Silverwisp's Destiny/Chapter One

*“ShadowClan invaders! Attack!” Silverkit pounced on* her sister, Ivykit. They rolled over in a tussle. Sunkit, their brother joined as well.

“Let all cats old enough to swim, gather around the Highrock for a Clan meeting!” Leafstar called the familiar words.

“Can we come?” Ivykit asked the kits’ mother, Dawnflower.

“Yeah, please?” Silverkit pleaded.

“Fine.” Dawnflower agreed. “But only if you are quiet.”

“Yay!” The kits raced over and sat down beside their mother.

“Leopardpaw, Goldenpaw, Dewpaw, and Petalpaw, come up.” Leafstar said. The four cats jumped up to the Highrock, their pelts shining in the moonlight.

“I, Leafstar, leader of RiverClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look upon these apprentices.” Leafstar said. “They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” Leafstar turned to face the warriors-to-be. “Leopardpaw, Goldenpaw, Petalpaw, Dewpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend this Clan even at the cost of your lives?”

“I do.”

“I do.”

“I do.”

“I do.”

“Then by powers of StarClan, you will receive your warrior names. Leopardpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Leopardfang. StarClan honors your courage and your strength, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Leafstar rested her muzzle on Leopardfang, who respectfully licked her leader’s shoulder, and then took her place among the warriors.

“Goldenpaw, from this moment on, you shall be known as Goldenheart. StarClan honors your intelligence and your speed, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Leafstar stepped forward to rest her muzzle on the newly named Goldenheart, who licked her leader’s shoulder in return, and then joined her sister among the warriors.

“Petalpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Petalfall. StarClan honors your enthusiasm and your wit, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Leafstar rested her muzzle on Petalfall, who licked Leafstar’s shoulder in return. Then, she joined her littermates with the warriors.

Leafstar turned her attention to Dewpaw. “Dewpaw, from this moment on, you will be known as Dewdrop. StarClan honors your creativity and your intelligence, and we welcome you as a full warrior of RiverClan.” Leafstar rested her muzzle on Dewdrop, who respectfully licked her shoulder in return. Then, she bounded down to join the rest of the warriors.

“Leopardfang! Goldenheart! Petalfall! Dewdrop!” The Clan chanted the new warriors’ names into the starry sky. The cats’ mother, Fernshade, chanted the loudest of them all.

Silverkit couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. They were five moons and a half, which was technically six moons, so why couldn’t Leafstar just hurry up and make them apprentices already?

As if she was reading her thoughts, Ivykit leaned over and whispered, “I wish that Leafstar would hurry up already. We’re practically six moons old!”

“I wonder who our mentors will be.” Sunkit said.

“I hope I don’t get someone like Thrushfeather.” Ivykit said. “He’s so bossy!”

“Or someone like Nightmoon.” Sunkit added. “He’s so grumpy!”

“Now, now, Thrushfeather and Nightmoon are both good warriors.” Dawnflower cutted in. “You would be lucky to get them.”

“Not!” Ivykit hissed under her breath. Dawnflower glared at her.

“But why can’t Leafstar just hurry up already?” Silverkit asked. “We’re practically six moons old.”

“Leafstar just spoke to me about your apprentice ceremony!” the kits’ father, Foxtail, said, coming over. “She wants to do it soon.”

“See?” Dawnflower said, prodding Silverkit with one paw. “You just have to be patient! Now let’s go to bed.”

“Wake up! Wake up!” a paw prodded Silverkit’s side.

“Huh?” Silverkit mumbled, still half asleep.

“Leafstar is going to conduct our apprentice ceremonies!”

Silverkit was awake in a flash. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” She glared at Ivykit.

“I just told you.” Ivykit said.

Twenty minutes later, the three kits stood atop of the Highrock, pelts gleaming in the early dawn light.

“Ivykit, Sunkit and Silverkit,” Leafstar said, “do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend the Clan, even at the costs of your lives?”

“I do.” Ivykit sounded clear and confident.

“I do.” Sunkit’s voice was a bit shaky.

“I do.” Silverkit felt pride and confidence coursing through her veins.

“Then Ivykit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Ivypaw. Pebbleheart, you have learned a lot from Pineclaw and I expect you to pass on those skills to this apprentice.”

Pebbleheart stood up and dipped his head. “I’ll do my best, Leafstar.” He jumped up to the Highrock and touched noses with Ivypaw.

Leafstar turned her attention to Sunkit. “Sunkit, until you have earned your warrior name, you will be known as Sunpaw. Rosebud, you will mentor this apprentice. Pass on your knowledge to him.”

Rosebud dipped her head, jumped up to the Highrock, and touched noses with Sunpaw.

Leafstar’s luminous green gaze rested on Silverkit. *Who will my mentor be?* she wondered.

“And last, but not least,” Leafstar meowed, “Silverkit. Until you have earned your warrior name, you shall be known as Silverpaw. Fernshade, pass on your skills to this apprentice. Whiteberry taught you well and I know that you will make a good mentor.”

Fernshade dipped her head and jumped up to the Highrock. She touched noses with Silverpaw.

“Ivypaw! Sunpaw! Silverpaw!” RiverClan chanted the new apprentices’ names into the air. Silverpaw felt a thrill of joy rush through her. She was an apprentice at last!

Go to Chapter Two of Silverwisp's Destiny