against Darkmoon, a wound from her flank bleeding heavily. Dandelionpaw felt his own ear stinging from the apprentice's blow.

      "Come on, I'll help you back to camp," Darkmoon told Starfur. "Burrowpaw," he turned to his apprentice. "Help your brother." Burrowpaw immediately dashed over to him and let Dandelionpaw lean on his shoulder.

      "You should be more careful," Burrowpaw whispered. Her voice held only concern and Dandelionpaw looked away. "I made a stupid mistake, that's all," he said. I will be more careful, I promise. He vowed silently.