Blue stood still as everything collapsed around her. Why does this cat hate me? Ducking away from that one familiar face, she turned and leapt towards the bushes. Panting, she looked down at the ground until she was completely sure of what she saw.
Was that really Vern's daughter? She knew that Vern had had kits with a cat named Dewmint, presumably from the clans, and then left to pursue a kittypet life. She had heard that story many times at the twolegplace when she hunted. But then, that one day when Vern went back to visit his daughter. Her mother, resentful and angry, lashed out at him, and killed him. That rumor had been spreading about for moons now. Did she believe it, or was she just making excuses? Maybe that Rosepaw just hates loners and kittypets in general?
"Bluefeather! It's okay to come out now!" Birchpaw meowed, peering in at her with bright blue eyes brimming with curiousity. She could hear Troutstar sorting the rest of the cats out. Carefully, she dashed out again to face Troutstar.
"I am ashamed on behalf of some of my cats actions," He looked sharply down at Rosepaw, who sat next to her mother and nodded politely. "And I commend you for not fighting back. But I fear because you ran, you don't have much battle experience." What does that have do do with anything? About to protest, Troutstar looked at her, and she knew he understood the pain of being told she knew limited battle skills.
"StarClan, approve of my choice. Bluefeather must still learn some of her skills, so from this day forward, I name her Bluepaw." Troutstar looked around, saw everyone satisfied, and jumped down from the rock.
"You are dismissed. Bluepaw, you can start by visiting the elders and getting them bedding. I'm sure they will be happy to have another apprentice caring for them. Foxpaw, can you show her where we get moss for bedding?" Foxpaw nodded and nudged Bluepaw towards a den in the far corner, far away from the water.
"This way!" Foxpaw meowed, trotting ahead. "You were a warrior before, right? So you know basically what you do around here. Don't worry, as soon as learn, it's a piece of starling."
"Hello?" Bluepaw heard a gruff voice from inside. "Is that a new cat I smell?"
"Attack!" Roared a patchy Tom, leaping at Bluepaw. "Rouge!" He landed at her paws clumsily, dipping his head in shame. "I... I was better at this when my snout wasn't gray!" He quickly sat up and licked a paw. "I meant to do that."
"Please excuse Patchtail," a she cat padded out to Bluepaw. "He is quite hypersensitive. Welcome, new apprentice. Bluepaw, right?" She purred.
"Yes, um.." Bluepaw didn't know this elders name.
"Ah, Larkfoot, dear. You'll learn soon. Everyone does sooner or later." Larkfoot turned to Foxpaw. "So you become a warrior soon, Foxpaw? How exciting! And if you two could get us some bedding, it would be fantastic. Bluepaw , just follow Foxpaw. She knows what she's doing. "
"Come on!" Foxpaw suddenly squeaked. "Follow me!" Larkfoot blinked as they sped out of the den and out of the camp. Bluepaw was lead to a huge tree covered in moss. It was very tall, so tall it stretched seemingly up to the sky.
"Just do this," Using her front paws, Foxpaw scraped moss off the tree. Bluepaw copied her, feeling bland. Is this all apprentices do? As if she had heard, Foxpaw replied, " Orangepatch says he wants us to do battle training with Birchpaw and Ivyfoot . It's really fun, trust me!" I'll at least get to see Birchpaw again. Maybe I can even explain my situation to his friends; they could help. Then, she thought of Rosepaw, and how much she seemed to know. Vern, what did you do? Vern had died moons before Bluepaw, who had then been Blue, was even taught to fight. Even so, it had so much affect on Bluepaw's world now. Dewmint had turned her daughter into a vengeful, prissy she-cat with a huge ambition she would never succeed in reaching.
"Bluepaw? Are you okay?" Foxpaw meowed, pushing against her.
"Fine!" Bluepaw lied. "Absolutely fine." She picked up her batch of moss and moved it out of Foxpaw's way.
"We should go now." Foxpaw said after a while of tearing moss off the tree. "Ivyfoot is probably waiting. And our deputy, Brightfeather, might want to meet you. He's actually nice when you get to know him, but he gets grumpy after organizing patrols. He's really smart though, and he helps plan a lot of our battles with ThunderCla- I mean, with the other clans." She finished awkwardly. "Sorry."
"It's fine, Foxpaw. I know very well that I belong here more than I ever belonged in my old clan." Is that true in my old camp, though? I miss Oak, and Luna, and Migdet, and ... well, everyone, but it feels great to have a routine.
"Foxpaw, Bluepaw! Get over here! We're holding the ritual for Mossdream!" A cat yowled. Birchpaw sped up to them. Catching his claw on a huge root, he went flying into the tree.
"Are you hurt?" Foxpaw screeched, nudging him upright. "Are you fit to walk?"
"I just pulled a claw." Birchpaw looked embarrassed. Then he looked at Bluepaw, and motioned to Foxpaw. We should tell her. He seemed to be saying silently.
"Foxpaw?" Bluepaw took a deep breath. "I'm not from ThunderClan. I'm a loner." Good job, Bluepaw! You couldn't be more to the point than I'm a loner! She criticized herself. Foxpaw hesitated before responding,
"I could tell. The way you acted so new to clan life, I knew you couldnt be from another clan." That wasn't so hard. Now let's see if I can do it for a whole clan. Lies upon lies. Deceit ; it is a strange thing. If only I could tell if it is another cat's trickery.