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Description
"You will now be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor shall be Hazelowl." The Riverclan leader, Silverstar, announced.

Darkpaw touched noses with the tortoiseshell she-cat.

"I hope I do well." She meowed.

"You will." Answered her new mentor.

The cats started to disperse as Darkpaw's brother, Hawkpaw, raced towards her with his mentor, Streamfur, trailing behind.

"Let's go hunting together!" Hawkpaw jumped excitedly.

Darkpaw shook her head at the excited brown tom, wondering how would Streamfur handle her brother.

"Now, now, Hawkpaw, you have to get used to doing separate duties. Anyway, I want to take Darkpaw around the territory. And I think Streamfur would like you to do something else." Hazelowl said, padding up at the apprentice.

"Hawkpaw, we're going to learn how to fish. Let's go." Streamfur meowed quietly.

Hawkpaw's tail drooped as he stopped jumping. He followed Streamfur out of the camp, but not before sticking his tongue out at Streamfur's back.

"Come on, Darkpaw. It's time for us to head out as well." Hazelowl started heading towards the camp entrance.

Darkpaw quickly scrambled along.

~~

"Your mottled brown pelt would help in hunting land prey over here." Hazelowl directed.

It has been less than a moon since Darkpaw became an apprentice, and that night was the Gathering. She was excited, but she hid it and focused on training first.

Darkpaw dropped into a crouch.

"You're putting too much weight on your hind legs. Center the weight so that you can move faster." Hazelowl advised.

Darkpaw shifted her weight, noticing the gleaming eyes from the bushes. She darted forward, heatbutting Hawkpaw, who was hiding there.

"Ow!" Hawkpaw shook his head. "You hit real hard!"

"That's the reward you get for spying on us. Where's Streamfur anyway?" Darkpaw asked her litter-mate.

Hawkpaw shrugged.

"Streamfur said that I could practice on my own for a while. I got bored, so I left the training area to find you."

Hazelowl sighed.

"You're supposed to be training on your own. In fact, my opinion is that Streamfur trusts you to train on your own, not wander off." Hazelowl meowed, flicking Hawkpaw's ear with her tail.

"Hawkpaw! Streamfur's looking for you!" A head popped out of the bushes. It was Lightpaw, a golden tabby she-cat.

Hawkpaw cursed under his breath and followed Lightpaw.

~~

"We're going to the Gathering!" Hawkpaw jumped up and down. It was nearly sunset, and the chosen cats were waiting for Silverstar.

The gray she-cat limped out of her den. She had an injury on her hind leg long before Darkpaw and Hawkpaw was born. But the she-cat had proved the clan that she was still able to run and fight.

"Let's head to the Gathering!" Silverstar yowled, leading the cats out of their camp.

Darkpaw walked beside her mother, Shadetail, and Hazelowl. Hawkpaw just bounced ahead next to Moonpaw, a black-and-white she-cat.

The cats walked silently towards the island, Silverstar nodding a greeting at the Windclan cats as they crossed the tree bridge.

"Now, Darkpaw, use your claws to hold onto the tree trunk. It just rained, so it would be very slippery." Hazelowl told the mottled brown apprentice.

Darkpaw nodded, leaping onto the bridge and sinking her claws in. She worked her way across it, trying her best not to look down at the dark lake below. She may be a Riverclan cat, but she has not mastered swimming.

Darkpaw sighed in relief as her paws hit the ground on the island. She ran towards Hawkpaw as they both entered the clearing.

The clearing was filled with cats. So many new scents filled Darkpaw's nose. She scented the air. Windclan and Thunderclan were here already.

Hawkpaw had already bounded off to where the apprentices where showing off their battle moves. Darkpaw shook her head and sighed before walking into the opposite direction.

A cat ran into her.

"Watch it!" The cat snapped.

Darkpaw glared at the cat. The cat, an amber tom, headed for the place where Hawkpaw was at.

"Sorry!" A white tom with ginger patches squeezed through and followed the amber tom. "Sparkpaw!" He called.

So that amber tom was Sparkpaw, Darkpaw thought, just as another cat crashed into her.

Darkpaw stumbled, glaring at the cat who crashed into her.

It was a Windclan cat, a white-and-black tom. He shook his head, wincing in pain before looking up.

"Sorry." He muttered, before sitting down next to her.

Darkpaw nodded, accepting the apology, before taking a look at the giant tree, where warriors said that the leaders would call from.

She saw Silverstar sitting next to a dark gray tom on the branches, chatting as another cat, a sleek gray tom with dark patches, climbed onto another branch.

"Umm... what's your name?" A voice sounded next to Darkpaw, making her jump.

It was that Windclan tom.

"I'm Darkpaw. You?" Darkpaw asked.

The tom took a look at the leaders before answering.

"Blackpaw."

Darkpaw nodded in acknowledgement, before the two shifted uncomfortably in silence.

"Who's the one sitting next to Silverstar?" Darkpaw asked.

Blackpaw shrugged.

"It's my first time here too. I was held up for two Gatherings, so I couldn't come before. The gray tom with dark patches is my leader, Breezestar."

Darkpaw nodded, taking the information in.

"Silverstar is the she-cat sitting next to the tom, which is probably the Thunderclan leader." Darkpaw meowed.

Blackpaw nodded.

"Who's your deputy?" Blackpaw asked, as a group of cats streamed into the clearing. Shadowclan.

Darkpaw indicated towards the pale yellow she-cat sitting at the bottom of the tree.

"Honeyleaf."

Blackpaw nodded, before indicating at the tortoiseshell next to Honeyleaf.

"Wingfoot." Blackpaw meowed.

Silence settled between them again as Darkpaw shifted her paws.

"Medicine cat?" Blackpaw prompted.

Darkpaw sighed in relief as indicated towards the brown tom.

"Burdockpool. I heard that his mother was a warrior, but loved to work alongside with the old medicine cat. That would explain his name."

Blackpaw let out a murrow of laughter before indicating at the black she-cat.

"Berryleaf. She's blind though."

"Really? Then how did she get here?!" Darkpaw exclaimed, before realising her rudeness and slapping her brown tail across her mouth.

Blackpaw laughed. "I've never asked. Though, it is a good question."

They heard a yowl. It came from a golden-tabby she-cat, who was sitting on a branch. The Shadowclan leader.

The clearing grew silent.

The Shadowclan leader rose to her feet.

"Prey is plentiful and Shadowclan greets three new warriors. Willowheart, Venomthorn and Leafstorm!"

"Willowheart! Vemonthorn! Leafstorm!" All the cats in the clearing called out, with Darkpaw and Blackpaw joining in.

The Shadowclan leader sat down with a dimisive tail flick, glancing towards Silverstar and the Thunderclan leader.

Silverstar rose to her paws.

"Prey has been plentiful for us as well. We would like to announce that two of our clan have become apprentices. Darkpaw and Hawkpaw!" Her voice rang clearly.

"Darkpaw! Hawkpaw!" The cats called.

Darkpaw proudly lifted her head, though her ears were burning as eyes looked at her. Blackpaw was calling her name as well.

"Thanks." Darkpaw murmured softly at Blackpaw as the Thunderclan leader stood up.

Blackpaw blinked back at her in acknowledgement of her words as the dark gray leader opened his jaws to speak.

"Prey has been plentiful, until we saw some warriors crossing our borders to steal food!" The Thunderclan leader snarled, looking at Breezestar, his eyes filled with anger.

"What?!" Brezestar leaped to his paws as the Windclan cats protested. Blackpaw, however, didn't seem to be bothered by the Thunderclan leader's accusation.

"Blackpaw, what happened?" Darkpaw asked.

Blackpaw only replied with a twitch of his ears as he gazed intently at the other side of the clearing. Darkpaw followed his gaze, finding two Windclan warriors owing their heads in shame.

"I told you, Thunderstar, it was a mistake! We have trees bordering our side of the border too! My new warriors accidently chased a rabbit over the scent markers by accident!" Breezestar glared at the Thunderclan leader, which name was Thunderstar, Darkpaw now knew.

"Two warriors, who had become warriors only for two moons, accidently chased a rabbit over the scent markers, like what Breezstar said." Blackpaw whispered into Darkpaw's ear, gaze still fixed on the two leaders.

Thunderstar lashed his tail.

"I still do not beileve that claim. Anyway, if I find any of your warriors over the scent markers, they'll come back to you with their ears clawed off." Thunderstar threatened, before sitting down.

Silverstar casted a concerned look at Thunderstar, but didn't saw anything.

Breezestar was still angry at Thunderstar as he made his report.

"Prey is plentiful. However, Moonheather, our old medicine cat, has departed."

The Thunderclan cat's were too angry to bow their head in the mournful silence. Instead, they glared at the Windclan leader.

Breezestar sat, just as Silverstar yowled to call the Gathering to the end.

The leaders leaped down and mingled with the crowd of cats. However, Thunderstar and Breezestar called for their clans, oth ready to leave as fast as possible.

Blackpaw muttered a small 'sorry' before disappearing in the crowd. Darkpaw called farewell to him, but he didn't seem to hear. Or Darkpaw couldn't see him among the cats.

Hawkpaw squeezed his way through the swarming bodies of cats and sat beside Darkpaw, being silent for once.

"Riverclan cats! We shall depart to our territory!" A familar female voice yowled. Silverstar, of course.

Darkpaw and Hawkpaw headed for the bridge and soon was joined by their father, Dustfeather, and Streamfur. Hawkpaw was excitedly chatting to the brown tabby tom as Darkpaw looked across the river, picking out cats heading for the Windclan territory. Blackpaw is probably among them, Darkpaw thought as she started crossing the tree trunk under the silver moonlight.

~~

Description
"You will now be known as Darkpaw. Your mentor shall be Hazelowl." The Riverclan leader, Silverstar, announced.

Darkpaw touched noses with the tortoiseshell she-cat.

"I hope I do well." She meowed.

"You will." Answered her new mentor.

The cats started to disperse as Darkpaw's brother, Hawkpaw, raced towards her with his mentor, Streamfur, trailing behind.

"Let's go hunting together!" Hawkpaw jumped excitedly.

Darkpaw shook her head at the excited brown tom, wondering how would Streamfur handle her brother.

"Now, now, Hawkpaw, you have to get used to doing separate duties. Anyway, I want to take Darkpaw around the territory. And I think Streamfur would like you to do something else." Hazelowl said, padding up at the apprentice.

"Hawkpaw, we're going to learn how to fish. Let's go." Streamfur meowed quietly.

Hawkpaw's tail drooped as he stopped jumping. He followed Streamfur out of the camp, but not before sticking his tongue out at Streamfur's back.

"Come on, Darkpaw. It's time for us to head out as well." Hazelowl started heading towards the camp entrance.

Darkpaw quickly scrambled along.

~~

"Your mottled brown pelt would help in hunting land prey over here." Hazelowl directed.

It has been less than a moon since Darkpaw became an apprentice, and that night was the Gathering. She was excited, but she hid it and focused on training first.

Darkpaw dropped into a crouch.

"You're putting too much weight on your hind legs. Center the weight so that you can move faster." Hazelowl advised.

Darkpaw shifted her weight, noticing the gleaming eyes from the bushes. She darted forward, heatbutting Hawkpaw, who was hiding there.

"Ow!" Hawkpaw shook his head. "You hit real hard!"

"That's the reward you get for spying on us. Where's Streamfur anyway?" Darkpaw asked her litter-mate.

Hawkpaw shrugged.

"Streamfur said that I could practice on my own for a while. I got bored, so I left the training area to find you."

Hazelowl sighed.

"You're supposed to be training on your own. In fact, my opinion is that Streamfur trusts you to train on your own, not wander off." Hazelowl meowed, flicking Hawkpaw's ear with her tail.

"Hawkpaw! Streamfur's looking for you!" A head popped out of the bushes. It was Lightpaw, a golden tabby she-cat.

Hawkpaw cursed under his breath and followed Lightpaw.

~~

"We're going to the Gathering!" Hawkpaw jumped up and down. It was nearly sunset, and the chosen cats were waiting for Silverstar.

The gray she-cat limped out of her den. She had an injury on her hind leg long before Darkpaw and Hawkpaw was born. But the she-cat had proved the clan that she was still able to run and fight.

"Let's head to the Gathering!" Silverstar yowled, leading the cats out of their camp.

Darkpaw walked beside her mother, Shadetail, and Hazelowl. Hawkpaw just bounced ahead next to Moonpaw, a black-and-white she-cat.

The cats walked silently towards the island, Silverstar nodding a greeting at the Windclan cats as they crossed the tree bridge.

"Now, Darkpaw, use your claws to hold onto the tree trunk. It just rained, so it would be very slippery." Hazelowl told the mottled brown apprentice.

Darkpaw nodded, leaping onto the bridge and sinking her claws in. She worked her way across it, trying her best not to look down at the dark lake below. She may be a Riverclan cat, but she has not mastered swimming.

Darkpaw sighed in relief as her paws hit the ground on the island. She ran towards Hawkpaw as they both entered the clearing.

The clearing was filled with cats. So many new scents filled Darkpaw's nose. She scented the air. Windclan and Thunderclan were here already.

Hawkpaw had already bounded off to where the apprentices where showing off their battle moves. Darkpaw shook her head and sighed before walking into the opposite direction.

A cat ran into her.

"Watch it!" The cat snapped.

Darkpaw glared at the cat. The cat, an amber tom, headed for the place where Hawkpaw was at.

"Sorry!" A white tom with ginger patches squeezed through and followed the amber tom. "Sparkpaw!" He called.

So that amber tom was Sparkpaw, Darkpaw thought, just as another cat crashed into her.

Darkpaw stumbled, glaring at the cat who crashed into her.

It was a Windclan cat, a white-and-black tom. He shook his head, wincing in pain before looking up.

"Sorry." He muttered, before sitting down next to her.

Darkpaw nodded, accepting the apology, before taking a look at the giant tree, where warriors said that the leaders would call from.

She saw Silverstar sitting next to a dark gray tom on the branches, chatting as another cat, a sleek gray tom with dark patches, climbed onto another branch.

"Umm... what's your name?" A voice sounded next to Darkpaw, making her jump.

It was that Windclan tom.

"I'm Darkpaw. You?" Darkpaw asked.

The tom took a look at the leaders before answering.

"Blackpaw."

Darkpaw nodded in acknowledgement, before the two shifted uncomfortably in silence.

"Who's the one sitting next to Silverstar?" Darkpaw asked.

Blackpaw shrugged.

"It's my first time here too. I was held up for two Gatherings, so I couldn't come before. The gray tom with dark patches is my leader, Breezestar."

Darkpaw nodded, taking the information in.

"Silverstar is the she-cat sitting next to the tom, which is probably the Thunderclan leader." Darkpaw meowed.

Blackpaw nodded.

"Who's your deputy?" Blackpaw asked, as a group of cats streamed into the clearing. Shadowclan.

Darkpaw indicated towards the pale yellow she-cat sitting at the bottom of the tree.

"Honeyleaf."

Blackpaw nodded, before indicating at the tortoiseshell next to Honeyleaf.

"Wingfoot." Blackpaw meowed.

Silence settled between them again as Darkpaw shifted her paws.

"Medicine cat?" Blackpaw prompted.

Darkpaw sighed in relief as indicated towards the brown tom.

"Burdockpool. I heard that his mother was a warrior, but loved to work alongside with the old medicine cat. That would explain his name."

Blackpaw let out a murrow of laughter before indicating at the black she-cat.

"Berryleaf. She's blind though."

"Really? Then how did she get here?!" Darkpaw exclaimed, before realising her rudeness and slapping her brown tail across her mouth.

Blackpaw laughed. "I've never asked. Though, it is a good question."

They heard a yowl. It came from a golden-tabby she-cat, who was sitting on a branch. The Shadowclan leader.

The clearing grew silent.

The Shadowclan leader rose to her feet.

"Prey is plentiful and Shadowclan greets three new warriors. Willowheart, Venomthorn and Leafstorm!"

"Willowheart! Vemonthorn! Leafstorm!" All the cats in the clearing called out, with Darkpaw and Blackpaw joining in.

The Shadowclan leader sat down with a dimisive tail flick, glancing towards Silverstar and the Thunderclan leader.

Silverstar rose to her paws.

"Prey has been plentiful for us as well. We would like to announce that two of our clan have become apprentices. Darkpaw and Hawkpaw!" Her voice rang clearly.

"Darkpaw! Hawkpaw!" The cats called.

Darkpaw proudly lifted her head, though her ears were burning as eyes looked at her. Blackpaw was calling her name as well.

"Thanks." Darkpaw murmured softly at Blackpaw as the Thunderclan leader stood up.

Blackpaw blinked back at her in acknowledgement of her words as the dark gray leader opened his jaws to speak.

"Prey has been plentiful, until we saw some warriors crossing our borders to steal food!" The Thunderclan leader snarled, looking at Breezestar, his eyes filled with anger.

"What?!" Brezestar leaped to his paws as the Windclan cats protested. Blackpaw, however, didn't seem to be bothered by the Thunderclan leader's accusation.

"Blackpaw, what happened?" Darkpaw asked.

Blackpaw only replied with a twitch of his ears as he gazed intently at the other side of the clearing. Darkpaw followed his gaze, finding two Windclan warriors owing their heads in shame.

"I told you, Thunderstar, it was a mistake! We have trees bordering our side of the border too! My new warriors accidently chased a rabbit over the scent markers by accident!" Breezestar glared at the Thunderclan leader, which name was Thunderstar, Darkpaw now knew.

"Two warriors, who had become warriors only for two moons, accidently chased a rabbit over the scent markers, like what Breezstar said." Blackpaw whispered into Darkpaw's ear, gaze still fixed on the two leaders.

Thunderstar lashed his tail.

"I still do not beileve that claim. Anyway, if I find any of your warriors over the scent markers, they'll come back to you with their ears clawed off." Thunderstar threatened, before sitting down.

Silverstar casted a concerned look at Thunderstar, but didn't saw anything.

Breezestar was still angry at Thunderstar as he made his report.

"Prey is plentiful. However, Moonheather, our old medicine cat, has departed."

The Thunderclan cat's were too angry to bow their head in the mournful silence. Instead, they glared at the Windclan leader.

Breezestar sat, just as Silverstar yowled to call the Gathering to the end.

The leaders leaped down and mingled with the crowd of cats. However, Thunderstar and Breezestar called for their clans, oth ready to leave as fast as possible.

Blackpaw muttered a small 'sorry' before disappearing in the crowd. Darkpaw called farewell to him, but he didn't seem to hear. Or Darkpaw couldn't see him among the cats.

Hawkpaw squeezed his way through the swarming bodies of cats and sat beside Darkpaw, being silent for once.

"Riverclan cats! We shall depart to our territory!" A familar female voice yowled. Silverstar, of course.

Darkpaw and Hawkpaw headed for the bridge and soon was joined by their father, Dustfeather, and Streamfur. Hawkpaw was excitedly chatting to the brown tabby tom as Darkpaw looked across the river, picking out cats heading for the Windclan territory. Blackpaw is probably among them, Darkpaw thought as she started crossing the tree trunk under the silver moonlight.

~~