Chapter eight

Enderheart leaped out of her nest in the warriors den as she heard her name being called out in the camp clearing. She shook out her fur and gave it a few licks to groom out the bits of moss and bracken before darting outside. Ebonypelt trotted up to her and gestured with her tail to Pheasantfur and Swiftheart who were waiting at the entrance to the camp, grooming the last bits of moss out of their fur. "We're doing a border patrol along Marshclan's territory and behind the twolegplace." Enderheart nodded and followed the rest of the patrol out of the camp. She had been made a warrior 4 moons ago. As they made their way along Marshclan's border, Enderheart reflected back on her warrior name ceremony. She had passed her assessment and Stormswift was very proud of her. "Hold still!" She hissed as Snarlpaw wriggled out of her grasp in excitement. "I'm trying to groom your fur! You look terrible after you've been through your warrior assessment!"

Enderheart suppressed a purred as she remembered how excited she, Snarlpaw, and Shimmerpaw were. Shimmerpaw's warrior name was now Shimmerlake and Snarlpaw was now Snarlwhisker.

A yowl of alarm from Ebonypelt jolted Enderheart out of her thoughts. They were coming upon the row of twolegnests and when Enderheart looked beyond Ebonypelt, she could see four cats crouched right outside their border. Ebonypelt and her patrol raced angrily towards the strange cats and skidded to a halt in front of them. Ebonypelt stared angrily and the dusty brown tabby tom in the front who seemed to be their leader. "What do you want trespassers!?" hissed Ebonypelt viciously, her claws unsheathed. The leader stared back at Ebonypelt with piercing yellow eyes. Then he shifted his gaze to ground. Enderheart noticed all the cats have flat fur and none of them looked hostile. Instead, they looked more submissive. "We would like to join your clan." Said the leader. The shecat with shiny thick coppery fur and brown eyes spoke up. "We watched your battle with the group of cats who live in the marsh. We admire the way you fight and have mercy on other cats who are your enemies. We are curious in the ways you hunt and live." Enderheart let her gaze travel slowly over the other two cats. One was a shecat with a dark gray speckled coat and green eyes. The other was a tom with a tan pelt with white patches and amber eyes.

One by one, the rogues turned behind them and each took out a piece of prey that they had put behind themselves. The leader had a squirrel in his jaws and the copper pelted shecat had a thrush. The gray speckled shecat had a mouse while the tan and white tom had a plump blackbird. "We even brought you prey." said the tan and white tom. Ebonypelt narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and turned to her patrol. "We do need more warriors..." said Ebonypelt hesitantly. Swiftheart nodded. "It looks like they can hunt too."

Enderheart looked back at the cats. They had moved all of their prey into one pile on the clan's territory. Ebonypelt sighed. "I think we should take them to Deerstar. They look like they could be good warriors. Besides, Deerstar has good judgement and so does Stormswift. They'll figure out whether we need them to be warriors or not."

Enderheart nodded and turned back to the rogues. "We'll take you in. But their no guarantee that you'll become warriors."

The rogues nodded eagerly and stepped over the heavily scented border. Their tails were erect with excitement and their eyes shone. The patrol lead them back to Stormclan's camp. Enderheart entered the camp with the leader beside her. Most of the cats were back from morning patrols and duty and turned to look curiously at the newcomers.

Enderheart spotted Deerstar at the top of Highrock, with her blue eyes narrowed. Stormswift was by her side, mimicking the look in Deerstar's eyes. Deerstar leaped off the highrock in one huge leap and landed on the ground under Highrock. She padded slowly to the rogues. Enderheart nudged the leader until he was right in front of Deerstar. The rest of the clan cats did the same with the cats they were guarding. Deerstar puffed out her chest proudly. "I am Deerstar, leader of Stormclan. What do you rogues want with us?" The leader of the four rogues stepped even closer to Deerstar. "I am Twist, leader of this band of rogues. The copper shecat is Copper, the tan and white tom is Flick, and the speckled gray shecat is Luna. We would like to join your clan."

Gasps rang around the bramble encircled clearing. Clan cats all around stared with surprise and widened eyes. Suspicious whispers and murmurs spread like wildfire around the camp. Flick stepped up hesitantly. "We even brought you prey... it proves we can hunt for ourselves." Swiftheart and Pheasantfur stepped up and dropped the prey at Deerstar's feet. Flick kept his gaze trained down, not wanting to look the powerful brown shecat in the eyes out of respect. Stormswift made her way down the path on the Highrock and stopped beside Deerstar, whispering in her ear.

Deerstar lowered her head cautiously and sniffed at the prey for a few long heartbeats before lifting her head and declaring, "The prey seems safe to eat." She gestured to Iceglow and Flowerstep who were the cats closest to her and said "Take the prey to the fresh kill pile." The two shecats trotted up and dragged the prey away to the large pile of prey in the middle of the camp clearing.

Copper turned her coppery head towards Deerstar. "Fresh kill pile?"

Deerstar looked back at her hard in the eyes. "It's where we keep all of our prey." Her tail tip twitched. "You're going to have to know that if you're going to join our clan." Twist's tail went straight up into the air. "Do you mean we can join?"

Deerstar nodded. "You and your cats seem fit enough. You can catch your own prey. You seem respectful enough. I'll let you join."

The rogues purred in excitement. Enderheart thought she caught a gleam of malice in Twist's eyes but she shook the though away. It was probably just my imagination or a trick of the light.

Deerstar finally beckoned the rogues to her den under the fallen oak tree. The rogues followed her into the den. Deerstar poked her head out of the den once all the rogues were in and whispered something into Stormswift's ear. Stormswift nodded and leaped onto the rock. "Cats of Stormclan!" She yowled. "As you know, the rogues will be joining Stormclan. Deerstar will explain the basics of clan life to them and then we will begin their apprenticeship ceremony. They seem to know the basics of fighting and hunting so their apprenticeship will only go on for 4 moons." She waved her tail. "Until Deerstar returns from her den, I want all of us to go on with our duties." She paused, thinking. "But no patrols. Find something else to do around the camp."

Later in the day, Deerstar came out of her den with all the rogues in tow. Deerstar climbed up Highrock and stood at the top. "Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highrock for a clan meeting." While cats made their way to the Highrock, Deerstar gestured to the rogues with her tail. "Come here." The rogues carefully made their way up Highrock and sat behind Deerstar. "As you know," She began, "Stormclan is a bit short of warriors. And with the need of warriors, we have taken in these four rogues."

The clan was silent except for a few mutters among some cats. Deerstar ignored them and turned to the rogues who were standing behind her. She beckoned to Twist. He stepped up and gazed at Deerstar with his shining golden eyes. Deerstar addressed him. "Twist, you are going to be an apprentice to Stormclan. Your new name shall be Twistedpaw." She paused, looking down at the cats gathered below the Highrock. "Featherfall, you shall be Twistedpaw's new mentor. I hope you can pass all you have learned from your past mentor to Twistedpaw." Twistedpaw and Featherfall touched noses with each other before drawing back behind the other to- be- apprentices. Copper cautiously stepped up, seeing that she was next in line. Deerstar beckoned to Dewfeather with her tail. Dewfeather stepped up, her eyes shining in pride. Deerstar turned to Copper. "Copper, you will also be joining Stormclan. Your new name shall be Brightpaw until you gain your warrior name." Deerstar looked back at Dewfeather. "Dewfeather, pass on your adventurous and thoughtful spirit to Brightpaw." Dewfeather climbed on top of Highrock and touched noses with Brightpaw before joining Featherfall and Twistedpaw.

Enderheart purred at the overjoyed emotions on Brightpaw's face. She looked over at Twistedpaw. His face was a mask of thoughtfulness and observations. Enderheart narrowed her eyes. Was he looking for weaknesses in her clan? No... She shook the thought away. She was just nervous because he was a newcomer. She turned back to the ceremony. Flick had already got his apprentice name; Oakpaw, and his mentor, who was Toadeye.

Deerstar turned to the last cat. Luna stood there, quivering with fear and excitment. She approached Deerstar. Deerstar nodded to her. "Luna, you are the last cat to receive your apprentice name. From now on you shall be known as Rainpaw until you gain your warrior name. Your mentor will be Quailnose." Quailnose flinched in surprise. She carefully stepped through the crowd of cats and climbed up the Highrock. Rainpaw had a solemn look in her eyes as she touched noses with Quailnose. "I promise to serve Stormclan to the best of my abilities."

Deerstar gave a sharp nod of satisfaction. "This ceremony is now at an end." The cats started to disperse from under Highrock. Enderheart viewed the four new apprentices. They'll be great warriors and additions to Stormclan... She thought.

(Cat in picture is Rainpaw)