Rowanbriar Strength

Hornetberry licked the top of Yellowkit's forehead and Yellowkit snuggled closer to his mother's belly.

"You have given birth to strong kits, Hornetberry" Fallowcloud meowed as she glanced at the tomkit and shekit.

Hornetberry curled her tail around her two kits and washed their soft fur, "Oh, thank you so much, Fallowcloud."

Fallowcloud bowed her head and walked out of the nursery and headed to the father of the kits. Beechleg trotted into the nursery with his eyes sparkling with proud and he sat around his mate. "They are very beautiful and look strong." Beechleg meowed. "Thought of a name for one of them?" He asked looking at his kits.

Hornetberry pointed to the she-kit with her tail. "The she-kit will be weaselkit, by her pelt the same as yours." Hornetberry meowed with pride as she looked at her mate.

"A very pleasant name for her," Beechleg purred and looked at the tomkit. "This mighty young warrior will be called Rowankit," Beechleg answered.

After a long day, the sun began setting and the Oakclan cats set out to their nests. Beechleg stood back on his muscular paws then gave his latest licks to his family and left the nursery to the warrior den.

### CHAPTER 1

Rowankit blinked open his eyes for the first time and looked at the nursery. **Woah they're bigger than me!**Rowankit thoughted.

Rowankit looked around and noticed his sister was asleep. He clumsily walked over to Weaslkit and shooked her awake. "Wake up Weaselkit and let's go explore outside of camp." Rowankit chirped.

Weaselkit opened her eyes sleepily, "Already?" Weaselkit murmured sleepily. "Yes, now get up sleepy head!" Rowankit hissed.

Weaselkit stood up and shook herself awake then turned back to Rowankit. "Ok, let's go then."

Rowankit ran out of the nursery excited with Weaselkit behind his tail.

The camp was full of cats, the cats were very busy though and Rowankit looked around. "Hey, look at them!" Weaselkit meowed, getting Rowankit the attention to look in her direction. He followed her to the small, but big cats.

"Pineclan warrior will take over Oakclan!" The black tom apprentice growled playfully, pulling on the other apprentice's ears.

"No, I will protect my clan!" The apprentice that is getting attacked clawed the black tom playfully.

Rowankit and Weaselkit walked up to the apprentices carefully. The black and red, mackerel tortoiseshell she-cat looked over to Weaselkit and Rowankit. "Oh hi, both of them are finally awake!" She purred.

The black tom let go of the tortoiseshell she-cat then blinked at the kits.

"Hi there little ones, I am Nightpaw." Nightpaw meowed arrogantly. The tortoiseshell she-cat pushed beside Nightpaw, "And... I am Spottedpaw." Spottedpaw meowed charming.

Weaselkit purred and nodded to Rowankit, "I am Weaselkit and my brother here is Rowankit." She said to them.

Rowankit wanted to speak his name but he ignored his complains.

"Do you two want to show around camp with us?" Spottedpaw jumped up and down like she was still a kit.

Rowankit eyes glazed and nodded, "Yes, let's go now!"

"I will lead now come on." Nightpaw meowed.

Rowankit followed beside Weaselkit while following the apprentices.

The four cats stopped at a den, filled with herbs and other healing plants, and Rowankit wrinkled his nose in disgust. Spottedpaw turned to the kits.

"This is the medicine cat den and our medicine cat is named Fallowcloud."

"She also helped your mother given birth to both of you!"

"Oh?"

"Yes, come on let's not be bored."

This time Spottedpaw guide them to another den empty nests, Weaselkit went for the den entrance.

"Don't go in there!" Spottedpaw grumbled.

Weaselkit stopped with alarm and ran back to them.

"W-Why?!" She panicked.

"Because that is the Warriors' den and we are not to supposed to go in there!"

"Don't scare me again!"

"Hehe sorry!" Spottedpaw chuckled.

Now, the apprentices showed them the Leader den, the apprentices.

"Last of all is the Elder den!" Spottedpaw pointed to the smelly den with her tail.

"Gross, what is that smell?" Rowankit choked.

"That's that the mouse bile to get rid of their fleas."

"Ew, I wouldn't like doing that!" Spottedpaw shooked her head.

"You will."

Soon after Rowankit and Weaselkit discovered the dens they sat down feeling exhausted.

"That was fun?" Weaselkit looked at Rowankit.

"Yes, it sure was!" Rowankit meowed.

Hornetberry padded over to the kits and stopped looking at them. "Oh, there you two are!" Hornetberry meowed worried.

"Never do that again."

"S-Sorry mother." Weaselkit lowered her head as an apology.

Hornetberry licked the top of their furry heads and led them back to the nursery. She laid down in her nest and curled her tail around them.

"Go to sleep little ones," Hornetberry whispered.

Weaselkit was fast asleep already, so Rowankit shut his eyes and drifted into asleep.

"Sleep tight, my beautiful kits." Hornetberry licked their ears and curled around them asleep.

### CHAPTER 2

Weaselkit gripped around Rowankit's neck and nipped his neck playfully. Rowankit thrust his sister with his back hind legs then pinned Weaselkit to the ground. "Oakclan Warrior wins!" Rowankit meowed cheerfully.

"Aw, man..."

"You're so weak!"

"Am not...!" Weaselkit complained.

"Hi there you two." Mallowpaw trotted over to the playing kits.

Weaselkit and Rowankit reached back onto their paws and saw at the she-cat apprentice.

"Hi, Mallowpaw!" Weaselkit purred.

Mallowpaw stopped in front of the kits and waved her fluffy tail up high. Rowankit huffed.

"How's it like to be an apprentice?" Weaselkit asked.

"It's bored... wasteful. At least to be fighting train!"

"Fighting?"

"Looks like you're unprepared from your littermate finishing you." Mallowpaw taunted.

Weaselkit dropped her ears and sighed.

Rowankit frowned at that apprentice and fluff his fur. "Leave Weaselkit alone, mouse brain!"

Mallowpaw looked at Rowankit with sorrow in her twinkling eyes, "Sorry..."

Without any word, she left them alone.

Weaselkit turned to him and licked his ears, "Thank you but I'm not bothered." She purred.

"Let all cats come to gather at the Waterfall meeting!" Salmonstar meowed deep and vain to all his cats.

Every cat met at the waterfall, looking at their leader interested.

"Come on kits." Hornetberry was right behind Weaselkit and Rowankit. Our first going to the meeting. Rowankit bounced up and down following Hornetberry. Three of them sat between a gap of the cats.

"Thank you all for coming to this important meeting." Salmonstar meowed as he stared at the cats.

Salmonstar jumped onto the flat big rock. "We must fight to revenge our dead medicine cat!" He hissed as he stood as tall as he could. Murmurs wailed with an agreement.

Weaselkit turned to Hornetberry, "Our medicine cat? Fallowcloud is not dead...?" She chirped.

Hornetberry turned to her, "Long story short of our older medicine cat, now shush." She hissed and turned her attention back to Salmonstar.

"Whimbrelstream had decided who to bring during the attacking patrol." He continued.

"Dunnockfang, Linnetthroat, Beechleg, Mallowpaw, Spiderpaw, and Spottedpaw will come. The rest of the others will guard the camp if something attacks, and we have fewer warriors and must earn more."

Russetleg stood up with his fur fluff up and snarled, "Why can't I go, I am the best fighter!"

Salmonstar glared at the red mackerel tabby then blinked, "Be patient." He only said. Then jumped from the flat big rock then left all the others.

The other cats glared at Russetleg.

"You need to learn how to grow." Fallowcloud breathed and she walked away.

Everyone else walked away to their duties. Rowankit stared at Russetleg, then he looked at him frowning. "What are you looking at?" He hissed.

"Go away from my kit." Hornetberry snapped.

Russetleg rolled his eyes and lazily walked into the warriors' den.

"Can't believe he is even a warrior." Rowankit overheard his mother muttered.

Weaselkit looked at Rowankit then Hornetberry. Hornetberry leads her kits back to the nursery and curled around their tiny furry bodies with her tail. "Go to sleep little ones for your next big day."

Rowankit felt his mother tongue rasped over his pelt, he laid his muzzle on her fuzzy tail and drifted into a deep sleep.

### CHAPTER 3

Rowankit woke up by the noises of the cat talking. He sat up and walked out of the nursery. They are leaving for the fight. ***May Starclan light you all paths.***

Rowankit padded to the freshkill pile and picked out a mouse, he went to a nearby bush and ate the mouse by small bites. "Mmm, tasty." Rowankit licked his lips.

Rowankit looked around the camp and noticed Nightpaw sitting alone. Rowankit stood up and trotted over to Nightpaw then sat beside him. "Hello there, Nightpaw." Rowankit meowed.

Nightpaw turned to him and his eyes looked sad.

"Oh, er hi."

"Sad, not go to the fight?"

Nightpaw agreed.

Rowankit touched pelts with him to cheer him up.

"It's alright, someday you will."

Nightpaw purred and Rowankit returned a purr too.

"I have to go." Nightpaw left Rowankit alone.

Rowankit got up and walked back into the nursery since it was early in the morning, he went asleep.

A yowl came from the waterfall, Rowankit woke up by a lick.

"A meeting comes on Hornetberry is waiting for us." Weaselkit woke him.

Rowankit yawned and followed Weaselkit out of the nursery and sat beside their mother.

"Hello, welcome all Oakclan." Salmonstar meowed.

"We've had won over the battle but not for long." He sighed but continued more.

"We have three apprentices becoming warriors, come up Spiderpaw, Spottedpaw, and Mallowpaw please."

Spiderpaw was the first which Spottedpaw was last.

Salmonstar turned to Spiderpaw, "You had fought the battle like a real warrior, this time you will have your warrior name," Salmonstar meowed.

"I, Salmonstar, Leader of Oakclan, I give this Apprentice its new name, Spiderpaw from this day on will you always hold your loyalty and warrior cold to your life?" The leader looked at the apprentice.

"I do." Spiderpaw meowed.

"Well, from this day on you will be known as, Spiderfoot by your strength and quickness like a real spider. Good job Spiderfoot." Salmonstar and Spiderfoot touched noses with each other and Spiderfoot licked his shoulder then went to the cats.

"Spiderfoot! Spottedpelt! Mallowthurst!" The cats all applauded new warriors' names.

Rowankit bounced to the new warriors, "Good job!" He chirped.

"Thank you, Rowankit." Three of the warriors bowed their heads and walked away.

"Are you check on your best friend, Spottedpelt?" Weaselkit meowed.

Spottedpelt turned to Weaselkit and Rowankit, "Who Nightpaw?" She asked carelessly.

"Uh, yes, I feel sad for him." Spottedpelt left them to meet up with Nightpaw.

Rowankit shrieked when a pelt ruffled over his ear, he turned and seen it was his mother. "Hi kits, time for bed." Hornetberry beamed. Rowankit followed them back to the nursery. He laid down in his old nest, he twitched his ears and lamented sadly. "When are we, apprentices?" He cried.

Weaselkit was fast asleep when Hornetberry turned to him. "Soon when your new day comes. Sleep well." She laid on her tail on her kits and slept. Rowankit sighed bored from being in the nursery for long moons, he closed his eyes and drifted into a deep, dreamy sleep.

### CHAPTER 4

"**Wake up**!" A loud growl came from the nursery and a paw swiped his cheeks. Rowankit sat up and frowned at Weaselkit, "What is it mouse-brain!" Rowankit hissed while glaring at his annoying sibling.

"A meeting! A meeting!" Weaselkit repeated, bouncing up and down.

"Yeah, yeah a normal meeting again..." Rowankit huffed and padded out of the nursery.

"Good morning Rowankit." Hornetberry turned to Rowankit with her usual kind eyes.

Hornetberry rasped her tongue over his pelt and Rowankit tried to get away from her. **Why is everyone so excited today?!**Rowankit growled at his thought.

Weaselkit then hopped out of the nursery and Rowankit finally noticed her pelt was already cleaned.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Rowankit sounded frustrated when he looked at his mother.

"It is an apprentice ceremony that is why!" Weaselkit answered his question.

"Oh really?" Rowankit calmed and felt happy.

"You two go eat your freshkill." Hornetberry stopped washing Rowankit and looked at them.

Rowankit and Weaselkit nodded and trotted to the freshkill pile. Rowankit nuzzled through the pile of prey. He took out at a magpie and chopped the magpie neck with his front teeth. Weaselkit sat nearby him eating her preferred prey, mole. After a while, they finished suppering their prey and padded over to their mother.

"Let all cats old enough come swim themselves for a clan meeting." Salmonstar meowed.

Weaselkit and Rowankit bounced up and down excitedly. "Come on you two and don't get all dusty." Hornetberry stopped them with her tail and their mother led them to the gathering cats.

Finally, all the cats gathered at the waterfall staring at their leader.

"We have two kits turning into an apprentice, come on up Weaselkit and Rowankit." Salmonstar nodded to Weaselkit and Rowankit.

Weaselkit was the first one to be beside the leader with Rowankit following behind shyly.

"You have reached six years old and it is today for you to fit as an apprentice." Salmonstar meowed when they came. "Weaselkit you will be known as Weaselpaw from this day on until you reached your warrior rank, and your mentor will be Linnetthroat, I expect he will pass all training down to you." Salmonstar purred.

Weaselpaw padded over to Linnetthroat, them pressing noses with each other.

After they were settled, Salmonstar returned to Rowankit, "Rowankit, You have reached six years old and it is today for you to fit as an apprentice. You will be known as Rowanpaw from this day on until you reached your warrior rank, and your mentor will be Troutstripe, I expect he will pass all training down to you."

Rowankit eased with joy and walked gracefully to his mentor and pressed his noses with his mentor.

"Weaselpaw! Rowanpaw! Weaselpaw! Rowanpaw!" The cats cheered their names loudly and proudly.

Every cat gathers around the new apprentices, "Finally you two are now apprentices!" Spottedpelt purred.

Rowanpaw curved away from the crowd and touched his nose on his mother's pelt. Hornetberry gave Rowanpaw a lick on his cheek, saying, "Take care and don't go in the warriors' den until you are a warrior." Hornetberry purred with amusement and trotted to the warriors' den.

Nightpaw walked over to Rowanpaw and Weaselpaw with happiness in his eyes. "Follow me, to your new nests." Nightpaw meowed his tail high up as he pleased to have company.

Rowanpaw and Weaselpaw followed him to the apprentice's den, Rowanpaw entered the den and looked around. "Yay, I'm glad that we have our own nest." Rowanpaw eyes lit up and chose a nest in the middle.

"Mine's in the middle!" Rowanpaw mewed.

Weaselpaw founded a nest at the back right side. "I guess this nest will be mine." She meowed.

Nightpaw laid in his own nest, giving his fur a lick then he looked up at the new apprentices, "you both should rest because you both have a big day!" Nightpaw said.

Rowanpaw looked at the older apprentice, "but we just got here, why should we?" He frowned.

Before Nightpaw can reply, outside of the apprentice den a cat walked in, interrupting them, "Nightpaw is right, you both should rest because we have a lot to do tomorrow." Rowanpaw turned around and noticed the muscular chocolate-brown tom looking at him. "Yes, Linnetthroat, sorry..." Rowanpaw dipped his head and laid in his nest.

"Good, now see you tomorrow." Linnetthroat meowed and walked away.