Lost Stars

But Puddleshine’s expression had grown somehow remote, as if he was turned in on himself in thought. Shadowpaw didn’t know why, but he got the sense that this wasn’t the time to bother his mentor with an apprentice’s questions.

Remembering the cloudy shapes and the distant voices, Shadowpaw felt a dark cloud hovering over him and all the Clans, as if a devastating storm were about to unleash itself. Once again he tried to tell himself that he was anxious because he didn’t have the others’ experience. He just needed more time to get used to it.

Surely that’s all it is . . . right?

Chapter 2

“Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey join here beneath the Tallrock for a Clan meeting!”

Hearing Leafstar’s voice ring out clearly across the camp, Rootkit poked his head out of the nursery, then scampered out into the open. The SkyClan leader was standing on top of the massive boulder that reared up more than three tail-lengths in the center of the clearing. Its sides were blotched with yellow lichen. A split gaped open at the bottom; in the hollow space beyond it was where the Clan leader had her den.

As Rootkit hurried toward the Tallrock, another cat landed on top of him, carrying him off his paws and rolling him over on the pebbly surface of the camp floor. A joyful squeal sounded in his ear. “Got you!”

Not again, Needlekit! Rootkit thought with a sigh, recognizing his sister’s voice and her eyes gleaming a mouse-length from his own. Wriggling free, he gave her a swipe over her ear, keeping his claws sheathed.

“Give up, mouse-brain,” he meowed. “I want to hear what Leafstar has to say.”

Needlekit sat up, shaking dust and grit from her black-and-white pelt. “I know what she’s going to say,” she responded smugly.

“So do I,” Rootkit retorted.

Glancing around the camp, he saw more of his Clanmates emerging from their dens. Turtlepaw and Kitepaw pushed their way between the rocks that screened the apprentices’ den, then darted across the clearing to join their mentors, Blossomheart and Sagenose. The two warriors had just appeared from their den underneath the spreading branches of a massive hawthorn bush, closely followed by Plumwillow and the Clan deputy, Hawkwing. Frecklewish and Fidgetflake, the two medicine cats, looked up from where they were sorting herbs outside their den between two boulders at the far side of the camp.

“Do you know what day it is?”

Rootkit turned at the sound of his mother’s voice to see Violetshine standing a couple of paces away, her body trembling with a purr as she gazed at him with shining eyes.

“Of course I do,” Rootkit replied. “Needlekit and I are six moons old. Leafstar is going to make us apprentices.”

Excitement rose inside Rootkit as he spoke, but he thrust it down determinedly. Every kit became an apprentice, but he knew that if he wanted to become a warrior, he would have to focus on his training and learn everything his mentor had to teach him.

And I’m going to be the best warrior I can be!

“That’s right,” Violetshine responded to him. “And just look at you!” she added with a sigh. “Any cat would think you’d been dragged backward through a thorn thicket!”

Rootkit hunched his shoulders while his mother covered him with fierce licks, smoothing down his pelt. Meanwhile Needlekit gave herself a quick grooming and sat with her tail curled neatly around her forepaws.

“Cats of SkyClan,” Leafstar began when the whole Clan had assembled in a ragged half circle in front of the Tallrock. “This is an important day in the life of a Clan, when we make new apprentices.” She leaped down from the Tallrock and beckoned Rootkit with a swish of her tail. “Rootkit, come here, please.”

Suddenly feeling that his legs were wobbly and wouldn’t support him, Rootkit tottered forward until he stood in front of his Clan leader. Leafstar rested her tail on his shoulder.

“From this day forward,” she announced, “this apprentice will be known as Rootpaw. Dewspring, you are an efficient and loyal cat. You will be Rootpaw’s mentor, and I know you will pass your excellent qualities on to him.”

Rootpaw ducked his head respectfully to Leafstar and bounded across the circle of cats to join the sturdy gray tom, who waited for him with a pleased expression on his broad face. Stretching up to touch noses with him, Rootpaw mewed, “I’ll work really hard, I promise!”

“I’m sure you will,” Dewspring responded.

“Rootpaw! Rootpaw!”

Embarrassment flooded through Rootpaw as he heard the Clan acclaim him with his new name, but he felt strangely pleased, too. This is the real beginning of my life in the Clan.

He stood beside his mentor while Leafstar called Needlekit to her and gave her the name Needlepaw, apprenticing her to Reedclaw.

“Needlepaw! Needlepaw!” he yowled with the rest of his Clan.