S†årli† Dreåms | Chapter 2

Instructions

Chapter 2 ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ Star stumbled backwards. The clan's gaze bore into her, eating away at her confidence. Above it, all was a dark-grey tom, who seemed to be in charge. He leapt down from the ledge he was on and stared straight into her eyes. "Hello, and welcome to Mountainclan. You wish to join?" Star nodded. "Then we shall have your apprentice ceremony in the morning. But it's getting late. Stonepaw can show you to the apprentice den." Stonepaw looked less than pleased about this, but he still took her to the cave that the apprentices slept in. He instantly curled up into one of the many nests and motioned to a small alcove that could only just fit a fully grown cat, but Star was rather small and thin, so she could probably fit ok. "That one's free." She curled up into it and fell into a fitful sleep. ★ Star woke to a paw prodding her in the side. A cream tabby she-cat was staring at her with bright copper eyes. "Did you really beat Rockpaw in a fight?" "Of course she didn't Blossompaw! She's probably a weak kittypet." Blosompaw threw a rock at the tom's head "Ow!" "Stop listening to Stripenose! He's a grump!" "He's our father!" "He's rude to anyone who isn't pure mountainclan! Listen to him for battle or hunting advice, but this is not a matter he has any useful opinions on!" She turned to Star. "Sorry about Pantherpaw. He is nice at heart, I can assure you. But, back to that matter we were discussing before..." "I didn't exactly beat him in a fight, he just wasn't thinking about his actions, so I was able to trip him and pin him down. If he tried to get up he probably could've." Blossompaw looked at her in awe. "Neither of us could beat Rockpaw." "All cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Skyledge!" Blossompaw ushered Star out to a group of cats in front of the ledge and pushed her ahead of them all. Stonestar looked at her. "Star, do you promise to uphold the code and be loyal to the clan with your life?" "I-I do." "Then by the power of Starclan, from this day forth, you will be known as Starpaw. Your mentor will be Rabbitleap." A brown and white tom bounded over happily and touched noses with her. But the rest of the clan were muttering "Her prefix can't be 'Star'! That doesn't work!" Stonestar was staring at the tom that spoke. "Stripenose, Starclan decreed that she be called Starpaw. Do you disagree with Starclan?" "No, Stonestar..." He muttered. His dark-grey tabby pelt glowed with heat of embarrassment. "Clan dismissed." Blossompaw was once again sweeping Starpaw away. "That's Ashenwing, Stripenose's sister" Ashenwing looked almost identical to Stripenose, although her pelt was lighter, and her eyes were bright green. "And that's Snowswirl, with his mate Windstrike." A white tom and a grey-splashed white she-cat sat by what seemed to be the nursery. Windstrike looked as though she could have her kits any minute. "But this is where I needed to take you. It's the medicine den!" A small juniper berry bush concealed a large cave, with a small stream, shelves of rock filled with herbs, and a grey tabby she-cat with bright, green eyes. "Hello, Starpaw, hello, Blossompaw. What brings you here?" "I just wanted to introduce you to Starpaw! She hasn't met you before, but it's best to know who the medicine cat is." Starpaw looked around. There were many herbs, some she recognised, some she didn't. She sniffed at a pile of herbs on a low rock platform. "That's marigold and horsetail, isn't it? They're used to heal wounds, right?" "Oh- well, yes, how did you know?" Starpaw shrugged. "I've lived on my own since I was 2 1/2 moons. Plenty of cats have disagreed with me, and it seems they all thought combat was the way to be right. Are you planning a battle?" Hollybush sighed. "Starclan has been sending obscure signs for half a moon now, but I can't tell who's in the battle, and when it is. Stonestar hasn't acted upon it, as we don't have any information about it, so I've been preparing just in case-" The sound of many angry cats filled the camp. Rockpaw pushed into the den, eyes wide. "Rogues are attacking camp!"