I CAN’T BELIEVE MY OWN MOTHER lied to me!
Three moons had passed since Oakkit was born, and he had just received the most devastating news of his life.
“We didn’t plan this, Oakkit,” Jadestem pressed. “It just happened.”
“Oh,” Oakkit snapped, “it just happened! That means I just happened!”
Jadestem looked at her son, hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Oakkit. I’m so sorry. I had to tell you, in case you would notice anything strange about the way Raveneye looks at you; or any of the other WindClan cats.”
I hate you! Oakkit screamed in his head. I will never speak to you again!
Oakkit stormed out of the nursery, his claws digging into the floor of the tree. With all of his might, he sprang up to the apprentices’ walkway.
I can’t tell anyone about this! Oakkit thought. How will I keep this a secret?
The young red-brown tom thought that if he didn’t speak a word any longer, that this will remain a secret. Of course, kits are usually forgetful, even though he wasn’t too young. How long will this last? To what extent will it be?
Think about this yourself. If you were to refuse to speak for the rest of your life, how would the people around you feel? Will anyone be friends with someone who was so silent? Would anyone fall in love with someone who won’t even share their feelings with them? This was a risky decision made.
But he has a young heart, and this phase will eventually go away. “It’s just harmless kit stuff,” some cats might say. …
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather at the foot of the Great Tree.”
Sweetstar’s yowl echoed through the walls of the Great Tree, around sunset one newleaf night. Cats, young and old gathered around.
Oakkit was still in the nursery, sulking over such news. How can Raveneye, the WindClan deputy, be my father? How can I be two Clans at once? Was I a mistake? He still refused to speak to his surrounding Clan mates.
“Oakkit,” the mew of his mother stirred his pondering questions. “It’s time for your apprentices’ ceremony,” Jadestem whispered. “Are you ready?”
The young tom nodded.
“Still refusing to talk, huh?” Snowdapple, ThunderClan’s new medicine cat, purred.
“Yes,” Jadestem sighed, “just like Sweetstar is still grieving over Cobaltpelt.”
A half-moon ago, Cobaltpelt went to collect herbs, and never came back. There were search parties all through the territory, Sweetstar being the most determined to find her brother. Three days later, Sweetstar and Nightheart had found Cobaltpelt’s body, at the edge of a Thunderpath. He’d smelled terribly of badger, coming to the conclusion that he was mauled. Sweetstar had been grieving ever since.
Jadestem and Snowdapple sighed in memory. Jadestem then led Oakkit out of the nursery, for the last time. At the foot of the Great Tree, several cats had gathered near the upper walkway.
Nightheart took his usual place, just below the Great Tree’s main root. Sweetstar was still at her den, in the canopy. She slowly leaped down to the gathering area, digging her claws walkway, to walkway. When she made it to the top of the root, she looked unusually clumsy.
“Okay,” Sweetstar sighed deeply, “let’s begin.” The Siamese she-cat cleared her throat. “Oakkit is now six moons old. It is time for him to be an apprentice. Jadestem, as Oakkit’s mother, is it destined for him to now become an apprentice?”
“It is,” Jadestem cried. She was more emotional now that her son was now going to be an apprentice.
Sweetstar pointed her gaze towards Oakkit. “Oakkit, are you ready to become a warrior in training?”
Oakkit nodded.
“Russetwind,” the leader declared, “you were taught well by Graybreeze, and you will be ready to pass down your knowledge to Oakkit.”
“It will be an honor to, Sweetstar,” Russetwind bowed his head, gratefully.
Sweetstar then padded down from the main root. “Then it’s decided.” She pressed her muzzle to Oakkit’s head. “From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Oakpaw. StarClan will guide you through your apprenticeship.”
“Oakpaw! Oakpaw!”
Russetwind padded to Oakpaw’s side, pressing his muzzle to the young apprentices’ head.
“Training starts tomorrow,” Russetwind purred.
Oakpaw nodded, leaping up to the apprentices’ walkway. Owlpaw and Stonepaw joined him.
“Hey, newbie,” Stonepaw purred.
Owlpaw sprinted gracefully across the walkway and into the Apprentices’ Chamber. “We made a nest for you!” she exclaimed.
Oakpaw purred silently, clawing across the walkway. He had never been in the Apprentices’ Chamber; he was too small to get up the walkway.
The Apprentices’ Chamber was not big, but it wasn’t small, either. It was the perfect size to fit at least four apprentices’ nests. Outside, there was a branch of the Great Tree where the apprentices’ liked to converse. The walls of the chamber were decorated with claw marks of apprentices’ in the past.
“This is where we like to sharpen our claws,” Owlpaw explained.
Stonepaw leapt up to the outside branch. “Owlpaw, it looks like a storm’s coming!”
Owlpaw sighed heavily. “Stupid newleaf storms! They never give us a break, Oakpaw! It’s your turn, Stonepaw!”
Stonepaw went outside the Apprentices’ Chamber. He came back a few moments later with bundles of leaves in his jaws.
“Where’s the braken?” he grunted through his teeth.
“Right by my nest, Stonepaw,” Owlpaw answered.
What are they talking about? Oakpaw wondered.
Stonepaw grabbed the braken and started to weave it into the leaves. Oakpaw was mesmerized by what he was doing. Stonepaw then placed the leaves over where the outside was. He then grabbed a vine and tied the leaves to it with his claws.
Oakpaw gave Owlpaw a questioning look.
“That’s for when the rains start,” Owlpaw answered, as if she knew what Oakpaw was thinking. “We’ll teach you how to make it when the next time it rains.”
Oakpaw nodded his head slightly.
“Okay,” Stonepaw sighed, “it’s done.”
“We’re better than the warriors, though,” Owlpaw mewed, “because they don’t have an outside branch. Apprentices rule!”
Oakpaw silently purred.
“It’s a shame that Oakpaw lost his voice when he had that cold,” Stonepaw whispered.
“Yeah,” Owlpaw yawned. “It’s time for bed.”
She then settled down in one of the three nests in the Apprentices’ Chamber. She then closed her eyes, and soon the rise and fall of her flank was a sign that Owlpaw was asleep.
Rain started pattering on the side of the Great Tree Stonepaw soon also fell asleep. Oakpaw stared around the Apprentices’ Chamber, amazed how he could get so far in life.
Just yesterday, I was a kit. Now, I’m an apprentice! This is the greatest day of my life!
He sat in a nest that the older apprentices had made for him. Soon the soft patter of the rain turned into hammering. The clapping of thunder was the sign of the coming storm. Oakpaw listened to the sounds of the storm, and watched the lightning through the weave. He closed his eyes, not knowing when sleep will come. …
The sun blinded Oakpaw, even though the weave was still up. He yawned, stretching out his legs.
“Oh, you’re up, Oakpaw,” Stonepaw greeted, getting out of his nest. “I just have to take this weave down.” He bit at the vine that held it in place. The leaves scattered all over the Apprentices’ Chamber. One of the leaves landed on Owlpaw’s nose.
Owlpaw sneezed, blowing away the leaves.
Stonepaw purred, when Owlpaw opened her eyes.
“That’s not funny, Stonepaw!” she meowed, licking the fur on her flank.
It’s a little funny, actually, Oakpaw chuckled under his breath.
“All right,” Stonepaw sighed, “enough games. It’s time to do our training.”
“Sometimes I wish I could just sleep all day,” Owlpaw yawned.
“Me, too.” Stonepaw padded out to the apprentices’ walkway.
Owlpaw followed, drowsily. Oakpaw still stayed in the Apprentices’ Chamber. I wonder what Raveneye is doing in WindClan? He thought about his father. He still couldn’t believe that he was half-WindClan, even though he knew most of his life.
When Oakpaw got outside to the foot of the Great Tree, the camp was full of activity. Brakentail was sunning himself by the camp entrance.
Nightheart and Sweetstar were eating by the main root. Jadestem leaped down from the walkways, Fawnwhisker following. Owlpaw and Stonepaw each got fresh-kill from the Fresh-kill Chamber. Russetwind was eating a mouse by up by the Medicine Chamber. Oakpaw padded around the bottom floor, heading for the Fresh-kill Chamber.
Grabbing a thrush, he sat alone. Oakpaw finished his breakfast in quick, famished bites. He headed towards the camp entrance, where Russetwind was now waiting for him.
“Are you ready for your first day of training?” Russetwind asked.
Oakpaw nodded excitedly.
“Okay,” he mewed, “I will give you a tour of the territory for starters, okay?”
Oakpaw nodded, heading out of the Great Tree. He turned around, waiting for Russetwind to follow. But instead, he looked up. He never really knew how big the Great Tree really was. Whoa, that’s one big tree!
Russetwind purred. “I guess you saw the Great Tree. This is only the center of the territory. Follow me.”
Oakpaw followed his mentor. He didn’t realize that his surroundings were a blur as he ran, trying to catch up with Russetwind.
“Wow,” Russetwind puffed. “You are fast!”
Oakpaw shrugged, looking ahead. He saw cliffs on the other side of the forest. He stared in awe, trying to get a closer look. But Russetwind stood in his way.
“That’s SkyClan territory,” he mewed. “You shouldn’t be so close there. There might be a patrol.” Russetwind padded a little closer. “Can you scent their territory?”
Oakpaw scented the air. He did scent a different Clan. He nodded.
“Now you know what SkyClan’s scent is. This may be very helpful if you get lost, or if they're invading our territory. Follow me.” Russetwind sprinted to another part of the territory, and Oakpaw saw far away, a large moor, where there was another Clan scent.
Oakpaw gave Russetwind a questioning look.
“This is the WindClan border,” his mentor answered. “Their always trying to cross the territory.”
Oakpaw looked down at his paws. Was his father over there in WindClan, watching him? He tried not to think about it.
Russetwind showed Oakpaw all different types of areas of the ThunderClan territory. How am I going to know where everything is? They also came across the ShadowClan and WindClan border. They came home at sunset, when Russetwind said that he showed him everything they needed to see. So, Oakpaw had some time outside to think about the territory.
I want to run around the Great Tree, to see how big it really is.
Oakpaw was ready to run, his forelegs itching for speed. He then sprang forward, using such speed to run. He felt so alive, like the wind was lifting him. What’s going on? The surrounding brush and the bark of the Great Tree were such a blur, that he didn’t think that there was anything there. He then turned his head as head and so a clear shape. He thought he so a blue-gray tom, staring at him with fiery green eyes. He had a triangular muzzle, like Sweetstar’s, which made him look very familiar. Cobaltpelt?
The mysterious cat disappeared. Oakpaw stopped running. What was that all about? He was back at the camp entrance. Russetwind’s right. I do run fast! But, how and why?
Spooked, Oakpaw ran to the Fresh-kill chamber, trying to stay at a normal cat’s speed, but still, he seemed to run faster than the other cats. What’s happening to me?
Three moons had passed since Oakkit was born, and he had just received the most devastating news of his life.
“We didn’t plan this, Oakkit,” Jadestem pressed. “It just happened.”
“Oh,” Oakkit snapped, “it just happened! That means I just happened!”
Jadestem looked at her son, hurt in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Oakkit. I’m so sorry. I had to tell you, in case you would notice anything strange about the way Raveneye looks at you; or any of the other WindClan cats.”
I hate you! Oakkit screamed in his head. I will never speak to you again!
Oakkit stormed out of the nursery, his claws digging into the floor of the tree. With all of his might, he sprang up to the apprentices’ walkway.
I can’t tell anyone about this! Oakkit thought. How will I keep this a secret?
The young red-brown tom thought that if he didn’t speak a word any longer, that this will remain a secret. Of course, kits are usually forgetful, even though he wasn’t too young. How long will this last? To what extent will it be?
Think about this yourself. If you were to refuse to speak for the rest of your life, how would the people around you feel? Will anyone be friends with someone who was so silent? Would anyone fall in love with someone who won’t even share their feelings with them? This was a risky decision made.
But he has a young heart, and this phase will eventually go away. “It’s just harmless kit stuff,” some cats might say. …
“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey, gather at the foot of the Great Tree.”
Sweetstar’s yowl echoed through the walls of the Great Tree, around sunset one newleaf night. Cats, young and old gathered around.
Oakkit was still in the nursery, sulking over such news. How can Raveneye, the WindClan deputy, be my father? How can I be two Clans at once? Was I a mistake? He still refused to speak to his surrounding Clan mates.
“Oakkit,” the mew of his mother stirred his pondering questions. “It’s time for your apprentices’ ceremony,” Jadestem whispered. “Are you ready?”
The young tom nodded.
“Still refusing to talk, huh?” Snowdapple, ThunderClan’s new medicine cat, purred.
“Yes,” Jadestem sighed, “just like Sweetstar is still grieving over Cobaltpelt.”
A half-moon ago, Cobaltpelt went to collect herbs, and never came back. There were search parties all through the territory, Sweetstar being the most determined to find her brother. Three days later, Sweetstar and Nightheart had found Cobaltpelt’s body, at the edge of a Thunderpath. He’d smelled terribly of badger, coming to the conclusion that he was mauled. Sweetstar had been grieving ever since.
Jadestem and Snowdapple sighed in memory. Jadestem then led Oakkit out of the nursery, for the last time. At the foot of the Great Tree, several cats had gathered near the upper walkway.
Nightheart took his usual place, just below the Great Tree’s main root. Sweetstar was still at her den, in the canopy. She slowly leaped down to the gathering area, digging her claws walkway, to walkway. When she made it to the top of the root, she looked unusually clumsy.
“Okay,” Sweetstar sighed deeply, “let’s begin.” The Siamese she-cat cleared her throat. “Oakkit is now six moons old. It is time for him to be an apprentice. Jadestem, as Oakkit’s mother, is it destined for him to now become an apprentice?”
“It is,” Jadestem cried. She was more emotional now that her son was now going to be an apprentice.
Sweetstar pointed her gaze towards Oakkit. “Oakkit, are you ready to become a warrior in training?”
Oakkit nodded.
“Russetwind,” the leader declared, “you were taught well by Graybreeze, and you will be ready to pass down your knowledge to Oakkit.”
“It will be an honor to, Sweetstar,” Russetwind bowed his head, gratefully.
Sweetstar then padded down from the main root. “Then it’s decided.” She pressed her muzzle to Oakkit’s head. “From this moment on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Oakpaw. StarClan will guide you through your apprenticeship.”
“Oakpaw! Oakpaw!”
Russetwind padded to Oakpaw’s side, pressing his muzzle to the young apprentices’ head.
“Training starts tomorrow,” Russetwind purred.
Oakpaw nodded, leaping up to the apprentices’ walkway. Owlpaw and Stonepaw joined him.
“Hey, newbie,” Stonepaw purred.
Owlpaw sprinted gracefully across the walkway and into the Apprentices’ Chamber. “We made a nest for you!” she exclaimed.
Oakpaw purred silently, clawing across the walkway. He had never been in the Apprentices’ Chamber; he was too small to get up the walkway.
The Apprentices’ Chamber was not big, but it wasn’t small, either. It was the perfect size to fit at least four apprentices’ nests. Outside, there was a branch of the Great Tree where the apprentices’ liked to converse. The walls of the chamber were decorated with claw marks of apprentices’ in the past.
“This is where we like to sharpen our claws,” Owlpaw explained.
Stonepaw leapt up to the outside branch. “Owlpaw, it looks like a storm’s coming!”
Owlpaw sighed heavily. “Stupid newleaf storms! They never give us a break, Oakpaw! It’s your turn, Stonepaw!”
Stonepaw went outside the Apprentices’ Chamber. He came back a few moments later with bundles of leaves in his jaws.
“Where’s the braken?” he grunted through his teeth.
“Right by my nest, Stonepaw,” Owlpaw answered.
What are they talking about? Oakpaw wondered.
Stonepaw grabbed the braken and started to weave it into the leaves. Oakpaw was mesmerized by what he was doing. Stonepaw then placed the leaves over where the outside was. He then grabbed a vine and tied the leaves to it with his claws.
Oakpaw gave Owlpaw a questioning look.
“That’s for when the rains start,” Owlpaw answered, as if she knew what Oakpaw was thinking. “We’ll teach you how to make it when the next time it rains.”
Oakpaw nodded his head slightly.
“Okay,” Stonepaw sighed, “it’s done.”
“We’re better than the warriors, though,” Owlpaw mewed, “because they don’t have an outside branch. Apprentices rule!”
Oakpaw silently purred.
“It’s a shame that Oakpaw lost his voice when he had that cold,” Stonepaw whispered.
“Yeah,” Owlpaw yawned. “It’s time for bed.”
She then settled down in one of the three nests in the Apprentices’ Chamber. She then closed her eyes, and soon the rise and fall of her flank was a sign that Owlpaw was asleep.
Rain started pattering on the side of the Great Tree Stonepaw soon also fell asleep. Oakpaw stared around the Apprentices’ Chamber, amazed how he could get so far in life.
Just yesterday, I was a kit. Now, I’m an apprentice! This is the greatest day of my life!
He sat in a nest that the older apprentices had made for him. Soon the soft patter of the rain turned into hammering. The clapping of thunder was the sign of the coming storm. Oakpaw listened to the sounds of the storm, and watched the lightning through the weave. He closed his eyes, not knowing when sleep will come. …
The sun blinded Oakpaw, even though the weave was still up. He yawned, stretching out his legs.
“Oh, you’re up, Oakpaw,” Stonepaw greeted, getting out of his nest. “I just have to take this weave down.” He bit at the vine that held it in place. The leaves scattered all over the Apprentices’ Chamber. One of the leaves landed on Owlpaw’s nose.
Owlpaw sneezed, blowing away the leaves.
Stonepaw purred, when Owlpaw opened her eyes.
“That’s not funny, Stonepaw!” she meowed, licking the fur on her flank.
It’s a little funny, actually, Oakpaw chuckled under his breath.
“All right,” Stonepaw sighed, “enough games. It’s time to do our training.”
“Sometimes I wish I could just sleep all day,” Owlpaw yawned.
“Me, too.” Stonepaw padded out to the apprentices’ walkway.
Owlpaw followed, drowsily. Oakpaw still stayed in the Apprentices’ Chamber. I wonder what Raveneye is doing in WindClan? He thought about his father. He still couldn’t believe that he was half-WindClan, even though he knew most of his life.
When Oakpaw got outside to the foot of the Great Tree, the camp was full of activity. Brakentail was sunning himself by the camp entrance.
Nightheart and Sweetstar were eating by the main root. Jadestem leaped down from the walkways, Fawnwhisker following. Owlpaw and Stonepaw each got fresh-kill from the Fresh-kill Chamber. Russetwind was eating a mouse by up by the Medicine Chamber. Oakpaw padded around the bottom floor, heading for the Fresh-kill Chamber.
Grabbing a thrush, he sat alone. Oakpaw finished his breakfast in quick, famished bites. He headed towards the camp entrance, where Russetwind was now waiting for him.
“Are you ready for your first day of training?” Russetwind asked.
Oakpaw nodded excitedly.
“Okay,” he mewed, “I will give you a tour of the territory for starters, okay?”
Oakpaw nodded, heading out of the Great Tree. He turned around, waiting for Russetwind to follow. But instead, he looked up. He never really knew how big the Great Tree really was. Whoa, that’s one big tree!
Russetwind purred. “I guess you saw the Great Tree. This is only the center of the territory. Follow me.”
Oakpaw followed his mentor. He didn’t realize that his surroundings were a blur as he ran, trying to catch up with Russetwind.
“Wow,” Russetwind puffed. “You are fast!”
Oakpaw shrugged, looking ahead. He saw cliffs on the other side of the forest. He stared in awe, trying to get a closer look. But Russetwind stood in his way.
“That’s SkyClan territory,” he mewed. “You shouldn’t be so close there. There might be a patrol.” Russetwind padded a little closer. “Can you scent their territory?”
Oakpaw scented the air. He did scent a different Clan. He nodded.
“Now you know what SkyClan’s scent is. This may be very helpful if you get lost, or if they're invading our territory. Follow me.” Russetwind sprinted to another part of the territory, and Oakpaw saw far away, a large moor, where there was another Clan scent.
Oakpaw gave Russetwind a questioning look.
“This is the WindClan border,” his mentor answered. “Their always trying to cross the territory.”
Oakpaw looked down at his paws. Was his father over there in WindClan, watching him? He tried not to think about it.
Russetwind showed Oakpaw all different types of areas of the ThunderClan territory. How am I going to know where everything is? They also came across the ShadowClan and WindClan border. They came home at sunset, when Russetwind said that he showed him everything they needed to see. So, Oakpaw had some time outside to think about the territory.
I want to run around the Great Tree, to see how big it really is.
Oakpaw was ready to run, his forelegs itching for speed. He then sprang forward, using such speed to run. He felt so alive, like the wind was lifting him. What’s going on? The surrounding brush and the bark of the Great Tree were such a blur, that he didn’t think that there was anything there. He then turned his head as head and so a clear shape. He thought he so a blue-gray tom, staring at him with fiery green eyes. He had a triangular muzzle, like Sweetstar’s, which made him look very familiar. Cobaltpelt?
The mysterious cat disappeared. Oakpaw stopped running. What was that all about? He was back at the camp entrance. Russetwind’s right. I do run fast! But, how and why?
Spooked, Oakpaw ran to the Fresh-kill chamber, trying to stay at a normal cat’s speed, but still, he seemed to run faster than the other cats. What’s happening to me?
