MOUSEPAW

## **Before**:

“Here we are, Mousepaw!” Sweetfern mewed excitedly. “The Cave of Stars!”

Mousepaw gasped. The entrance to the cave was massive, with what looked like stone icicles coming down from the ceiling and up from the floor. Some even met in the middle. Mousepaw thought he saw a light dimly shining at the end of the cave.

“Do you see the stars in the cave?” Sweetfern asked him.

So the light wasn’t just his imagination!

“Yes! I do see the stars,” Mousepaw replied.

Sweetfern looked at him with a sparkle in her eye. “Then you’re a true medicine cat!”

Sweetfern looked around. “We must be early,” she mewed. “Oh well. The other medicine cats will be here soon.”

Right as Sweetfern finished speaking, Mousepaw saw a grey tom with white specks of fur coming down from the mountain above.

“Hello Sweetfern!” the tom meowed. “And who this?”

“This is Mousepaw,” Sweetfern introduced the young black and white tom. “My new apprentice. Mousepaw, this is Patchcloud, RockClan’s medicine cat.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mousepaw mewed shyly. He wasn’t used to meeting new cats.

“I guess we'll just wait until the others get here,” Patchcloud said.

It wasn’t long before Mousepaw saw two more cats coming up the rise.

“Good, they’re here,” Sweetfern mewed happily.

A brown tabby tom with a black tail and a dark silver tom were at the base of the mountain, starting their ascent up the worn trail.

“The brown tabby is Fernstem of MeadowClan, and the silver one is Rushpool of LakeClan,” Patchcloud told Mousepaw. “Also, try not to let Fernstem get to you. He hasn’t been very friendly since his mentor died a few moons ago, but that doesn’t give him a reason to be as rude as he’s been.”

When the two toms eventually made it up the slope, Mousepaw got a better look at them. Rushpool was an older cat, with grey speckling his muzzle and the wisdom of age showing in his eyes.

Fernstem was much younger. He looked Mousepaw over, studying him.

“So this is your new apprentice, Sweetfern?” Fernstem mewed disapprovingly. “He looks a little out of proportion to me.”

Mousepaw ducked his head, embarrassed by his big ears and long tail.

“Fernstem! How rude of you to make fun of a new apprentice!” Rushpool scolded him.

Fernstem licked his chest fur, embarrassed, and meowed, “Let’s share with StarClan.” He walked quickly into the cave and was swallowed by the shadows.

Rushpool looked suspiciously to where Fernstem had disappeared, but after a moment's hesitation, followed him in.

Mousepaw followed the four other medicine cats into the Cave of Stars. It was a long, claustrophobic way down. The passage was so dark, you could barely see the cat in front of you. When they finally reached the Cave, it got surprisingly bright. Somehow, Mousepaw knew it was lit by the energy of his ancestors.

Inside, the Cave was a perfect dome shape. At the back of the Cave, there was a river that lead into hole on the other side of the hole the river came from. The river sparkled and shone very brightly. Its motion sounded like the whispers of cats. There was a weird feeling in the air, like there were way more cats than were really in the Cave.

“Before we share,” Sweetfern announced. “I must make Mousepaw an official medicine cat apprentice.”

Sweetfern stepped forward and turned to face the other cats

"Mousepaw, is it your wish to enter the mysteries of StarClan as a medicine cat?"

"It is."

"Then come forward."

Mousepaw walked shakily forward to stand in front of Sweetfern right next to the river.

"Warriors of StarClan, I present you with this Apprentice. He has chosen the path of a Medicine Cat. Grant him your wisdom and insight so that he may understand your ways and heal his Clan in accordance with your will. Now let us share with StarClan."

All four of the medicine cats laid beside the river and put their paws into the water. Mousepaw copied. As soon as his paws touched the water, icy coldness spread through his body and immediately fell into a deep sleep…

## **After**:

"Here we are, Mousepaw!" Sweetfern is the host. "The Cave of Stars!"

Mousepaw nodded. The entrance to the cave was large, like a rock descending from the roof, from the floor. Some also met in between. Mousepaw thought he saw a light shining from the end of the cave.

"Do you see the stars of the cave?" Sweetfern asked him.

And lighting isn’t just his idea!

“Yes! I see the stars, ”Mousepaw replied.

Sweetfern looked at him with a twinkle in her eye. "So you're a true medicine cat!"

Checked by Sweetfern. “We have to hurry,” he said. “Oh, okay. More rescue cats will also arrive.

At the end of Sweetfern's story, Mousepaw sees a gray tom with white furry glasses coming down from the mountain above.

"Goodbye Sweetfern!" tom is dead. "Whose is this?"

“This is Mousepaw,” Sweetfern added the black and white tom. “My new student. Mousepaw, this is Patchcloud, RockClan’s medicine cat. "

"Nice to meet you," Mousepaw whispered. He was not used to meeting new people.

“I think we’re just waiting for others to come here,” Patchcloud said.

Mousepaw soon saw two more cats climbing.

"Well, they're here," Sweetfern moaned.

A brownish black turtle with a black tail and a dark silver honeycomb is at the top of the mountain and begins to climb on the old road.

“The brown board is MeadowClan’s Fernstem, and the silver board is LakeClan’s Rushpool,” Patchcloud told Mousepaw. “Again, try not to let Fernstem get to you. He hasn’t been particularly close since his teacher’s death a few months ago, but he said there’s no reason he’s too bad. "

At the end of the climb of the two toms, Mousepaw looked at them. Rushpool is an old cat, his flesh is gray, and the knowledge of the age shows in his eyes.

Fernstem is too young. He looked at Mousepaw, who was studying him.

"So this is your new student, Sweetfern?" Fernstem denied it. "He looks different to me."

Mousepaw rubbed his head, embarrassing his big ears and his long tail.

“Punaha! You hate to make fun of a new student! ”Rushpool is in trouble.

Fernstem licked his chest hair, embarrassed, shouting, "Share it with StarClan." It runs into the cave and is swallowed up by the shadow.

Rushpool were very careful where Fernstem was missing, but after practice, they followed him.

Mousepaw followed four other rescue cats to the Cave of the Stars. A long, claustrophobic way down. The road was so dark, you never saw the cat before you. When they reached the cave, the lights started. However, Mousepaw knew it was a flame because of the power of its ancestors.

Inside, the cave is very blue. Behind the cave, there is a river facing the hole on the other side of the hole from which the river came. The river crossed and the moon shone. His movement was like the whisper of a cat. The weather was different, as were the many cats in the cave.

“Before you left,” Sweetfern said. "I need to make Mousepaw an example of a rescue cat."

Sweetfern jumped forward and turned to face the other cats

"Mousepaw, do you want to introduce the secrets of StarClan as a rescue cat?"

"That's it."

"Come on."

Mousepaw shuddered forward to stand in front of Sweetfern on the right side of the river.

"StarClan, I will send this Apprentice to you. He has chosen the path of the cat. Give him your wisdom and intelligence so that he will know your ways to save his Relative. If he is you want you. StarClan. "

The four medicine cats placed on the side of the river threw their hands into the water. Mousepaw has been duplicated. When his bags touched the water, the cold of the ice spread to his body as he fell asleep.