two

Honeypaw followed behind her sister as they made it to the dirtplace where, apparently, all the moss, brambles, or anything else important was stored.

"It smells terrible in here," she commented, her nose squinting from the smell of cat dung.

Leopardfur rolled his eyes. "Could you stop complaining for one second," he mumbled, scouting out moss to be collected.

"Sorry," she apologized.

Great first impression, huh, she thought. She'd only known Leopardfur for a short amount of time, what if she was so annoying he just gave up? What if she was given a new mentor? That would make her seem like a terrible apprentice and no one would want to train her and she-

"Honeypaw!" he pleaded. "How many times do I have to call your name?"

"Too many apparently..." Puddlespring commented.

Embarrassment flooded her, she needed to stop zoning out before Leopardfur told Pounceclaw, and he would not be happy.

She rushed over to her mentor who had collected tons of moss, his gaze filled with disappointment. "Alright, what you and Goldenpaw will do is separate the wet and the dry moss. If it's wet push it over here," he pointed with his tail to an empty area where the sun could beat on it. "And if it's dry put it here," again, he pointed right next to the dirtplace entrance where they could easily take it to the warriors den.

Honeypaw began nosing the moss to tell if it was either wet or dry. If it was wet she would put it in the wet pile as when it was dry she would put it in the dry pile. Leopardfur watched her every move as she lifted a big chunk of of dry moss to the dirtplace entrance.

She glanced over to Goldenpaw who was licking her paws. Anger burned her skin, was she even doing anything?!

"Goldenpaw!" she growled silently. "Are you even doing anything?"

Goldenpaw looked over, her green eyes filled with mischievousness. "No thanks, I don't like getting my paws dirty, besides, Puddlespring said I'm doing a great job."

Puddlespring was gently laying down all the wet moss into the sunlight, not paying any attention to Goldenpaw.

Overwhelmed with anger she held herself back. "How is this fair?" she beamed. "Goldenpaw-" she turned around to see Leopardfur shaking his head.

She sighed, it was no use, no one was going to listen to an apprentice.

"S-sorry..." she walked over to the dry pile of moss and grabbed it within her jaws, the taste of grass filled her mouth, but she ignored it. If she wanted to become a warrior then she would have to do all her duties, and be better than Goldenpaw, of course.

"Where is the warriors den exactly?" she mumbled through the moss that was bunched in her jaws.

Leopardfur flicked his head toward a dip in the ground and it must be where the warriors den is. She started making her way there, her mentor following behind, though, she was surprised not to see Goldenpaw following behind. "Where's Goldenpaw? she mumbled.

Leopardfur padded to her side. "She's helping Puddlespring with the wet moss, you know, that's the harder job, they have to spread the moss with their teeth and claws, they're both getting dirty."

Relief overcame her, she wasn't being the only one doing work after all, though, she seemed to be acting a bit bratty. Luckily, Leopardfur didn't say anything about when she snapped at Goldenpaw.

Finally they made it to the warriors den, the scent of MossClan cats confusing her smell. She walked down the dip and was greeted by a good amount of moss beds. She noticed one warrior she didn't recognize, sleeping. Silently passing them she slipped to the back of the den and placed the dry moss, prodding it down neatly.

"What about mine and Goldenpaw's moss bed?" she asked quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping warrior.

Leopardfur shrugged. "I'm not sure, the other apprentices probably made your bedding, hey, how about you go meet them, I guess we can be done for the day, also, try not to disturb Splashbelly, he gets a little cranky sometimes," he flicked his tail toward the white colored warrior.

"Ok, thanks," she mewed, slipping out of the den.

Finally she was alone, she could do what she want, she had done her first deed. She made her way toward the fresh-kill pile where two apprentices were quietly talking, sharing a water shrew amongst themselves.

Alright, first impression as a apprentice.

She walked over to them, raising her head, puffing her chest as she sat down, flicking her tail as a nice greeting gesture. "Hi! My name is Honeypaw, what are your names?" she asked politely.

The she-cat twitched her ears, her amber eyes filling with delight. "Hello Honeypaw, you've grown so big since the time I saw you as a kit! You probably don't remember me or my brother, my name is Leappaw, I was born in the nursery about two moons before you which meant I became a apprentice two moons before you."

The other cat, who almost looked identical to her, dipped his head back, she realized that he was the cat she had saw in the crowd before she was interrupted. "I'm Whitepaw, nice to see you again."

Honeypaw was relieved to have nice cats in the Clan who she could talk to and get to know better. "Isn't there another apprentice? I remember another cat in the nursery when me and my sister, Goldenpaw, were not even a moon old."

Leappaw responded. "Yes, and you're thinking of Rainpaw."

"He can sometimes act like a mouse-brain so don't let his words get to you, his father died in a battle moons ago and his mother died from falling off the gorge, pretty tragic," Whitepaw added.

Honeypaw let out a terrified moan. "That's terrible! I could never live without Brightshine or Pounceclaw, they're everything to me."

She watched Whitepaw nod with agreement as she heard Goldenpaw's footsteps slowly come closer. Her sister plopped next to her, her golden-yellow fur dirty from running all around the Dirtplace.

"Hi I'm Goldenpaw!" her sister greeted herself, nudging Honeypaw. "I'm surprised you two wanted to talk to my sister, she's so full of herself."

Leappaw murmured something into Whitepaw's ear, though she couldn't catch it because she was too distracted with anger and annoyance. She didn't want to say anything though, these apprentices seemed nice.

Honeypaw let out a deep sigh. "Anyway, well, who are your mentors?" she asked, trying to change the embarrassing conversation.

"My mentor is Rushcreek," Whitepaw was the first to respond.

Leappaw nodded. "Mine is Dawnstream."

Goldenpaw leaped to her feet. "You're the medicine cats apprentice?" she asked excitedly. "I've always wanted to be a medicine cat, though, Brightshine said that she already had an apprentice. What is it like?"

Leappaw shrugged, flicking her tail in annoyance. "I'm just like any other apprentice, though, I work longer and honestly, remembering every single herb is very difficult so I'd say it's harder than being a warrior."

Goldenpaw started at her with disbelief. "Wow, you must be so important!"

Leappaw smirked. "Yes, I suppose. Well, I better get going, I'm sure Dawnstream will need me," with that the she-cat walked toward a den located near the Warriors Den. There was a small gap in the muddy rock wall, brambles holding it open. Leappaw slipped inside, her gray tail disappearing.

"That must be the medicine den," she guessed.

Whitepaw nodded. "Yes it is. Anyway, Rainpaw and I were making your bedding at sunrise, it should be ready by now, besides it's getting a little dark anyway."

Whitepaw was right, the sun was slowly setting behind the large mountains ahead, leaving moonlight spread throughout the sky.

Today has been a long day, she thought, remembering that today she had just become an apprentice.

Whitepaw sat up and stretched, the half eaten water shrew laid on the ground. She shook her head as he nodded to it though, being the cat she was, Goldenpaw gobbled it down.

Honeypaw started at her sister with disgust before following Whitepaw toward the apprentices den. It was much smaller than the warrior den. There was a large swamp cypress tree and between the cracked roots was a large tunnel that could fit at least eight apprentices.

"Come on, inside here," Whitepaw said.

Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: AzTruyen.Top