This story is by IcewrathXFeatherswirlXCraneheart for Ash's Contest.
Chapter 1: Wolfpaw
Wolfpaw padded into the ThunderClan camp with a pheasant in his jaws.
"Well done, Wolfpaw!" his father, and mentor, Jaystar purred.
Wolfpaw shrugged and meowed, "It's just a pheasant."
He padded on and put it on the fresh-kill pile and sat down to groom his sleek black fur, and get all the dirt from the white socks on his front paws. He stared into a small pool and saw his reflection. He was a very handsome tom with light blue eyes.
He settled down to watch the clouds drift across the sky. He was bewildered by it all. The clear blue of the endless sky. The large, fluffy, white clouds that floated gracefully on the most windless of days. The graceful soaring of eagles as they circled above. The cool, light breeze of the upcoming leaf-bare.
"Wolfpaw!" a she-cat's voice squealed.
"It's Wolfpaw!" another meowed.
He was suddenly surrounded by a mob consisting of six she-cat apprentices. Their names were Spottedpaw, Skypaw, Amberpaw, Snowpaw, Hollypaw, and Leafpaw.
Spottedpaw was a dark brown, graceful she-cat with blue eyes and black spots that shimmered on her pelt.
Skypaw was a silver she-cat with light blue eyes, like his.
Amberpaw was a ginger she-cat with green eyes.
Snowpaw was a totally white she-cat with amber eyes.
Hollypaw was a dark ginger she-cat with black spots and deep amber eyes.
Leafpaw was a light brown she-cat with green eyes.
"Wolfpaw! You are so handsome!" Hollypaw squealed.
The she-cats went on with the praises as he shot a sympathetic glance at the two other apprentice toms, named Dustpaw and Snakepaw, who were staring at them.
The apprentice she-cats were all beautiful, but there was only one she-cat that occupied his thoughts.
He stared across the clearing at Duckpaw. She was a beautiful tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. She was sitting there sorting herbs for her mentor. He sighed as he recalled that she had no interest in toms, especially because it was against the warrior cat code.
He continued to stare. She was so closed off from all toms, except her brother, whose name was Snakepaw, but he was determined to at least become friends with her, if not more.
Where is the wave that will carry me
A little closer to you?
Chapter 2: Duckpaw
Duckpaw sat beside the medicine cat, aware of a pair of eyes on her. She looked up to Wolfpaw staring at her.
What? Is he angry because I don't come tripping over my paws to coo over him? she asked herself, a hint of scorn lingering. She couldn't see what the big deal was about that black tom. She only saw another apprentice. Snakepaw, her brother, padded over and she purred. She loved her brother dearly.
"Looking at Wolfpaw, sis?" Snakepaw teased.
"No!" she shook her head.
"What are you doing, Duckpaw?" Snakepaw asked.
"Sorting herbs into good and weathered piles, then I am going to seperate the good herbs," Duckpaw explained.
Snakepaw pretended to yawn, "Well, Duckpaw. Tomorrow I'll be explaining things to you."
"Why?" Duckpaw asked.
"All of the apprentices get their ceremonies tonight," said Snakepaw.
Duckpaw's mentor came out of her den meowed, "Get ready to go to the moonpool. You get your full medicine cat name tonight. You can do that later."
Duckpaw shot a smug glance at her brother and scraped all the herbs back into the den.
She and Dapplefur prepared themselves and started off to meet the other medicine cats by the stream.