Elders Tales

Elders Tales

Elders Tales is a fanfiction by Gingerstripe. She urges you to love and adore it.

She urges you to read the allegiances.

She also urges you to absoulutely give this a comment and a review, maybe even award it something. Right, I'm too cheeky. Enjoy!

Elders Tales - The Tale Of Nightpounce

"Secrets are not kept secret if you tell someone. They aren't secrets anymore." - Nightpounce.

When I was little, I was named Nightkit for my black pelt. I was a enthusiastic, brave and energetic young kit. It was all I wanted to be a leader, a great warrior. But something I said, something I did shattered my dream....

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Nightkit flicked his tail. Crouching down, he focused on the ball. In his minds eye, it was a fierce ThunderClan warrior. "Rrrah!" No match for the mighty Nightstar, leader of ShadowClan! He lunged forward, snarling, bowling the moss ball over, clawing it to pieces.

His mother, Runningbrook, looked over. As most mothers, Runningbrook had pride in her son. She was gentle, kind and motherly. Runningbrook was a amber spotted she-cat. "Good move! I dont want to be the warrior that is!" Nightkit beamed with pride. He dashed outside.

Blinking for a moment, he took in the camp. Runningbrook followed him out. As his eyes adjusted, the shady camp he called home was peacefull. Mysticshade was sharing a piece of prey with her mate, Fireystripes under the shadowy bracken near the warriors den. The two were newfound mates, and Nightkit loved the kind Mysticshade who let him play with her tail. He saw Amberleaf, the medicine cat, sorting out herbs. He thought she looked lonely, but she looked up and smiled. 

Nightkit spotted Runningbrook and her friends, Brightstream, the quiet tortishell, Sparkstep, a sparky tom, and his father, Cedarheart, underneath the Highstone. Nightkit loved the gray black tom with those yellow eyes, and he took after his looks. Cedarheart was a wise and loyal tom who was a fantastic mentor with a loving personality.

Right then he looked over at Nightkit. "Why hello there! Ready for tonight's warrior ceremony?" Nightkit squeaked with exictement. Running over to his parents and friends, he snuggled into the gray black fur. "Yes!" Tonight was Nightkit's ceremony to become a apprentice. He was so exicted to finally be 6 moons! It had felt like forever. "Be my mentor, daddy!"

Brightstream and Sparkstep smiled, and Runningbrook purred with amusement. There was a glint of knowing in her eyes. "Maybe. Lets see what Foreststar thinks. Look, theres Dewykit, go on!" Runningbrook inclined her head toward Nightkit's best friend, a brown tabby with green eyes. He was a uncertain tom but the two of them were soulmates.chants 

Normally Nightkit would have bounded right over. But in the amber glows of morning light, he hestitated for a moment. "Moommmm, tell me what I don't know."

This time Brightstream replied. "Later, you'll find out." She murmured. "Let us rest in peace." Nightkit purred and bounded over to his friend.

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"Nightkit, you have reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Nightpaw. Your mentor will be Aspenfur. I hope Aspenfur will pass down all he knows on to you." Foreststar's voice sang out clearly.

Nightpaw wriggled with exictement as Aspenfur padded forwards.

"Aspenfur, you are ready to take on a apprentice. You have recieved excellent training from Snakefang, and have shown yourself to be kind and truthful. You will be mentor of Nightpaw and I expect you to pass on your qualites into Nightpaw."

Dipping his head, Aspenfur touched his nose to Nightpaw. The tom looked solem, with his gray ragged fur and glaring yellow eyes, but Nightpaw could handle anything. 

Nightpaw's eyes grew wide as chants reared up. "Nightpaw! Nightpaw!" Runningbrook's eyes were shining with pride, Cedarpelt by her side. Nightpaw renembered that what they said. "Maybe. Lets see what Foreststar thinks."  What were they thinking? Amberleaf's voice inturrupted his thoughts. 

"Cats of ShadowClan, as you know, I will not be around forever. So it's time I took a apprentice. I have chosen a cat who has shown loyalty and a interest in StarClan. Your next medicine cat will be Dewypaw. " Gasps echoed Nightpaw's as he looked over at Dewypaw's exicted face. He was beaming at the reveal of his secret. 

"Dewypaw, do you accept the post of medicine cat apprentice?" 

"I do." 

"Then at the half-moon, you must travel to the Moonstone to be accepted by StarClan before the other medicine cats. " Amberleaf meowed. 

"The good wishes of all ShadowClan go with you." 

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"Keep your tail straight. Lower! Lower! Lower! Better. Creep forward-maintain postion..." 

It had been five moons since Dewypaw had become medicine cat apprentice and that Nightpaw became a warrior apprentice. Nightpaw and Dewypaw both were exicted, and Nightpaw could hardly believe his best friend was going to be a medicine cat.

Aspenfur was a tough mentor, but Nightpaw learned much from him. His respect grew for the grey warrior and in return, Aspenfur liked him too. 

"Stop daydreaming!" Aspenfur's snappy voice clicked him out of his thoughts. Pressing harder to the ground, Nightpaw stalked carefully. Aspenfur was carefully watching. 

"Good. Back to camp, and have a rest Nightpaw." He ordered. Nightpaw flopped to the ground as the grey tom walked towards the hidden camp. 

Finally with the energy to crawl back to camp, Nightpaw looked around. Much had changed since he was a kit. Mysticshade moved to the nursery, and given birth to three kits-one Nightpaw had the privelidge to name. Fangkit, Ryekit and Lilackit were playing with their father, Fireystripes, in the clearing. Tawnybird and Sunnystep's kits were growing fast. Nightpaw swore that Frogkit, Volekit, Rubykit, Blizzardkit and Dreamykit were growing fast then you could say mouse. Specklefur's kits, Shimmeringkit and Tigerkit, became apprentices, sharing with Nightpaw.

Nightpaw secretly loved the sweet Shimmeringpaw, and Tigerpaw was a great friend. Also, with creaking old bones, Snakefang, Aspenfur's mentor, moved to the elders den. Pebbleswirl died peacefully in her sleep and a old apprentice, Otterpaw, got her warrior name, Otterstreak. Her parents, Pinewhisker and Vixenfur, watched from StarClan. 

"Nightpaw!" A sweetly familar voice knocked him out of his thoughts. Shimmeringpaw bounded up to him, and nuzzled his cheek. Nightpaw smiled and inhaled her sweet scent. "Whats up?" He asked. 

"Guess what? Tawnybird and Sunnystep's kits are ready to become apprentices!" She squealed in exictement. Nightpaw bounced. "More denmates! Great! Lets make their nests." Nightpaw was suddenly aware that the warriors were watching them. He knew that a young warrior, Heronfrost, loved Shimmeringpaw. He gently broke away. 

Shimmeringpaw trotted towards the mossy oak tree that held the moss warriors used. Nightpaw looked around at the clan he would lead. If only....

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"Frogkit, Volekit, Rubykit, Blizzardkit and Dreamykit you have all reached the age of six moons, and it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Frogpaw, Volepaw, Rubypaw, Blizzardpaw and Dreamypaw. Your mentor will be in turn, Foxfuzz, Thunderfrost, Pouncestep, Shadescreech and Mossytail. I hope they will pass down all they know on to you."

Nightpaw purred, pressing his flank against Shimmeringpaw. He was nervous and exicted. Nervous because he planned to ask Shimmeringpaw to be his girlfriend, and exicted for his new denmates. Foreststar's voice was proud, singed with loyalty, just like Nightpaw's ceremony. As the chosen mentors padded forward, Foreststar repeated the rituals for all. 

At his dismissal, Nightpaw went to congratulate the apprentices and show them their dens. "I'm so exicted!" Rubypaw meowed, pressing to Nightpaw's side that wasn't occupied by Shimmeringpaw. As the she-cat frowned, Nightpaw told himself she had a reason to. Even though he liked Rubypaw, Shimmeringpaw and her were in tight compition now. "Blizzardpaw! Blizzardpaw! Can I sleep next to you? Its gonna be so fun. SOOO FUN!" Frogpaw bounced, Volepaw grinning by him, as Blizzardpaw shyly stuck to his sister's side. Dreamypaw was looking around. "Its very nice, isn't it?" 

Nightpaw grimanced. He settled into his nest. Tawnybird's kits, Blizzardpaw and Dreamypaw would be quiet. But Sunnystep's kits, Frogpaw, Volepaw and Rubypaw, sure were a handful. Shimmeringpaw abandoned her nest and preferred to snuggle into his nest. Rubypaw squeezed into her nest by his side. She was big already. "Shimmeringpaw?" Nightpaw whispered. "Yes?" She replied. Making sure Rubypaw wasn't listening, he leaned over and said. "Will you be my girlfriend?" 

Shimmeringpaw froze. He felt uneasy. Will he be rejected? But her reply made him even more uneasy.

"Can, we just, see?" 

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Shimmeringpaw's response to being his girlfriend had slid off her mind, and the two were great friends. At first, she avoided his nest, leaving Nightpaw feeling so small in the big nest they usually shared. Nightpaw, a growing sooty black tom, and Shimmeringpaw, a silver sweet small tabby, that they were becoming so squished that Nightpaw had to daily weave in new reeds. Heronfrost was becoming more and more mean to him, but Nightpaw didn't care, as long as Shimmeringpaw was by his side. Nightpaw had come to attention that his time shared between Shimmeringpaw and Rubypaw were equal, even though the she-cats were alarmingly hostile. 

"Nightpaw! A rude awakening for your denmates, don't you think?" A raspy, familar voice rosed Nightpaw out of his nest. Aspenfur sniffed at Nightpaw. "I'd expect you to be the best apprentice you can be." He growled as Shimmeringpaw and Rubypaw walked up behind him. "Good morning, Aspenfur. Morning, Nightpaw." Rubypaw meowed, and rubbed her cheek against Nightpaw's. Despite Shimmeringpaws snarl, Nightpaw couldn't help drinking in her touch. A sweet smell wafted around him as Shimmeringpaw gently-as she could in her fury at Rubypaw- pushed her muzzle underneath him. Nightpaw purred as he felt both his admirers touch. Aspenfur raised his muzzle. 

"Got all the girls, then, Nightpaw? Good mornings over! Good training starts! Nightpaw, Dreamypaw, Shimmeringpaw, Rubypaw. Training hollow with Thunderfrost. Blizzardpaw, Volepaw. Elders bedding. Frogpaw, Foxfuzz wants you. Move, move MOVE!" Aspenfur meowed, stalking out of the den. At the prospect of training, Nightpaw was awake. "Come on guys!" He meowed, Shimmeringpaw and Rubypaw by his side. Dreamypaw tilted her head. "Where are we going?" 

Nightpaw sighed as he walked to the training hollow, Shimmeringpaw and Rubypaw determindly