Warrior Cats: The Winding Path (Book 1)

Chapter 5 (Sagekit)

"But Mom! My fur is fine!" Sagekit reared away from his mom's rapid tounge. It had been less than a moon and it's the day the three littermates leave the nursery and become apprentices.

"There's a tuft of your tail fur sticking out!" Blazetail argued as she rasped her tongue across his pelt, making it sleek from the full wash. "There, you're all done. Now, don't mess your fur up!" the ginger queen meowed.

"We won't!" the three kits said in unison. Sagekit led the way out of the nursery and into the clearing. Spiderstar was already on top of the Highledge with Blacknose standing beside him. The cats had began to emerge from their dens and gather beneath the Highledge. They all glanced at the three kits encouragingly as the strode up and settled themselves beneath the large rock.

Spiderstar's voice rang out through the assembly of cats, "This moonhigh we gather to name three new apprentices, my own kits." He paused and locked eyes with each of them. "Step forward you three," he meowed.

Sagekit's paws tingled with excitement and nervousness. He padded forward to the foot of the Highledge and turned to face the Clan. His siblings stood beside him, their ears pricked and their paws prodding the ground excitedly.

"From this day forward," Spiderstar motioned to Sagekit with the sweep of his black tail, "until he has earned his warrior name he will be known as Sagepaw. Cinderdapple, you are ready for your first apprentice, you shall train Sagepaw. I hope that you shall teach him all that your past mentor had taught you."

A pale gray-and-white patched she-cat stepped forward. Her pale blue eyes glinted like stars as she leaned her head down and touched noses with Sagepaw. His whiskers twitched and looked up happily at his mentor. He was a real apprentice now!

"Nightkit, from this day forward until you receive your warrior name you shall be known as Nightpaw. Blacknose," he turned towards his deputy, "you are ready for your next apprentice. I expect you shall teach my daughter many things." There was a small hint of amusement behind Spiderstar's words. Sagepaw felt a twinge of jealousy that his sister had the ThunderClan deputy as a mentor.

Blacknose leapt down from the Highledge and gently brushed noses with Nightpaw. Their eyes met, I could feel Nightpaw's excitement coming off her in waves.

"And Timberkit-" Spiderstar was cut off by a soft yowl at the back of the cluster of cats. Sweetscent pushed her way through the assembly and bounded up onto the Highledge.

"I request that Timberkit become the medicine cat apprentice," Sweetscent meowed.

Sagepaw's heart skipped a beat. Timberkit? Be the medicine cat apprentice? Then the three littermates would be separated!

"Cats of ThunderClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took on an apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown bravery, gentleness, and curiosity. Your next medicine cat will be Timberpaw," Sweetscent's meow rang throughout the muted silence.

Spiderstar cleared his throat, "Timberpaw, do you accept the post of apprentice to Sweetscent?"

Timberpaw puffed out his chest, "I do." Sagepaw looked over at him in bewilderment but Timberpaw wouldn't meet his puzzled stare. Why hadn't Timberpaw ever mention wanting to be a medicine cat?

Sweetscent continued, "Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonpool to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats." Sagepaw couldn't believe what he was hearing. The ceremony didn't bring them together for them to train as warriors, it divided them apart to walk different paths!

Spiderstar lifted his head and gazed down at his son with curiosity, "The good wishes of all ThunderClan will go with you."

Sweetscent leapt down from the Highledge and gently touched noses with Timberpaw. His eyes brightened and he gazed around at the watchful cats with determination and an unflinching stare.

"Sagepaw! Nightpaw! Timberpaw!" the Clan chanted the three newly apprentice's names. Sagepaw put Timberpaw's decision in the back of his mind and drank in the praise.

"Clan dissmissed!" Spiderstar yowled as the chants died out. He leapt down from the Highledge, his muscles rippling beneath his pelt. A few cats passed by to congratulate the three apprentices individually. Sagepaw's eyes glittered, happy to finally be a ThunderClan apprentice.

"I can't believe your mentor is Blacknose!" Adderpaw was rambling on about how lucky Nightpaw was to have the deputy as her mentor.

Nightpaw was shuffling her paws around awkwardly, "Thanks." Sagepaw twitched his whiskers with amusement as she was hoarded with comments and questions from the ginger-and-white tom.

"Sagepaw!" Cinderdapple called out to him from the crowd of warriors congratulating her on her first apprentice. "We're going to see the territory tomorrow with Blacknose and Nightpaw, so make sure you get enough rest! And tell Nightpaw, okay?"

"Yes, Cinderdapple!" Sagepaw meowed back. He padded over to Nightpaw and Adderpaw and flicked his tail in greeting.

"Oh hi, Sagek- er, I mean Sagepaw," Adderpaw corrected himself.

"Hey," he nodded to the older apprentice. Then he turned to his sister, "Nightpaw, Blacknose and Cinderdapple are taking us to see the territory first thing tomorrow morning."

"What about Timberpaw?" Nightpaw frowned.

Sagepaw's ears pressed down against his head and he avoided her eyes, "I don't think he's coming."

Nightpaw sighed, "I suppose we can't help it. He chose what he wanted and that's that, we can't change his mind." Sagepaw nodded quietly, still disappointed his brother hadn't became a warrior apprentice with them. "Well," Nightpaw shook her head, "we best be off to sleep then, yeah?"

Sagepaw nodded and followed his sister to the apprentices' den. He could hear Adderpaw's light pawsteps behind them as they padded into the den.

"There are two empty nests over there," he pointed with his tail to a few nests at the edge of the den.

"Is it just you, Goldenpaw, and Runningpaw in here?" Sagepaw asked.

"Yep, it gets quiet fast, but we all enjoy the peace," Adderpaw nodded.

"Thanks for the nests, by the way," Nightpaw chipped in as she prodded at the moss bedding with her paw.

"No problem," Adderpaw shrugged and made his way to his own nest. Sagepaw and Nightpaw patted down the moss until they each made comfortable nests in the moss.

"Goodnight," Nightpaw whispered sleepily.

"Goodnight, Nightpaw," Sagepaw closed his eyes and let sleep overwhelm him.