The First Howl
The darkness of the night hides the sneakiest of things. A small black shape made its way into Howlclan's camp and to their small freshkill pile. The figure snatched up a piece of prey without looking at it and took off out of the camp. A fallen twig from the leader's den tree snapped under the intruder's paws as he made his escape and to the river across the way, unaware that two pairs of eyes were watching his escape.
Patchstorm led the way to the intruder. That was the third night in a row they had been stolen from, but the two Howlclan cats were prepared this time. Patchstorm quietly pointed out the intruder to Ebonystar as they watched from a distance. The thief was sitting in front of the river with the stolen prey at his paws, he was staring at the night sky.
"Let's charge him!" Patchstorm whispered quickly, preparing to charge.
Ebonystar laid his tail on her shoulder. "Relax, be quiet. I think he's speaking to someone."
Patchstorm relaxed her bunched up muscles and strained her ears to hear what the small cat was saying. He indeed was speaking to someone but it was hard to make out from the distance the two cats were at.
"Let's get closer, then confront them after listening in." Patchstorm suggested hoping Ebonystar would like her plan.
"Good idea!"
The duo circled around the cat and silently moved in closer as they stayed hidden in the little foliage they could until they could make out whatever was being spoken.
"And they lived happily in the forest without being bothered by the vicious dog again. The end." The intruder spoke to the stars softly. He then bent down and took one or two bites of the prey before turning around and started to walk away. Ebonystar took the chance to reveal himself.
"You shouldn't waste prey like that, especially after all the trouble you went through to steal it." Ebonystar's voice reached out toward the small cat. The thief whirled around to face the unknown voice that addressed him.
"W-who are you?!"
"We are warriors of Howlclan, and you are tresspassing and stealing our prey!" Patchstorm chimed in, as she too stepped out of hiding.
"I-"
Ebonystar raised his tail to silence the cat. "Why are you stealing prey and wasting it?"
The small cat opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Then spoke with a small trembling voice.
"I..I wasn't wasting it..! I swear. I was...umm..I was.." He paused seemingly embarassed. "I wanted to share it with my mother.."
Patchstorm looked around caustiously. "Where is she..?!"
The small cat looked up at the sky sadly. "Up there.."
Patchstorm snapped her head at the cat in shock as Ebonystar stepped closer to get a better look at the thief. He was young but healthy looking and obviously sad at the mention of his mother but Ebonystar could see something else reflected in the eyes of their thief. "How old are you?"
"Uh..7 moons I think."
"7 moons huh? Do you have a name?"
"Some cats call me Rat."
Patchstorm knew what Ebonystar was thinking at this point in the conversation and before Ebonystar could she asked Rat, "How would you like to join us Rat?"
The two toms looked in shock at the grey and white cat but Rat didn't hesitate to answer. "Y-yeah! I don't want to be alone anymore!"
Patchstorm smiled at the kit and stood beside Ebonystar. "Then welcome to Howlclan young one."
Ebonystar purred. "Follow me, both of you."
The two young cats followed Ebonystar in confusion as he lead the way down the river and to a nearby assortment of rocks. The moon shone down brightly on the one in the middle, a large formation with a flat top and several pawholds that a cat may be able to use to get to the top. The rock wasn't too high but it wasn't easily jumped onto in one leap. Without saying a word, Ebonystar leapt onto a lower ledge of the rock then to the top of it. His yellow eyes gazed down on the two young cats below him.
"Join me young Rat." Ebonystar said. Rat obeyed without question, his heart racing with anticipation and excitement. Soon the young cat stood next to his new leader with his head held high and the wind cooling his nerves.
"Rat, you have surpassed the age of six moons while on your own. You will join us as an apprentice under the mentorship of me. You are young and remind me a lot of myself when I was a kit and I hope I can teach you all it is I know and will learn." Ebonystar paused to smile down at the apprentice before continuing. "From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Ratpaw."
Ratpaw puffed out his chest and looked up to the moon. Patchstorm, with bright eyes, raised her head to the sky along with Ebonystar as they yowled our the new apprentice's name to be heard all the way to Starclan. Thus the first Howl had commenced and became a new tradition among the clan.
Patchstorm led the way to the intruder. That was the third night in a row they had been stolen from, but the two Howlclan cats were prepared this time. Patchstorm quietly pointed out the intruder to Ebonystar as they watched from a distance. The thief was sitting in front of the river with the stolen prey at his paws, he was staring at the night sky.
"Let's charge him!" Patchstorm whispered quickly, preparing to charge.
Ebonystar laid his tail on her shoulder. "Relax, be quiet. I think he's speaking to someone."
Patchstorm relaxed her bunched up muscles and strained her ears to hear what the small cat was saying. He indeed was speaking to someone but it was hard to make out from the distance the two cats were at.
"Let's get closer, then confront them after listening in." Patchstorm suggested hoping Ebonystar would like her plan.
"Good idea!"
The duo circled around the cat and silently moved in closer as they stayed hidden in the little foliage they could until they could make out whatever was being spoken.
"And they lived happily in the forest without being bothered by the vicious dog again. The end." The intruder spoke to the stars softly. He then bent down and took one or two bites of the prey before turning around and started to walk away. Ebonystar took the chance to reveal himself.
"You shouldn't waste prey like that, especially after all the trouble you went through to steal it." Ebonystar's voice reached out toward the small cat. The thief whirled around to face the unknown voice that addressed him.
"W-who are you?!"
"We are warriors of Howlclan, and you are tresspassing and stealing our prey!" Patchstorm chimed in, as she too stepped out of hiding.
"I-"
Ebonystar raised his tail to silence the cat. "Why are you stealing prey and wasting it?"
The small cat opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Then spoke with a small trembling voice.
"I..I wasn't wasting it..! I swear. I was...umm..I was.." He paused seemingly embarassed. "I wanted to share it with my mother.."
Patchstorm looked around caustiously. "Where is she..?!"
The small cat looked up at the sky sadly. "Up there.."
Patchstorm snapped her head at the cat in shock as Ebonystar stepped closer to get a better look at the thief. He was young but healthy looking and obviously sad at the mention of his mother but Ebonystar could see something else reflected in the eyes of their thief. "How old are you?"
"Uh..7 moons I think."
"7 moons huh? Do you have a name?"
"Some cats call me Rat."
Patchstorm knew what Ebonystar was thinking at this point in the conversation and before Ebonystar could she asked Rat, "How would you like to join us Rat?"
The two toms looked in shock at the grey and white cat but Rat didn't hesitate to answer. "Y-yeah! I don't want to be alone anymore!"
Patchstorm smiled at the kit and stood beside Ebonystar. "Then welcome to Howlclan young one."
Ebonystar purred. "Follow me, both of you."
The two young cats followed Ebonystar in confusion as he lead the way down the river and to a nearby assortment of rocks. The moon shone down brightly on the one in the middle, a large formation with a flat top and several pawholds that a cat may be able to use to get to the top. The rock wasn't too high but it wasn't easily jumped onto in one leap. Without saying a word, Ebonystar leapt onto a lower ledge of the rock then to the top of it. His yellow eyes gazed down on the two young cats below him.
"Join me young Rat." Ebonystar said. Rat obeyed without question, his heart racing with anticipation and excitement. Soon the young cat stood next to his new leader with his head held high and the wind cooling his nerves.
"Rat, you have surpassed the age of six moons while on your own. You will join us as an apprentice under the mentorship of me. You are young and remind me a lot of myself when I was a kit and I hope I can teach you all it is I know and will learn." Ebonystar paused to smile down at the apprentice before continuing. "From this day on, until you recieve your warrior name you will be known as Ratpaw."
Ratpaw puffed out his chest and looked up to the moon. Patchstorm, with bright eyes, raised her head to the sky along with Ebonystar as they yowled our the new apprentice's name to be heard all the way to Starclan. Thus the first Howl had commenced and became a new tradition among the clan.
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