Excerpt #6

Diamondheart blinked his eyes, standing up he shook the morning dew off his grayish white pelt, it had been several moons since his vision from Starclan, he turned around and walked towards the fresh-kill pile, he sniffed around, finding a juicy vole he padded over to the warriors den, laying down he began to devour the vole.  Firestar, Frostfur, and Sandstorm walked through the entrance of the camp, Diamondheart stretched himself, shook his fur and walked over, greeting them with a bow of his head, “Is Riverclan still guarding Sunningrocks?” He asked, Firestar nodded, Diamondheart sat down and began licking his chest fur, “You know, Flowerfur’s kits are ready to be apprenticed, the sooner they are apprenticed, the sooner we have warriors,” He stopped, eyed Sandstorm and Frostfur, who nodded back, “The sooner we can take back Sunningrocks,” He added his eyes glinting, Firestar nodded respectively, “A very good idea, I will tell Flowerfur that her two kits will be apprenticed today, we shall meet at sun down, Frostfur, I expect you to be there too,” He meowed walking off, flicking his tail Sandstorm obediently followed, Frostfur looked at Diamondheart, “What was that all about?” She asked cocking her head, “We need more warriors,” He paused lowered his head and continued, “It was my fault they took Sunningrocks and murdered Goldenbrook, if only I had scented them, I could have stopped them,” He shook his head, “It is not your fault! Nobody could have known what Riverclan was going to do,” She exclaimed, “If you weren’t so stubborn you’d see how much Firestar trusts you,” She meowed and stalked off.  Diamondheart sighed and shook his head.  On his way back to the warriors den he was interrupted by Shadowkit who  was soon to be apprenticed later that day.  “Hiya Diamondheart!” He said bouncing around.  “Hello Shadowkit,” He replied flicking his tail across the kits pelt.  Shadowkit smiled and bounded toward the nursery, Diamondheart smiled “I wouldn’t mind mentoring him,” He thought.  Diamondheart decided to go hunting, passing Skystorm she asked, “Where are you going Diamondheart?” Flicking her tail in greetings, “I’m going hunting, want to join?” He asked.  “Sure!” She replied excitedly, “Let’s go!” He meowed bounding towards the tunnel entrance.   Entering the outer parts of the forest they started searching for prey.  Diamondheart sniffed around, his ears swiveled, a mouse shuffled under a leaf, nibbling on a seed it had found.  Crouching down, he began to stalk slowly towards it; he leaped and caught it in one swift moment.  Burying it where he could find it easily later. Skystorm had caught a squirrel and she buried it also.  They walked on; both caught an exceptional amount of prey, Diamondheart a mouse and two voles, and Skystorm a squirrel and raven.  They carried it back to camp and settled down with a piece of fresh-kill.  Frostfur glared at them from across the clearing.  

It was almost sundown; the apprenticeship ceremony will start soon.  Diamondheart stood up, licked his fur down and walked over to greet Frostfur and Sandstorm, Sandstorm nodded and Frostfur flicked her tail at him, she seemed upset, Diamondheart turned and stalked away towards Leafpool’s den.  The she-cat was rummaging around. “Is there something wrong Leafpool?” He asked walking up and sitting down outside of the den to watch her.  “No Diamondheart, I am just making sure all my supplies are in order,” She meowed shuffling here and there, then walked over to him and gave a big smile, “Something I can help you with?” She asked before Diamondheart shook his head.  “Well you wouldn’t be here if you didn’t need something,” She replied, “I just thought I would come to see if you needed anything,” He replied standing up, “But you don’t seem to need anything, so I’ll just be going,” He said starting to walk off, “Diamondheart,” She meowed, he turned.  “Don’t take Frostfur seriously, you’re still young, just trust each other, and nothing can keep you apart,” She mewed, Diamondheart nodded and walked off.





Firestar walked out of his den shadowed by Sandstorm and Roseheart, He leaped onto the high-rock, “Let all those old enough to catch their own prey gather here, beneath the high-rock for a clan meeting,” He meowed.  Cats began to gather, Flowerfur and her two kits, Shadowkit the kit that Diamondheart had run into, and Willowkit, Shadowkit’s smaller sister, she was completely silver with bluish green eyes.  Flowerfur herded them towards the high-rock, the followed, Firestar looked down at them, Shadowkit stepped forward towards the high-rock, “Shadowkit, you are strong, and ready to be apprenticed, you will have great courage, You will be known as Shadowpaw, I have spoken to Roseheart and Sandstorm, and they agree, that Diamondheart, shall be your mentor,” Firestar meowed, Shadowpaw’s smile grew so big that his sister could have fit inside, Diamondheart looked shocked.  Shadowpaw bounced over to Diamondheart’s side and bowed his head, Diamondheart licked his ears and they sat together.  Willowkit walked forward, “Willowkit, you are small, agile, and quick-thinking, you do not rush into things, You will be called Willowpaw until your warrior naming, Sandstorm, Roseheart and I debated much on this, and have decided that Frostfur, will be your mentor,” Firestar meowed, Willowpaw smiled walked over to Frostfur and she licked her ears, and they sat together, “I have finished, go back to your dens and rest,” Firestar finished.  Diamondheart and Frostfur smiled at each other.  They had finally become mentors!



“Come on Shadowpaw, I’m not that scary, am I?” Diamondheart said letting out a mrrow of laughter.  Shadowpaw stood up, shaking himself vigorously, “Oh Diamondheart, I’ll never be able to learn all these techniques, I can’t even beat you!” He mewed upset.  Diamondheart sighed and sat down beside his apprentice, “When I was an apprentice to Sandstorm, she told me once, that fighting and hunting skills will come when they are most needed,” He sat up and began licking his paw, “You can’t expect them to be perfect, now do you? It takes practice Shadowpaw, you have to learn, you have to practice as hard as you can, then, one day you will be as strong as I am” He continued, “Well, no, I guess... But couldn’t they be at least half perfect?” Shadowpaw replied, “I guess it depends on you, if you think you can be perfect with your fighting skills, and hunting skills, you can, but you have to listen, and learn, and push hard,”  Diamondheart replied, “But... you don’t have to worry too hard, you just started and look how far you’ve come!” Diamondheart added,         Shadowpaw perked up, “I guess you’re right, can we go hunting now?” He asked, “Of course, we can never have enough fresh-kill,” Diamondheart replied getting up and padding after the young apprentice.