Cleverheart's Tale Part 2

It had been a long time since that day with Shadepelt and Spurpaw. Four moons to be exact, it was the third day after Cleverpaw’s naming ceremony. He had been so proud that his mentor was going to be Shadepelt, WindClan’s fair and level-headed deputy. He was eager to please his role model and over the course of the apprenticeship he and Shadepelt had grown to be friends. “Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather here in the clearing!” Ebonystar’s gruff voice shook Cleverpaw from his thoughts. “There shall be a naming ceremony today,” Ebonystar’s voice sounded again once everyone was gathered in the clearing. Moonpelt’s kits must be old enough to become apprentices. Cleverpaw thought to himself. Yeah that’s probably it, Grasskit and Speedykit are probably about 6 moons old now. “Cleverpaw we are waiting for you.” Ebonystar said in a forced calm tone that Cleverpaw could tell meant that he was growing impatient. “Yes, Ebonystar, sir” Cleverpaw said as he rushed to stand by Spurpaw at the front of the crowd of cats. Cleverpaw was honestly stumped. He could not figure out why he was sitting in front. Surely he couldn’t be becoming a warrior already. Then the truth dawned on him. Now he understood what Shadepelt had said to him before he had left with the dawn patrol. “I have had something planned for you.” Cleverpaw recalled him saying. Now he understood that he had been recommended to become a warrior. Cleverpaw was bursting with excitement. He was already thinking of the things he would be able to do and Spurpaw would be there with him! He smiled as he recalled the first thing his old littermate had said to him. “Die, Needlestar!” Spurpaw had said to him before she continued to launch herself fiercely at Cleverpaw, when he and she were only a moon and a half old. This seemed like an odd thing to say but ironically it wasn’t, Cleverpaw did bear an unnerving resemblance to the ShadowClan leader. Cleverpaw looked up to find Treepelt looking on proudly at his former apprentice. “Do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect the Clan with your life?” Ebonystar asked Cleverpaw. “I do,” Cleverpaw answered while shaking with anticipation. “Well from this moment onward you will be a warrior of WindClan and your name shall be Cleverheart.” A wave of agreeing caterwauls rose from the mass of cats. “Spurclaw, Cleverheart, Spurclaw, Cleverheart, Spurclaw, Cleverheart!” The crowd yowled. Just as the yowling died down a new wave of caterwauls started, but they weren’t of WindClan. In horror Cleverheart realized that the Clan that it was from was ShadowClan. Before anyone could do anything, Cleverheart saw a ShadowClan warrior sink his teeth into his leader’s neck. The next moment Ebonystar’s body fell limp.