Lost Stars

As Bristlepaw pushed her way through the thorn tunnel into the ThunderClan camp, she was aware of every cat turning to look at her, their ears pricked with interest. Then she heard her brother, Flippaw, let out a yowl.

“Yes! She caught a mouse!”

At once Bristlepaw’s Clanmates began to gather around her. “Congratulations!” Ivypool purred, while Fernsong pressed his muzzle into her shoulder, his eyes warm with pride.

Bristlepaw felt almost overwhelmed, especially when Stemleaf padded up to her and dipped his head to give her mouse an approving sniff.

“Good job!” he meowed.

“It’s not much of a catch,” Bristlepaw protested.

“But just remember how little prey there is out there,” Stemleaf pointed out. “One scrawny mouse now is worth the same as a fat squirrel in greenleaf.”

Rosepetal had said much the same, but somehow Bristlepaw was much happier to hear it from Stemleaf. “Thank you,” she purred.

Meanwhile Rosepetal had fetched Bramblestar from his den; Bristlepaw saw the Clan leader stop a few tail-lengths away from her while the rest of the cats formed a ragged circle around him.

My warrior ceremony is now? Bristlepaw wondered, frantically beginning to groom herself.

The Clan leader threw back his head and let out a commanding yowl. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!”

The four elders emerged from their den and padded up to sit together at one side of the circle. Alderheart brushed past the bramble screen of the medicine cats’ den, followed a heartbeat later by Jayfeather. Sorrelstripe and Sparkpelt sat at the entrance to the nursery with Daisy, while the two litters of kits rolled and play wrestled around their mothers’ paws.

When all the cats were assembled, Bramblestar beckoned Bristlepaw with his tail. She padded up to him with Rosepetal at her side. She could feel the gaze of every cat on her, and held her head high, though it was hard to ignore the nest of mice that seemed to be chasing one another inside her belly.

“Cats of ThunderClan,” Bramblestar began, “one of the most important tasks a Clan leader can perform is the making of a new warrior. And that is the task in front of me today. Rosepetal, has your apprentice, Bristlepaw, learned the skills of a warrior, and does she understand the meaning of the warrior code?”

Rosepetal dipped her head to her Clan leader. “She has, and she does,” she replied. “I am proud to bring her before you.”

“Then I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on this apprentice,” the Clan leader continued, glancing up at the sky with an unsettled expression. “She . . . has trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend her to you as a warrior in her turn.

“Bristlepaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your life?”

Bristlepaw let her voice ring out clearly across the camp. “I do.”

“Then by the powers of StarClan I give you your warrior name.” Bramblestar paused. “Bristlepaw, from this moment on you will be known as Bristlefrost. I know that StarClan will honor your skill and your determination, and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.”

Bramblestar stooped to rest his muzzle on Bristlefrost’s head, and she gave his shoulder a respectful lick, then took a step backward. As if at a signal, all the Clan burst out in yowls and caterwauls of acclamation.

“Bristlefrost! Bristlefrost!”

Warmth spread through Bristlefrost from ears to tail-tip. Her meager catch was forgotten in her pride and happiness. She was purring too hard to speak as her parents came up to congratulate her again, while her littermates bounced around her.

“You’re awesome, Bristlefrost!” Thriftpaw meowed. “But it’s our turn next, don’t forget!”

“Yes, you’ll both be warriors really soon now,” Bristlefrost assured them.

More cats pressed up to give her their congratulations, and Bristlefrost thanked them, but her paws were tingling with impatience for the chance to talk to Stemleaf. Finally, as her Clanmates began to move away, she spotted him standing to one side.

“Bristlefrost is a great name,” he told her as she padded up to him. “I’m so glad you passed this time.”

“Thank you.” Bristlefrost took a deep breath, and strove to stop herself from shaking. It’s now or never! “Stemleaf,” she went on, “I really—really—like you. I’ve always felt that we might be mates someday. And now that I’m a warrior, maybe this is the time for us to start thinking of each other in a new way?”

Stemleaf stared at her, and Bristlefrost saw to her horror that dismay, and not love, was filling his eyes. “I’m sorry,” he mewed. “I had no idea you felt like this, Bristlefrost. I like you a lot, but I always thought of you as a friend—a really good friend, almost like another littermate. I’ve never felt . . . that way about you.”