Yellowfang’s Secret

“Yes,” Lizardfang agreed. “You should know better than to bring it in here.”

Yellowkit suppressed an angry hiss, remembering she ought to be polite to the elders, even when they were being a pain in the tail.

“Leave her alone,” Silverflame meowed. “That was a very kind thought, Yellowkit.” Gesturing with her tail, she added, “Put the moss down there, well away from the bedding.”

When Yellowkit had obeyed, Silverflame stretched out her neck and lapped at the dripping fronds. “Great StarClan, that’s good,” she murmured. “Thank you.”

Shooting a smug glance at the two other elders, Yellowkit was about to reply when she heard Cedarstar’s voice from outside in the camp.

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

“For StarClan’s sake, what now?” Lizardfang complained.

Dipping her head briefly to the elders, Yellowkit backed out of the den, almost colliding with her mother as she spun around to see what was going on.

“There you are!” Brightflower exclaimed. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”

“Why? What’s happening?” Yellowkit mewed.

Just behind her mother, she spotted Rowankit and Nutkit, looking unusually well groomed. Nutkit was bouncing up and down on his paws, while Rowankit’s eyes were wide and shining.

“You’re going to be made apprentices,” Brightflower explained.

Yellowkit stared at her. “Now?”

“Yes, now, and just look at you!” Brightflower darted out a paw and snagged a spiky twig that was stuck in Yellowkit’s pelt. “Any cat would think you’d been wriggling through thorns all day.”

Yellowkit stood still while Brightflower gave her a quick grooming, flicking bits of thorn and moss out of her fur, and smoothing it with strong strokes of her tongue.

Meanwhile the cats of ShadowClan were gathering around the Clanrock. All three elders poked their heads out from under the branches that shaded their den. Deerleap and Amberleaf appeared from the warriors’ den, followed closely by Toadskip and Featherstorm. Brackenfoot and Raggedpaw, who were eating beside the fresh-kill pile, finished their prey quickly and turned to listen; Crowtail and Scorchpaw padded over to join them.

Yellowkit’s belly began to churn. Every cat will be looking at me! What if I get something wrong? Who will be my mentor?

“This is going to be a hard leaf-bare,” Cedarstar began. “With snow on the ground, we need all the hunters we can get, and border patrols to defend our territory when the other Clans get hungry. So this is a good time to strengthen ShadowClan by making new apprentices. Rowankit, come forward.”

Rowankit swallowed nervously, then padded forward until she stood beneath the Clanrock.

Cedarstar’s gaze swept over his Clan. “Finchflight,” he meowed, “you have served your Clan well and you deserve to have another apprentice. I know you will pass on your skills to Rowanpaw.”

Rowanpaw gave a little skip of delight at the sound of her new name, then trotted over to Finchflight and touched noses with him. The black-and-white tom let out an approving purr.

Cedarstar beckoned Nutkit with his tail. “Nutkit, come forward,” he meowed.

Nutkit paced proudly across the clearing.

“Amberleaf,” Cedarstar continued, dipping his head to the dark orange she-cat, “you are a skilled warrior, and I know you will give Nutpaw the training he needs.”

Nutpaw’s got Amberleaf! Yellowkit barely stopped herself from exclaiming out loud. She’s so strict! All the young cats were a bit afraid of Amberleaf, who had a scathing tongue when she was annoyed; Yellowkit remembered being scolded by her when she accidentally hit the warrior on the head with a ball of moss.

Nutpaw looked nervous as he padded across to Amberleaf to touch noses, but relaxed as the she-cat murmured, “I’ll make you the best warrior you can be.”

Yellowkit’s heart began pounding harder. When Cedarstar beckoned to her, she padded across the clearing with as much dignity as she could muster.

StarClan, please don’t let me trip over a twig!

“Deerleap, you are a wise and experienced cat,” Cedarstar mewed. “I know that you will pass on your qualities to Yellowpaw.”

Yellowpaw spun around to face Deerleap. The gray tabby she-cat had stepped into the clearing, waiting for her. As she approached her mentor, Yellowpaw saw the friendly gleam in Deerleap’s eyes, and decided she was very satisfied with the choice that Cedarstar had made for her.

“I’ll do the best I can, I promise!” she mewed fervently as they touched noses.

Any reply was drowned in the cheers of the Clan as they greeted the new apprentices by their names. “Nutpaw! Yellowpaw! Rowanpaw!”

Yellowpaw saw Brightflower and Brackenfoot standing side by side, identical expressions of pride on their faces and in their shining eyes. She felt happy enough to burst.