Eclipse

Mousefur purred. “Get away with you!” She affectionately shooed the young apprentice away with her muzzle.

Hollypaw nudged Lionpaw. “Icepaw must be crazy.”

Lionpaw’s whiskers twitched with amusement.

Cloudtail and Brightheart had settled in the shadow beneath Highledge. Thornclaw and Sandstorm nodded a greeting to them. The two mentors had backed away from Poppypaw and Honeypaw, and their fur splayed untidily against the rock face. They clearly wanted to give Sorreltail and Brackenfur room to fuss over their kits.

Sorreltail was giving Poppypaw’s ears a fierce lick. “I want you looking nice,” she meowed as Poppypaw scooted backward, out of reach.

Brackenfur purred. “She looks fine.” His proud gaze switched to Honeypaw. “They both do.”

Sorreltail looked at her paws, sadness glazing her eyes.

“Molekit should be here too.” Her only tom-kit had died of greencough before he was out of the nursery.

“And Cinderpaw.” Cloudtail glanced toward the medicine cat den.

The white warrior’s whiskers twitched as the brambles at the entrance stirred, then drooped as Leafpool emerged.

Hollypaw guessed he had been hoping that Cinderpaw would come to watch the ceremony.

Tail flicking, Sorreltail left her kits and hurried to Leafpool’s side. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Leafpool assured her friend. “Otherwise I wouldn’t have left her.” Hollypaw noticed that the worry in the medicine cat’s eyes didn’t match the lightness of her tone.

To Hollypaw’s surprise, Sorreltail nuzzled Leafpool’s flank.

“It must remind you of Cinderpelt’s accident,” she murmured.

Leafpool’s eyes grew round, as though she’d never noticed the connection before. She blinked. “That’s exactly why I won’t let the same thing happen to Cinderpaw.”

“I hope Leafpool’s right this time,” Cloudtail muttered to Brightheart.

Brightheart pressed her muzzle against his cheek. “She will be. It’ll be Cinderpaw’s turn before you know it.”

Icepaw still hadn’t settled. “I can’t wait till it’s my turn!”

She was padding excitedly around her brother outside the circle of cats. “I want to be called Icestorm. Do you think we get to choose?”

“Firestar chooses,” Foxpaw mewed. “But I hope he chooses Foxcatcher for me.”

“That’s a terrible name.” Icepaw gasped.

“No, it’s not!”

“Is so!”

Ferncloud padded over to her two kits. “Are you arguing again?” She licked Icepaw’s head, flattening a bit of fur that was sticking up like a tuft of grass.

“Foxpaw started it,” Icepaw accused.

“I don’t care who started it,” Ferncloud meowed. “Be quiet and let Firestar speak.”

Icepaw looked up in alarm to find Firestar staring sternly down at her. Quickly, she hurried around the edge of the clearing with Foxpaw on her tail, and sat down beside Hollypaw. Hollypaw stifled a purr as Icepaw folded her tail over her paws and tried to sit still.

Firestar stepped to the edge of Highledge. “I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down on these two apprentices.” Hollypaw could feel Icepaw trembling with excitement as Firestar went on. “They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code, and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn.” He bounded down the tumble of rocks and padded to the center of the clearing. Sandstorm nodded encouragement to Honeypaw, whose eyes were wide with apprehension. Thornclaw nudged Poppypaw forward, and the two apprentices stepped into the clearing.

“Poppypaw and Honeypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and to protect and defend this Clan, even at the cost of your lives?”

“I do,” Honeypaw breathed.

“I do!” Poppypaw’s mew nearly drowned out her sister’s reply.

Envy made Hollypaw’s claws itch. She pushed it away. Not long to wait.

“Then by the power of StarClan I give you your warrior names.” He beckoned Poppypaw with a flick of his tail. She padded toward him, chin high.

Touching his muzzle to her head, Firestar pronounced, “Poppypaw, from this moment you shall be known as Poppyfrost.” He stepped back. “StarClan honors your courage and initiative.”

He glanced at Honeypaw, who stepped forward in her turn. “Honeypaw, you shall be known as Honeyfern. StarClan honors your intelligence and kindness.” He pressed his nose between her ears.

“Poppyfrost! Honeyfern!” The Clan raised their voices to welcome the new warriors.

Hollypaw cheered as loudly as she could, proud of her denmates. But her mew died away as she noticed Honeyfern glance shyly at Berrynose; it was as if she wanted his approval above anyone’s.

She hissed into Lionpaw’s ear, “I wish Honeypaw—I mean Honeyfern—would stop mooning over that know-it-all!”

Lionpaw snorted. “She’ll be worse now that they’re sharing a den again.”