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Crystalpaw was staring up at the lean tom cat with a cut ear and scar across his eye named Battlestar, obviously he had seen several battles. Diamond stirred beside her.
"Battlestar, you have decide if you will take her or not?", inquired Diamond, "and it would be best not to mention such things of the future or to startle her with your talk it may not be wise".
"Yes, yes of course I will take her. I believe you are right of my talk, but you know me I love to take youngsters by surprise", Battlestar commented, mishief glittering in his eyes.
"Yes, but I beleive it is not wise to do so with a rogue. Of which doesn't understand", Diamond hinted.
"Alright, you win and yes you are correct in such things, for a loner", Battlerstar teased.
"I was in this clan once and I can tell you I'm happier where I am", Diamond concluded.
"Yes, you are much better to us, as a loner", Battlestar replied.
"Ok, this is all very friendly and all, but what were saying? I'm to stay here? In this place? With these strangers?", asked Crystalpaw.
"Crystalpaw, I told you..."
"You sed I was your friend and that you'd always be with me! And you sed you'd never leave me alone. I wanna stay with you Diamond! Plz...", Crystalpaw finnished, her eyes filled with sorrow.
Diamond looked down at the young she-cat and felt guilt grip her, but she new she couldnt have her stay with her it would be work and she needed to get back to her apprenticeship.
"I'm sorry", Diamond sed at last, "you're better off here".
Diamond then raced out of the cave she looked back and whispered, "I will never forget the friendship we had and I am sorry, Crystalpaw", with that she turned and fled.
"Well...I suppose you need a mentor and the rest of the clan must get to know you and of course you must be hungry after your journey. Come, Crystalpaw", Battlestar ordered, and started padding towards the entrance of the cave that lead to the clearing outside. Crystalpaw didn't know what else to do, so she followed him. As Battlestar left the cave and entered the clearing all the other cats stared at him. Crystalpaw continued to follow him and she felt eyes burn into her fur as the cats whatched her.
"Wait", whispered Battlestar.
He lept to a ledge over looking the clearing.
"Cats of MountainClan, gather beneath the stone ledge for a clan meeting!", Battlestar yowled.
All the cats gathered beneath the ledge waiting to hear what there leader had to say.
"My clan, some of you may not know, but I made an arrangement with Diamond, the loner, to take care of a rogue who's parents were killed and is now orphaned. Diamond has been teaching her ways of an apprentice and it is now up to us to continue on what she has been taught. I hope you will all make her welcome. Crystalpaw step forward", Battlestar finnished.
Crystalpaw was startled from her thoughts at the speaking of her name. She quietly walked over to sit in front of the gathered cats, "hello", she whispered. She was well aware of the cats eyes staring at her.
"Now that you all know who she is I will now name her mentor, Thunderclaw, will be Crystalpaw's mentor", Battlestar announced.
A muscular tom stepped out of the crowd to stand face-to-face with Crystalpaw. She noticed that he was tawny coloured and had a hansomeface and had a white lighnting bolt on his forehead.
"Thunderclaw, do you promise to teach this apprentice our ways and to teach her the skills she will need to be a warrior?", Battlestar asked.
"I will", answered Thunderclaw.
"Crystalpaw, do you promise to listen to everything your mentor tells you?", Battlestar asked.
Startled, Crystalpaw answered, "I do?", unsure if that was what was supposed to be said.
Thunderclaw approached Crystalpaw and touched noses with her in welcome. Startled Crystalpaw backed away quickly. The gathered cats shouted out her name and some started to approach her to congratulate her and Thunderclaw on becomming a mentor. Crystalpaw greeted each cat that approached her she noticed that 1 young white tom was watching her with hate burning in his eyes. Confused as to what could have caused him to hate her she decided she would go over and ask. As she walked over she wondered of what could be the cause of his hate towards her, does he feel I'm getting to much attention? Maybe he's jealous that I'm another white cat, that thought put a smile on her face, that's silly. The young tom looked like a cat who would be made about anything. The tom saw her approaching he stood up and gave her a menacing glare and stalked off.
Well that was rude, Crystalpaw thought. She sat where she was staring after the tom.
"Hiya, what ya doin' over here?", a brown tabby tom asked.
"Er..Hello...I was just...Er...", Crystalpaw stammered.
"You ain't in love with Blizzardpaw now are ya? Cuz he don't like any cats cept for Angelpaw", the tabby continued, "my names Wildpaw by the way".
"Nice to meet you. I'm..."
"Crystalpaw I know. You must be proud to be Thunderclaw's apprentice", Wildpaw announced.
"Er..Should I be?", Crystalpaw asked.
"oh, yes he's the most trusted warrior in the clan prolly even the forest! And he's the most skillful fighter and the bravest warrior I know", Wildpaw explained.
I can see why he's called "Wildpaw", Crystalpaw thought.
"Well, I'm not in "love" with what's-his-name. He just seemed angry with me, so I thought I'd find out why", Crystalpaw explained.
"What's-his-name! That's funny! I just call him the grumpy furball or Angelpaw lover", Wildpaw sed, "his names Blizzardpaw and he's prolly mad cuz Thunderclaw is his father and well..Blizzardpaw hates rogues and loners", Wildpaw explained.
"Oh, well I feel so much better now", Crystalpaw replied.
"Don't be too hard on yourself now he's just like that and besides you don't wanna be friends with him. You can friends with me and the others! Just whatch how you talk of "what's-his-name" around Angelpaw though. Cuz she loves him", Wildpaw explained.
"Oh, well I don't wanna be friends with Blizzardpaw or whatever if he's gonna hate me", Crystalpaw replied.
"Smart, I like the way you think. Come on I'll introduce to the other apprentices and show you where we sleep!", Wildpaw decided, and bounded over to another cave entrance where a group of young cats were sitting. Crystalpaw raced after her friend.
"Greetings, everyone this is Crystalpaw as you all know", Wildpaw greeted the young cats.
"Hello", Crystalpaw greeted.
"That's Whitepaw and his sister Icepaw", Wildpaw explained pointing to 2 white cats.
"Hello", they both replied at once. The only difference between the 2 of them were there eyes. Whitepaw had yellow eyes and Icepaw had blue eyes.
"And that's Angelpaw", Wildpaw pointed at a silver tabby with whitepaws.
"Hi", greeted Angelpaw, "it's nice to meet you".
That's Blizzardpaw's lover! she's so nice!, Crystalpaw thought.
"Hey, where's the Switfpaw brothers?", asked Wildpaw.
"Sleeping", answered Whitepaw.
"Blizzardpaw?", asked Wildpaw.
"Not here yet", replied Angelpaw.
"Ah, well he's prolly talking to his father or 1 of his brothers", concluded Wildpaw.
"Either way we should get some sleep", Icepaw suggested.
"Yes, let's get some sleep", Wildpaw replied.
The apprentices hurried inside the den. There were nests all along the sides of the cave wall. There were 2 tawnybodies sleeping side-by-side. One of the cats had a black ear and the other had a white ear.
"Those are the Swiftpaw brothers", whispered Wildpaw, into Crystalpaw's ear. The rest of the apprentices went over to there nests of moss and heather with there tails curled over there noses. There was a nest empty beside Angelpaw, for Blizzardpaw and 2 nests on the other side of the Switftpaw brothers. Wildpaw snuggled into the nest closest to them. Crystalpaw wanted to sleep beside Angelpaw, since she had been so nice, but new it would lead to trouble so she settled down in the nest beside Wildpaw.
"Night everyone", whispered Wildpaw.
"Good night Wildpaw", the others whispered back, "and good night everyone".
"Good night, Wildpaw", whispered Crystalpaw.
"Good night, Crystalpaw", whispered Wildpaw back, and he gave her a comforting lick on the ear.
Crystalpaw felt safe and finallt felt like she belonged somewhere with her new friend the new day seemed like it would bring more wonders to her. For the first time she felt truely happy. She snuggled deaper into her nest and closed her eyes while sleep cast over her.
(read "chapter 3" to find out what happens next!)