In my mother’s footsteps

      Briarkit was dragging moss in her teeth for Purdy's bedding. When she entered the den, she saw how Bloomkit was pulling out ticks from him with the help of mouse bile. - What an abomination! - grey she-kitten grumbled. - I got my paws dirty in this stuff! Purdy didn't answer, but when he noticed Briarkit, he instantly perked up: - Oh, Briarkit! Did you bring me moss? - Yes, - she-kitten put the moss on the ground. - Do you want me to change it now? - Wait, - Purdy said. - Let Bloomkit finish first. Gray she-kitty, not hiding her disgust, finally pulled the last tick out of the elder's fur and crushed it. Putting moss soaked in mouse bile on the ground, Bloomkit said: - That's all. I'm done. What should I do with this abomination now? - Ask one of the warriors to take you to the Lake, - Purdy replied. - And now Briarkit will take care of me. Bloomkit immediately jumped out of the tent, and began to look for someone who could go with her. Purdy got up from his bedding and walked awkwardly to the edge of the den: - That's it, now I'm ready. You can change it. Briarkit removed the old moss aside, and covered the place where it lay with a new one. Purdy immediately returned to the new bedding: - Thank you, - old cat settled down on the moss, and then asked: - How are you feeling? Today, after all, you an Bloomkit will become apprentices! - I'm worried a little, - Briarkit admitted. - What will happen to me when I become one? Mentor, training, hunting, patrols... - And also the free right to leave the camp and the Gathering, - Purdy finished. - I suppose you've heard about it and want to visit? The blue eyes of Briarkit gleamed with joy: - Yes! Gathering is what interests me the most! I think how great it is, after all, when all Clans come together and truce is proclaimed! - Be a good apprentice, and then Bramblestar will definitely take you on it, - Purdy good-naturedly wiggled his mustache. - And now, I won't detain you. Briarkit wanted to chat with kind old cat, and she opened her mouth to say something, but Purdy waved the tip of his tail: - No, no, go! You need to have time to take out the old moss before your and Bloomkit's ceremony! Run, Briarkit. Come see me later. But she-kitten still lingered. After the initiation, it will not be the same. Briarkit took a step towards elder: - I won't be Briarkit anymore... I will have a new name, a new status, new responsibilities... You won't see me the same again, Purdy. I really want you to remember me like this, - kitten licked the old cat's nose. - I promise, - Purdy murmured good-naturedly. - I still can't get used to how different you and Bloomkit are - she runs away from me at the first call, and you can't get out of here. - old cat licked Briarkit on her cheek. - Now run. Briarkit broke away from Purdy, took the old moss, and carried it to the exit from the camp. As soon as she-kit came back and approached the nursery, Daisy immediately ran out to meet her: - Ah, there you are! - queen murmured. - Come here, I'll fix you up! - fawn cat bent down to her daughter, and began to lick her thoroughly. Bloomkit was sitting nearby, already licked clean. Needless to say, Daisy did her best, giving her daughters a beautiful appearance before the dedication. Then, when Briarkit was licked, Daisy led her daughters to the Highledge. Bramblestar and Squirrelflight were already sitting beside it. Nodding to deputy, leader jumped onto the rock: - Let all cats capable of hunting on their own gather under Highledge! At the call of the Bramblestar, the rest of the ThunderClan cats began to gather under the rock. Briarkit noticed that even Jayfeather and Leafpool got out of the medicine den to watch the ceremony. Kitty was worried about how medicine he-cat looked at her and Bloomkit. There was something in the look of his blind blue eyes... Kind and gentle, or something? Or maybe not... It was impossible to understand. Briarkit felt herself uncomfortable, and she turned away. In addition, after Sorrelpaw's words about the character of the cat, Jayfeather frightened her (oh, Sorrelpaw, Sorrelpaw, you intimidated the child!). Bramblestar, meanwhile, was already beginning his speech: - We are gathered here to see two new apprentices of ThunderClan. Briarkit and Bloomkit have already turned six moons, and they are ready to start training! Step forward! Both she-kits immediately took a step closer to Highledge, and lifted their heads to look into the eyes of leader, who was already pronouncing the words of dedication: - Bloomkit! From now on until you acquire a warrior name in battle, you will be called a Bloompaw. Blossomfall will become your mentor. I know her as a kind and sensible she-cat, and I'm sure she'll teach you the same! A tortoiseshell she-cat emerged from the crowd of warriors, with white markings all over its body, like petals. Bloompaw's eyes sparkled as soon as she saw her mentor. Blossomfall smiled at she-apprentice, and bent down to rub noses with her. - Briarkit, - Bramblestar continued, - your name will now be Briarpaw. Bumblestripe! After the Seedpaw's death, you asked me to bring up a new apprentice. You are a very brave, loyal and understanding warrior, and I ask you to teach Briarpaw everything you know yourself! Briarpaw held her breath - her mentor, a light gray cat with black stripes like a bumblebee, came out to her. - That's why you named Bumblestripe, - she-apprentice thought. The warrior, meanwhile, leaned over to the kitty, and feeling her excitement, said: - Don't be afraid. I don't bite. Briarpaw raised her ears and reached out to meet Bumblestripe. After rubbing their noses, mentor and apprentice went to Bloompaw and Blossomfall, who were sitting near Squirrelflight. And at the same moment, the crowd of cats roared: - Bloompaw! Briarpaw! Bloompaw! Briarpaw! - Oh, Briarlight, - thought Jayfeather watching the ceremony. - If you could only see them! Not from StarClan - alive, standing next to me and congratulating our daughters! - You're out of luck with a mentor, sister, - Bloompaw whispered imperceptibly. - If I were you, I would be as careful with him as possible! Briarpaw ignored her sister's hairpin. Turning to her mentor, she asked: - Will you show me the territory? - We'll show it you and Bloompaw, - Bumblestripe replied. - I think we'll go right now. All four of us. - That's right, - Blossomfall added. - Why delay? When the noise subsided a little, and the cats dispersed, Blossomfall and Bumblestripe led their newly minted apprentices to the blackberry tunnel leading to the surface of the ravine, to the ThunderClan territory. Briarpaw and Bloompaw, because they had already seen the forest, did not say anything, and just listened to the mentors. Blossomfall began to tell: - Our territory is located in a deciduous forest. Usually, this territory is enough to feed the cats of our Clan, but usually all the game hides in the Leaf-bare, and it's hard to find it. And yet, I do not advise you to meddle in the territories of other Clans in search of game, and even more so, try to fish in the Lake! Only cats of RiverClan are strong in fishing. - You know some part of the territory, - Bumblestripe continued, - you saw it when you escaped from the camp. But still, we will remind you with Blossomfall, and show our borders relative to the shores of the Lake.       Then the cats walked a little around the ravine, and stopped in front of an earthen strip starting near it. - This is the Old Thunderpath, - Bumblestripe began to explain. - There are no Twoleg's monsters on it, so you can walk on it without fear. - It leads to an abandoned Twolegs nest, - Blossomfall added. - Shall we go and see? - Yes, yes! - Bloompaw jumped up joyfully on the spot. - Briarpaw, and you? Bumblestripe cast a questioning glance at his apprentice. - I don't mind. - Then let's go, - Blossomfall waved the tip of her tail, leading the procession behind her. Two warriors and two she-apprentices walked along the Old Thunderpath, and soon came to the Twoleg nest. When it appeared on the horizon, Briarpaw cautiously asked the mentor: - This is an abandoned Twolegs nest, isn't it? - That's right, - Bumblestripe replied good-naturedly. - As Blossomfall has already mentioned, it is abandoned, and there are no Twolegs that could threaten us. - And there are a lot of game and medicinal herbs there, - said Blossomfall. - The perfect place to hunt in the Leaf-bare season! - Can I see what's in there? - Bloompaw asked. - I'm very careful! - Okay, run, - said Blossomfall. - But only carefully and quickly! Bloompaw immediately sped off. Bumblestripe shifted his gaze to Briarpaw: - And you? Will you go? - Some other time, - the apprentice replied. - Sometime when I'll walking alone on our territory. Soon Bloompaw returned. And not with empty paws - she was dragging a vole in her teeth. - Have you seen it? - she asked, placing her burden at the paws of her mentor. - She was just sitting there, she didn't even suspect, and then I - grab! - Oh, Bloompaw, you made me happy! - Blossomfall purred, licking she-apprentice between the ears. - You will only need to learn a couple of techniques and you will become just a wonderful hunter! Bumblestripe leaned over to the slightly drooping Briarpaw and whispered in her ear: - You still have everything ahead of you. Don't be upset. - Bury it somewhere, - Blossomfall asked her apprentice. - Then we'll pick her up. Bloompaw obediently took the vole to the nearest tree, and threw earth. When she returned, the cats went in the opposite direction. - This clearing is a place for apprentice to train, - Blossomfall said when their small procession reached a clearing covered with moss. - Moss will soften falls, so our apprentices do not get injured during training. - And we will also train with you here, - Bumblestripe added. - But not today. - But why? - Bloompaw asked. - I want today! - Bloompaw, understand, you and Briarpaw will get very tired after going around the territory, - Blossomfall bent down to the student. - You will not be up to training! It would be best if we practice tomorrow, with fresh energy. Bumblestripe lifted his tail, and turned it a little with the tip: - And now - to the Lake! - The entire northeastern shore of the Lake is ours, - Blossomfall explained on the way to the heart of the territory. - But we can safely walk along its shore three tails from the water, and thus not violate anyone's boundaries. While she-warrior was speaking, a smooth surface of water appeared ahead. Bloompaw and Briarpaw jumped forward - they recognized this place. - Look there, - Bumblestripe pointed with his paw towards the north-western shore of the Lake. - There is the ShadowClan territory. - And over there, - Blossomfall pointed towards the southeastern shore of the Lake, - the WindClan territory. And already o-o-over there, - towards the south-western shore, - the RiverClan territory. - How many Clans! - Briarpaw gasped admiringly. - Will we get closer? - Bloompaw asked. - Partly, - said Bumblestripe. - We will go to the border with ShadowClan. A coniferous forest began behind a small strip of earth. There was a completely different smell coming from there-not like the smell of ThunderClan cats. Briarpaw and Bloompaw immediately felt this difference. - Do you see the stripe? - meanwhile, Blossomfall asked. - This is the border. Behind this strip, you are strictly forbidden to move - there is begin the territory of ShadowClan. - Let's go further, - Bumblestripe beckoned with his tail to his sister and apprentices, and walked along the border. - This earthen strip Firestar - our former leader - once gave to the ShadowClan cats, but then ThunderClan took it back. And there's also a clearing where Twolegs camp during the Greenleaf season. Now is the beginning of Leaf-fall season, so they won't appear soon! And here we are. The clearing wasn't that big in size, but it wasn't very small either. Bloompaw immediately made a circle on it, and returned satisfied. - It's so spacious here! - she murmured. -No wonder these Twolegs make their camps here!       Bumblestripe and Blossomfall also showed their apprentices the border with WindClan, then went to the Twolegs nest to pick up the vole that Bloompaw had caught. She-apprentices returned to the camp tired, and Bloompaw even doubled, because she ran most of the way back. Sisters went into the apprentices' den, and there they were met by the senior apprentices - not only Hollypaw, Fernpaw and Sorrelpaw, but also Lilypaw, Amberpaw, Dewpaw and Snowpaw. - Oh, they're already back! - mumbled Hollypaw, seeing her she-friends.       The rest of apprentices immediately stood in a tight ring around the she-apprentices. - Well, did you like it? - Sorrelpaw asked. - Have you been shown the Lake? - Dewpaw did not hesitate with the question. - Are you very tired? - Snowpaw was worried. - Amberpaw after our first hike was not at all to lift from the bedding! - Hey, it's not true! - the named she-apprentice was indignant. - It was you who couldn't be lifted from the bedding!       Lilypaw squeezed into the circle of apprentices, and said in an imperious voice: - Well, stop it! Don't you see - they're already falling off their paws! Give them a break!       Sorrelpaw and Dewpaw parted, escorting Bloompaw and Briarpaw to their new bedding, and Snowpaw said: - You hungry after a hike probably! Let me take care of you. Can I get you anything? - Yes, - said Briarpaw. - I want a mouse. - And me too! - Bloompaw replied.       Snowpaw immediately ran off to the game pile. He returned with two mice, gave one to Briarpaw, and the other to Bloompaw. Picking up the mouse closer to her, and taking a bite, Briarpaw clearly realized how tired and hungry she was. She-apprentice quickly finished her meal, then curled up into a ball and closed her eyes. The conversation of senior apprentices didn't reach Briarpaw's ears completely, she did not hear some fragments of phrases, and her head was spinning from everything new that she had learned today. - In any case, I'm happy, - apprentice thought, before finally falling asleep.