I'd been many moons since Sunningwisker was accepted into Puddleclan. Some cats still looked down on him, but most saw how hard he'd worked to prove himself to them and Ripplestar. He cleaned out dens, went on patrols, and even hunted by himself a few sunrises ago.
He'd returned to the camp, followed by Silverleap, Reedpelt, and Troutpaw after a border patrol, his paws tired. He still wasn't completely familiar with the territory, but he remembered where Leaping Stones and Tall Trees were, the most notable of the territory.
"Sunningwisker," a tom spoke, walking up to him. Turning his head, he saw Ripplestar and Stormstripe. "Are you free to talk now?" Ripplestar said.
"Oh-" he said, pausing for a moment, "Yes, Ripplestar. I finished going on the dawn patrol with Silverleap and some other cats."
"Good." The leader twitched his tail to Sunningwisker, and he followed beside the deputy.
They walked into Ripplestar's den. He still remembered the smell of rosemary, ferns, and now a leafy green thing that was entwined with the moss of the leader's nest; ferns still hung from the arch of the den. Ripplestar sat down, followed by Stormstripe. The leader signaled to Sunningwisker that he could sit down now. The leader waited till he was comfortable, finally speaking. "I've noticed that you've been working hard, and I would like to give you an apprentice," he said straightforwardly, looking at Sunningwisker.
"Oh, I am honored, Ripplestar, that you have given me this responsibility, but in which apprentice? Most of them are taken." "Most but not all." He meowed.
"Would you like to mentor Minnowpaw?" The deputy asked before the leader.
Sunningwisker thought for a moment, which apprentice was Minnowpaw? He remembered that Silverleap had an apprentice with her on the border patrol, but the apprentice wasn't hers. Her apprentice was still recovering from an adder bite a few sunrises ago and wouldn't heal properly if they didn't rest in Floodfrost's, the medicine cats', den. While Sunningwisker was thinking Ripplestar spoke, "Sunningwisker?" He said, tilting his head.
"Oh, I'm sorry Ripplestar, but which is Minnowpaw again? My forgetfulness has gotten to me."
The leader's eyes gazed at him for a few moments. "So it seems. She is the black and blueish-gray she-cat over there," he said, pointing with his claw to a small cat near Floodfrost's den.
"Ah," Sunningwisker meowed. He felt a bit ignorant, not knowing his clanmates. The leader scraped the stone ground with his claw, trying to get Sunningwiskers's attention. "I would like that a lot, Ripplestar. I promise not to disappoint you or Minnowpaw."
"Good. Then I shall call a meeting." Ripplestar spoke, sitting up and leading the way out of the den and jumping up on the Clouded rock,
"Let all cats old enough to wade the tides gather around the Clouded rock for a clan meeting!" Cats flooded out of their dens, warriors sitting next to each other, and kits sitting with their mothers. "I have called this meeting today to give Minnowpaw a much-needed mentor. Step up, Minnowpaw." Ripplestar spoke loudly, looking at the apprentice.
A cat walked forward from the group of cats and sat at the edge of the water that surrounded the Clouded rock.
Ripplestar looked down and bowed his head to the cat, then raised it to look at the clan. "Minnowpaw has been left without a mentor after Maplegaze, her old mentor, joined Starclan. Who will be missed greatly," he spoke softly, then cleared his throat. "As every cat knows, a cat from Stormclan had joined us a few moons ago. Sunningwisker, please step forward."
As Ripplestar called his name, the cats looked at him. He pushed back his embarrassment and stepped forward, sitting at the bottom of the Clouded rock.
"Sunningwisker has proven himself worthy by going on patrols and hunting. Hence, fourth, I appoint Sunningwisker as Minnowpaw's mentor." Minnowpaw walked forward and touched noses with him. Minnowpaw then licked Sunningwisker's shoulder, and he rested his chin on the apprentice's head.
"Sunningwisker, Minnowpaw! Sunningwisker, Minnowpaw!" Cats chanted in delight that he had been given an apprentice and Minnowpaw had been given a mentor.
Ripplestar twitched his tail, signaling for the clan to settle down.
"Sunningwisker, I expect you to train this apprentice as your mentor did with you." Ripplestar meowed as he looked at Sunningwisker; both nodding to each other. Sunningwisker sat down next to his newly appointed apprentice and a she-cat whose name he didn't catch.
The leader continued, "Moving on with this meeting, the dawn patrol has picked up some signs of Stormclan near our borders. It seems they have been hunting prey too close to Leaping Stones for their own comfort."
Cats rose in protest, hating the idea of cats being so close to their own territory.
"These Squirrel-chasers always think Leaping Stones is there's! Will they ever learn!?" shouted
Fernshade. Fernshade was the newest cat to join Puddleclan. Sunningwisker didn't like her one bit as she had the look of a tiny and helpless kit, but the mouth of a beaver's claw, and beavers were ferocious during this time of New-Leaf. Ripplestar tried to ease the tension, "Cats, calm down!" the leader spoke while lashing his tail in his own anger. "I know every cat is mad, but arguing here will do nothing. All we can do is increase patrols and question any cat in our territory as we have done before. If we do this, then they will see Puddleclan is as strong as always since the First Moons." The cats in the clearing calmed down at their leader's words. Sunningwisker was a little shaken, but he knew Stormclan would never cross the stones. Minnowpaw, though, showed no signs of weakness. He was proud. He returned his gaze to the leader on the rock.
"One last thing to add before this meeting is dismissed. It has been many moons since the last Full Moon, so Puddleclan welcomes two new warriors joining the ranks, Owlpaw and Dawnpaw."
He paused for a moment. "Owlpaw, please step forward."
The apprentice walked forward slowly yet confident, sitting at the bottom of the rock. "Gentleflower, has this apprentice learned everything they can and proven themselves to be a capable warrior of Puddleclan?" Ripplestar asked Owlpaws mentor.
"Yes, Ripplestar, they have shown great skill in their training."
"Then it is my honor to give you this name, Owlpaw. Do you promise to uphold the warrior's code and to defend and protect your clan even at the cost of your own life?"
The apprentice nodded in agreement.
"By the powers of the Great Stars, I give you the name Owlpounce. May you carry this name with wisdom and strength." The leader then jumped down, touching the new warriors' shoulders with his nose while Owlpounce licked the leader's shoulder. They then returned to their posts.
"Now, Dawnpaw, please walk forward."
The apprentice stepped forward at the leader's words. The leader turned to their mentour, "Cloudfur, has this apprentice learned everything they can and proven themselves to be a capable warrior of Puddleclan?" Cloudfur nodded his head, grinning.
"Then, by the powers of the Great Stars, I give this apprentice the name of Dawnleap. May you carry this name with courage and trust in others in hard times." Ripplestar leaped down from the rock, touching the new warriors' shoulder with his nose while Dawnleap licked his shoulder. The clan shouted in joy. "Now, if there is nothing else, this meeting is dismissed!" he yowled. Cats returned to their dens, and the warriors walked to the entrance, ready to go out on their hunting patrol. But before they could leave, Sunningwisker ran over, stopping them.
The patrol stumbled back, "What is it, Sunningwisker?" Goosefeather said, annoyingly.
"Sorry to stop you, but I was wondering if I could join the patrol? With Stormclan cats near the border and growing even more confident, it would be best to have another cat in case they try something."
"You're right, after all, you should know how your clan does things," Goosefeather smirked. He wouldn't let Sunningwisker forget his birth clan even after all the time he'd spent in Puddleclan. Sunningwisker returned his insult, "Oh dear, Goosefeather do I see-a wrinkle?" The Tom barred his teeth, "I have no wrinkles as far as I can see, Forest-Breathe."
The two cats kept yowling insults before Rainsong stopped them, stepping in between. "Will you two stop this madness? It'll never solve anything if you keep going back and forth. Before we lose any more daylight, can we leave the actual camp?"
Sunningwisker had it in for Rainsong. She was both confident and wise; even her pelt was the most beautiful in the whole clan. No cat could argue that fact. The cats backed down, their tails still lashing back and forth. "Thank you," the she-cat spoke, "let's go."
The patrol, along with Sunningwisker, pushed through the reeds, crossing the small rock formations that surrounded the front entrance. They reached the Waterfall as the time of Sunhigh stretched over the territory. "That took longer than I imagined," said Badgertail, "before any of us do anything 'daring', we should split up into 2 groups. I'll take Goosefeather, Reedshine, Troutpaw, and Mosspaw. Then Leapardwing can take Lilysprout, Tidecatcher, and Sunningwisker. Is everyone agreed on these groups?" Badgertail asked the patrol. Most nodded in agreement, though Goosefeather seemed like he didn't care either way as long as he wasn't with Sunningwisker. "Good, now find whatever you can and bring it back to camp before Sundown so Ripplestar doesn't think we've all left the clan," the Tom joked out.
The patrol split into the groups Badgertail called, each parting in a different way.
Sunningwisker wondered what this time would be like. Would he catch all the prey in the river or end up empty-pawed and embarrassed like last time?